sea of trees

direction & photography by joshua zucker-pluda

the kinds of landscape I try to find in my films... exist only in our dreams. for me a true landscape is not just a representation of a desert or a forest. it shows an inner state of mind, literally inner landscapes, and it is the human soul that is visible through the landscapes presented in my films. -werner herzog

can a landscape have a soul? can past events leave a psychic impression on a terrain, scarring it so deeply that all who pass through feel its pull? the sea of trees is an experimental documentary film about aokigahara jukai, a forest in japan where people go to commit suicide.

the sea of trees is an officially sponsored project of the new york foundation of the arts (NYFA), The new york state council of the arts (NYSCA) and the jerome foundation.

director joshua zucker-pluda needs your help:
i'm currently in the process of trying to secure post-production funding, and i'm humbly asking you for help. there is an immediate need to have some of the interviews conducted for the film translated from japanese to english. starting the translation process will enable me to move forward with editing. in turn, having a rough edit will help me to raise the necessary funds to complete post-production.  any help or assistance you can offer will be greatly appreciated. even if you can’t donate – blogging, tweeting or posting about the film and this kickstarter would be a great help.

to donate go here.