Oliver Ressler

The Path Is Never the Same

2022

The film is shot on location in Hambach Forest near Cologne, one of Germany’s last primary forests and the setting for Europe’s longest-ever tree-top occupation. Since 2012, around 200 people have been living in this forest to prevent it from being cleared by the energy company RWE to expand its lignite mining operation. In January 2020, years of pressure from climate activists forced German politicians to preserve the remaining forest sections. At the same time, lignite coal mining continues unhindered, coming within a few meters of Hambach Forest. Through activities such as pumping out groundwater, mining is destroying the forest’s livelihoods – the occupation therefore continues.

The Path Is Never the Same