Haiku - synopsis

Haiku, the art of the present moment
A film by Hooykaas/Stansfield

This poetic film made by the visual artist and Zen-Buddhist Madelon Hooykaas is inspired by a pilgrimage on foot described in the famous book "a narrow road to the deep North" written by the Japanese haiku poet and Zen-Buddhist Matsuo Basho (1644-1694).
A haiku is a poem with a rhythm of 5-7-5 syllables and refers directly or indirectly to the four seasons. Within this strict form of the haiku an experience or a perception, mostly in nature is expressed. To forget oneself during the perception of nature to resonate with the nature and in a direct and spontaneous expression to convey her being that is the basis of haiku.

Basho poses, that a haiku should appear self evidently and naturally out of the object. And that can only happen when the poet and the object become one. As long as the poet is conscious of himself as an observer, he will not be able to show the essence of the object. ‘Haiku, the art of the present moment’ shows the essence of a haiku with images, text and sound. One looks through the eyes of the pilgrim, walks with him, stops with him for a moment.. looking and listening.
A few words only, a surprise, an outcry, a question.. what has touched him?

The music for this film is made by the Dutch clarinettist and saxophonist Ab Baars. He plays the shakuhachi, an authentic Japanese bamboo wind instrument and he was inspired in the manner of the essence of haiku by the images: in the present moment.

Production/camera/sound /editing: Madelon Hooykaas
On line editing/sound mixing: Geert Braam
Music: shakuhachi improvisation: Ab Baars
Voice: Yoshi Kazama
Commissioning editor/executive producer: Babeth M.VanLoo
Special thanks: Chantal duPont, Myung Feyen, Dorothea Frank,
Iris Haeck, Eri Kokubo, Elsa Stansfield (1945-2004)