Tony Rinaudo has found a way to grow trees in the most inhospitable areas by activating the still living stumps and roots, thereby securing the livelihoods of thousands of farmers in Africa. The “Chief of all Farmers”, as he is affectionately known in many villages today, had to fight hard to get his ideas accepted. In the 30 years he has worked in the Sahel, he has seen desperation and famine, but also resilience, determination and development. In The Forest MakerVolker Schlöndorff follows Tony Rinaudo to various African countries to see for himself the effectiveness of the FMNR in combating desertification and encounters issues that also concern us in Europe: migration, climate change, gender equality.