The Forest Midwife, a documentary film about the wisdom of trees and the power of a human.
Former Irish Times food critic Catherine Cleary takes off on a mission to create native
woodland despite her family scepticism and resistance from local farmers. Throughout this
journey she discovers her life’s purpose, transforms the land, and inspires a community.
Directed by WFT member Beta Bajgart and shot by WFT Board Member DOP Jaro Waldeck,
the story centres on Catherine’s work on a farm in Roscommon, which she and her family
bought after Covid. However, it’s more than a documentary promoting planting trees.
Ultimately, it is a story about a woman who listens to her midlife calling, and about a
relationship between humans and trees. It touches on a sensitive topic of farming and land
ownership in Ireland and honours the hardship of working the land. All those layers are
connected by the voice of an old ash tree on Catherine’s farm. Her voice comes to life
through a beautiful script of climate writer Kerri ní Dochartaigh, and is spoken by actress
Mary McEvoy.
This short documentary is a testament to the fact that art can be a massive force driving
environmental awareness. Director Beta Bajgart has tied several different art forms into a
concise piece that facilitates important conversations about biodiversity and climate
awareness, as well as history and traditions.
“As a documentary filmmaker, I want to create films that inspire and empower unheard
voices. In this case, the voice is the nature. I’m intrigued by the concept of giving nature
legal rights and I wanted to explore this more. I also love a good challenge and wanted to
make an exciting and beautiful film in the seemingly ordinary Irish Midlands countryside,”
says Beta Bajgart.
This film was funded by The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine from funding
for Forestry Promotion Projects 2023/2024.
Biographies:
Picture Brian McEvoy
Beta Bajgart is a filmmaker and photographer based in Dublin. She was born in the Czech
Republic and came to Ireland in 2004. She has worked as a photographer for numerous
magazines and online platforms and spent twelve years as a stills photographer for RTE’s
drama Fair City. She began making films in 2018.
With a background in journalism, and excellent technical skills, Beta tells interesting and
powerful stories through the lens of social justice and environmental concerns, turning
them into interesting projects and spin-offs (such as the film Not My Bag or photography
collection A Woman’s Work).
Jar
o Waldeck
Jaro Waldeck works as a Director of Photography across short form and long form action
and documentary films. The Forest Midwife is her seventh collaboration with Beta Bajgart.
She is a member of the Czech Society of Cinematographers and has formerly served as Vice
Chair of WFT Ireland. She’s a part time lecturer of cinematography at Griffith College Dublin
and runs camera workshops for women.
