Daughters of the Forest

Eliseete and Julieta, two Indigenous women in Mexico, are mycologists – scientists who study fungi – whose communities have long enjoyed a close relationship with mushrooms, the organism woven into their daily life and belief. The lush forests surrounding them are rich with fungi, and the pair work to protect and pass on the knowledge handed down through generations, while navigating a world where that knowledge is slowly at risk of being lost. At the film's centre is a search for direction, leading to a striking encounter that connects past, present and future. Otilia Portillo Padua delivers a truly distinctive and quietly magical documentary that draws you into this world and reveals the power of mushrooms.