CPH:DOX 2024: Once Upon a Time in a Forest | Review

“What the hell kind of conservation is it if you just let the trees decay? You can’t even walk there!” Directed by Virpi Suutari, Once Upon a Time in a Forest follows young Finnish activists who fight for the preservation of natural forests in Finland, opposing those who primarily see them as commercial resources. The feature-length documentary celebrated its world premiere in CPH:DOX 2024, where it was presented in the DOX:AWARD section.

The film’s narrative progression allows us to understand the motivations of these activists to engage in this struggle. At the beginning, we follow them as they traverse the forests to survey animal and plant species. The film is delicately punctuated with contemplative sequences featuring natural landscapes or close-ups of various species – these sequences are alternately silent or accompanied by enchanting musical themes. Through the film’s aestheticism, the viewer is introduced to the beauty of the forest environment. We feel the well-being of Ida and Minka, the two main protagonists, as they float on the surface of a natural lake or when they embrace a tree in the middle of the forest. In this dreamlike and enchanting space, they extract themselves from the brutal reality of the contemporary world.

Then, Virpi Suutari ends the tale to present the battles fought by the activists. The film follows them in their preparations, during which they debate the relevance of the actions to be taken and logistical aspects, and then on the ground, whether during organized protests in the city or at strategic locations of deforestation industries such as a paper production factory, the headquarters of an exploitation company, or even a forest road leading to an exploitation area. Through her camera, Virpi Suutari captures the distress of the activists faced with the impossibility of conveying the urgency to those they confront. The most striking scene unfolds when Minka speaks to paper factory executives. With tears in her eyes and a voice full of emotion, she challenges them on their ability to change their paradigm: even if their activities comply with current legislation, can they not remove their blinders and act in light of the climate emergency?

Virpi Suutari goes even further in the reflection by showing the misunderstanding that exists today between generations, through the example of Ida and her grandfather, who initiated the introductory question to this critique. He, who has exploited the forest all his life, does not understand why human activity poses any danger and views his granddaughter’s activities with disapproval. The difficulty lies in the fact that political and legislative power is now predominantly held by people from generations who struggle to understand the climate emergency and therefore do not work towards preservation.

Once Upon a Time in a Forest is an enlightening and inspiring testament to the commitment of the new generations to the preservation of the forest environment in Finland, and more broadly to the environment.