The Woods Dreams Are Made Of

A precious documentary film which takes us into the secrets of the Bois de Vincennes in Paris, or more precisely the people who live there or go there daily. No big lecturing here, Claire Simon strives to talk to the people who inhabit the woods and discover their motivations. We don't see the director on screen but we hear her conversations with the protagonists. This constitutes a remarkable work of memory and urban exploration.

That said, I was still quite bored throughout the film. Partly because I am not sensitive to the charms of nature, I have therefore stayed a little away from the fascination that the place exerts on some. But also because the film is simply made up of a series of scenes devoid of any narrative thread. It is certainly not easy to find a narrative framework when you make a documentary, but it is really necessary if you want to maintain the viewer's interest.