Do Apple Trees Dream? Southern Haiku
This experimental poetic video was co-created with my teacher, El Manzano, alongside the trees and forests of Patagonia, and a wonderful team of collaborators.
The creative encounter between human and non-human beings unfolded naturally, free from expectation or preconception. The living beings of nature were not mere muses inspiring images and words—they were active protagonists shaping the very making of the film.
Magic crosses
During a meditation, my teacher—the apple tree—“placed in my mind” the phrase return to the origin. Coming from a solitary tree nestled in an urban courtyard, I first understood it as a call back to the forests; yet, it also whispered of a return to my hometown, Punta Arenas, perched at the edge—or beginning—of America. (Hence the question: Do apple trees dream?)
Once in southern lands, alongside Mariluz Soto, after days enveloped in silent trees, a full moon night brought a sudden opening. The cypresses standing tall in Punta Arenas’ central plaza became a clear bridge between heaven and earth, and between themselves and other trees.
Along the border of the Parrillar forest, I glimpsed what felt like a “portal.” Approaching reverently, I bowed and asked permission to enter. A wind rose then stirred the treetops—a welcoming sign from the forest. Mariluz and I captured this passage, which later blossomed into a short film.
Here lie the intersections of human and nonhuman realms—invites from the Plant Kingdom. While creative openness and its translation into poetic or artistic language rest with us, the seed of these openings always springs from the plants themselves.
Synthesis
The apple tree beckons us to journey into the southern forests. From a desolate sea, the explorer sets out toward the trees, listening deeply, learning, and coming to understand their presence. Haikus emerge as delicate expressions of this communion. Returning to the sea, it now shimmers with magic and light—was it all but a dream woven by the apple tree?
Technical sheet
Video poem: experimental film at the crossroads of art and nature
Address: Mauricio Tolosa
Concept by Mariluz Soto, Mauricio Tolosa, the apple tree, and the southern forests
Camera and Photography: Mariluz Soto and Mauricio Tolosa
Haiku: Mauricio Tolosa
Music: Eduardo Carrasco
Editing: Sophie França
Distribution: Cintámani Films