TOarrives at the cinema The breath of the forest (Dark Red Forest), Of Jin Huaqing, set in a monastery in Tibet. A majestic documentary, with images of great visual impact, which recounts the annual retreat of thousands of nuns. Old and young, noand the coldest days of the year confine themselves to small wooden houses on a windswept plateau. It is a film that brings us closer to the theme of faith in a deeply spiritual way and at the same time makes us discover one of the most fascinating and remote places in the world.
“The breath of the forest” between wonderful landscapes and spirituality
Twenty thousand Buddhist nuns live in the Yarchen Garm monastery on a plateau at 4,000 meters in the Chinese province of Sichuan, in Tibet. They are women of all ages: from the very young, sometimes little more than children, to the older ones, who feel their life failing. Surrounded by harsh nature and isolated from the world, far from their families, they face the 100 coldest days of the year in their tiny log cabins.
Their apprenticeship, which takes place in a very rigid climate, with strict rules, offers us a taste of their spiritual research and their devotion. Their days are spent in meditation, in the study of the sutra, singing and sacred music. The film is thus a reflection on questions of life and death, suffering and healing, karma and inner mission.
An almost constant presence in the documentary is the voice of the guru. The monastery guide gives advice and reprimands. He is not strict, but loving towards the nuns: praises them if they respect the rules, advises the straight path when they tend to get lost due to incorrect behavior or a misunderstanding of the scriptures. In the story, a magical component also catches the eye: there is the magic of nature, the enchantment of the universe in which everything is harmonious There is the magic of meditation, chanting, prayer and the exams that young nuns have to take.
One of the Tibetan nuns in the docufilm. (Credit: press office)
“The breath of the forest” and respect for all living beings
The burgundy dress worn by the nuns stands out against the white landscape: symbol of the removal of the superfluous, of adherence to the precepts of religion and proof of a change that is above all internal.
However, red is also a sign of resistance. Because there is not only the harsh climate to keep at bay, but also a arrogant government, the Chinese one, in constant war against the stronghold Buddhist Tibetan. A position not expressed but implied in the propaganda banners shown in the filmm which call for “national unity”, “modernization” and “to write a new harmonious development”.
The director: «At first the nuns were furious, then we entered their days»
The breath of the forest is an illuminating work, imbued with mysticism and philosophical research, set in a landscape as forbidding as it is wonderful. Among the awards received, the Award for Best Documentary al Golden Horse Film Festival (2021) and the Special Jury Prize at the Seattle International Film Festival (2022). Also presented at Trent Film Festivalwon the CAI Genziana d’oro award for best mountaineering film.
The author, Jin Huaqing, is an internationally renowned Chinese documentary filmmaker. In the past he has addressed issues such as the environment, workers and young people. Among his films and documentaries: Blossom with Tears, Lament of Yumen, The Tibetan Girl.
“In the winter of 2014, I met some Tibetan nuns in a desolate valley in Ganzi, in the Sichuan region,” she says. “Their robes fluttered in the air in the wind. They had frost on their lashes, and shy, innocent smiles. I spent the next few days with them. Their peace and their affection opened my heart and I decided to tell about this “religious forest”. I spent some time with them, immersing myself 100% in their lives, and rediscovering a new vision of things».
The Tibetan nuns with a shaved head and a burgundy dress that symbolizes detachment from earthly passions and adherence to the spiritual life (credit: Press office).
“At first the nuns were very surprised and even furious in front of a group of ‘unwanted’ guests”, continues the director. “Because of this during the first visits we didn’t bring the equipment. Then, we became part of their daily life. Over and over again, we went to their kitchens early in the morning, sat down opposite the nun in charge of thinking about the fire, and sat in silence, listening to the crackling of the wood. Like them, we sat cross-legged.”
“I was often in awe of the countless little huts on the hill or watching all those nuns sing and play the sutras (the sacred texts of Buddhism). They reminded me of some kind of military parade, a dense and vast forest. I hid the camera as much as possible and let the subjects move freely, to capture their vitality, in the most essential way possible. I didn’t ask them any questions and chose not to insert any sound that didn’t come from that place, including the background music».
The film is available from 22 to 24 May in various Italian cinemas (until 31 in some). The list is on the site of Wanted cinema. The members of the Italian Alpine Club they will be able to access the screening with a ticket at a special price (depending on the rates set by each individual cinema).
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