In the first sequence, seemingly “natural” scenes of forests are interrupted by trees that collapse without apparent cause. In the absence of a human presence, their yielding to the forces of gravity nevertheless suggests that the trees know their fate, giving themselves up to the hands of their planters. In the second sequence, which switches to black and white, the camera focuses on a single fallen tree, which is subsequently re-erected by human hands. Witnessed by the living trees around it, the human action here of trying to erect a 20-meter tall sugi tree that once stood freely is both poignant and farcical. After achieving the goal of returning the tree to its former magnificence, in the next instance it is felled by the same hands, shrouding the act in an awkward ambivalence. What might be viewed as a triumph of teamwork and human endeavor may on the other hand ultimately be seen as a human manipulation of “nature”.
