Project owner Gardiens de la forêt

Preserving the lungs of our planet

Across the globe, rampant deforestation is a threat to indigenous peoples, biodiversity and the climate balance. The documentary series Gardiens de la Forêt (Forest Guardians) tells the story of 5 protectors of 5 major primary forests, who are fighting to preserve these unique natural areas and the future of their respective communities.

Issues

Around a third of the world’s forests are primary forests, namely: repositories of indigenous tree species where no trace of human activity is clearly visible and where ecological processes are not significantly disrupted by the communities that live there. Some 47 million hectares of primary forest were lost between 2000 and 2020, an area the size of Cameroon. These ecosystems play a vital role in regulating the climate and are exceptional in terms of biodiversity. In case of destruction, the best-case scenario is the growth of a secondary forest, but with 5 times fewer species present. The preservation of primary forests is not just a battle for indigenous peoples: these ecosystems are a part of humanity’s heritage, essential to maintaining the environmental balance of our planet.

Actions

Gardiens de la forêt (Fr., 2023, 5 x 52 min) is adocumentary series created by Marc Dozier and co-produced by Lato Sensu Productions alongside ARTE France. As well as being broadcast on television, the project will be presented at conferences, festivals, workshops and school events to promote awareness of the precious value of primary forests, the threats they face and the solutions available to preserve them.

We discover these natural environments from the inside, through the eyes of 5 representatives of indigenous communities: a leader of the Ashaninka tribe in Brazil who is fighting against the ravages and violence of deforestation; a ‘medicine man’ in Gabon who is calling for a renewal of the spiritual link that unites us with the forest; a Darhat horseman from Mongolia who is converting nomadic hunters into protectors of the taiga; a young Dene woman in Canada who is mobilising all generations in her fight to win respect for the land and culture of her people; and, a Papuan chief in Papua New Guinea who wants to raise awareness of the solutions being developed in his country.

Key figures

Our support

  • Financial support for the post-production phase
  • Promoting, highlighting and networking on behalf of the documentary series

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