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Trees

Name: Trees
Director: Michelangelo Frammartino
Released: 2013
Duration: 28 min

Representation Score

3.3/10

Limited

2013

Director

Michelangelo Frammartino

Runtime

28 minutes

Average Rating

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New Showbiz Analysis

Trees functions as a formal subversion of standard cinematic structures. By using a slow cinema aesthetic, it moves away from human-centric storytelling to prioritize an interconnected ecological perspective. The film's strength lies in its ability to place human activity on an equal plane with the biological rhythms of the forest. It dismantles the hierarchy between the observer and the observed. While the work does not engage with identity politics through traditional character-driven means, it offers a sophisticated critique of anthropocentrism through its meditative, post-narrative approach.

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Category Breakdown

Does Trees have LGBTQ+ representation?

Minimal

The film does not include any characters or romantic stories related to LGBTQ+ identities. Since it is a documentary focused on environmental observation, it does not depict gender identity or sexual orientation.

How does Trees portray gender?

Fair

The film does not have a character-driven plot, making it hard to assess traditional gender roles. However, it avoids reinforcing masculine leadership by emphasizing collective, rhythmic labor rather than individual ability to act.

How racially and ethnically diverse is Trees?

Fair

The film features a cast of Calabrian inhabitants. Although it lacks a multi-ethnic cast, it avoids a white-centric perspective by focusing on a specific Mediterranean community.

How does Trees represent religion and culture?

Good

The film challenges typical Western storytelling by rejecting linear, goal-oriented plots. It emphasizes an ecological interconnectedness that deconstructs human-centric views and portrays labor as a natural, cyclical part of the environment.

Does Trees include disability representation?

Minimal

Due to its observational nature and lack of specific character arcs, the film does not provide any representation of visible or invisible disabilities.

Present on Screen

Prioritizes ecological perspectives over human-centric storytelling, disrupting conventional Western narrative hierarchies.
Rejects linear, goal-oriented plots, challenging capitalist-driven narrative norms.
Focuses on a specific Mediterranean community, avoiding a white-centric perspective.

Limited or Absent

Lacks character-driven narratives, making it impossible to evaluate LGBTQ+ or specific disability representation.
Does not feature a diverse multi-ethnic cast, focusing instead on a localized Calabrian population.

Official Synopsis

Wrapping the audience in waves of sound, Alberi takes us on a circular journey through the Italian countryside. The marvelous natural music at the tops of the eponymous trees makes way for the rhythmic cadence of civilization—men baring axes and the natural clatter of daily life—before their unforgettable return home from the forest. The singular artistry of director Michelangelo Frammartino (Le quatro volte) is beautifully displayed in this mesmerizing homage to nature.

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