| 43


Above left: The focus is people working to restore thriving forests and rebuild our connection to natural materials Above right: Forested Future highlights the multiple benefits of the US hardwood timber and forest resource


US hardwood forests in which they live and work. It includes encounters with Native American tribes people, foresters, and an architect on a journey to source sustainable timber. It focuses on how traditions of harmonious stewardship can help us “rediscover how to meet material needs by harnessing the regenerative power of nature”.


The director is Petr Krejí, a documentary filmmaker, based in Prague, who explores the relationship between humanity, technology, and the natural world. He is a graduate of the Film and TV School of the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague.


“Forested Future is a tribute to the power of nature, and particularly of forests, to regenerate and recover from human damage and to the people who are working to restore thriving forests and rebuild our connection to natural materials and living nature,” said Mr Krejí. “My aim has been to explore a central question: can people work and prosper from the sustainable use of what nature provides?


And can we, in the process, promote and increase the amount of land we give to biodiverse forests?”


Viewers, he added, will encounter in the film people who value their forests and wish to pass them on to future generations. They include members of the Menominee Indian Tribe, individual landowners, foresters, foragers, loggers, architects, journalists, and craftspeople.


“They gave me many reasons for hope and underlined the importance of re-establishing intimate human connections with nature, so that forest communities are invested spiritually, economically, and culturally in the stewardship and well-being of their trees,” said Mr Krejí. “It is more important than ever to connect with the natural world through lived experiences and storytelling – to restore appreciation for living systems and recognise how vital forests are. I hope Forested Future helps to do that by stimulating important conversations among thoughtful and creative audiences, and environmentally conscious


people. By painting a nuanced picture of a complex topic that is often presented in a polarised manner, I hope it will help restore our shaken trust in human capacity for positive change.”


AHEC director of communications, Rocío


Pérez-Íñigo, said the aim of Forested Future is to help bring the story of the US hardwood forest and its value in so many senses to a wide audience.


“The scale and diversity of the forest and the range of people and communities that depend on it is so unique,” she said. “As an organisation focused on communicating its value, we can bring groups from abroad, including specifiers and journalists, to visit the US and see the forest and timber industry on the ground. But we can only ever do this on a relatively small scale. With Forested Future we can bring the message to a much broader audience. It’s about taking the US forest to people worldwide.”


The premiere of Forested Future will take place later this year. ■


Above left: The forest is closely monitored and carefully managed Above right: The film explores how people can work and prosper from the sustainable use of what nature provides www.ttjonline.com | May/June 2025 | TTJ


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76  |  Page 77  |  Page 78  |  Page 79  |  Page 80  |  Page 81  |  Page 82  |  Page 83  |  Page 84  |  Page 85