The Oscar® he won for Crac! allowed Frédéric Back to fulfil his dream of bringing Jean Giono’s wonderful story The Man Who Planted Trees to the screen. In more distilled form, its environmental message and philosophy of life reflect the concerns already addressed by Back in his previous films. The seeds that the shepherd plants are the symbol of all our actions, good and bad, which have far-reaching consequences we can scarcely imagine. It is up to us to think and act in accordance with our hopes for the future, and, if possible, to leave behind us a world more beautiful and promising than the one we inherited. —fredericback.com
Frédéric Back, OC CQ (born April 8, 1924) is a Canadian artist and film director of short animated films.
Born in Saarbrücken, The Territory of the Saar Basin, he emigrated to Canada in 1948. He began teaching at the École des Beaux-Arts de Montréal, then in 1952, he joined the graphics department of Radio-Canada and has remained there since.
He created a massive stained glass mural entitled L’histoire de la musique à Montréal (“history of music in Montreal”) at the Place-des-Arts Metro station in Montreal. Unveiled on December 20, 1967, this stained glass was the first work of art to be commissioned for the Montreal metro system.
He was nominated for a 1989 Governor General’s Awards in the Children’s Literature – Illustration category for L’Homme qui plantait des arbres. In 1989, he was made a Knight of the National Order of Quebec. In 1990, he was made an Officer of the Order of Canada. In 2004, he was awarded the Eco-Hero Media Award from the Planet in Focus… read more
One touching story. Its a film for all ages, for the happy and the desolate, for the hopeless and the hopeful. It has a message about life. It has a simplicity that of The Little Prince but touches a more mature accord in one's heart. We all should start planting our own trees in our own barren lands.
