The Man Who
Planted Trees
Montréal(Province of Québec, Canada)
The Man Who Planted Trees
The 1987 film "The Man Who Planted Trees", by Montréal filmmaker Fréderic
Back, celebrates the single-handed efforts of one man, Elzéard Bouffier, who
toils to improve his environment.
Out of a desolate territory, the dedicated efforts of this generous shepherd
make bloom a vibrant forest.
The desert is depicted by the rock in which
Elzéard Bouffier plants his maple trees, whose canopy grow to form a rainbow
symbolizing hope and rebirth. The rainbow and the maple do not just lend
themselves well to the special effect of mosaiculture, but they are also emblems
of Québec, where the forests don flamboyant colours every autumn. Furthermore,
the horses that gallop through the flowering prairie represent liberty and a
return to life.