A Gardener of Versailles
Thursday, April 6, 2017 at 05:36PM 
Versailles is the lasting Symbol of the 17th century French Ancien Régime and absolute monarchy.
When one thinks of that vast baroque palace and its classically elegant gardens, commissioned by Louis XIV (aptly called ‘The Sun King’), one tends to remember the last monarch to occupy the ‘Château’: the dithering Louis XVI and his extravagant Queen, and one doubtless supposes that Marie Antoinette got just what she deserved when the masses revolted and lopped off her head neat as a cabbage rose.
This film is not about any of that, nor is it another travel documentary, of which there are plenty. ‘A Gardener in Versailles’, while essential viewing for a scholar of French Studies, will also appeal to the student of Botany, Landscape Architecture, Sustainable Agriculture, Animal Husbandry, or Natural History.
‘A Gardener in Versailles’ follows Alain Baraton, head gardener for over three decades, and his crew of fifty dedicated men and women, as they toil through the four seasons, rigorously maintaining 815 hectares—about 2,000 acres—of forested land (working with horses so as not to damage the soil) and planting vast swaths of flower beds from the original grafts, transforming the gardens into a paradise of the past, complete with enchanting secret enclaves, ancient vineyards and greenhouses filled with exotic plants rarely seen outside their native habitat.
Watch the trailer here.
A GARDENER OF VERSAILLES_TRAILER_1080_EN.mp4 from sarasotafringefilms on Vimeo.
Baraton admits he is a dreamer, who “wants us to see what the King saw.” At the same time, he tells us that “Our job is not to please the King, but the people who come here.”
In this film, we see for the first time the incredible scientific effort that goes on behind the scenes, to recreate for us—and six million yearly visitors—the most famous gardens in the world, where every season has a purpose and unique charm.
Cultivate your inner horticulturist; discover the fabulous gardens of Versailles. PLEASE NOTE: This 52 minute film is FRENCH with ENGLISH subtitles.
Streaming on KANOPY
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