Vancouver-based filmmaker Everett Bumstead and his three-member crew produced a documentary detailing the experiences of people who are part of the tree planting industry on Vancouver Island.

Filmed on north Vancouver Island B次元官网网址� around Campbell River, Woss and Sayward B次元官网网址� where tree planting takes place almost throughout the year of the movie, One Million Trees aired last month on CBC Gem.

The 27-year-old filmmaker was also a tree planter in his early 20s B次元官网网址� a job that he says was not only B次元官网网址渉ugely impactfulB次元官网网址� in shaping his life, but also one that developed a B次元官网网址渉igh tolerance for painB次元官网网址� and paid off his student loans back in the day.

Environmentally, the experience provided him a realistic understanding of forestry and conservation and B次元官网网址渉ow these things really play out in the real world.B次元官网网址�

Coming back to the Island with his camera and crew last year, Bumstead told Black Press that he wanted to show the different nuances surrounding the industry.

The film crew took an Indie-style approach to make this documentary, visiting several planting sites managed by different companies.

B次元官网网址淚t was a wild experience trying to plan a film around tree-planting conditions,B次元官网网址� he said about the chaos that comes with being weather-dependent.

While one part of it looks at the technicalities and intense labour involved in planting trees in rugged terrain and harsh weather conditions, the other part is all about B次元官网网址渉uman experiences.B次元官网网址�

B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檝e untapped a very complex world of forestry in this work with a lot of different opinions,B次元官网网址� he said

Interviews with tree planters form the crux of the documentary. They talk about the brutal back-breaking labour involved to get anywhere between 10 to 35 cents for each tree planted. On average, a worker plants 1,000 to 4,000 trees every day.

While some of them reflect on the isolating experience, there are others who find their zen and reach a meditative stage by B次元官网网址渟hutting out the pain and the thornsB次元官网网址� and focusing on planting one tree after the other.

Then thereB次元官网网址檚 the crying and the breakdowns, which according to Bumstead is a rite of passage for most tree planters.

B次元官网网址淓verybody is expected to cry at least once.B次元官网网址�

He too wept, in a planting season right before his sisterB次元官网网址檚 wedding.

Between scenes, thereB次元官网网址檚 also a glimpse into the parties, camaraderie, music and laughter that echo around campfires on late evenings. These campfires are where profound conversations about politics, environment and other reflections take place.

Bumstead recalls his conversations with tree planters who were ex-oil rig workers, law students and climate change deniers among others, before saying B次元官网网址渆verybodyB次元官网网址檚 experience is vastly different.B次元官网网址�

A segment of the film also dives into the gender politics involved in a B次元官网网址渕ostly male-dominatedB次元官网网址� tree-planting industry. A female interviewee B次元官网网址� who planted around 450,000 trees B次元官网网址� reflects on her experience that was marred by a male co-workerB次元官网网址檚 inappropriate behaviour. And complaining was futile as B次元官网网址渉e wasnB次元官网网址檛 getting fired because he planted the most trees.B次元官网网址�

The documentary is fast-paced, goes from extreme highs to lows, and touches on a wide range of subjects. But Bumstead likes to look at it as an B次元官网网址渁dventure storyB次元官网网址� B次元官网网址� a universal adventure that any tree planter goes through in Canada.

The idea of the film dawned on Bumstead after reading the obituary of a co-worker who planted a million trees before he died at 30.

B次元官网网址淚 was thinking about his life and how he spent a lot of time to plant all those trees,B次元官网网址� said Bumstead, adding, B次元官网网址渨e donB次元官网网址檛 know what the achievement of planting one million trees looks like.B次元官网网址�

And it is this feat that the film chronicles by taking viewers through the intricacies of planting the first tree to presenting some hitherto unseen insights of complex experiences.

The film has entered several film festivals and Everett said they would like to continue working on the subject of forestry and silviculture and hopefully make a series going forward.

He already has an idea for the next film B次元官网网址� it might look into Prime Minister Justin TrudeauB次元官网网址檚 plans to plant two billion trees across Canada over the next decade.

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