Sielunmetsä

Sielunmetsä – Into the Forest I Go, a documentary by Anu Kuivalainen, takes us on a journey deep into the Finnish forest, often linked with the Finnish soul and mentality. This film is a polyphonic study about the relationship between human and nature. Without judging anyone's point of view, the film lets the forest speak for itself. In the film, a new image of the Finnish forest landscape is being formed. Is this landscape still the same mythical image conveyed through classic paintings by Finnish artists such as Eero Järnefelt, Ferdinand von Wright, and Pekka Halonen? Does it have to be the same, and in what direction is the new landscape evolving? In the forest, Finnish youth hold techno raves, and an 81-year-old activist asks if it would be better to just blow up paper machines. A young woman contemplates how the inherited forest can be taken care of sustainably. For many, the forest is a place to find peace of mind. The film explores the feeling of helplessness that a summer cottager is faced with, when their familiar and beloved forest is being logged, having no say in the matter. When some see the old forest as a peaceful escape, and others focus on the growing need for timber in the forest industry, how can these views coexist? Focusing on the evolving relationship between human and forest, the ability to listen is emphasized alongside the ability to see.
Veera Tapper / Translation: Ulrika Sundelin (DocPoint)