Walden

Gentle birdsong filters through dense forest vegetation only to be drowned out by the sudden roar of chainsaws. Thus begins a documentary comprising a mere thirteen 360° panning shots, whose uncompromising formal concept places great demands on the patient viewer. But as soon as we align our breathing with the slow rhythm of the shots a surprising odyssey opens out before us of the paradoxical migration of wood from Austrian forests to a secret, far-off destination. (Karlovy Vary International Film Festival)