One person, one soul, one body through patience and persistence can turn a barren landscape into a thriving lush forest.

This is the story of The Man Who Planted Trees, a short film by Frédéric Back based on the story by Jean Giono.

Dipti Gupta, a teacher in Cinema l Communications at Dawson, spoke about the film and the impact of just one person in a talk for students in the Peace Studies Certificate on March 14.

“Peace is a practice to incorporate into our daily lives,” she said. “It is a way of relating to one another and to the world around us.”

There is much wisdom in his 30-minute film about a “humble shepherd who plants trees.” The best time to plant a tree was 10 years ago and the second-best time is now, she said quoting the film.

This “stunning, Oscar-winning animated film” can inspire us to nurture and respect the planet. Dipti got to meet Back while he was alive. “He and his family planted over 10,000 trees in the Laurentians. Parc Frédéric-Back in the Villeray–Saint-Michel–Parc-Extension district stands as a tribute to his work. There is also a mural in the Place des arts metro station, which serves as a reminder of his deep commitment to art, Nature and peace.”

Photo: Dipti Gupta with Frédéric Back; supplied by Dipti Gupta.  

Dipti advised the students to make a point to connect to Nature every day. “My garden gives me peace and joy every day,” she said and added that there are people at Dawson who built the Peace Garden on campus and encouraged the students to seek out these people.

Dipti’s parents embodied peace in their daily actions, she said. She recounted the story of her Akka (auntie). When she was 85, she asked her for one lesson she would like to share with others and Akka said: “I can be wrong.” A few years later, her reply was: “I can ‘still’ be wrong.”

Dipti said that peace begins with self-awareness and openness to growth. She suggested some practices to cultivate empathy: listening to other perspectives, checking in on a classmate or colleague, creating inviting spaces and being patient and persistent. “The impact is not always visible right away but one day it will all bloom,” she said.

Dipti concluded her talk with “priceless nuggets” from her father: start your day by looking after yourself, talk to/interact with five people every day who are not the same age/gender/background, don’t be intimidated by authority (no one is bigger or smaller), have zero expectations, and if you succeed (however you define success), learn how to share.”

“Let us plant seeds of peace today so that tomorrow we can all stand in the shade.”