The outdoor cinema festival at La Villette in Paris is running a forest-themed film program through August 16, featuring forest-themed films and animations as wildfires impact regions including the Var and Gironde, according to program details reported by France Inter.
Forest Landscapes Take Center Stage at La Villette
Running through August 16, the open-air film festival features a cinematic lineup focused on forests, ranging from the poetic landscapes of Hayao Miyazaki’s My Neighbor Totoro to Tim Burton’s dark fairy tale Sleepy Hollow, alongside a Japanese wood threatened by deforestation for a glamping project. The programming, scheduled well in advance, resonates particularly with ongoing wildfire activity in regions including the Var and Gironde, according to France Inter.
Festival attendee Chloé noted to France Inter that the forest theme takes on heavy resonance during current environmental conditions. “Unfortunately, it coincides right with this greenery going up in smoke in the fires, it’s terrible,” Chloé said, adding that the films offer a chance to reconnect with imaginative portrayals of woodlands. Another visitor, Gracia, told France Inter that watching films focused on the human relationship with nature provides an inspiring and moving experience.
Early Screenings Engage Younger Generations
For the second year, La Villette has utilized a specialized screen enabling daytime screenings starting at 18:00 for younger audiences, ahead of the main 21:00 features, according to France Inter. Visitor Kadia attended an early screening of Zarafa—an animated film following the journey of France’s first giraffe, gifted by the Pasha of Egypt to King Charles X—alongside her three children.
“It’s important to sensitize the next generations to living things,” Kadia told France Inter, emphasizing that multimedia storytelling resonates better with children than formal ecological lectures.
Claire Landais, president of the park and the Grande Halle de la Villette, explained the curatorial approach to France Inter. “We feel we are in the right place to get messages across without hammering them,” Landais said, noting that the selection presents forests across multiple dimensions, balancing themes of freedom, anxiety, and sanctuary while mixing broad family appeal with reflective cinema.
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