Long synopsis (222 words)
This feature-length documentary examines how rampant urbanization has changed our relationships to nature. For decades, green spaces have been neglected in urban areas, with the “hardscapes” of concrete taking over more and more neighbourhoods, especially less affluent ones. That reality underscores the growing importance of reintroducing nature into our cities to tackle the challenges of the climate crisis.
Recent research has demonstrated the beneficial effects of urban forests. Besides beautifying the environment and providing the oxygen we need to survive, trees in cities reduce noise and air pollution, compensate for the heat island effect, curb soil erosion and help lower stress and heart disease. While public authorities have begun to invest in urban forestry programs, many innovative solutions were initially put into place by committed citizens at the forefront of environmental action. Blending modern technology with ancestral knowledge, activists, academics and keepers of Indigenous lands are driving the changes needed to ensure our renewed coexistence with the green world.
From Montreal to Vancouver by way of Toronto, Laval, Varennes and New Westminster, Urban Forests explores nature-restoration projects in cities across Canada. Painting a portrait of a grassroots movement spanning all generations, the film is nothing less than an antidote to pessimism, proving that the “green shift” is closer than we think. Is the solution we seek just a branch’s length away?
Many Canadians do not realize the magnitude of the urban forest crisis, because we live in a country where there are many trees and forests. As new projects emerge and it becomes increasingly apparent that urgent action is required, the time has come to take stock of the situation and start a discussion on urban forests.
My documentary serves to offer a broad overview of innovative projects, introducing audiences to citizens, foresters, researchers and community groups that can serve as models. It also aims to encourage the creation of other urban forest projects. I want to pay tribute to those who labour behind the scenes, planting new urban forests and preserving those that exist.
These passionate individuals, the efforts they make and the courage they demonstrate deserve attention. For them to take on the task of protecting and creating urban forests, they’ve had to develop strategies, create tools and mobilize resources that have been proven effective. I think it’s important to spread their ideas and highlight their actions so that others might follow them. And by showing the positive impact of trees, I hope to motivate people to engage in projects that grow or protect urban trees and contribute to the fight against pollution and climate change.
Finally, I wanted to convey the poetry of urban forests. Trees are living, precious beings that have been humanity’s companions for eons. We rarely take the time to observe them and listen to them, but when we do, we discover many valuable images, sounds and feelings. We need them, and we must not forget that.
Malin Anagrius, General Manager of Soverdi (Société de verdissement du Montréal métropolitain)
Alexandre Beaudoin, Biologist and Biodiversity Consultant, Sustainable Development Unit, Université de Montréal
Susan D. Day, Arborist, Former Director of the Urban Forestry Program, UBC
Tahia Devisscher, Assistant Professor in Social-Ecological Climate Resilience in Urban and Peri-Urban Landscapes, Faculty of Forestry, UBC
Luc Leblanc, President of CANOPÉE
Cecil Konijnendijk, Author, Educator and Global Urban Forestry Expert
Liat Margolis, Associate Professor of Landscape Architecture at the University of Toronto and Co-Founder of Nikibii Dawadinna Giigwag (NDG)
Sylvain Martel, Senior Arborist, City of New Westminster
Erika Mashig, Manager of Parks and Open Space Planning, Design and Construction, City of New Westminster
Christian Messier, Professor of Forest Ecology at ISFORT at the Université du Québec (UQO and UQAM)
Sophie Nitoslawski, PhD in Urban Forestry, University of British Columbia
François Reeves, Interventional Cardiologist, CHUM and Hôpital de la Cité-de-la-santé de Laval; Clinical Associate Professor, Université de Montréal Faculty of Medicine, affiliated with the School of Public Health
Josée Séguin, President of the Quebec Chapter of the International Society of Arboriculture
Elder Whabagoon, Co-Founder of Nikibii Dawadinna Giigwag
Urban Forests
A film by Anne-Marie Rocher
Director, Scriptwriter and Researcher
Anne-Marie Rocher
Editor
Alexandre Loukos
Director of Photography
Katerine Giguère
Original Music
Majoma Music
Marc Cholette and John Doerr
Producers
Christine Aubé
Howard Fraiberg
Denis McCready
Production Manager and Postproduction Coordinator
Louise Philippe
Production Manager
Doris Lapierre
Script Consultant
Sylvie Van Brabant
Additional Director of Photography
Philippe Lavalette
Assistant Cameramen and Data Wrangling
Will Mackenzie
Jean-François Papillon
Still Photographer
Jean-François Papillon
Sound Recordists
Olivier Léger
Eric Lork
Igal Petel
Sylvain Vary
Drone Images
Drone Studio
Martin Lemire
Additional Drone Images
Olivier Léger
Production Assistant
Lucie Couhailler
Editing Assistant
Andrea Ziedenberg
Accounting Services
Debbie Voth
Legal Counsel (for Productions Testa)
Zabi Yaqeen
Subtitling and Translation
difuze
Foley
Stéphane Cadotte
Sound Designer
Mélanie Gauthier
Musicians
Marc Cholette
Keyboard, electric bass, synthesizers, electronic programming
John Doerr
Keyboard, electric bass, guitar, drums
Associate Music Producer
Alexandre Loukos
With the participation of
Malin Anagrius
Alexandre Beaudoin
Susan D. Day
Tahia Devisscher
Luc Leblanc
Cecil Konijnendijk
Liat Margolis
Sylvain Martel
Erika Mashig
Christian Messier
Sophie Nitoslawski
François Reeves
Josée Séguin
Elder Whabagoon
And the participation of
Melanie Rose Apps
Iris Beaudoin-Calisti
Paolina Beaudoin-Calisti
Ornella Calisti
Isaac Crosby
Maggie Devins-Cann
Jakob Fiddler
Colleen Gillespie
Laura Grant
Stefan Herda
Finn Köpf
Allan James
Peter Leblanc
Bastien Lecigne
Marie-Jean Meurs
Mark McDonald
Loïc Messac
Kyle Routledge
Ryan Senechal
Nikita Sharma
Isabel Todorova
Nancy Tran
Simon Valiquette
Mathieu Vallée
And the special participation of
Fiona Leitch
Mathis Boudaud
Farrah Leitch
And the special participation of
Fiona Leitch
Mathis Boudaud
Farrah Leitch
Special thanks to
Eric Allen PARI St-Michel
Stephen Bain Rosedale Heights School of the Arts
Pierre Bélec
Marilou Dussault
Daniel Jutras Rector of UdeM
Thanks to
Virginia Allen
Mathis et Léo Beaudoin
Arnaud Bréart
Ghislaine Charest
Pierre Gosselin
Meagan Hanna
Stéphane Jodoin
Martin Juneau
Camille B. Lefrançois
Amelia Needoba
Paul Poirier
Michael Rosen
Petra Valier
François Vincelette
Kaloom volunteers
The shepherds of Parc Maisonneuve
The volunteers of the Glenbrook Ravine Park Restoration Project
The participants of Nikibii Dawadinna Giigwag (NDG)
Arbo Design
Tree Canada
Danielle St-Aubin
Montreal Film and Television Commission
Lucie-Aline Roy et Elsa St-Denis
CANOPÉE
Cornélia Garbe, General Manager
Francis Allaire
Carl Dalbec
UdeM Daycare Centre (CPE)
Valérie Tremblay Director
Erick Desranleau Educator
Marie-Renée Foisy Educator
and the children
Jeanne-Mance Housing Corporation
Patricia Bouchard
UdeM School of Public Health (ESPUM)
Carl Ardy-Dubois – Michèle Bouchard
Sami Haddad – Martine Charbonneau
L.-J. Papineau Secondary School, The Patriot Gardens
Christine Laniesse and her students
Gordonridge Place
Nichola Bynoe – Len Mirander
and the group of volunteers
Habitat
Fanny Maure – Kyle T. Martins
Jakarto
Ephemeral Gardens, UdeM Science Campus
Émilie Fréchette – Louis Marion
LEAF
Janet McKay – Erin MacDonald – Brian Millward
Marché Solidaire Saint-Michel
Oakvale Green Community Garden
Nicholas Brooks – Bianca Kapteyn – Marco Oved
PARI St-Michel
Christine Berger – Elaine Chan
and their clients : Georges Bautista – Francisco Bernal
Tareq Boulaajoul – Mélanie Mandeville-Caillé
Rosedale Heights School of the Arts
Barrie Sketchley – Cindy Estabrook
International Society of Arboriculture, Québec (SIAQ)
Nathalie Vézina Director of Arbre en fête Festival
The team and the competitors of Arbre en fête Festival
Soverdi
Jessyca Farrugia
The Hippodrome Nursery Team
Toronto District School Board
Toronto Transit Commission
Diego Sinagoga – Sandy Tsirlis
UdeM Université de Montréal
Sophie Langlois Executive director of the Office of Communications and Public Relations
Julie Cordeau-Gazaille Communications
Geneviève O’Meara Office of the Rector
University of Toronto in Scarborough
Béatrice Lego – Mark Neilson – Frank Villivà – Anna Weigt-Bienzle
University of British Columbia (UBC)
Arlene Chan Film & Events Manager
Stephanie Troughton Senior Communications Manager, Faculty of Forestry
Sara Barron – Lorien Nesbitt Professors, Faculty of Forestry
City of Laval
Louise Harvey
City of New Westminster
Trevor Cave – Samsara Phenix – Matthew Pilfold
City of Vancouver
Cathy Durkin – Sean Miller – Ian Su
City of Varennes
Canine friends
Cécile – Femke – Kona – Murphy – Woody
Archival Material
Stéphane Béranger Photos of the fox on Mount Royal
UdeM Université de Montréal
Alain Boilard Aerial view of the Science Campus
Marie Le Mélédo Image of the Darlington Ecological Corridor
Pascal Marchand iStock, video of a fox
NFB TEAM
Video Technical Support
Patrick Trahan
Pierre Dupont
Online Editor and Colorisation
Luca Di Gioacchino
Foley Recordist
Luc Léger
Re-recording Mixer
Jean Paul Vialard
Graphic Designer
Cynthia Ouellet
Technical Coordinator
Jean-François Laprise
Senior Production Coordinators
Sara Sajedi Ross
Audrey Rétho
Marketing Managers
François Jacques
Johanna Lessard
Administrator
Sia Koukoulas
Legal Counsel
Julie Patry
Line Producer and Studio Administrator
Alexandrine Torres de Figueiredo
Line Producer
Geneviève Duguay
Executive Producers
Anne-Marie Rocher
Nathalie Cloutier
Denis McCready
Produced with the financial participation of
Telefilm Canada
Ontario Creates
Canadian Film or Video Production Tax Credit
And the collaboration of
Radio Canada
Zaahirah Atchia
Regional Director, Radio-Canada Ontario
Martine Bolduc
Première cheffe, développement du contenu et de la production
Direction, Médias régionaux
Distributors
Maison 4/3
National film board of Canada
© 2024 Testa inc. Productions and The National Film Board of Canada
