Victor Kossakovsky, the cinematic word artist known for films like "Architecton" and "Gunda", brings us "Holy Wood Dust". A non-fiction tribute to trees, specifically those fighting for survival in Northern Italy's spectacular Dolomites, it deviates from the traditional nature documentary style. Brace yourself for a cinematic journey that’s as beautiful as it is philosophical and complex, even if its core message isn't always hit right on the nose.

"Holy Wood Dust" expands its horizons taking on a festive spirit as it explores the industrial scale tree-farming for Christmas season in Germany. Kossakovsky's trusty Director of Photography, Gianmarco Donaggio, gifts us with trademark breath-taking shots, with drone captures painting an especially gripping spectacle. Despite its visual grandeur, however, the film feels somewhat low on defined purpose, often reverting to charming mini lectures gathered from the knowledgeable botanist Stefano Mancuso.

Kossakovsky's venture, while delightful, has some stiff competition. Concepts in the nature documentary arena have truly bloomed, and are sprouting some unique experimental features like Jesse McLean’s innovative work "Light Needs", where indoor plants gain a voice, and the colorful crowd-sourced feature "Super Nature" by Ed Sayers, really bringing out the innovative nature of the genre. This makes "Holy Wood Dust" feel a touch old-school, yet its tidbits of tree trivia delivered to young Italian students by Mancuso are equally engaging.

The narrative cohesion in this forest story is seamlessly sowed together through editor Ainara Vera's distinct hand, and the generous infusion of classical music alongside Adrian Berenguer's original soundtrack. The soundtrack forms a lovely allegory, seeing as the featured Red Spruce trees were favored by Stradivarius for their natural resonance in crafting violins. Mancuso passionately advocates for plants as the most precious universal entities, sharing fascinating nuggets about plants communicating without a brain, beating out gold-rich planets.

While viewers' opinions on the film will no doubt differ, some may argue for a skew towards the nitty-gritty botanical science and fewer detailed logger action sequences. Watching Christmas trees being packed into netting machines is an oddly satisfying watch, but does border on overindulgence, as does a prolonged sequence following a giant spruce on its journey to St. Peter’s Square in the Vatican for Christmas.

The flick's title pun, though clever, feels a little forced. That said, broadcasters like Rai Cinema may find it charming, potentially serving as festive entertainment around the globe. As the season to be jolly and tree-loving approaches, "Holy Wood Dust" offers a unique opportunity to appreciate the extraordinary world of trees in an unconventional, cinematic way.