Using archives found in Finland, France and Canada, as well as testimony from former and former followers of guru Pierre Maltais, director Yvonne Debeaumarché has unearthed the dreams and demons of the Écoovie tribe. We discover a group scarred by death and manipulation, despite the good intentions of most of its members.
Back then, the community brought together young environmentalists in search of solutions. Led by Pierre Maltais, a Quebecer who claims to teach indigenous traditional knowledge, the group, founded in France, has committed to sleeping in tents, practicing permaculture or planting trees.
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The documentary filmmaker analyzes that these people, when they join this community, are like the kind of community that existed in the late 70s and 80s. She tests things that are accepted by everyone today, such as veganism.
However, their guide Pierre Maltais leads them to a dead end. It pushes them back to their last entrenchments by imposing poor diet, excessive physical exertion, and sexual practices that challenge the issue of consent.
He is a character who is constantly fleeing, and who is fleeing from himself, explains Yvonne Debeaumarché. [Les membres] completely outside of themselves, and they are being pushed beyond moral and physical boundaries.
After many years of traveling all over Europe, Pierre Maltais even led the group around the Arctic Circle in Finland. Secluded from the rest of the world and confronted with the harsh environment, the community has seen many of its members die of starvation and exhaustion.
Archival footage documents the history of the environmentalist community.
Photo: planet+
From utopia to nightmare
With her documentary series, which will already be broadcast on some European TV channels in 2022, director Yvonne Debeaumarché wanted to understand how sensitive and empathetic people can find themselves in a cult.
“It questions utopia,” says the documentary filmmaker. Utopia is important. But we simply have to pay attention to what guides us, and we must not isolate ourselves from reality either. »
— A quote from Yvonne Debeaumarché
The characteristic of the cult is not so much manipulation or abuse as it is ubiquitous in society, she continues. It’s more the fact that you shut yourself off, you deny contact, and from the moment you deny contact with others and the rest of society, you really radicalize yourself.
It was also difficult to get in touch with the former and former students of Pierre Maltais, who died in Nicaragua in 2015. According to the director, several people still find it difficult to accept that they have been manipulated by the Quebec guru.
Some of them are very aware that they have been manipulated, but another part has lived through all these years, she explains. And over the years they’ve also made friends, they’ve had good times… it’s been their lives. If they deny everything, there will be a mental breakdown. It is not so easy.
Pierre Maltais is known by several names including Norman William in Europe.
Photo: planet+
The microphone to the victims
Pierre Maltais is a confusing character. The man, whom the director describes as intelligent but also narcissistic, manipulative and crooked, has lived under different identities around the world, multiplying surprises and dubious plans, even illegal ones.
Documentary filmmaker Yvonne Debeaumarché, however, preferred to focus the cameras on Pierre Maltais’ victims rather than their executioner.
We would have had to investigate two more years if we wanted to unravel the mystery of this man who is in a way intriguing but also gives the impression of being a black hole. The more we try to understand Pierre Maltais’ career, the more he eludes us.
I always say that a good guru is a screenwriter of failed fiction, it falls away. He would be better off doing fiction than involving real people in his scripts and getting them to do anything.
The Gaïaland series, which will be released in four 52-minute episodes, will be broadcast on Planète+ every week from Wednesday at 9pm. In addition, several repetitions are planned (New window).
This text is based on an interview conducted by Pénélope McQuade, presenter of the show Pénélope. Comments may have been edited for clarity or conciseness.