Plants pop and the mind boggles as Stevie Wonder provides the score for this rarely screened and impossible-to-stream 1978 documentary about the pain and joy that plants experience, how they communicate it, and the interconnectedness of all things. Alternating sequences of the planet Earth in time-lapse grandeur with segments exploring various biologists at work, THE SECRET LIFE OF PLANTS — most certainly a product of its time — traverses the globe in pursuit of the question, are plants sentient beings? A polygraph technician applies his science to track the emotional response of a houseplant. A woman teaches the Japanese alphabet to a cactus. All the while, Wonder employs an era-appropriate battalion of synth, vocalizing the action, acting as co-narrator, and turning out some of his most unusual work — later released as the record A Journey Into the Secret Life of Plants.” (1978, 97 min, DVD)

Before the sun sets, join us for plant-based activities on the Arts Lawn accompanied by DJ Duane Powell’s Stevie-based set and ReformedSchool’s Stevie-based merch. 

This program is co-sponsored by the Film Studies Department at UChicago.