After being successfully funded through a $25,000 Kickstarter campaign, Musicwood is set to feature in this year’s UK Green Film Festival. The documentary portrays the power struggle between three factions over the usage of timber from one of the oldest and most under-threat forests on the planet.
Told with grace and a balance rarely seen in documentary filmmaking, Musicwood methodically presents the three-way battle over the use of Tongass National Forest. Harvested almost to the point of its destruction, the scarcity of the remaining rare wood opened a tug-of-war over whose interests would be best served. The likeable triumvirate of the world’s most celebrated guitar makers (Bob Taylor of Taylor Guitars, Chris Martin of Martin Guitars and Dave Berryman of Gibson Guitars) appears first to stake their claim. With an infectious passion for their craft, they explain how the specific wood is used to lovingly shape each guitar.
Next, the Native American loggers (understandably weary of white men after almost 600 years of lies, betrayal and bloodshed) present their case. Their concerns are complicated, ranging from a loss of income to a loss of cultural identity. A lack of unity within their faction is represented by differing accounts of the spiritual meaning of the forest, as well as varying levels of concern for the financial wellbeing of their people.
Making up the three is Greenpeace, whose presence is felt once the forest is judged to be under threat. As expected, the radical environmental group’s only concern appears to be the protection of a forest that is the last of its kind on the planet.
The theme of the guitar effectively acts as a structural backbone, as talking head interviews and musical interludes from the likes of Turin Brakes, Kaki King, Yo La Tengo, The Antlers, and Steve Earle present both a context and profound insight from the point of view of those most directly influenced by the guitars produced.
Musicwood’s main strength is its balance, a trait that is becoming increasingly rare in documentary filmmaking. All three sides of the story are presented with a poise far more effective than the more familiar method of agenda-driven journalism. Each of the three factions are given screen time, with each shown for their positives and negatives. As a viewer, I found my sympathies in a constant state of flux, and with a final twist in the conclusion, still unsure of where my support lay.
Musicwood will be shown at Broadway Cinema on Monday 2 June 2014 at 6pm as part of the UK Green Film Festival.
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