French with English subtitles

PG - Mature Subject Matter

The decades-old secret of a stoic Gallic paterfamilias is at the heart of FAMILY TREE, a thoughtful film touched with grace, which exposes a largely neglected part of French history. Frédéric Muller, a tree grower approaching 80, refuses to attend the funeral of his first-born son, Charles. Muller’s other son, Guillaume, is appalled and angry while other members of the family are left perplexed. The only one who remains calm is the old man’s devoted but otherwise sphinx-like wife, Marianne.

The death of Charles serves as a catalyst for revelation as Frédéric divulges that the reason for his deportation by the Nazis to the Schirmeck concentration camp in the Vosges in Alasce during the war had nothing to do with political affiliations as he had maintained all his life. Relieved of his burden, Muller makes amends with his past and the secrets he cultivated.

JC