The Silent Forest Full Movie

[Heartbreak Writhe]

In2020, the CZU Lightning Complex Fire devastated the Santa Cruz mountains and changed the land in incredible ways. For almost three years, I have been able to frequently return to the forests to document the changes and new growth in some areas that were severely burned and others that were not as affected.

My introduction to the effects of this fire was a trip to Big Basin Redwoods State Park in September 2020. Somehow I had expected much worse. While there was significant damage to the forests, there were areas that look like they would come back pretty quickly. Most of the park buildings I saw had been completely destroyed. There was still a strong odor of wood smoke in the air as there was still smoke coming from some of the charred trunks. The amount of debris and fallen trees was astounding, with large branches everywhere.

My second trip in November allowed me more time to comprehend what had happened as I was able to see additional areas. There was already a significant effort going on to clear roads and debris. The first trips into some of the other highly affected areas, like San Vicente Redwoods, were in October and November 2020. I found a stark grey landscape of dusty soil, burned trees, and little to no underbrush. The ash and dust on the ground had a fine consistency and fluffed out around our footsteps as we walked.

However, I also found the beginnings of new growth. These forests were nearly silent except for the wind and the occasional clatter of branches. In some areas there was a layer of brown needles, leaves and broken branches covering the ground. In others, the ground was almost bare, swept clean, leaving only ash and dust.

On one trip to the ridge lines high above Gazos Creek, I gained a much wider view of the extent and impact of the fire. Looking in all directions, ridge after ridge and valleys in between were burned. Leaving only pockets of spared trees and thousands of charred acres of blackened trees in a monochromatic landscape. It was encouraging to see small plants, including the occasional wildflowers coming up between the charred tree trunks and the ash covered ground.

Throughout the winter of 2020/2021, the rains came and went, filling the streams. One large storm scoured the creek beds and eroded hillsides. Loose soils allowed trees to fall. Creek beds and sediment were rearranged. By mid-winter, ferns and smaller plants were starting to emerge and the occasional animal tracks were found. Redwood trees had begun to sprout along the length of their trunks while dead trees started to lose their bark and smaller branches. The forests were still very quiet. There were still very few insects, birds or other animals. Into the spring, with more rain and sun, more small plants and mushrooms emerged and wildflowers were becoming plentiful. This brought back the buzz of bees and flittering butterflies. In some of the less severely burned areas, smaller animals, such as newts and banana slugs, were found.

During the first summer, plentiful sun spurred growth of the understory as more ferns and more wildflowers appeared, including irises, lupine and many others. The seed bank in the soil was sprouting to life again. The calls of birds were becoming plentiful again. However, some areas that were severely affected were still barren and stark with little growth as the return of life was not evenly spread. Animal tracks were becoming more plentiful in some areas as well. The new growth offered a lively contrast against charred tree trunks in the recent burn scars.

As summer started once again, some areas became thick with undergrowth. Other places that were not as affected continued in more normal patterns of growth. I found that returning to some of my usual sites was becoming difficult due to dense growth. By late summer, I had to push my way through tight groups of field poppies, poison oak and sprouting manzanita trees. It was amazing to see so many of the yellow flowers. This was an area that had been severely burned in one of the highest areas of the San Vicente Redwoods.

Fall took over and the once monochrome forests were looking alive with color again. High up the redwoods were countless bright green sprouts. While the canopy will take some time to fill in, plenty of sun will encourage additional new growth on the forest floor. It was now easy to see which trees had survived and which had succumbed to the fire. The dead trees will be future homes to countless animals and birds until they fall and eventually rejuvenate the soil. On more recent trips I began to see more evidence of animals including scat and tracks in the soft soils.

After more than two years, 2022 ended in spectacular fashion with a procession of atmospheric rivers and record rainfall. Parts of the Santa Cruz mountains received close to three feet of rain in those weeks. The water inundated valleys, tearing at the soils and streams and sending the debris rushing to the sea. While the water was greatly needed, so much so fast brings its own changes.

During all that time, I watched the layers of the ecosystems rebuild themselves after this devastating fire. While I know that it will still take many years for the forests to more fully recover, it is amazing to witness a new beginning. So often, we see the fires but rarely the environmental processes afterwards. We forget how gradual the process is.

Looking for more? You can zoom in and explore each of photographer Ian Bornarth's curated photos in chronological order to witness the resilient redwood forests of the Santa Cruz mountains resurge with life over three years of recovery since the region's most devaststaing fire on record, the 2020 CZU Fire.

The Silent Forest (Chinese: 無聲) is a 2020 Taiwanese social psychological thriller drama film directed by Ko Chien-Nien.[2] The film was inspired by a real-life sexual abuse scandal at National Tainan Special School, a Taiwanese school for the deaf.[3][2] It was nominated for 8 Golden Horse Awards and won 2 awards, for Best New Performer and Best Sound Effects.[4] The film released in Taiwan on 15 October 2020. The film will be exclusively released on HowPro+ and Disney+ Hotstar in Malaysia on 1 June 2021, and in Thailand on 30 June 2021.

A teenage boy, Chang Cheng (Tzu-Chuan Liu), chases an old man and begins beating him in front of police officers. The officers pull Chang Cheng off the old man. They don't understand the boy and takes him to the police station. They discover he is deaf. One of the teachers from the school for the hearing impaired, Mr. Wang (Kuan-Ting Liu), arrives and helps Chang Cheng communicate. Chang Cheng accuses the old man of stealing his wallet on the train, but the cops claim that the old man found the wallet and that it was all a misunderstanding. Mr. Wang tells the cops that Chang Cheng is sorry, to get him out of trouble. Chang Cheng asks Mr. Wang if he believes him; Mr. Wang responds that he tends to believe the deaf.

Mr. Wang takes Chang Cheng to his new school and suggests he attend the school dance that night. Chang Cheng, not knowing anyone at school, is left alone. Eventually he is pulled into the crowd and dances, enjoying himself.

Chang Cheng notices classmate Bei Bei (Buffy Chen) on the bus to school. He watches her chat and laugh with her friends. In class, Chang Cheng continues to watch Bei Bei. When he sees her acting strangely, he throws paper at her and asks what she's doing. She tells him she's holding her breath. That night, Chang Cheng gets out of bed and sees lights flashing in the bathroom. It is Bei Bei flashing a light from down below. She tells him to come out. They go to the school swimming pool. Chang Cheng asks about the lights, and Bei Bei says they are just playing. She dives into the pool to avoid his questions. She wants to learn to swim.

On the bus the next day, Chang Cheng looks for Bei Bei and sees sweaters hung up as a screen. He heads to the back of the bus and finds a group of boys holding Bei Bei down and raping her. The leader of the group, Xiao Guang (Kim Hyeon-Bin), motions to Chang Cheng to keep mum. The boys continue to rape Bei Bei as she cries and throw a sweater over her head. Chang Cheng watches in horror before fleeing. The bus chaperone notices the rape, but stays silent. That night, Chang Cheng's mother asks if he's made any friends and if he likes his new school. Chang Cheng nods.

Chang Cheng watches Bei Bei play soccer at school with the boys who raped her. That night, the boys drag Chang Cheng out of bed. Xiao Guang tells him that they should play together. The boys try to force Chang Cheng into the bathroom, but the alarm goes off, and the boys scatter. Chang Cheng goes to the pool with Bei Bei. He asks if she set off the alarm and asks why she still plays with the boys and hasn't told the teachers. Bei Bei says he should stay silent or the boys will bully him. She says the boys are nice to her most of the time, but she doesn't like it when they rape her. She suggests that Chang Cheng bully her with them, so he won't be alone.

In a flashback, a boy sits next to Bei Bei on the bus and grows aggressive as she tries to push him away. He sexually assaults her. Another female student tries to help her, but the boys push her away, as does the teacher at the front of the bus. After the boy rapes Bei Bei, she writes down what happened and tells a female teacher. The teacher gaslights her and claims that the boys are good kids and would never hurt her. Bei Bei looks defeated.

In the present, Mr. Wang confronts the principal, who tries to gaslight Mr. Wang into silence. Mr. Wang says he won't stay silent. He and the principal interview all the students and discover that everyone has been a victim of rape, sexual assault, bullying, and more. All the students say they're forced to do these things by Xiao Guang. During Xiao Guang's interview, he claims to just be playing. His parents are called in and scold him. As revenge, Xiao Guang has a group of boys beat up Chang Cheng. Bei Bei's grandfather keeps her home from school.

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