Eloisa Espoo & Espoo Ciné: Havumetsän lapset

Ida and Minka are two young Finnish women who have turned their love of, and care for, nature into activism. They are part of Extinction Rebellion and fearlessly take on multinationals, authorities and politicians.

That said, Once Upon a Time in a Forest by no means feels like an activist documentary. What it does is mesmerise the viewer with the astonishing beauty of Finnish nature. The red birch forests rooted in blue water, through which a boat and the camera drift slowly, picking out exquisite details in image and sound. We see the crystal-clear lakes, in which the young women dive and swim, steering between fish and submerged tree trunks, and we see the snow-shrouded forests, pictures of white perfection, which seem to convey a long-lost innocence. [--]

At its very core, Once Upon a Time in a Forest is a lyrical plea for the protection of the planet. A more convincing argument could hardly be imagined.

Nicole Santé / Business Doc Europe