Rita Leistner

Rita Leistner

John Geoghegan

Free with gallery admission.

Join acclaimed Canadian photographer and filmmaker Rita Leistner in conversation with McMichael Associate Curator John Geoghegan as they discuss her powerful photographic series The Tree Planters.

Leistner will share stories from her time living off-grid with reforestation crews in remote camps, where she embedded herself for months at a time. Together, they’ll explore the themes central to her work—human endurance, environmental stewardship, and Canada’s evolving relationship with its forests.

Following the talk, stay for a screening of the documentary Forest for the Trees: The Tree Planters at 3 pm.

Directed by Leistner, this visually striking film blends still photography and moving image to portray the physical and emotional realities of life in Canada’s replanting camps. Both intimate and epic, Forest for the Trees is a compelling portrait of resilience and community.

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