7 Walks with Mark Brown

Only once in the film does paleobotanist Mark Brown say something about his personal life—and even then only very briefly. This concerns an intense love affair that now lies in the distant past. Just for a moment, his tranquil voice seems to break. But he recovers quickly and returns to the subject he loves: the flowers and plants he hopes to use to replicate a primary forest.

The film crew follows him along as he identifies the many plant varieties he encounters on seven hikes between Azier on the banks of the Seine and his hometown of Sainte-Marguerite-sur-mer. Director Pierre Creton keeps the camera at a distance while Brown makes notes and sketches, chats about new discoveries, or waits with the crew for the right light.

This “making of” part of the film is followed by Herbarium, a series of close-up shots made with a 16mm camera that Brown believes “captures the soul of flowers better than photographs.” He accompanies these shots with hushed commentary that breathes awe and rapture—his listing of Latin names makes for a heady blend of science and poetry.