Experiencing Interruptions?

Forests

Eastern white pines submerged under the waters of a hydroelectric reservoir on unceded Innu territory transform into flames. This exploration between water and fire illustrates our current climate emergency through multiple stories about the relationship between a community and it's land.

In a dark, ambiguous environment, minuscule particles drift slowly before the lens. The image focuses to reveal spruce trees and tall pines, while Innu voices tell us the story of this territory, this flooded forest. Muffled percussive sounds gradually become louder, suggesting the presence of a hydroelectric dam. The submerged trees gradually transform into firebrands as whispers bring back the stories of this forest.

  • Simon Plouffe
    Director
  • Simon Plouffe
    Writer
  • Simon Plouffe
    Producer
  • Geoffroy Beauchemin
    Cinematography
    Odyssée sous les glaces, I'm Not There
  • Marc Boucrot
    Colorist
    Vortex, Blue Is the Warmest Colour
  • Benoît Dame
    Re-recording mixer
    Mommy, Gaza, Influence
  • Project Title (Original Language):
    Forêts
  • Project Type:
    Documentary, Experimental, Short
  • Runtime:
    16 minutes 22 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    May 1, 2022
  • Production Budget:
    34,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    Canada
  • Country of Filming:
    Canada
  • Language:
    Other
  • Shooting Format:
    RED 5k
  • Aspect Ratio:
    1.85
  • Film Color:
    Black & White and Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • DOXA
    Vancouver
    Canada
    May 14, 2022
    North American Premiere
    Official Selection Short Film Competition
  • Krakow Film Festival
    Krakow
    Poland
    May 31, 2022
    International Premiere
    Official Selection International Short Film Competition
  • Edinburgh Film Festival
    Edinburgh
    United Kingdom
    August 15, 2022
    UK Premiere
    Official Selection International Short Film Competition
  • DC Shorts
    Washington DC
    United States
    September 11, 2022
    US Premiere
    Official Selection International Short Film Competition
  • (RIDM) Rencontres Internationales du Documentaire de Montréal
    Montréal
    Canada
    November 19, 2022
    Quebec Premiere
    Nominee for Best National short and mid length Shorts Award
  • Imagine Science Film Festival
    New York
    United States
    October 18, 2022
    US East Coast Premiere
  • Available Light Film Festival (ALFF)
    Whitehorse
    Canada
    February 10, 2023
    Yukon premiere
  • International Festival of Winter Cinema (IFWC) - 2023
    Edmondton
    Canada
    February 10, 2023
    Alberta premiere
  • Rendez-vous Québec Cinéma (RVQC)
    Montréal
    Canada
    February 24, 2023
    Winner for Best art and experimentation short film
  • Vues sur mer
    Gaspé
    Canada
    April 16, 2023
    Gaspésie premiere
  • É Tudo Verdade | It's All True
    Sao Paolo
    Brazil
    April 13, 2023
    Brasillian premiere
  • Dawson City international Short Film Festival
    Dawson
    Canada
    April 8, 2023
  • Cinéma sous les étoiles
    Montreal
    Canada
    July 24, 2023
    Compétition courts métrages
  • Doc-Cévennes
    La Salle
    France
    May 11, 2023
    France
  • Dokufest
    Pristina
    Kosovo
    August 11, 2023
    Kosovo
  • Festival de cinéma de Douarnenez
    Douarnenez
    France
    August 20, 2023
    Bretagne
  • Festival de cinéma de la ville de Québec
    Québec
    Canada
    September 16, 2023
    Ville de Québec
  • Fic Wallmapu
    Temulco
    Chile
    November 15, 2023
    Chili
  • Planet in Focus
    Toronto
    Canada
    October 13, 2023
    Ontario
  • Tokyo Short Film festival
    Tokyo
    Japan
    August 5, 2023
    Japan
  • St. Louis International Film Festival
    St-Louis
    United States
    November 11, 2023
    Missouri
  • Signes de nuit
    Paris
    France
    October 9, 2023
    Paris Ile de France
    Prix de nuit
  • Trento
    Trento
    Italy
    May 3, 2023
    Italy
    Jury Award
  • Internationales Festival Zeichen der Nacht
    Berlin
    Germany
    November 2, 2023
    Germany
  • Roma Short Film Festival
    Roma
    Italy
    November 15, 2023
  • Seoul Short Film Festival
    Seoul
    Korea, Republic of
    November 4, 2023
    South Korea
    Best documentary
  • Festival internazionale Segni della Notte
    Urbino
    Italy
    December 5, 2023
    Mention Night
  • Taiwan International Video Art Exhibition
    Taipei
    Taiwan
    November 3, 2023
    Taiwan
Distribution Information
  • Videographe
    Distributor
    Country: Canada
    Rights: All Rights
Director Biography - Simon Plouffe

His first documentary, "Others' Gold" (2011), was acclaimed at several international festivals and won awards such as the Merit Award for Advocacy at the Montana CINE Int. Film Festival. His second documentary, "Those Who Come, Will Hear" (2018), received the 2019 Iris Award for Best Sound Documentary and the Jury Award at the Ann Arbor Festival. His exploratory short documentary, "Forests," won the Art and Experimentation Award at the 2023 Rendez-vous Québec Cinéma, the Jury Award in Trento and two awards at Signes de Nuit. He will be releasing Les yeux ne font pas le regard / Seeing Through the Darkness in 2024, a documentary on blindness caused by armed conflicts.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

Forests plunges us into a mysterious and unnatural universe, reflecting the impact of industrialization on the exploitation of natural resources and the relationship that a local community has with the land it inhabits. This short documentary reflects on the transformation and capitalization of the forest in an attempt to convey the complex feelings encompassed in the relationship between human beings and nature.