TREE MAN, a feature documentary film, will have its world premiere at the 39^th Montreal World Film Festival, with screenings on August 28^th and 29^th at the Cinéma Quartier Latin. Directed by Jon Reiner and Brad Rothschild, Tree Man focuses on Francois, a Montreal native who leaves his wife and children every holiday season to sell Christmas trees on a New York City sidewalk while living out of his van. Francois is one of hundreds of men and women from Quebec and elsewhere who, over decades, have become fixtures in their adopted neighborhoods and vibrant forces in their customers’ lives and traditions.

            Tree Man explores Francois’ journey and the relationships that sustain him – with his customers, employees and the people of Manhattan’s Upper West Side. While he may sell trees for a living, it is his role as the neighborhood Tree Man that draws the community closer together and gives meaning to his grueling month far from home.

            “Before making the film, I was Francois’s customer for many years,” Reiner said. “Gradually, I became aware of the Tree Man culture that reappears annually and how people like Francois and the other Quebec natives whose stories are featured in the film not only transform the city into blocks of Santa’s Villages, but how they have evolved into important figures in the community. They’re remarkable characters.”

            “As someone who has never had a Christmas tree myself, I was struck by the sense of joy that bringing home a tree gives people,” Rothschild said. “New Yorkers can be a pretty jaded bunch, but all of that melts away during the holiday season. Francois and the other tree sellers truly become the spirit of Christmas for the city.”

Tree Man features original recordings by Loudon Wainwright III, Patty Smyth and the closing title song, “The Coldest Corner in the World” by Marc Cohn. The film will be shown at Cinéma Quartier Latin on August 28^th at 14h30 and August 29^th at 11h10. Following its screenings at the Montreal World Film Festival, the film will be seen at several other festivals this fall in Canada and the United States.

TREE MAN / TREE MAN

2015, Colour, USA, Documentaries 

Production Team

Director : Jon Reiner Brad Rothschild, Jon Reiner, Brad Rothschild

Screenwriter : Jon Reiner, Brad Rothschild, John Scott Cook

Cinematographer : David W. Leitner

Editor : John Scott Cook

Music : Erik Della Penna

Film production and Sales :

Synopsis

Every holiday season, hundreds of Christmas tree sellers descend upon the streets of New York City to ply their trade. Having left their homes and families behind, often living out of their vans, they endure the adversity of a migrant’s survival. François, a father of three from Quebec, returns to the same Manhattan street corner each year to deliver the magic of the season. While he may sell trees for a living, it is his role as the Tree Man that draws the community closer together and gives meaning to his grueling month far from home. 

Projections

Friday August 28, 2015 - 02:30 PM - CINÉMA QUARTIER LATIN 14
Saturday August 29, 2015 - 11:10 AM - CINÉMA QUARTIER LATIN 14