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.
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Simon PlouffeDirector
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Simon PlouffeWriter
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Simon PlouffeProducer
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Geoffroy BeaucheminCinematographyOdyssée sous les glaces, I'm Not There
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Marc BoucrotColoristVortex, Blue Is the Warmest Colour
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Benoît DameRe-recording mixerMommy, Gaza, Influence
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Project Title (Original Language):Forêts
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Project Type:Documentary, Experimental, Short
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Runtime:16 minutes 22 seconds
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Completion Date:May 1, 2022
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Production Budget:34,000 USD
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Country of Origin:Canada
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Country of Filming:Canada
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Language:Other
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Shooting Format:RED 5k
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Aspect Ratio:1.85
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Film Color:Black & White and Color
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First-time Filmmaker:No
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Student Project:No
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DOXAVancouver
Canada
May 14, 2022
North American Premiere
Official Selection Short Film Competition -
Krakow Film FestivalKrakow
Poland
May 31, 2022
International Premiere
Official Selection International Short Film Competition -
Edinburgh Film FestivalEdinburgh
United Kingdom
August 15, 2022
UK Premiere
Official Selection International Short Film Competition -
DC ShortsWashington DC
United States
September 11, 2022
US Premiere
Official Selection International Short Film Competition -
(RIDM) Rencontres Internationales du Documentaire de MontréalMontréal
Canada
November 19, 2022
Quebec Premiere
Nominee for Best National short and mid length Shorts Award -
Imagine Science Film FestivalNew 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) - 2023Edmondton
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 merGaspé
Canada
April 16, 2023
Gaspésie premiere -
É Tudo Verdade | It's All TrueSao Paolo
Brazil
April 13, 2023
Brasillian premiere -
Dawson City international Short Film FestivalDawson
Canada
April 8, 2023 -
Cinéma sous les étoilesMontreal
Canada
July 24, 2023
Compétition courts métrages -
Doc-CévennesLa Salle
France
May 11, 2023
France -
DokufestPristina
Kosovo
August 11, 2023
Kosovo -
Festival de cinéma de DouarnenezDouarnenez
France
August 20, 2023
Bretagne -
Festival de cinéma de la ville de QuébecQuébec
Canada
September 16, 2023
Ville de Québec -
Fic WallmapuTemulco
Chile
November 15, 2023
Chili -
Planet in FocusToronto
Canada
October 13, 2023
Ontario -
Tokyo Short Film festivalTokyo
Japan
August 5, 2023
Japan -
St. Louis International Film FestivalSt-Louis
United States
November 11, 2023
Missouri -
Signes de nuitParis
France
October 9, 2023
Paris Ile de France
Prix de nuit -
TrentoTrento
Italy
May 3, 2023
Italy
Jury Award -
Internationales Festival Zeichen der NachtBerlin
Germany
November 2, 2023
Germany -
Roma Short Film FestivalRoma
Italy
November 15, 2023 -
Seoul Short Film FestivalSeoul
Korea, Republic of
November 4, 2023
South Korea
Best documentary -
Festival internazionale Segni della NotteUrbino
Italy
December 5, 2023
Mention Night -
Taiwan International Video Art ExhibitionTaipei
Taiwan
November 3, 2023
Taiwan
Distribution Information
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VideographeDistributorCountry: CanadaRights: All Rights
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.
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.