Daughters of the Forest

Show, don’t tell. It’s easier said than done, especially in documentary cinema, which so often feels like an extended news report. I’m all for an essay film, but Daughters of the Forest was far from it and much the better for it.

The film revolves around two indigenous women in different Mexican states, both balancing between their communities and the call of academia. They’re keen to write down the knowledge of their ancestors and parents, but wary of perpetuating a cycle of exploitation — academic strip mining of local knowledge that moves on without even paying its way with so much as a bottle of mezcal.

Oh. And the mushrooms. So many mushrooms. Some edible. Some loco. Some white. Some blue. The footage of fungi is astonishing.

It’s a powerful film with a strong message that manages to never feel preachy. (Although I guess I’m already in the choir.) Add in a very nice soundtrack by Hannah Peel and I’ve got my first five stars of the festival.