We wanted to make a film about the Finnskogen - The forest of the Finns, that tells a current story about cultural encounters, 500 years of integration, about rural areas, about the forest and ways of living in harmony with nature, history and modern society. It is about the people who are currently choosing to settle outside the metropolitan areas and finding a quality of life through a way of living that is environmentally friendly, close to nature, economically sustainable, and involves less stress. A life that has different values than the city's. With modern tools, there are now opportunities to work in a different way than during previous green waves. In addition to people's personal stories, history, nature, and architecture also play important roles in the film. We want to inspire a new look at a rich cultural heritage and a living community through some strong characters, and to learn more about what many only recognize by name, the mythically sounding Finnish forest.
The film project started as a collaboration with Värmlands Museum and Birgitta Elfström, producer and building conservationist who worked there on a project about the The Finn forest. We believe that the people we have met have something to tell that concerns more people. It is a story about cultural encounters, 500 years of integration, about rural areas, the forest and alternative ways of living in harmony with both nature and modern society today.
We have noticed an increased interest in moving out from cities in Sweden, and from densely populated countries like Holland and Germany to places like these, where houses are cheap and the air is clean. In the 19th century, there were more people living here in The Finn Forest than in Karlstad. Perhaps we are heading towards a shift in how we understand center and periphery, with a climate-adapted, corona-safe lifestyle where broadband actually makes it possible to combine ancient traditions with a modern life. It is conscious choices that have made the residents choose these forested heights.
The area is called Finnskogen, because Finnish settlers who practiced slash-and-burn agriculture settled here several hundred years ago. They cleared, toiled and built farms in the forest and have since shaped the landscape and history. Today, people live here who appreciate the magnificent views, freedom and ability to create a rich life in places that others have considered unusable. People here still have a strong connection to their Finnish roots. Some well-preserved farms show how people once lived, but life goes on now in a mix of broadband and smoke sauna.
Those who live on the Finnish farms today adhere to a proven, reliable way of life in an increasingly unpredictable world. Just like before, it is important to be versatile, collaborate and be able to adapt to changing situations. Most have a long way to go to reach urban areas and services, just like before.
"Who is the girl in the picture? Have you seen how alike we are?" Lilly Berntsson.
Lilly saw an old photograph from the early 1900s when we were working on the film. She was struck by how similar she looked to the girl in the photo. She wanted to know more about who the girl was and what her life had been like.
Today, people live here who appreciate the magnificent views, the freedom, and the ability to create a rich life in places that others have viewed as unusable. The people here still have a strong connection to their Finnish roots.
"It's not just gold and green forests to own a national interest property, it's expensive, it takes time and it's complicated. Sometimes every spring I tend to get depressed and feel like; what have I done... Then I usually go into the kitchen and stand barefoot on the kitchen floor, it usually takes a while and then I feel how it comes from ten generations below, telling me 'It will work out'. Bodil Nordkvist"
"Wealth to me is a stress-free everyday life. That's when I feel rich. That's when I'm really f***ing rich. A prosperous society, a rich culture, I think that's a society where small climate footprints give high pension points and high consumption and high usage give low. That's a rich culture, a wise culture."
"When I was little, I felt much more like a "Stockholmer". Now I feel more like an immigrant with two identities. I am a "Värmlander" and a Forest Finn and at the same time Swedish and a "Stockholmer". At first, I had difficulty adopting this lifestyle and everything else around it, like the forest. But the more I learn, the more I want to learn." Sebastian Nordkvist
Credits:
Erik Pauser, Aija Svensson