The Documentary “Wood”, in Premiere at the Copenhagen Documentary Film Festival

     Wood / Lemn, the documentary signed by Monica Lăzurean-Gorgan, Michaela Kirst and Ebba Sinzinger, which investigates the phenomenon of illegal logging and wood commerce in Romania, Peru, Russia and China will have the world premiere on March 23, 2020 in the F:act Award competition of CPH:DOX.   
     The Copenhagen International Documentary Film Festival which tajkes place from March 18 to 29, is one of the most important documentary festivals in Europe.
     Wood watches closely the investigations started by Alexander Von Bismarck, one of Otto Von Bismarck`s descendants and the actual director of the Environmental Investigation Agency non-governmental organization. These investigations took place in Romania, Peru, Russia and China. With the help of the hidden camera, Alexander and his crew document the journey of the wood, from the forest to our homes; whenever the case, he even infiltrates in the middle of the wood selling process. Ten years ago, the film director and producer Monica Lăzurean-Gorgan made a short film about the illegal logging in our country and around seven  years ago she was the one to bring the matter of the illegal logging in Romania to the attention of the American NGO Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA). Her persistence brought Alexander von Bismarck to Romania. Monica actively participated for many years to the documenting process of the EIA environment activists in Romania, shooting alongside the crew from Austria and Germany.
     “I started this project because I wanted to understand and document an important mission, that of fighting against the illegal logging phenomenon. By means of this documentary project, Alexander von Bismarck came to Romania for the first time and ever since his team has been fighting against the abusive or illegal wood cutting in our country. My intention was to understand the entire process of the wood cutting and selling and to present it to a broad audience, so that we may get access inside a system that has important issues that need exposing”, Monica Lăzurean-Gorgan, the co-director and one of the producers, says.
     An investigation made with the hidden camera by EIA in Romania which shows how an Austrian company accepts to buy illegal wood was revealed during a press conference in Bucharest in 2015 and that was followed by ample protests of the civil society in several cities in Romania.      “I came to Romania because it has the largest forest in Europe and the biggest illegal logging problem. Romania is in the middle of some critical efforts to fight the illegal cutting of the wood from forests with unique value in the world.” Alexander Von Bismarck, referring to the debate regarding the Forest Code of that time.
     The film raises attention on the poor legislation regarding forest protection, as well regarding the impact of the massive wood cutting on the environment.
     Wood can be seen in Romania as well this summer, in a few special screenings and the film release in cinemas will be announced soon.
     The film is in co-production with Austria and Germany through 4 Proof Film (Romania), Wild Art Film (Austria) and Film Tank (Germany). The documentary Wood is supported by the Romanian Film Centre, Creative Media, Eurimages, the Austrian Film Institite, the Vienna      Film Fund, ORF TV station, Hamburg Film Fund and Medienboard Berlin.
     Details: https://www.cphdox.dk/program/wood