THE NATIONAL GALLERY OF CANADA
Aug 2021, NGC acquires photographs from The Tree Planters for their permanent collection
WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING:
“An epic poem about tree planting that digs us inside the planters’ lives and dreams”
— John Greyson, film/video artist and queer activist
“Knock-out gorgeous! Leistner is a magnificent story-teller”
— Jean McGlothlin, Founder Sebastopol Film Festival
“Stunningly and disturbingly beautiful”
— Paul Wilson, translator and writer
“The book is astonishing! Truly perfect”
— Deirdre Donhohue, Managing Research Librarian, New York Public Library
"Leistner is a force of nature and as real as they come"
— Manfred Becker, filmmaker, Program Director of Film Studies, York University
“One of the best films I’ve seen about documentary photography”
— Nina Berman, Photographer and Filmmaker, Noor Images
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY IN A FEATURE DOCUMENTARY
PREVIEW OF THE CONVERSATION IN THE BOOK WITH RITA LEISTNER AND FILMMAKER DON MCKELLAR
EDITED BY FILMMAKER SOPHY ROMVARI
FILM TRAILER EDITED BY FILMMAKER SOPHY ROMVARI
This visually and artistically unique documentary explores the physical and emotional aspects of a community of Canadian west coast tree planters. Deftly weaving together still photos and film footage, Rita Leistner, an award-winning photographer, photojournalist, filmmaker and erstwhile tree planter, depicts the contradictions in the experiences of the tree planters—the hardship and the healing; the solitude and the joy of belonging—creating an eloquent cinematic metaphor for the human condition. Finding common cause, self-knowledge and meaning in their formidable task, the tree planters restore themselves and each other in the process of restoring the environment.
Featured In
