In the aftermath of a forest fire: Two Concordia Journalism students on their internships with France’s Le Monde festival

Two Concordia journalism undergrads, Marise Filice and Sandrine Viens, are currently in Paris to intern at the 12th edition of the Le Monde festival. The annual festival opens the doors of the iconic Paris newsroom to the public for a weekend of art, meetings, workshops and events.

The internship, a collaboration between Concordia University’s Department of Journalism, the Le Monde Festival, and the Consulate General of France in Quebec, is designed to provide students with an opportunity to work in an international journalistic context and contribute to an event that fosters exchanges among academic, cultural, and diplomatic circles.

As part of their internship, Filice and Viens have joined a cohort from the Paris School of Journalism to produce content for the festival’s La Nuit des idées (Ideas Night). This year’s theme for the evening, “Listening to the forest,” is meant to explore how science, culture, and the arts can help us rethink our relationship with forests.

The students are currently developing a documentary about the Fontainebleau Forest, where 2000 hectares recently burned to the ground in a devastating July wildfire.

Documenting the Fontainebleau Forest: Marise Filice’s perspective

“A bumpy road, the floor covered in ashes, hard hats on and we’re ready to experience something that most never see: the aftermath of a forest fire,” Filice shares.

“We’ve gotten the opportunity to create a documentary on the Fontainebleau Forest, an experience I never thought I would get to witness, an experience that is burnt into my memory. Having the opportunity to interview a firefighter and researchers that are studying the resilience of this forest has truly been one of a kind,” she says.

“To see in person how a fire can affect an ecosystem is something truly eye-opening. What surprised me the most was seeing how much life can still exist in a place that, at first glance, seems almost completely destroyed. The ashes, the damaged trees and the silence made it easy to focus on what had been lost, but the researchers helped us understand that a forest’s recovery is a much longer and more complex process.

“Seeing ferns growing through sandy ashes is a great example of the small but powerful resilience of forests. It made me realize how much there is to learn from these environments, especially when you take the time to listen to the people who study and protect them,” she says.

“This documentary has given me a new appreciation for the work that goes into understanding forests and the importance of preserving them, especially considering that I come from a country where forests are such a defining part of its photogenic landscape.” 

Plenty to love about Paris

For Sandrine Viens, one of the main reasons she enrolled in journalism was the opportunity to learn about topics she would not have known she was interested in.

Documenting the Fontainebleau Forest has provided just such an opportunity.

“Today’s experience in the Fontainebleau Forest allowed me, for the duration of the visit, to become a huge fan of plants,” she says. “The tour of the research labs, meanwhile, made me feel like a top-notch chemist straight out of the greatest science-fiction movies.”

Despite a 5:40 a.m. wake-up time and the “particularly grueling jet lag,” she says she is grateful for the peace she found in the forest.

“Paris is very chaotic, a bit like Montreal and its surroundings, so it did me a world of good to find myself in such a peaceful place,” she says.

“I can’t wait to see what the next few days have in store for us. The narrow Parisian streets, the chocolatines (because I still refuse to say ‘pain au chocolat’), the ‘Oh, so you’re Canadian?’ comments, and the view of the Eiffel Tower at sunrise have already charmed me.

“I’m sure I’ll find plenty more things to love!” she adds.

September 23: La Nuit des idées

The students’ documentary will be screened locally at an event organized by the Consulate General of France in Quebec City and the Société des arts technologiques (SAT).

“La Nuit des idées: A Night in the Forest” will take place on September 23, 2026, from 6:30 p.m. to 10 p.m., at the SAT in Montreal.

To learn more or to register, visit the Concordia event page.