What People Are Saying

Numen is numinous. It illuminates not only the healing magic and mystery of the plant world, but also the remarkable cast of botanical explorers who carry the flame for these fragile and critically important wisdom traditions and ecosystems. The film is beautifully made and comes alive visually. At the same time, it hunts and gathers some of the more nuanced implications of conserving plant diversity and traditional botanical knowledge. After all, human health is most fundamentally dependent on ecological health, and the film's exploration of 'Ecological Medicine' is a beacon that can and must reach into mainstream medicine. Kenny Ausubel
Founder, Bioneers
Director, 'Hoxsey: How Healing Becomes a Crime'
From the use of plants as medicine to the impact of environmental toxins on human reproduction—Numen is a beautiful and thought provoking film that explores the deep relationship that exists between nature and human health.  Weaving history, ecology, and modern pharmacy with the very essence of what it means to heal, this visually stunning film should be part of all medical, nursing and pharmacy training programs and/or libraries. Tieraona Low Dog, MD
Fellowship Director
Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine
Numen not only captures the physical wonders that herbs offer; it penetrates to the spiritual roots of their relationships to humankind. Whether your main interest is herbal medicine, cultivating herbs or the common environment shared by plants and people, Numen will surprise you with unique insight into the bonds between humans and plants. Lynda LeMole
Executive Director
United Plant Savers
Numen is a magnificent depiction of the healing essence of plants. The filmmakers captured the magic, the mystery, the beauty of plants and their importance as herbal medicine in our contemporary healthcare system. Inspiring and educational, Numen has a place in the library of anyone interested in medicine, plants, gardening and earth ecology. It's a powerful film that I'll recommend that everyone see. Rosemary Gladstar
I thoroughly enjoyed this film. In Numen, the filmmakers have coherently weaved together thought-provoking insights of many recognized ethnobotanists, herbalists, natural healthcare practitioners, nature conservationists, and keepers of traditional knowledge, about the very important roles that plants have always played for human health as sources of natural healthy foods, herbal medicines for maintaining health, preventing or treating disease, and natural fibers for clothing and shelter. This film articulates well how human health is integrally linked to the preservation of traditional knowledge and sustainable use of plants. Josef Brinckmann
Vice President Research and Developoment
Traditional Medicinals
Numen: the Nature of Plants is a film of extraordinary insight and depth. As a teacher whose students are interested in experiences of health and illness across cultures, I find the film extremely useful in the classroom. Numen prompts students to think about the interrelatedness of human and environmental well-being and to critically engage the history and perspectives behind terms like "complementary and alternative medicine." As we listen as some of the most accomplished herbalists in the Euro-American tradition as well as scientists and herbal medicine producers talk about what they know and what they do, we also gain perspective on the cultural and ecological impacts of modern techno-scientific approaches to healing. The film succeeds in presenting these complex issues with nuance and a delicate touch, an ethnographer's eye for detail and an artist's eye for beauty across the outer landscape of plants and the inner landscape of the body. The film is a joy to teach with. Sienna Craig
Assistant Professor of Medical Anthropology
Dartmouth College
Numen left me with a deep feeling of gratitude for the beauty and mystery of life and a longing for the plant world!. The film was a great blend of the personal story and the big picture. The subject matter was far-reaching, but masterfully presented. I enjoyed the range of voices, and also of visuals, from stunning beauty shots to recreated drama to documentary ... It honestly faced the appalling state of the world, but it managed to offer a positive response. It combined science and also brought to light other ways of knowing. What a triumph! I congratulate you both on your success in creating this. Chez Liley
Wow! Very impressed! This documentary was done with passion and intelligence. Jodi Pflepsen
Healing from Home Remedies
It's a real gift to view at once so many talented teachers speak about the power of plants with such conviction and from so many perspectives. This is a wonderful reminder of the importance of all our planet's resources. Julia Brandt