L'Arbre et la Forêt (2010)

A death in the family reveals secret shame and a deep rift between father and son in this drama from the writing and directing team of Olivier Ducastel and Jacques Martineau. Frédérick Muller (Guy Marchand) is nearing 80 years of age and has spent most of his adult life building the family business, a successful tree nursery. For years, Frédérick has been running his tree farm with the help of his sons, Charles (Pierre-Loup Rajot) and Guillaume (François Négret), and when Charles unexpectedly dies, it comes as a severe blow to the family. Most around Frédérick are shocked when he chooses not to attend Charles' funeral; Guillaume is outraged, as is Charles' widow, Françoise (Catherine Mouchet), and her daughter, Rémi (Yannick Renier), makes no secret of her disappointment. Only Frédérick's wife, Marianne (Françoise Fabian), seems willing to keep her feelings about the matter to herself. When the family gathers at Frédérick's estate to honor Charles, the patriarch decides to reveal a long-held secret that only Charles and Marianne have known, a story from Frédérick's youth that put him at odds with his son for decades. L'Arbre et la Forêt (aka Family Tree) was an official selection at the 2010 Berlin International Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi