Fresh off winning the Audience Award at SXSW, director Otilia Portillo Padua’s visually stunning documentary Daughters of the Forest (Hijas del bosque) is continuing its celebrated festival run with upcoming premieres on both coasts.
The film first debuted at CPH before captivating audiences at SXSW, where it earned the festival’s Audience Award in the Visions section.
Part documentary, part speculative science-fiction-inspired exploration, Daughters of the Forest follows Lis and Juli, two young Indigenous women whose lives are deeply connected to the mushroom-rich ecosystems of Oaxaca and Mexico State. Trained in science while rooted in ancestral traditions, the pair are working to expand understanding of fungi and their vital role in both ecological and human survival.
As environmental challenges mount, including deforestation and habitat loss, the women find themselves at the intersection of traditional knowledge and modern science. Their mission is not only to preserve generations of wisdom but also to imagine new possibilities for coexistence between humans and the natural world.
Portillo Padua’s film offers an immersive journey into Indigenous communities where mushrooms are more than food or biological curiosities—they are teachers, connectors, and symbols of resilience. Through breathtaking cinematography and a richly layered narrative, the documentary examines the hidden networks that bind ecosystems, cultures, and futures together.
Inspired by acclaimed science-fiction writer Ursula K. Le Guin’s essay Carrier Bag Theory of Fiction and the principles of Radical Mycology, the film rejects doom-filled narratives about environmental collapse. Instead, it presents a hopeful vision rooted in collaboration, reciprocity, and interconnectedness.
Critics have praised the film’s originality and emotional depth. High on Films described it as “a mesmerizing tale about eco-conservation backed by Indigenous insights,” while Film Obsessive called it “unforgettable” and “a love letter to the science fiction genre, cultural traditions passed down through generations, and, of course, mushrooms.”
The documentary also highlights the growing role of women in environmental stewardship and scientific research, showcasing protagonists who seamlessly bridge academic training with centuries-old community knowledge.
Directed and written by Portillo Padua, whose previous projects include Three Voices and Netflix’s Birders, Daughters of the Forest offers audiences a thought-provoking look at humanity’s relationship with nature. As it arrives in San Francisco and New York, the film is poised to introduce even more viewers to its powerful message of imagination, resilience, and ecological care.