Renaissance on the Border: An Outsider's Dance with Nature and Art

In a landscape dotted with olive groves and medicinal plants, bathed in the Mediterranean sun, a modern-day Renaissance unfolds. This isn't happening in the bustling streets of Florence or under the domed basilicas of Rome, but on a fertile expanse at the border of France's Provence and Italy's Liguria. Eric Roux Reiffsteck, seemingly an outsider in various realms, integrates these worlds with a singular ambition: to rewild and reconnect humanity to nature, embarking on this journey as its first participant.

To be clear, Eric doesn't specialize in any one field. His journey began where many might perceive an end — marked by setbacks, disillusionments, and pivotal moments in life. From his initial forays into film and production, Eric's story took an unexpected turn. Transitioning from the vibrant streets of New York to the tranquil embrace of an olive grove on the French-Italian frontier, the shift was not just a change of scenery; it signified a deep transformation of his very essence.

Roughly fifteen years ago, personal trials and the unyielding demands of city life catalyzed Eric's metamorphosis into a farmer in southern France. The murmurs of olive trees and medicinal plants, the mysteries of biodynamic farming, and the delicate balance between the science and art of phytotherapy and spagyrics became his new language. He nurtured a profound connection with nature, aligning with its rhythms and recognizing its vulnerability in an era marked by significant human impact.

But his dialogue extended beyond nature. His cinematic background endowed him with a remarkable knack for storytelling. Much like a director crafting a visual narrative, Eric began shaping olfactory stories. He became more than just a perfumer — he emerged as a healing olfactory artist. His fragrances transcended the mere evocation of nostalgia or emotions; they sought to bridge the gap between humanity and the natural world. This transitioned into his primary mission: to reignite humanity's innate connection with the environment, fostering a culture of respect, stewardship, and affection.

Nevertheless, Eric's journey was not without its obstacles. A significant challenge lay in the difficulty of capturing or replicating the complexity of fragrances. In a time when visual and auditory experiences can be recorded with ease, the essence of a scent remains elusive. The fleeting nature of aromas, akin to transient memories, makes them both enchanting and heartbreakingly ephemeral.

This outsider perspective, perhaps, grants Eric a unique advantage. Unbound by the norms of expertise in a single domain, he embodies the spirit of a lifelong learner. Much like orchestrating a symphony, he harbors a fundamental understanding of various elements, melding them into a harmonious concert. In this role, he acts as a bridge, connecting tradition and innovation, ancient practices and modern solutions, weaving together the artistry of nature and human ingenuity.

Eric embodies the belief that one doesn't need to be restricted by labels. He is a farmer, a filmmaker, a scent-craftsman, an educator, and an artist. An outsider, perhaps, but one actively bridging worlds, one aroma, one narrative at a time. Through this endeavor, he serves as a mesmerizing reminder of the magic found at life's crossroads, embodying love as the ultimate force that binds us all together.

Eric Roux Reiffsteck
Eric  Roux Reiffsteck est documentariste, essayiste et paysan parfumeur. 
Il a réalisé son premier long métrage documentaire entre Paris et Bamako, au Mali, en suivant les routes de l'immigration. Néba, son long métrage documentaire parle d'identité et de la recherche d'un lieu de vie comme droit fondamental pour tous les êtres humains. Un documentaire salué par la critique et diffusé sur les chaînes nationales : France 2 en France, RTBF en Belgique et RTS en Suisse. 
Marié à Anna Blythe Lappé, activiste et écrivaine américaine, il a vécu pendant près de sept ans à New York City et Brooklyn.Il a produit des documentaires et des courts métrages entre Paris et New York et a été lauréat du Sundance Institute français, Emergence Cinéma, créé par Elisabeth  Depardieu.  En tant que producteur, il est lauréat d'une bourse du New York State Council on the Arts. Il a enseigné dans un atelier à Eyebeam NYC, un musée axé sur les interconnexions entre l'art et les technologies numériques. 
Il y a quinze ans, il a radicalement changé de vie en passant de New York à une parcelle isolée dans la montagne de la côte sud-est de la Méditerranée, où il est devenu oléiculteur. En tant que néo-paysan, il expérimente la permaculture et les philosophies biodynamiques. Il a remporté des médailles pour l'excellence de son huile d'olive et est membre fondateur des producteurs d'oliviers Demeter international. Cherchant à renouer avec la nature, il a fini par retrouver la sienne. 
Eric selon son dernier scan ADN, est à 99,98% européen, principalement français avec des racines allemandes, italiennes et portugaises. Il a vécu à Paris, New York et Kiev. Il a étudié la linguistique et le structuralisme à la Sorbonne Nouvelle et la production cinématographique à la Fémis.
Il possède des compétences en phytothérapies de l'Institut français d'herboristerie et en parfumerie de l'Institut de parfumerie de Grasse. Ces dix dernières années, il a suivi les enseignements des deux Patrick de l'alchimie, Burensteinas et Rivière. 
Il vit actuellement dans la Vallée de la Roya dans "une cabane" entourée d'une oliveraie centenaire et de plantes à parfum. Le Sud-Est de la France, là où les Alpes rencontrent la mer Méditerranée, est célèbre pour la beauté exceptionnelle de ses paysages naturels, mais aussi plus récemment pour les catastrophes climatiques et les routes migratoires de l'Afrique et du Moyen-Orient vers l'Europe.
Il crée Paysan Parfumeur en cultivant les plantes de la semence à la récolte et les distillant pour créer des parfums authentiques qui reconnectent les humains avec le monde végétal. 
Il est l'inspirateur de "La Natura Machine", une machine distributrice recyclée qui offrira de l'eau florale aux voyageurs pour renouer avec la nature. Une collaboration artistique est en cours avec EBG.
Suite aux enseignements de Philippe Djian à Genève,  workshop de la NRF Gallimard, il a terminé un essai autobiographique critique sur sa reconnexion à la nature sauvage et son impact sur son changement de vie radical. "Sapiens Feralis" est actuellement en cours de publication.


Eric Roux Reiffsteck
Eric Roux Reiffsteck is a documentarist, essayist, and paysan parfumeur. He has his first long feature documentary film shot between Paris and Bamako, Mali, following immigration routes. Néba, his film shot in pellicules , was about identity, finding a place to live as a primary right for all human beings. His documentary was praised by critics and seen on national channels: France 2 in France, RTBF in Belgium, and RTS in Switzerland.

Married to Anna Blythe Lappé, an activist and writer, he lived in New York City and Brooklyn for nearly seven years. He later produced documentaries and shorts in Paris and New York City and was a laureate of the French Sundance Institute, Emergence Cinéma, created by Elisabeth Depardieu. As a producer, he is a recipient of the New York State Council on the Arts grant. He has been teaching a workshop at Eyebeam NYC, a museum that focuses on the interconnection of art and digital technologies.

Fifteen years ago, he changed his life with a radical move, from New York City to a remote piece of land in the mountainside of the Mediterranean southeast coast, where he became an olive farmer. As a neo-paysan, he experiments with permaculture and biodynamic philosophies. He has won medals for the excellence of his olive oil and is a founding member of the Demeter international olive tree growers. Looking to reconnect with nature, he ended up searching for his own.

Eric, following his last DNA scan, is 99.99% European, mainly French with German, Italian, and Portuguese roots. He has lived in Paris, New York, and Kiev. He studied linguistics and structuralism at La Sorbonne Nouvelle and film production at La Fémis, the French film school. He has skills in phytotherapies from the French Institute of Herboristerie and in perfumes from studying at the Grasse Institute of Perfumery. In the last ten years, he followed the teachings of Patricks Burensteinas and Rivière, two renowned French alchemists.

He currently lives in La Vallée de la Roya in a tiny country cabin loft surrounded by a centenary-old olive tree orchard and perfume plants. Southeastern France, where the Alps meet the Mediterranean Sea, is famous for its outstanding natural landscape beauty but more recently for climate disasters and migration routes from Africa and the Middle East to Europe.

He creates Paysan Parfumeur, farming the plant from seed to harvest and distilling them to create genuine perfumes that reconnect humans with the vegetal world. He is the inspirer of "La Natura Machine", a recycled vending machine that will give away floral water to travelers to reconnect with nature. An artistic collaboration is in progress with EBG.

Following the teachings of Philippe Djian's writing master NRF Gallimard classes, he finished a critical autobiography essay about his reconnection to the wilderness and its impact on his radical life change. "Sapiens Feralis" is currently in the publishing process.


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