Wald

 I spent my Sunday evening watching "Woodland" ("Wald") by Elisabeth Scharang and honestly, it was one of the most beautiful cinematic experiences I’ve had in a long time. It’s the kind of film where, on the surface, nothing dramatic happens: no grand twists, no forced conflict. Yet every scene, every gesture, every glance feels loaded with meaning. The slow pacing and the apparent stillness amplify every tiny detail, inviting you to truly see, truly listen, and quietly feel instead of being bombarded by noise and spectacle.

I love this kind of art, the kind that trusts the viewer enough to linger, to breathe with it, to find the story between the lines rather than having it handed over with big gestures. Woodland is a gentle film, but heavy with emotion, with buried truths rising slowly to the surface. It’s about healing, about reconnecting - with others, with oneself, about accepting the past, and about the courage to truly look at who you’ve become.

And the title forest… for me, the forest has always been my own cathedral of calm,  a place to hear my thoughts clearly, to feel my heartbeat, to remember who I really am. In this film, the forest is not just a backdrop; it’s the mirror of Marian’s soul. It holds her broken pieces until she’s ready to pick them up again. Scharang captured this beautifully, letting nature tell its part of the story with no digital tricks, no fake effects, just the pure, uncontrollable presence of wind, trees, frost, and silence.

I love films like this - quiet but not empty, simple but not simplistic. A film that leaves room for your own thoughts to wander and settle, that doesn’t spoon-feed you meaning but lets you find your own reflections in its silences. From the first scene to the last, I was enchanted. Very much recommended