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| Director Virpi Suutari |
ONCE UPON A TIME IN A FOREST (Havumetsän lapset) B+ Finland (93 mi) 2024 d: Virpi Suutari
I understand that they have good intentions, but I still feel terrified of the future. I wonder if they have ever questioned their own point of view when it comes to making profound changes, not just about trying to maximize timber production in Finland. —Minka Virtanen, climate change activist
A spectacularly beautiful film that is both touching and inspiring, gorgeously shot by Teemu Liakka and Jani Kumpulainen, literally immersing viewers in the sensuality of one of the last coniferous forest areas in Europe, where it is impossible not to be awed by the magnificence of untouched Finnish forests and the magic it inspires. While this film is largely a love letter to climate change activists, singling out a few from the Metsäliike Forest Movement and then following them over a period of time, it is not an overall discussion on the merits of the conservation movement, and does not intend to present a balanced viewpoint, preferring instead to pose ethical issues, and while some industry officials are seen and heard, the need for environmental protection is not really in question. Instead it’s a more personalized glimpse of several members who have aligned themselves with non-violent, yet radical change, resorting to civil disobedience measures to prevent the forestry service from cutting down targeted areas, specifically old-growth forests (shaped largely by natural events with little impact from human activities), which present a unique biodiverse ecosystem that cannot simply be replaced by the planting of new trees, as they support literally hundreds of plant and animal species that would otherwise face mass extinction. In Finland, there are official criteria for protected forests, where forest surveyors monitor a forest for endangered species, but hardly any of the undisturbed natural areas in the younger forests of southern Finland would qualify for protection (HS and YLE: Finnish government to adopt strict definition ...), and will never become mature unless they’re left alone, so do they also need protection? The authorities say no, leaving those areas open for business, while activists assert that not only endangers but sabotages the options for future generations, who will not have the same luxury of choices as we do today. 90% of Finland’s forests are in acute danger from logging, even though industry officials say forest conservation is a top priority, but the rate at which forests are logged and subsequently replenished is not sustainable, as most forests need three to five centuries to achieve their full potential. Finland is one of the most heavily forested countries in the world, and the most forested country in Europe. Three-fourths of Finland is covered with forest, yet that same amount, or 75%, is actively logged by the forest service, with nearly 50 pulp and paper mills and over 200 industrial sawmills, where one in ten Finns are said to be directly or indirectly dependent on the forest industry. Even in a wealthy, forest-rich nation like Finland, industrial logging is jeopardizing the survival of the country’s last ancient, or old-growth, forests, which are crucial for maintaining biodiversity and the traditional livelihoods of the indigenous Sami people who herd reindeer in those forests. The boreal forests in the Sami homeland take so long to grow that even small, stunted trees are often hundreds of years old. Yet, despite calls from scientists and conservationists for increased levels of protection for these old-growth forests, the Finnish government continues to log these rare and vulnerable habitats, threatened with being turned into disposable goods, driven by demand from the country’s massive international paper industry. Only around 7% of Finnish forests are legally protected, like conservation areas used for recreation, research, and to sustain biodiversity. The government of Finland owns 25% of Finnish forests, while companies, churches, and other institutions own another 14%, with private citizens owning the remaining 61% of the forests. Basically that means someone owns every forest and tree in Finland!
The primary subjects of the film are two young women in their twenties, Minka Virtanen and Ida Korhonen, who are part of the country's larger anti-deforestation movement, along with Ville Murmann, Otto Snellman, Anja Pääkkönen, and Otso Piitulainen, focusing on individuals rather than any collective movement, with the filmmaker following them over the course of nearly two years. The fairy tale aspect of the title suggests the outcome is not yet written, questioning whether it will end happily ever after or in ecological disaster. While ingrained generational attitudes may be changing, it’s important to note how the public views these young environmentalists, as there’s a lot of prejudice and hatred directed towards them, often viewed as lawbreakers, where there’s a certain amount of fear of activism itself, so spending time with them meeting amongst themselves, having frustrated conversations with their families, or silently communing with nature and expressing their love for the forest allows viewers to see a different side of their lives, avoiding the cliché’s of political cinema, becoming an idyllic ode to the magnificent wonders of the forest balanced against the youthful idealism of the activists. Part of the allure of the film is offering hypnotic images of the natural world, where time literally stops and you become enveloped by the ancient silences all around you, becoming a sensory experience like no other, creating scenes that are dreamlike and surreal, where accentuating the forest’s beauty also conveys a sense of what we could lose. These women and their activist partners have a deep appreciation for the unspoiled wilderness, where one of the memorable scenes is watching Minka diving into a pristine lake and swimming in the solitary quiet of the untouched beauty, feeling the warmth of the sun’s rays on her skin, heightening all her senses, which is like a Zen moment, or a spiritual cleansing, expressed with a deep appreciation for what the planet offers, accompanied by ethereal music from Sanna Salmenkallio. In the busy world we live in, this slowed down moment of freedom allows us to share in that acknowledged gratitude, with the aspect ratio expanding to ‘Scope for this Edenesque sequence. It’s important to remember how we felt when we were younger, filled with hopes and dreams and a youthful exuberance, where there’s a child-like innocence to their aspirations. This film captures how this new generation reflects on things, believing it is their responsibility to protect the unprotected, to act as a voice for the voiceless, and to be guardians of the forests. The fact that they have to strategize their actions like planning military maneuvers or leading troops to battle is a walking contradiction, as confrontations are inevitable, and there’s a history of activism against logging interests, like the Koijärvi Movement, whose members decades earlier were mostly young, where archival documentary footage shows protestors being beaten over the head, violently dragged out of their encampment and arrested by police using strong-arm tactics, where their blatant mistreatment in the early days of activism shows progress has been made. It’s clear that the Finnish police of today and the judicial system are not as heavy handed as elsewhere, showing a greater understanding, recognizing they have a right to protest, but trespassing on a place of business, blocking the paths of workers attempting to access their work site requires their removal and arrest, but it’s done with so much more restraint, one might even say politely, as no one is getting their heads bashed in or sent to the hospital anymore, and the two sides speak to one another quietly and respectfully.
With a new Building Act in Finland (New Building Act promotes low-carbon activity) coming into force in 2025, where all companies that supply products in the construction industry will have to report the carbon footprint information of their products, there is a strategic plan of low-carbon industrial construction in place with a target of becoming carbon neutral by 2035, although still investing in nuclear power, so Finland seems to be a country particularly committed to the environment. With Norway, Denmark, Netherlands, France, Sweden, and parts of Belgium expected to follow suit, there is a changing government mindset when it comes to protecting the environment, implementing systematic changes that affect future generations. In this regard, both authorities and environmental activists have merged closer together in their goals, but committed activism is a way to help us see what is happening behind the scenes, where words and actions often move in opposite directions, particularly in the male-dominated logging industry, where big forests have been broken down into smaller parts, and change does not come fast enough for these activists, many of whom are women who are simply ignored. According to the director, 80% of Finns want to protect more forests, so there is a big contradiction between what the public wants and what is actually happening (Virpi Suutari on ONCE UPON A TIME IN A FOREST). While there are doses of understated humor mixed into the intensity of the actions, both Minka and Ida are seen skiing down a tree-lined slope at night into the quiet of the snowy forest as they approach a giant logging vehicle in an attempt to stop operations from continuing to cut down old-growth trees, (Forest conservation activists return to Lapland logging site). And while they make their point, the police also make theirs, making arrests after lengthy discussions, imposing escalating fines, where the film actually takes us to the front lines of these little skirmishes, where each side is intimately familiar with the positions of the other. Yet we also see an earlier discussion with Ida and her grandparents, whose grandfather spent a lifetime working in the forests and vociferously disagrees with her views to let decaying woods remain untouched, asserting “What the hell kind of conservation is it if you just let the trees decay? You can’t even walk there,” unwilling to acknowledge the now proven value of the natural processes of decay to a healthy ecosystem, reminding her instead to listen to her elders. Yet she poses a pertinent question, “Is it really unnatural to leave forests in their natural state?” Later they watch her being interviewed on TV, proud at what they see, though they cringe a bit when she gets arrested. Similarly, we see Minka picking apples with her grandmother, exposing a clear generational bias, where the older generation thinks differently about the forests than today’s environmentally conscious youth, who believe the urgency of the times calls for desperate measures, as the filmmaker gets behind the social façade and brilliantly humanizes her subjects, and in turn shines a light on the subject matter, as they trudge off to their next planned protest, firmly committed to the ideological path they are on. The film is a morality play taking place on the human stage that challenges entrenched opinions, bringing us into the heart of these protests, some taking place directly at the Metsä Group mill in the middle of the forests, with the protestors seen living in nearby tents, while other discussions occur in the sterile offices of the managers of the Forest Administration, where some might find it surprising that, unlike elsewhere, these activists are actually involved in the consultation process, moving from protest to negotiation, yet there is a healthy skepticism expressed on both sides as they attempt to hold a meaningful dialogue, but clearly there are sizable rifts between them, with the managers openly resorting to intimidation tactics by confirming their intent to sue the protestors. Faced with a traditional culture that considers the timber industry a base of the country’s economic prosperity, movements have emerged of young people who claim the need to protect Finland’s natural spaces with more forceful measures and question the sustainability of an economy based on the destruction of forests.
