Pulp Friction

Directed by Kelly Saxberg

Pulp Friction is a documentary exploring the impact of the global pulp industry on communities in Canada, Finland, and Uruguay. Funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, it follows life in Terrace Bay, Ontario—saved by an Indian multinational; Kemijärvi, Finland—where the mill closure devastated the town; and Fray Bentos, Uruguay—where vast eucalyptus plantations feed a massive modern mill. Told in English, French, Finnish, and Spanish, the film reveals how globalization and industry link distant lives and reshape local economies, especially amid Canada’s ongoing mill closures.