Charpente

Director: Christophe Gériment

Producer: Henry Saubot

Country: France

Synopsis

From the meticulous selection of oak trees through to the proposed restoration of the roof structure, this moving, dreamlike film recounts the process established by Groupama following the fire that ravaged Notre-Dame de Paris. The values of solidarity and mutual aid, anchored in the DNA of the Groupama group for more than 120 years, are expressed through this initiative, which is both responsible -through the management of Groupama's forestry assets and the careful selection of oak trees - and symbolic, in its provision of the century-old wood required by the Compagnons du Devoir. It is a commitment perfectly in line with Groupama's purpose: We exist to enable the greatest possible number of people to build their lives in confidence. We do so by drawing on our foundation of caring, close and responsible communities.

Objectives

We all have emotional memories of the day in April 2019 when the cathedral of Notre-Dame de Paris went up in flames and its famous spire fell. The tragedy was quickly followed by an unprecedented outpouring of generosity to rebuild one of the iconic symbols of the City of Light. The day after the fire, Groupama - the third largest private owner with 22,000 hectares of forest under management - pledged to donate oak trees. Aged between 160 and 180 years, they will be used to rebuild the framework and the Viollet-le-Duc spire thanks to the restoration work that will be undertaken by members of the Compagnons du Devoir organisation, using the original techniques. The Groupama Group takes great pride in being able to contribute to this iconic collective project.