The Issue with Tissue

The Issue with Tissue documents the little known, largely untold story of the boreal forest and the Indigenous First Nations who call it home, that it is being clearcut for the manufacture of toilet paper and that protecting and conserving the boreal is an existential imperative. Told in the words and voices of the First Nations Elders and Leaders of the boreal, leading scientists and activists, The Issue with Tissue creates a kind of talking circle that inspires our storytellers to speak with candor and intimacy about the issues confronting us all, and that the way forward lies in elevating and supporting Indigenous knowledge and stewardship that is rooted in an ages old connection to the boreal forest and the trees that are housed therein.
We learn that the boreal is critical to our survivability, that it is the largest remaining intact forest on planet earth, it stores more carbon than any other terrestrial landscape, it is the largest fresh water source with countless lakes, rivers and wetlands. The boreal is North America's bird nursery - approximately 2 billion birds nest in the boreal each year, as many as 5 billion migrate south in the fall. It is home to iconic species like caribou, bears, moose and wolves - many listed as endangered because of unfettered extractive industrial exploitation. It is also home to more than 600 Indigenous First Nations communities who have lived sustainably on the boreal for thousands of years. That the logging industry, mainly to feed American consumer products companies, is clearcutting these last remaining old growth, large intact forest landscapes so we can wipe our bums with softer, more plush toilet paper. (Filmoption International)