‘Tree Man’ Documentary Climbs New Heights of Christmas Sentiments

Amanda Nolan

New Yorkers have long been able to buy their Christmas trees right on the city sidewalks. While it’s a different experience than a snowy trek into the forest, it’s no less of a cherished memory for many urban families. The documentary “Tree Man” tells the story of these sidewalk sellers, what drives them, what they get out of it, and the people from all walks of life who buy from them.

One Quebec man is the focus of the movie. Every year, Francois leaves his family for weeks and heads toward Manhattan with a load of trees. Parting from them is difficult, especially since he will not see them until after Christmas, but he joins a surrogate family and many who are happy to see him. He is a sort of Santa Claus, a Christmas mascot who makes the lives a little brighter to the families he interacts with. Some look forward to seeing Francois every year, with one family saying they would follow him anywhere in the city. Another father says that the experience is more like visiting a friend than buying a tree.

Francois has a small team that helps him. There is Jason, the youth who at 12 asked Francois if he could work for him, and Nelson, who went to grade school with Jason, and also helps deliver and sell the trees. Both see Francois as a father figure. Not only has he given them professional tips on presenting themselves and learning to read people, but he shares other wisdom too. Nelson states that hanging out with “Frank” and the other guys is better than being at home. Francois also has a night watchman, Angel, who is deeply motivated to give his kids a better life. A woman who lives close by, Jill, allows Francois to take showers at her place and serves him meals. A Holocaust survivor raised by nuns, she takes satisfaction in doing good turns for others.

Francois reflected on his role in the film in a chat with Entertainment Voice while he is in Canada recovering from a hernia. He said his tree team is on the ground without him this season. “On the phone I instruct them what to do, the plans, the prices. They are supposed to come up sometime to my Quebec and ski, ha ha! It will be good to rest my body and be back next year.”

The film gave him an education as to how he looks to the rest of the world. “It was weird to see others’ perception of me,” he said. “I saw myself in a different perspective. And it was interesting to hear what people were saying about me on camera.”

The movie people didn’t get in his way – at least not too often. “Sometimes when they had their sound guy, the grip, etc., I said ‘Look I’m trying to run a business here!’ That year, business was good, people were in a good mood.”

“Tree Man” spotlights a few of the other sellers as well. There are Chris and Rich, who seem to be the only native New York sellers. While they didn’t grow up surrounded by trees, they boast that they connect more to customers because they speak “Newyork-ese.” There are “tree women” too. Lizabeth and son Adam both sell trees, then compare notes; Molly, who has been in the game for 20 years and now transitioning into a medical career; and Caroline, a young seller who is sometimes underestimated because of her gender and looks. While a large retailer nearby has started selling Christmas pines, tree man Phil explains that they are subpar and not as personal as buying one from those standing on the sidewalks.

Thanks to some funding through Kickstarter, directors Jon Reiner and Brad Rothschild give the audience an inside look at this niche industry, while also communicating ideas about family, class and how everyone celebrates the holiday season differently. In one noteworthy scene, Nelson looks up in wonder at the glowing star as he and his dad finish putting up a tree in their shabby apartment; while another scene has a little girl watching the glow of a television screen as a professional decorator works on a ginormous tree that will only be up for four days. Nelson and Jason have dreams of living in one of the luxurious residences they deliver to one day, and seem a little sad that they are on the outside looking in when they see their trees lit up in windows.

There is juxtaposition to the film that captures the sometimes happy and sad feelings of Christmas. Some are with loved ones and to relive cozy memories; for others, it’s a time of loneliness. The tree men and women live in their campers and chintzy shelters for weeks during one of the coldest times of the year, but keep coming back year after year. What they get in return, however, is community, which is something you can’t put a price tag on during the holiday season.

“Tree Man” is available On Demand and on iTunes Dec. 6.