Follow the Rain

Follow the Rain is a beautiful documentary filled with stunning time-lapse and macro images of fungi, and stunning sweeping landscapes of the Australian wilderness.

I really enjoyed the interviews with mycologists, citizen scientists and experts. The joy and love of fungi, and sheer delight they bring was evident throughout.

The documentary is well paced, and follows the presenter's journey across Australia, as well as the story of identifying a mystery species of fungi. Some scenes where the presenter acts surprised to find a specimen right where the camera has been set up aren't very convincing, but it doesn't matter as there's a childlike joy and silliness in the acting.

Unfortunately the soundtrack is grating, and turns an otherwise relaxing, peaceful and beautiful documentary into a film I'd rather watch muted. Hopefully Netflix can re-mix the audio so that it's either quieter or less repetitive (maybe both!).

Despite the music, the film has left me with a deep appreciation of Australian diversity, fungi & the wonderful microscopic world beneath our feet.

The program included detailed information about the fungi, which was informative, and the images throughout were stunning and beautifully presented. What a pity the music spoiled what could have been an excellent documentary. The shrill background sounds and repetitive high volume music was very irritating and made hearing the narration difficult for much of the program.

It was wonderful to see people who are so passionate and excited by the wonders of nature and I loved watching the pursuit of their interest in fungi. I hope the programs audio can be edited to improve the quality of the show.

Incredible footage of fungi from Australia and Lord Howe Island, accompanied by an engaging narration and personal reflections by fungi photographer Stephen Axford. Catherine Marciniak is obviously a skilled filmmaker and the two have produced a film that balances the stunning visuals of a magical world with interesting scientific information that is easily understood.

Stephen talks about his own journey into still and time-lapse fungi photography and they visit mycologists, who share their own perspectives on these incredible organisms. Alongside, there is a storyline of the pursuit of information on a rare blue Australian mushroom, that has become Stephen's favourite, revealing exciting information and the eventual naming of this mushroom.

Wow - this film Follow the Rain is a pleasure that satisfies all the senses.

First, the imagery is incredible and I feasted on the beautiful colors and wonders of the mushrooms and mycellium. Second, the music was superlative, so atmospheric, evocative and completely apt. And finally, it was intellectually stimulating with all the facts about fungi and its place on the earth. I never thought mushrooms could be trippy just by seeing and hearing... I always thought they had to be ingested!

I wonder at the reviews that say the music was too much. It's true, we are not used to actually hearing the music in a documentary and even more so, we're not used to hearing real music rather than the cheap and nasty bought-off-the-internet library music that nearly all documentaries use these days.

Thank you Planet Fungi for giving us something more - both visually, aurally and intellectually. A triumph!

Follow the Rain is a breathtaking documentary that beautifully captures the hidden world of mushrooms. The visuals are mesmerizing, following the delicate dance of fungi as they emerge with the rhythm of the rain. It's both calming and inspiring, blending science with art in the most poetic way. The narration is soothing, and the shots of lush forests and time-lapse growth scenes are unforgettable. It opens your eyes to the incredible intelligence and interconnectedness of nature. A true celebration of life beneath our feet-this film is a must-see for every nature, fungi, and documentary lover. Prepare to be humbled and amazed.