Rain Forest Pharmacy - Medicine from the Jungle

Great apes know how to self-medicate. Bonobos, for instance, treat themselves with plants from the tropical rain forest in which they live. What can humans learn from them? The film follows Scientist Barbara Fruth into the jungle of the DR Congo.

Director: Eva Demmler

Eva Demmler had originally wanted to study monkeys in their natural habitat before starting to make films. Nowadays she films monkeys and other primates. Her latest documentary “A Pharmacy for Monkeys – Jungle Medicine” was a joint production with Axel Friedrich. What needs to be done to stop humans from further destroying environments where wild animals roam free – that is the question on which the filmmaker focuses in her work.

Eva Demmler, 1985-1993: Language studies Italian, Spanish and Dutch at the FU Berlin, degree: Magistra Artium.
1994: International experience in Florence, Italy
1995:International experience in NYC, USA
1996 -1998:Head of the reportage section at teen magazine „Polylux“ (RBB/ARD)
1995 -2005: Editor for ARD-aktuell, „Tagesthemen“ and „Nachtmagazin“ (NDR)
2005 - today: Writer/director for the TV docu-soap "Elefant, Tiger und Co", 25 min., Fridays on MDR; blocks of 50 min. on ARD.

Director: Axel Friedrich

Axel Friedrich, born April 12th 1963 in Celle, Germany.
Since 1997 freelance TV journalist and writer. Since 2003 TV-docu-soap „Elefant, Tiger & Co.“ – format development* (2003) - 25 min (MDR), 50 min (ARD) – writer/director

Germany
2015
45 Min.
German
6
Director: Eva Demmler, Axel Friedrich
Script: Axel Friedrich u. Eva Demmler
Cinematography: Thomas Keffel
Editing: Christian R. Timmann
Music: Tim Stanzel
Narrator: Oliver Preusche
Editor: Steffen Bayer/ ZDF; Jörg Seibold/ DW
Producer: Hoferichter & Jacobs GmbH