Tree Man, a Documentary about Work, Ritual and the Spirit of Christmas

I know, I know.  We haven't even had Thanksgiving dinner and the stores are already filling up with Christmas gear; yet here I am adding to the ever earlier start of the Christmas season by writing about the charming doc, TREE MAN, which will screen later this week at DOC NYC.  I love this doc for many reasons, but its subjects of work and ritual and family are particularly intriguing.  Tree Man profiles a vanishing breed of seasonal worker in this age of big box stores with their deathly efficient inventory and labor models and computer apps that "share" the economy of strangers with algorithmic ease.  Tree Man follows Francois as he journeys from Quebec to New York City to set up camp by the hard curb of an Upper West Side neighborhood, foregoing the holiday festivities with his own family to bring that fresh-cut sprig of holiday spirit to the homes of New Yorkers.  He has been coming to NYC to sell trees for years.  In that time, Francois has built more than a seasonal business, he's built tender relationships that truly embody the giving spirit of the holidays.   Tree Man doesn't spare on the gritty detail to romanticize this seasonal job or gloss over the competition Francois and his fellow tree men (and women) face from chain grocery and home improvement stores.  Beyond the engaging story of Francois' annual trek to NYC to sell trees, the film offers an opportunity to ponder what we value most about the season's rituals and the personal economy of exchange that we exercise with each purchase.  As a bonus, the directors, Jon Reiner and Brad Rothschild, along with others from the film, will be at the screenings for a spirited Q&A.