Forest High (orig. Forêt Ivre) takes place almost entirely in and around a hut in the Swiss mountains. Subtitled Three Stories, director Manon Coubia's film follows three volunteers who work there over four seasons.
Officially the Refuge d'Ubine des Amis de la Nature de Thonon et du Chablais, the "hut" is actually closer to an inn, with dorm rooms for hikers, a restaurant and bar, and a chapel where performances sometimes take place. It's situated at the foot of Mont Chauffé, whose imposing cliffs are infrequently attempted by climbers.
The opening sequence shows how difficult it is to get there from Vacheresse, the nearest village. Rockslides often block the only road access.
Helped by her driver (Jean-Claude Duret) and a villager, Anna (Salomé Richard) opens up the hut in the spring. Anna readies shutters, windows, bedding, lamps, pantries, and everything else for coming guests. Then she circles around a hilltop shrine searching for an internet connection.
Anna meets a birder searching for the Capercaillie, an almost mythical bird who sings so strongly that it temporarily goes deaf and blind.
Hélène (Aurélia Petit) takes over in the summer, when the hut is at its most crowded. She deals with a missing family, with a large group hosting a party, and with hikers needing advice about routes.
After the end of the summer season, Suzanne (Anne Cousens) arrives as a winter caretaker. An empty-nester, she embraces the solitude the hut offers. She's joined by a young soldier (Yoann Zimmer), who is considering deserting from the military.
Filmed on 16mm by Robin Fresson, Forest High is a steady stream of gorgeous images only occasionally tethered to a plot. Coubia, who volunteered at the hut herself for over a decade, directs with documentary precision, supplementing her cast with locals and lavishing attention on the extraordinary vistas outside the hut.
With its focus on trails and gear, Forest High will be catnip to hikers, or to anyone who's been lucky enough to visit the Swiss Alps. Those looking for a more traditional narrative will be largely out of luck. What happens in Forest High occurs quickly; the rest is a deep immersion into nature.
World premiere in the Perspectives section of the 2026 Berlinale. Photos © The Blue Raincoat.