“I care about plants now, however, before I started here, I can honestly say I didn’t care. Which is an odd thing because now it’s sort of my, my bread and butter as a filmmaker here at the Gardens…”
Fewer things bring to mind the concept of “abundance” like flowers. In Denver, the Botantic Gardens does more than just grow plants. The Gardens tell stories. In this engaging talk, filmmaker and director of the Denver Botanic Films at the Gardens, Billy Kanaly shares his journey telling the hidden stories of plants. Whether it’s discovering the forgotten locations of Moon trees or cultivating a rose grown in a WWII Japanese internment camp in Amache, CO, these stories abound around plants. They’re just waiting to be told.
About the speaker
Billy Kanaly is a filmmaker at the Denver Botanic Gardens.
Billy heads up Denver Botanic Films on its mission to connect people to plants, through film.
When it comes to origin stories, he is a bit of an odd duck. He began his creative endeavors at the age of seven when he decided he wanted to join the cast of the touring Irish dance show, Riverdance. And, by 18, he did just that.
Having accomplished a significant life goal at a young age, he found himself wondering “now what?” That led Billy to going back to school, where he developed an insatiable intrigue in science, performance, math, technology, geography… actually, in many ways he found interests in EVERYTHING.
So what does someone do who can’t decide what to do amongst "all the things?" Why not make documentaries about "all of the things?"
Leading the efforts at Denver Botanic Films is the perfect role for Billy because plants tell an abundance of unique stories. From the obvious of “how do they grow?” - to perhaps the more interesting and nuanced of, “who grows them, and why?”
"Amache Rose," Denver Botanic Films' first endeavor was directed by Billy Kanaly.
Favorite quotes from this talk
Photos from this talk See all
