The Roots of Heaven

Plots: In French Equatorial Africa, an idealist ecologist starts a campaign of public awareness to help save the African elephants from extinction. In Fort Lamy, French Equatorial Africa, idealist Morel launches a one-man campaign to preserve the African elephant from extinction, which he sees as the last remaining “roots of Heaven.” At first, he finds only support from Minna, hostess of the town’s only night club, who is in love with him, and a derelict ex-British Army Major, Forsythe. His crusade gains momentum and he is soon surrounded by an odd assortment of characters: Cy Sedgewick, an American TV commentator who becomes impressed and rallies world-wide support; a U.S. photographer, Abe Fields, who is sent to do a picture story on Morel and stays on to follow his ideals; Saint Denis, a government aide ordered to stop Morel; Orsini, a professional ivory hunter whose vested interests aren’t the same as Morel’s; and Waitari, leader of a Pan-African movement who follows Morel only for the personal good it will do his own campaign. A final condemnation of violence and intolerance through the story of Morel’s adventures. Morel lives in Africa and can not stand the massacre of the elephants. He starts to fight to bannish this hunt and to awake the world’s conciousness. As he starts, nobody supports him, but thanks to American reporter Sedgwick, he becomes famous. Some people come to help him, others try to use him…