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Like countless others Philippe, Michel, Andre and Patrick were labeled 'idiots', locked away and forgotten in violent asylums, until the 1960s, when the young philosopher Jean Vanier took a stand and secured their release - the first time in history that anyone had beaten the system. Together they created L'Arche, a commune at the edge of a beautiful forest near Paris. A quiet revolution was born. Now in his 80s, still at L'Arche and revered by some as a living saint, Jean has discovered something that most of us have forgotten - what it is to be human, to be foolish, and to be happy.
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Los Angeles Times by Katie Walsh
Wright's film is a beautiful and deeply empathetic depiction of this community, a portrait of Vanier and his philosophy of compassion as the source of true human connection, found and forged with those who have otherwise been cast out by society.
Village Voice by Daphne Howland
It’s quite a story, one that, like all good stories, turns out to have meaning for anyone.
The New York Times by Ken Jaworowski
Summer in the Forest is an extraordinarily tender documentary that asks what it means to be human. Here, even the most gentle scenes raise mighty questions.
Variety by Dennis Harvey
Wright satisfies in providing a glimpse of an alternative community and lifestyle that appears near-idyllic without being painted in terms that are too sentimental or cute.
The Hollywood Reporter by John DeFore
Tagging along with the now octogenarian Jean Vanier and meeting some members of his surrogate family, Randall Wright's Summer in the Forest champions his vision by quietly watching it in harmonious action.
The Guardian by Peter Bradshaw
This is a calm and often affecting study of L’Arche, a community of people with learning disabilities in Trosly-Breuil, northern France.
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