Exploring some of the most remote and spectacular places in the world, a small band of visionary young scientists made surprising discoveries that flipped our understanding of nature on its head. Beginning in the 1960s, five pioneering ecologists – Bob Paine, Jim Estes, Mary Power, John Terborgh and Tony Sinclair – headed into the wilderness, driven by an insatiable curiosity about how nature works. They discovered a single set of rules that govern all life. Now in the twilight of their eminent careers, these five unsung heroes of modern ecology share the stories of their adventures, giving us a chance to reimagine the world as it could and should be.

This celebration of scientific excellence is directed by BAFTA and Emmy-winning filmmaker Nicolas Brown and narrated by Sean B. Carroll, author of the acclaimed 2016 book upon which the film is based: The Serengeti Rules: The Quest to Discover How Life Works and Why It Matters.

Juxtaposing scenes of exquisite beauty and diversity – from Pacific tidal pools to the Serengeti, from the Arctic tundra to the Amazon – this poignant elegy for what we are about to lose offers a glimmer of hope for restoring our planet. With profound implications for the fate of all life on Earth, this is one of the most important untold stories of our time.