Wood (2020) by Ebba Sinziger, Michaela Kirst and Monica Lazurean-Gorgan - Review

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by Ebba Sinziger, Michaela Kirst and Monica Lazurean-Gorgan

grade: 6.5

Characterised by a frenetic and intense montage, together with a musical score that increases a constant suspense in the spectator, Wood is made by three filmmakers – Ebba Sinziger, Michaela Kirst and Monica Lazurean-Gorgan – in order to convey three points of view that come together towards a unique conclusion, with the main goal of making the world realise the danger of certain realities.

Save our trees

The illegal wood trade. An issue that is more topical than ever, especially when one considers the numerous consequences on the environment due to global deforestation. And if there are numerous companies around the world that carry out this practice illegally, then mobilising immediately in order to shed light on the facts and denounce certain realities becomes more urgent than ever. In this regard, the documentary Wood – directed by Ebba Sinzinger, Michaela Kirst and Monica Lăzurean-Gorgan, presented at the Viennale 2020 within the section Diagonale’20 Collection – The Unfinished, as it was supposed to be part of the selection of the Diagonale 2020, which was cancelled due to the pandemic – shows us closely the work of a number of journalists, intent on shedding light on certain facts, on a long journey around the world – from Russia to China, to Peru, Romania and, finally, Austria – that immediately takes on the connotations of a thriller.

Observed from above, some expanses of green clearly show huge patches where trees have disappeared. Similarly, suggestive pan shots take on, by contrast, a distinct lyricism. This lyricism is soon given up to make way for real investigations, interviews with managers of companies operating illegally, footage stolen from hidden cameras, archive footage, news clips and any source that can give us a comprehensive picture of the situation.

Characterised, then, by a frenetic and intense montage, together with a musical score aimed at increasing a constant state of tension in the spectator, Wood sees the cooperation of no less than three filmmakers, for three points of view that come together towards a single conclusion, aiming to make the whole world realise the danger of certain realities. A film, this one, that in some ways – and also with regard to certain aspects concerning the mise-en-scene itself – closely resembles the documentary Sea of Shadows, directed in 2019 by Richard Ladkani, produced by Leonardo Di Caprio and focusing on illegal fishing in Mexico, which threatens to make the Vaquita whales disappear forever. Again, then, it is investigative journalism that plays a central role in the documentary. In this case, too, the finger is pointed directly at those in power who pretend to ignore certain situations.

And if, on the whole, the form of Wood – just as was the case with Ladkani’s film – sometimes takes on overly TV-like connotations (and it is precisely this, in fact, that is the least convincing aspect of the entire film), the message, in the end, comes through. And it comes through loud and clear, to the point of giving rise to countless debates on the subject. And, at the end of the day, this has always been its main goal. All this in a work that is not always perfect, but which makes a compact and coherent mise en scène, closely resembling the style of a thriller, its greatest peculiarity.