The Forest in Me

Synopsis

The Forest in Me is a film as a gift from a mother to her child for when he leaves home in the future. The film shares stories of people cut off from the world to examine how they might stay connected: An elderly hermit Agafya Lykova survives alone in the vast Siberian forest; a crew live isolated in a hi-tech pod on a volcano as a simulation of life on Mars; footage of the child's life shows him exploring the world for his first time. The film presents a mix of home movie footage, ethnographic documentary, self-ethnography, and interviews, linked together by a narration voiced by Marshall herself. Through voiceover and montage, 'The Forest in Me' explores in an essayistic fashion topics that include time, technology, communication, memory, survival, love, and human relationships.