“Holy Wood Dust”, interview with director Victor Kossakovsky and protagonist Stefano Mancuso

Victor Kossakovsky, director, and Stefano Mancuso, botanist and scientist, are the creators behind the film Holy Wood Dust. This film, showcased at the Venice Film Festival 2026, explores the fascinating world of trees and plants, revealing their complex, intelligent, and vital role on the planet. In the interview we delve into their collaboration and the deeper message of their movie. Holy Wood Dust becomes a guiding concept, emphasizing the importance of understanding the silent yet powerful world of plants through cinematic eyes.

The Power of Perspective

The interview begins with how Kossakovsky, the filmmaker, and Mancuso, the scientist, started working together. Their bond was immediate, both sharing a desire to depict the unseen life of trees from a radically different perspective. Kossakovsky’s ability to show reality through a fresh lens makes his work exceptional. The film aims to challenge viewers’ perceptions about plants, highlighting their consciousness and silent communication. Their creative process involved travels to the Amazon and Japan, exploring different trees, ultimately settling on the Christmas tree as a universally recognizable symbol of nature’s silent strength. This choice illustrates how cinema can make the invisible visible, revealing the majestic and complex life of trees.

Collaborating to Reveal the Hidden Life of Plants

One of the main topics covered in the interview is the unique collaboration between a scientist and a filmmaker in Holy Wood Dust. Mancuso and Kossakovsky often found themselves in creative disagreements, each passionate about their own focus — whether it was specific plants or symbolic elements like cocaine or Sakura trees. Their journey was filled with trips and intense debates, which enriched the film’s depth. Ultimately, they converged on the Christmas tree — an everyday symbol that resonates globally — to tell a story that emphasizes the ecological and philosophical importance of plants. Their partnership illustrates how combining scientific insight with cinematic storytelling can produce a work that transforms how we see the natural world.

The Message Beyond the Screen

Mancuso notes the vital role plants play in sustaining life on Earth, revealing that animals constitute just 0.3% of the biomass, while plants make up 86%. This perspective requires a new visionary approach, one that Kossakovsky masterfully delivers through his filmmaking. The film not only aims to generate empathy for trees, akin to the emotional connection viewers develop with animals like pigs in Gunda, but also seeks to inspire a broader awareness of our ecological responsibilities. The discussion closes with the reminder that cinema can shape perceptions and promote environmental change.

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