2025 | 7-26th of October

All films
All films

Once Upon a Time in a Forest

Havumetsän lapset

Finland I 2024 I 93 min. I PG-13

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Once Upon a Time in a Forest is a cinematic ode to a group of young radicals striving to defend Finland’s forests. In doing so, Ida, Minka, Otto and their activist friends come up against the vested interests of the forestry industry and political system, and a deeply rooted ideology of the forest as a major foundation of Finland’s economic prosperity. Even though they are involved in consultation processes (unlike in many other European countries), these do not bear fruit, and they decide to take direct action.

The film ultimately bears powerful witness to how change is inevitably coming, and how the outcome of this story – happily ever after or ecological disaster – rests largely on the shoulders of young activists.

CPH:DOX 2024
Visions du Réel 2024
Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival 2024
Millennium Docs Against Gravity FF 2024

  • Director:

    Virpi Suutari

  • Cinematography:

    Teemu Liakka
    Jani Kumpulainen

  • Editing:

    Jussi Rautaniemi

  • Producer:

    Virpi Suutari

  • Languages:

    Finish, English

  • Subtitles:

    Lithuanian, Lithuanian SDH, English

  • Translator:

    Urtė Liepuoniūtė

Vilnius
FOREST BATHING

19 October

14:00

Belmont Botanical and Zoological Reserve

Once Upon A Time In A Forest + INTRODUCTION (LT)

19 October

17:30

Paupys PASAKA

Already occurred
Once Upon A Time In A Forest + POLITICAL INTRODUCTION (LT)

26 October

18:00

SKALVIJA

Already occurred