L'homme qui plantait des arbres

The tale of how a desolate, arid, uninhabited, windswept region was restored to life thanks to the efforts of a single man. Elzéard Bouffier, a solitary shepherd who retreated to the mountains of southern France in the early 1900s, began reforesting an entire area by planting acorns in the holes he dug with his staff. In an era marked by war and destruction, these simple gestures importantly demonstrate man's ability to care for nature. Adapted from Jean Giono's book of the same name, the film is a touching hymn of hope for a better future; graphically captivating and innovative, the film won the 1988 Oscar for Best Short Animation.