Das Grüne Wunder-Unser Wald
Germany 2012

Opening 13 Sep 2012

Directed by: Jan Haft
Writing credits: Jan Haft, Gerwig Lawitzky, Jörn Röver

Imagine making an interesting and exciting film about the forest. Not only is it challenging but one that would need a lot of time to realize. Especially to those of us who live in the city, the forest seems to be so quiet as though nothing is really going on in there. Jan Haft has proved quite the contrary and spent six years filming in several forests throughout Germany. The result is amazing. He and his crew spend over one hundred nights attempting to capture those quiet moments which occur so slowly that our eyes wouldn’t normally discern the change, in using time-lapse cinematography.

His film is a photographer’s dream. He uses cameras in a rotating manner so that we see several angles of what is happening deep in the forest. He includes little side stories which give us thought about the happenings that occur daily, or seasonally. Above all, he shows us the awe-inspiring beauty of nature which needs to be preserved. This film is a must-see for photographers and especially for the classroom children who have lost their connection to the forest. (Shelly Schoeneshoefer)