Today we will be viewing The Man Who Planted Trees.
It is a short story published in 1953 by French
author Jean Giono.
An allegorical tale,
it tells the story of one shepherd's long and successful single-handed effort
to re-forest a
desolate valley in the foothills of the Alps in Provence throughout
the first half of the 20th century. It was written in French, but first
published in English.
It was adapted as an animated short by Frédéric
Back and released in 1987. It earned a number of
awards including an Academy
Award for Best
Animated Short Film.
Watch the animated short, and thoughtfully answer
the following questions in complete sentences. You will be marked on the
quality of your written expression. Each question will be worth two marks.
1. Who was Elzéard Bouffier?
2. What was his character like?
3. What did he do in his life?
4. What obstacles did he have to overcome?
5. After planting acorns, what did Elzeard do with his time?
6. Are “trees” used metaphorically in the story?
7. Write a theme statement for the film. What can we learn?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KTvYh8ar3tc