«L'homme et la forêt»: an atypical, true and touching documentary

Cinema Wednesdays - Hélène Lavoyer

«The tree gives of itself entirely. It is a home, food… once dry, it can be used to make a fire. It has deep roots and is therefore firmly anchored, embodying this sense of depth, and at the same time, its roots reach toward the sky. Like an antenna reaching toward the heavens.»

What kind of city dwellers would we be if we didn’t feel like we knew what a forest is? This entity—a model of coherence and continuity—remains quite mysterious. Beneath the first layers of knowledge—let’s call them «general»—lies a body of knowledge that allows us to discover a certain aspect of nature which, once it interacts with humans, seems never to abandon the garden it has helped bring to life within them.

An Unconventional Documentary

Those who were expecting an ordinary documentary should reconsider their preconceptions, just as we had to. From an objective and scientific portrayal of the forest—and the ultra-conservationist, alarmist message we had expected—we move on to a meeting: not only that of the forest and its unexpected resources, but also that of this relationship that participants of all ages explain, present, and build connections.

Of course, the book provides a wealth of «objective» information about forests—which cover 30% of Switzerland’s territory—Did you know that snail harvesting is regulated? That an enormous amount of drinking water is available to us thanks to the forest, which «purifies» it? Or that trees marked for logging won’t be cut down for another eight years? Often, a brick is removed from the city dweller’s wall, offering them a window into this green world that we tend to think runs on its own.

Consistency in every respect

Guided by Camille Cottagnoud’s subtle and intelligent camerawork, the viewer goes beyond, with The children from the Lajoux school, on the edge of the forest, meet Luc Maillard, a former forest ranger. And, just like on a walk in the woods, the characters encounter one another and each becomes part of this whole from which they can no longer be separated—not even in the viewer’s mind.

We mentioned Camille Cottagnoud’s fabulous footage earlier; it is not the only reason for the documentary’s beauty. First of all, there is a prevailing sense of naturalness—barely touched by a few preliminary discussions before filming—which gives the feature-length film an ethnographic quality. Then there is the editing, which ties all the actors together, ultimately lending the project a cohesion that is as logical as it is emotional.

About Humanity, at Last

In addition to the harmonious atmosphere that makes the film’s ninety-eight minutes fly by, there is this opportunity for intimacy with human beings who, beneath their shells of flesh and blood—which have allowed themselves to be approached—reveal themselves to be sensitive, sometimes highly strung, filled with wonder, and who, little by little, teaches us why The forest isn't just about nature and how It animates (whether through work or leisure) human beings, who eventually become one with the philosophy of the forest.

In conclusion, Claude Schauli presents a documentary that brings viewers closer to the reality on the ground while opening up a new avenue for discussion—one that is more emotional than logical, more human than moralizing—about the connection possible between humans and the forest. With its touching and lively characters, it takes us on an adventure where children’s laughter echoes the birdsong.

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Photo credit: © Manisanda Production