BFM and MAFF explore the impact of nature films on mental well-being

The project focuses on exploring the connection between mental well-being and culture. It is well known that spending time in nature enhances a person’s well-being, but the goal now is to find out whether and how people are affected by encounters with nature through film.

"Hopefully, the project’s results will provide a positive impetus for offering nature film education at different levels of schooling in the future," said Elen Lotman, Associate Professor of Film Arts at BFM. The collaboration between BFM and MAFF is particularly important because, at present, nature film education cannot be pursued in depth in Estonia.

According to Lotman, BFM serves as a platform for the next generation of fiction and documentary filmmakers and carries the responsibility of continuing Estonia’s strong legacy in nature filmmaking. When designing BFM’s film arts curriculum, a central figure was Estonian nature film pioneer Rein Maran, who has close ties to Matsalu National Park, located near MAFF.

MAFF promotes a nature-oriented and sustainable lifestyle, as well as respect for indigenous peoples’ deeply nature-connected traditions. Every year, the festival showcases a wide selection of new nature films from around the world—covering topics from the interaction of humans and nature, research expeditions, and indigenous people, to wildlife, environmental sustainability, and nature conservation.

The research is supported by the Estonian Ministry of Culture’s Culture Research and Development Programme.