Once Upon a Time in a Forest

«Filming these young people in the forest was a challenge. We had to figure out how to follow them without disturbing their work; sometimes they moved so quickly! I needed people who knew how to navigate nature skillfully, and cinematographer Teemu Liakka was able to jump into the water without even disturbing the surface and film a frog. Along with sound engineer Pirkko Tiitinen, they were fearless; they wanted to learn even more, and this was crucial to building trust and mutual respect among the group.

It was important to capture the young people's moments of tranquility so that their message could be better understood. If they had spoken from beginning to end in the film, no one would have listened. Their love for the forest is real, strong, almost carnal, intimately engaging; I couldn't ignore that. During the long time we spent together, they allowed me access to their private discussion groups. Of course, it was difficult to draw a line, but I knew I had to maintain an outside perspective to make this film the best it could be.

I'm fifty-six years old and I needed this experience to educate myself, to connect with this new generation, to reclaim my more radical past and support their protest. I think we all should do this. I'm a filmmaker, I don't want to teach anything, I just want to inspire people to think about these issues and to have more sympathy for those who dedicate their lives to caring for what surrounds us».