When the United Nations’ General Assembly declared 2011 the International Year of the Forest, the 8th edition of the Gacilly People and Nature Photo Festival quite naturally opened its doors to artists whose work heightened awareness of the dangers of losing the Earth’s green resources.

“Every year, 13 million hectares of forest disappear. It is lung cancer on a planetary level,” comments Jacques Rocher, Festival creator and Mayor of La Gacilly. Artistic Director Florence Drouhet and curator Cyril Drouhet add “That is why our 2011 program will seem like a mobilization in the name of trees and forests… the greatest photographers of the past and present offer their journalistic or artistic vision of the secret world of forests, the treasures they hide, and help us reflect upon this cause that unites us all.”

The 250,000 visitors that are expected to visit the festival from June 3 through September 30 will have to opportunity to see pictures by Miquel Dewever-Plana. “Hach Winik”, the Lacandons people and Marc Riboud’s “Images buissonnières” will be presented in the “Labyrinthe Végétal” Gallery. “The galerie de l’amphithéâtre” is featuring “Fables and Realities in the Morbihan Forest”, coverage of the forests of Brittany as observed by the Argos Collectif. In the Morbihan, forests cover nearly 114,000 hectares, the equivalent of 16% of the department.

The “Gallery du Grand Chêne" in cooperation with the Visa pour l’Image Festival will honor the field of photojournalism with “Refuges”, an exhibition featuring 20 historic pictures taken by 20 photographers. The “Gallery du Bout du Pont" is featuring “Beyond Trees” an exhibit by Francis Latreille about people living beyond the stretch of trees, near the polar circle. The “Gallery du port” is showing amateur works exploring the forest theme in “Image Sans Frontière”. The “Gallery de la Passerelle” is showing Michael Nichols’ “Sanctuaire” “Cabanes” by Patrick Aventurier, Thomas Goisque, Nicolas Henry, Jean Revillard and Sylvain Tesson. As well as Frans Krajcberg’s “Destruction” denouncing violence towards nature. At the “Gallery le Chemin des Libellules”, Pierre de Vallombreuse walks in Claude Lévi-Strauss’ footsteps.
The “Gallery de la rue Saint Vincent" will feature Michael Kenna’s “Meditations”.
“For over 35 years, I have had the privilege of photographing trees in many countries. I am very honored to be able to offer these portraits in gratitude to their presence in our world. We are all in debt to trees, they give us so much, and ask for so little in return.”

In the “Gallery des halles", the Festival is showing, with the ECPAD archives, (Etablissement de Communication et de Production Audiovisuelle de la Défense), the riches of this unknown patrimony of a time past.

Bernard Perrine
bernard.perrine1@orange.fr

Through September 30
People and Nature
8è Festival Photo La Gacilly

www.paysdelagacilly.com
www.collectifargos.com
www.ecpad.fr
www.michaelkenna.net
www.jheditorial.com
vallombreuse.free.fr
www.krajcberg.vertical.fr
www.michaelnicknichols.com
www.francislatreille.com
www.marcriboud.com
www.agencevu.com