2a) "The man who planted trees" - a short
story by Jean Giono (13'').
Summary
By planting forest, the groundwater
level rises and dried up springs bubble up again and
new life comes into the country. According to
CIA-Wikipedia [web01/02] the shepherd Bouffier, who
was planting 1000s of acorns together with beeches and
birches with a forest school, is invented. The
geographical names are from the Southern Alps (the
locations of Vergons and Banon, and the Durance
River). After all the invented hero Bouffier is a very
good example, how one can accomplish silently great
works.
The film protocol:
Title "The Man Who Planted Trees" - Film by Radio Canada
Die Cevennen waren kahl, eintönig, und eher unbekannt.
Bouffier war dort spazieren (57''), bis auf 1300m über
Meer (1'0''). Dort wuchs nur noch wilder Lavendel (1'7'').
1913 (13'39''): Jean Giono's hike in the Southern Alps
- the shepherd Elzéard Bouffier with his acorns
The Southern Alps in South of France were bald,
monotonous, and rather unknown. Jean Giono was there for a
walk (57''), up to 1300m above sea level (1'0''). Only
wild lavender grew there (1'7'').
Hike of Jean Giono in the bare
Southern Alps - A lost village in the Southern Alps,
Southern France
There was only a desert there, there were abandoned
villages (1'20''), there were hardly any water springs
(1'27''). The abandoned villages witnessed that there was
once life with water springs here (1'39''). Writer Jean
Giono walked through such an abandoned village and
observed that everything was dried up, there was no more
water at the well (2'4''). The wind [strong Mistral wind
of the region] was inexorable and devoured the walls of
the abandoned villages (2'24''). Jean Giono walked for
hours, and everything was just karst and dry and hard
grass, no trees, no flowers, nothing (3'20''). Then he
found the shepherd Bouffier, who gave him from his water
to drink (3'44'').
Schäfer Bouffier hat in einer Senke ein Steinhaus, einen
Stall und ein Wasserloch (4'50''). Es gab noch einige
Dörfer in den Südalpen, ohne Strassenanbindung, mit
Überresten von Eichenwäldern. Dort wohnten Köhler, und das
Klima war immer windig und rauh, im Sommer wie im Winter
(6'38''). Die Holzkohle wurde in der Stadt verkauft
(6'55''). In den Dörfern herrschte die nackte
Verzweiflung, denn die Lebensumstände verbesserten sich
einfach nie. Alkohol, Selbstmord, Wahnsinn, Mord und
Totschlag war weit verbreitet (7'34''). Der Schäfer
sammelte Eicheln, zeigte Bouffier seine Eicheln, schied
die guten von den schlechten Eicheln (7'59''), machte aus
den guten Eicheln Gruppen von je 10 Eicheln (8'23''),
sortierte dann die zu kleinen und die rissigen Eicheln
auch noch aus und bewahrt die makellosen Eicheln in einem
Beutel auf (8'34'').
Bald high Southern Alps - the fantasy shepherd
Bouffier with sheep herd - sharing water which is in a
pumpkin bottle
Shepherd Bouffier lives in a valley in a stone house and
has a stable and a waterhole aside (4'50''). There were
still some villages in the Cévennes, without road access,
with remains of oak forests. Charburners lived there, and
the climate was always windy and rough, in summer and
winter (6'38''). The charcoal was sold in the city far
away (6'55''). In the villages there was naked despair,
because the living conditions simply never improved.
Alcohol, suicide, madness, murder and manslaughter were
widespread (7'34''). The shepherd Bouffier collected
acorns, he showed Jean Giono his acorns, he separated the
good from the bad acorns (7'59''), separated the good
acorns into groups of 10 acorns each (8'23''), then sorted
out the too small and the cracked acorns and kept the
perfect flawless acorns in a bag (8'34'').
Acorns are sorted
The planting of oak forest: a hole with an iron rod -
an acorn in - cover the hole
Shepherd Bouffier went on his tour with the sheep every
morning. The water moistened sack of acorns was with him.
Instead of a normal stick for walking, the shepherd had an
iron stick, about as thick as a thumb and shoulder-high
(9'27''). The pasture of the animals was in a narrow
valley. The dog guarded the flock of sheep while the
shepherd walked and placed new acorns with the iron stick:
make a hole, put in a good acorn, close the hole with soil
(10'30''). Shepherd Bouffier did not know who owns the
land, because nobody was there, but he simply was planting
oaks (10'59'').
Bouffier planted 100 oaks a day. For 3 years there have
been 100,000 oaks (11,28''). It is estimated that 20,000
of these had grown, and that 50% of them would have to be
expected to be lost again due to rodents and other
negative factors (11,40''). So 10,000 oaks were to grow
where nothing had previously grown (11,52''). He used to
have a farm in the plain with a wife and son, but he had
lost both, first his son, then his wife (12'21''). Since
then he lived with sheep and dog in the mountains planting
acorns to restore tree plantations, otherwise the
landscape would die (12'35'').
Jean Giono said that in 30 years there would be a great
oak forest here (12'57''). Bouffier said that in 30 years
these 10,000 oaks would only be a drop like in a big sea
of oaks (13'9''). He was also engaged in the planting of
beeches, and near his house he had already established a
tree nursery (13'16''). And birch can be planted in moist
places, this was another project (13'28'').
First World War 1914-1918 - the walk in the Southern
Alps from 1919: oak forest of 11km length and 3km wide,
beech and birch groves
World War I: Jean Giono was drafted and had to serve as an
infantry soldier for 5 years (13'49''). In the end, Giono
received a "discharge bonus" and in 1919 went to the
Southern Alps again to breathe "fresh air" (14'35''). He
walked the same route, passed abandoned villages, and then
noticed that the horizon had changed: there was haze, like
a grey mist (14'47''). Shepherd Bouffier was no longer a
shepherd, but now he was a beekeeper with about 100
beehives, and he had only 4 sheep (15'43''). He had to
give away the other sheep because they endangered his tree
farm: They had eaten the young trees (15'48''). And the
plantations continued, away from 5 years of World War II
(16'1''). The oaks that had been planted in 1910 had
already grown higher than the two men were tall. One could
already walk in the oak forest. The Bouffier forest was
divided into 3 sections (16'25''), 11km long and up to 3km
wide (16'30''), all created by one single man, tall and
stable oaks that could no longer be destroyed by game or
sheep, and the beech trees were now shoulder-high
(17'10''). In 1915, Bouffier had also planted birch trees
in the valleys, where he suspected damp soil, and they
grew well there (17'30'').
New oaks grow in
the Southern Alps - New oak forest in the Southern
Alps
The oak forest stores rainwater and the groundwater
level is rising: New springs, streams flow again
This gigantic oak forest with beech and birch groves had
now led to springs springing up again and streams
flowing again (17'52''). In Gallic-Greek times, water
had already flowed here. Excavations in the abandoned
villages had even found old fishing hooks from
Gallic-Greek times (18'29'').
[The forests are storing the rain water on the ground
and the water seeps deep down following the oak roots.
This fills up the groundwater, raises the groundwater
level, and springs bubble up again].
The wind [and the birds and other animals] also spread
seeds, and with the renatured creeks and streams came
pastures, reeds, meadows, gardens and flowers, and people
became happy again (18'47''). The population perceived the
change, but did not know what the cause was (18'55''). The
hunters who hunted hares and wild boars noticed the
growing forest, but thought it was "a variation of nature"
(19'8''). So Bouffier was left alone, he had no enemies,
and the forest could grow and grow (19'19''). From 1920
the writer Jean Giono visited the beekeeper and tree
planter Bouffier every year (19'39''). Bouffier never said
anything about the setbacks, but there were certainly some
(20'3''). He lived so lonely that he hardly spoke
(20'22'').
1933: The provincial administration discovers the
"wonder forest" in the Southern Alps - 1935: Nature
conservation and the ban on charcoal burning
In 1933 an official came to Bouffier and said that there
was a risk of fire and that no fire should be made
outside, otherwise "the growth of this natural forest
would be endangered" (20'40''). The official claimed that
this forest in the Southern Alps was a "miracle forest":
"It is the first time that one sees a forest growing on
its own" (20'47'').
An official warns Bouffier in 1933
that one must not start a fire outside, otherwise the
"wonder forest" would be in danger.
In 1935 a delegation of the administration came to take a
closer look at this "wonder forest" (20'59''), with a
forestry official, with a deputy and with specialists
(21'7''). As a result, the forest was placed under state
protection and the production of charcoal was banned
(21'24'').
Politician with a big bellies in the
Southern Alps 1935 01,02
One of the deputies was a forester and a friend of writer
Jean Giono. Together they went to the beekeeper and tree
planter Bouffier and found him planting trees (22'5'').
The trees were now about 6 to 7m high, in 1913 everything
had been bare (22'35''). The forester's representative
recommended other tree species, but then let Bouffier
continue without intervening. He admired Bouffier and his
knowledge: "He knows more than anyone else in the world."
(23'22'') - Thanks to this forest officer, Bouffier's work
remained untouched (23'35'').
A forest officer with Jean Giono at
Bouffier
1939: Wood gas cars need wood - the Southern Alps are
too far away and the oak forest remains
In 1939 the forest was in danger because some of the cars
ran on wood gas. The state confiscated all the forests,
but felling the 10m high oaks was not worthwhile because
of their remoteness with a long transport route (24'1'').
Therefore the forest remained - thanks to its isolated
location far from "civilization" (24'8''). The beekeeper
and tree planter Bouffier did not notice anything of World
War II, everything remained peaceful with him (24'26'').
1945: The rebirth of the villages in the Southern Alps
through the oak forest of Bouffier - water brings new
life - example of Vergons
In June 1945 Bouffier was 87 years old when writer Jean
Giono and beekeeper tree grower Elzéard Bouffier met for
the last time (24'34''). In the meantime the
administration had organised a bus line linking the valley
of Durence with the Southern Alps (24'46''). The villages
had changed completely. Giono left the bus at the village
of Vergons (25'8''). In 1913 only 3 people had lived here
(25'15''). They had been wild trappers, who had only
fights and enmity in mind (25'20''). Now in 1945
everything had changed, even the air (25'31''): there were
no more strong and dry winds, but a "light, spicy breeze",
and the wind made his music in the forests (25'46'').
Brooks and wells ran again and splashed in the valley
(25'53''). New wells were installed and even village trees
were planted, e.g. a lime tree (26'3''). The village
experienced a rebirth (26'11'').
The bus from the Durence valley to the
Southern Alps - Jean Giono in Vergons 1945 - Vergons,
new well installed with running water 1945
The new inhabitants even built new houses (26'25''), with
vegetable gardens and flowers (26'38''). Life had returned
to the villages and the desire to live was back (26'55'').
Small areas were now planted with barley and rye
(27'12''). Green meadows shone in the narrow valleys
(2'19''). Health and prosperity spread (27'32'').
Vergons with water, intact houses and
flowers - garden with butterflies - garden with birds
Farms that had been ruins in 1913 were now rebuilt and had
their income (27'42''). The oak forests could store
rainwater and snow and there were abundant springs and
water (28'0'').
Farm in the countryside, Southern
Alps 1945 - farm well with running water with farmer and
goat, Southern Alps 1945 - Oak in the Southern Alps 1945
Young adults and new families from the cities bought
destroyed houses with their plots here in the Southern
Alps and built their new house because the plots were too
expensive in the city (28'11''). Folk music was made and
people were dancing again (28'30'').
Life in the Southern Alps 1945 -
Dance and Music in the Southern Alps 1945
Elzéard Bouffier made over 10,000 people happy - he
died in 1947
All in all, the shepherd and beekeeper has made over
10,000 people happy with his tree plantations (28,42'').
Bouffier has produced a "Promised Land" (28'59''), with
patience and infinite will, with perseverance and an
unselfish spirit, Elzéard Bouffier has achieved this
(29'5''). Elzéard Bouffier died peacefully in Banon
(29'25'') in 1947.
In 1953, the short story by Jean Giono about Elzéard
Bouffier "The man who planted trees" (or also: "The man
with the trees") appeared, in French: "L'homme qui
plantait des arbres". According to Jean Giono himself, the
hero shepherd Bouffier was INVENTED. Giono wanted just to
bring the spirit into the world to plant forests and to
preserve water sources [web01, web02].
