Ruth Maclennan's FVU-commissioned film A Forest Tale (2022) features as part of the group exhibition 'They Began to Work' at The Kumu Art Museum in Estonia.

A Forest Tale (2022) profiles Russia's subarctic 'taiga' forests and the rooted communities who live in and around them. Poetic, almost fabulist in tone, the film explores a land threatened by climate change, where the importance of shared knowledge and renewable living are paramount.

In an era marked by rapid environmental change and inequality, 'They Began to Talk' takes the intertwinement of the body and the environment as its point of departure. It brings together artists working in Estonia and in the Baltics with those from indigenous communities in the Nordic countries, and explores the possibility of recovering and cultivating a sense of connection between the body and the land.

The exhibition opening will be followed by a public programme on 8 February featuring a guided tour by the curators, a participatory performance and a round-table discussion.

The exhibition will remain open until 3 August 2025.

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A Forest Tale (2022) by Ruth Maclennan was co-commissioned by Film and Video Umbrella and Arctic Art Institute.