Interbeing
Lily Plester
Manchester Metropolitan University
Interbeing is an artist film visualising the unseen complexity and constant activity of the mycorrhizal network beneath our feet. Using a combination of intricate cinematography and data-driven animation, the film provides an insight into the miniscule world of mycelia on large scale screens. The work emerges from Thich Naht Hanh’s Buddhist philosophy of ‘Interbeing’, everything in existence is connected, ‘to be, is to inter-be’. The process of creating Interbeing involved observation and experimentation, to effectively exhibit ecological interactions occurring in the network, through both digital and organic means. The soundtrack, created by Bradley Cartmell, is comprised of MIDI data and EMF frequencies collected directly from plants and fungi, converting hidden activity into an immersive sonic experience. Fundamentally, the project aims to draw attention away from human centred perception, toward an intrinsic connection to nature and a wider network of energy. The complex structures shown in the film invite viewers to slow down and appreciate the delicate organisms that allow us to exist. On a scientific level, encouraging viewers to educate themselves further on the importance of mycelium in the current climate crisis.