The world's forests are under siege. Cut or burned for quick profit, they are disappearing at an alarming rate, with dire consequences for all. The heroic efforts of one man"”Chico Mendes"”who bravely fought to defend the resources of the Amazonian rainforest are the topic of this film. The documentary investigates the battle between those who want to preserve the forest and those who exploit it. Through the life and ideas of Chico Mendes we discover those responsible for the devastation: the same powers Mendes heroically fought against and at whose hands he died in December 1988.