Synopsis
Tiffany forages Manitoba’s forests on a quest for culinary mushrooms and peace of mind.
She engages with Indigenous and Settler Land Defenders, who seek to protect intact Nature for our collective well-being.
Gradually a story of trauma and resilience is revealed, while united resistance wins the day.
Long Synopsis / Director Statement
Ancient hunter gatherer instincts drive my mushroom foraging passion, which initially drew me into this project. What started out as a film about foraging soon developed into a deeper consideration of the land, Nature, and of our interconnectedness with Everything.
My foraging partner, Tiffany, has been admiringly called a “Wood Nymph” by those who have had the pleasure of spending time with her in the forest. She sees things that nobody else does. Her astonishing pearls of wisdom delight in their originality. Most aren’t aware of Tiffany’s complex PTSD, because she masks her trauma well.
Tiffany forages Manitoba’s Boreal forests on her quest for culinary mushrooms and peace of mind. She seeks refuge, healing and connection in Nature. There she connects with Indigenous and Settler Land Defenders, who seek to protect intact forests for our collective well-being. This Love Poem to the Earth aims to foster resilience and affirms spiritual resistance.
Life is layered and complex, and so is this film. Tiffany is the conduit who connects a set of interrelated story strands around themes of ecological justice and community health. She joins Cat who spearheads efforts to protect the urban Lemay Forest from destruction for development. Inside this ancient riparian forest she meets Terrance, who has been performing traditional healing ceremonies there for several decades.
Tiffany travels to the East side of Lake Winnipeg to visit Terrance’s relatives, who oppose silica sand extraction on their traditional lands. Marcel, the land protectors’ spiritual leader, asks of our leaders: “Why do you want to destroy this planet? This is all we have.”
Nature and Tiffany are the central characters of this film. This story unfolds chronologically as Tiffany guides us through the cycle of the seasons in Winnipeg and in rural Manitoba forests. Histories and world views are illuminated, and gradually a story of trauma and resilience is revealed, and hope rises when united resistance wins the day.
Tyler Funk’s exquisite cinematography and Joel Penner’s time-lapse micro-photography contribute visual eloquence. A blending of poetic and observational styles forms a seamless hybrid format.
I aim to create work that connects with the viewer on a visceral and intellectual level to invoke deeper understandings, caring about all living beings on this Earth, and to inspire positive action toward social change.
