The documentary is a fascinating one, filmed with a non-interventionist detachment, accompanied by a languid, sparse voice-over which explains rather than judges - it is these qualities which give Michal Marczak's documentary it's strength and the feel of an old fashioned ethnography.
The camera follows the debauched, non-conformist, rag tag crew as they film their peculiar fetish movies and try to procure more public involvement in their projects, approaching passers by to join in their promiscuous activities. Fuck For Forest are determined that their actions are just - but, can porn ever be morally righteous? And, ultimately, as much as they all play the part of liberated modernists, determined that monogamy is nothing but a social construct, how many of them truly believe this? It is clear from one member's reaction to his girlfriend being groped by a gaggle of social activists, their burrowing fingers captured on camera, that their shared ethos is not always as infallible as it is made out to be.
As Fuck For Forest progresses, the movie unfolds as a fascinating, voyeuristic look at a rather bizarre subculture - one who believe themselves to be above the worst excesses of Western corruption but whom hypocritically indulge in its worst excesses. The subversive lifestyle often seems less about being philanthropic and more about providing an excuse to indulge in debauchery and debasement. To put it bluntly, most of the gang seem more interested in the "Fuck" element of their campaign and not too fussed about forests.
Marczak refrains from judgement but it's impossible for the audience to remain as stoic as they are confronted by a bunch of incredibly self-centred individuals who, paradoxically, also boast zero self awareness. The narcissistic, ego-driven hippies boast an incredibly small worldview and, when they have raised enough money to go to South America to liberate the forest dwellers, this becomes even more prominent and obvious; just how little the group understand, and how naive and patronising, how alarmingly self-centred they are too, is made apparent in a rather humiliating encounter with a group much more interested in buying chainsaw's than being "saved" by a bizarrely dressed crew of would-be cultural imperialists.
Whilst much of the film will inspire pangs of horrific cringing, the movie is mesmerising; a nightmarish vision of a world in which thought, reasoning and coherent logic are sacrificed in order to fit into the most ludicrous of sub-cultures - one which is not far from being a borderline cult. The documentary shows us as Fuck For Forest embarrass themselves with hubris. Their pleas to help the natives of the forest, in the form of rambling sermonising, are met with stone-faced restlessness. The locals don't care about their ideological drive - they just want resources. Fuck For Forest's philosophy and modus operandi seems even more ridiculous when spoken out loud to the South Americans than previously thought possible. Anger is an appropriate response.
* A screener of this film was kindly provided by Dogwoof for review purposes. You can buy a copy of the film here .
haha that sounds pretty hilarious! great write up!
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