“Le Chant des forêts” Wins Best Documentary César: A Triumph in Film!

A celebration of life through cinema. On Thursday, February 26th, Vincent Munier’s feature film The Song of the Forests was honored as the best documentary film at the César Awards, also receiving the accolade for best sound.

In this documentary, Vincent Munier showcases the exploration of living creatures within the heart of the Vosges forest, guiding viewers through the habitats of deer and various forest spiders, scenes reminiscent of his childhood in the Vosges. The film aims to “cultivate the poetry of ordinary life” and has seen notable success, drawing over a million cinema-goers.

The cinematography is exceptionally beautiful, and the sound plays a crucial role, capturing the essence of a diverse range of wildlife, creating a profound impact. This venture is somewhat of a family affair as Vincent Munier traverses the forest with his father Michel and his teenage son Simon, who were also present at the César ceremony on Thursday.

This marks the second César Award for the filmmaker; in 2022, his work, based on a novel by Sylvain Tesson, was awarded the prize for the best documentary film.

In a heartfelt acceptance speech, Vincent Munier urged the audience to observe and preserve the biodiversity around us, a call to love nature which in turn, he suggested, could improve human relationships.