In late 2020, I completed “Pushed up the Mountain,” a feature-length documentary that tells the story of nature conservationists in China and the UK who are working to protect rhododendrons in the wild and in ex-situ collections. Over the five years it took to make the film, I traveled to Yunnan and Sichuan provinces in China, and Argyll and Edinburgh in Scotland. I interviewed numerous rhododendron experts and enthusiasts, including David Chamberlain (Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh–RBGE), Geng Yuying (Huaxi Subalpine Botanic Garden), and Ian Sinclair (Rhododendron Species Conservation Group). There is even a section filmed at Roan Mountain on the Tennessee–North Carolina border where I talk about how old the rhododendron genus is and speculate on its global reach and significance.
What follows is my account of making “Pushed up the Mountain” and what I learned along the way. I hope it will engage and entertain you and ultimately propel you to watch the film! To get information on how to do that, you can visit our website: www.pushed-up- the-mountain-film.com. Later in 2022, the film will screen as part of the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh’s upcoming exhibit: “A Rose by Any Other Name Obsession, Threat, and the Riddle of Rhododendrons.” In the meantime, please reach out directly at pushedupmountain@gmail.com if you have any questions or would like to arrange a special screening.
Read complete article here: Making a Documentary Film about Rhododendrons // Julia Haslett Carrboro, NC