Mirai in HBO documentary

Nybonsai12 said:
Did anybody watch? I really enjoyed it.

I found it interesting how Ryan talked about his return to Japan and being rejected. Also found the discussion about the vandalism and his favorite tree Baker moving. We all have trees in our collection that we have special feelings towards due to time spent or feelings of achievement. They didn’t dive into it but did they find out who was responsible for the vandalism?
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I’m pretty certain it’s his ex. I don’t have the means to pry, but I have always been curious how he got sole custody of his kid. That’s not super common for a man. This would explain that. Not saying the film is a thriller, but the security footage, as well as his house look like a horror film to me and I’m not being hyperbolic. You could take 2 of the clips they showed of the security cam and splice them straight into a horror film and they would fit right in.

I feel so bad for him… obviously the trees are a tremendous loss, but on a personal level whoever did that, behaving like that in your home would be permanently unsettling to me. I know I speculated it was his ex, but the post that got locked on this was rife with speculation that was pretty far off base so I shouldn’t jump to conclusions either. Whoever it was, they are deeply deeply disturbed.
 
I was surprised he let them show the vandalism footage, considering who did it. Pretty crazy.
 
So did Baker live???

And yes, who was that woman? Jilted lover?

The parts with old Mr. Wayerhauser made me very uncomfortable. They trotted him out to say basically nothing while portraying him as a villain?
 
Potawatomi13 said:
Who's Baker? Can this be seen anywhere off cable TV?
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Baker is Ryan Neil’s first RMJ. You can stream it on Max (HBO).

Saw this pop up last night and watched half of it. Assuming baker gets stolen???
 
I watched last night. Interesting that it went into the Mirai "vandalism" incident (it was more serious than that). It was much darker than I had imagined. I have a bit more empathy for Ryan having to deal with that situation. The film skirted the exact identity of the suspect (and I don't know the legal status of the situation). Let's just say it's a domestic situation. It's deeply disturbing--blood on the walls, knives, destroying the home, including his son's room...

And fthe scene where Ryan is burning a head-high pile of 200-300 year old collected pines because the vandal killed them is heartbreaking

Overall, I liked the film, obviously particularly the bonsai stuff. The piece about the stolen black pine from the Pacific Bonsai Musuem was terrific.. However, I kept wondering what the doc was getting at. Its examination of Weyerhauser's legacy was both interesting and kind of weird. So much so, I couldn't help but wonder if Weyerhauser helped fund the film...
 
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Def seemed like his ex from the way they portrayed it. And if you do a little digging on her anyone can see she seems crazy as a shithouse rat. Glad he has custody and makes me feel for him.

Baker was damaged not stolen, curious if it’s still alive?
 
Nybonsai12 said:
Did anybody watch? I really enjoyed it.

I found it interesting how Ryan talked about his return to Japan and being rejected. Also found the discussion about the vandalism and his favorite tree Baker moving. We all have trees in our collection that we have special feelings towards due to time spent or feelings of achievement. They didn’t dive into it but did they find out who was responsible for the vandalism?
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Not yet. Looking forward to watching though!
 
Just watched up, skipped some parts about the photography but liked it overall. Was a very personal event for Neil to share on film (specifically in inside the house stuff), but I get it.

Rock, I guess that's what the blurb about it being a thriller referenced!
 
Srt8madness said:
Just watched up, skipped some parts about the photography but liked it overall. Was a very personal event for Neil to share on film (specifically in inside the house stuff), but I get it.

Rock, I guess that's what the blurb about it being a thriller referenced!
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That and the Weyerhaeuser abduction stuff.
 
I watched it last night and it even sucked my wife in to watch the whole thing after she said she'd go do something else. I thought it was an interesting look at how we can all be connected to trees in many different ways. They can be old an ancient in the woods, or part of a massive family fortune, or an art that inexplicably draws you in, or just the trees in your back yard choking with ivy.

I identified with all of the bonsai story lines and with the ivy (which is also climbing all the trees in my back yard). It was interesting seeing names and places and faces that are familiar to me. I've met the assistant curator at the Pacific Bonsai Museum, and then those trees. My wife works at a nonprofit and has raised significant amounts from Weyhouser over the years. So lots of things resonated.

Does anyone know how Baker has fared since the film was made?
 
Watched with my wife. Really enjoyed it.

I wasn’t sure what to expect from the Ryan Neil portions. The surveillance video had my jaw on the floor. To be honest, I felt for Ryan and what happened to his trees and home. His sons room vandalized, blood all over, broken trees. Just wild and I can only imagine what that was like. But I also, to some extent really felt for his ex. She was clearly going through a manic and borderline psychosis episode. It’s sad when you see people lose their shit. I don’t fully buy that behavior just forms out of thin air, but I, nor anyone else will everyone truly understand what they as a once couple went through to lead to that point. I don’t dare to speculate either.
 
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Hartinez said:
Watched with my wife. Really enjoyed it.

I wasn’t sure what to expect from the Ryan Neil portions. The surveillance video had my jaw on the floor. To be honest, I felt for Ryan and what happened to his trees and home. His sons room vandalized, blood all over, broken trees. Just wild and I can only imagine what that was like. But I also, to some extent really felt for his ex. She was clearly going through a manic and borderline psychosis episode. It’s sad when you see people lose their shit. I don’t fully buy that behavior just forms out of thin air, but I, nor anyone else will everyone truly understand what they as a once couple went through to lead to that point. I don’t dare to speculate either.
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The entire situation is sad I suspect. You have to feel for everyone involved.

The portion of the movie about the stolen black pine was interesting. So glad that it was returned unharmed. It's history is priceless and the family connection it made in the end was very moving. That kind of embodied what bonsai is all about--communication among people across the years through an artform.
 
rockm said:
The entire situation is sad I suspect. You have to feel for everyone involved.

The portion of the movie about the stolen black pine was interesting. So glad that it was returned unharmed. It's history is priceless and the family connection it made in the end was very moving. That kind of embodied what bonsai is all about--communication among people across the years through an artform.
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Most of us have cherished heirlooms, the history of what was behind that tree, you can imagine how strong of an emotion they must have experienced seeing that.
 
rockm said:
The entire situation is sad I suspect. You have to feel for everyone involved.

The portion of the movie about the stolen black pine was interesting. So glad that it was returned unharmed. It's history is priceless and the family connection it made in the end was very moving. That kind of embodied what bonsai is all about--communication among people across the years through an artform.
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Yeah my wife was really moved by that story as well, especially that last scene with Aaron Packard and the family observing the tree. You could feel the emotion with all involved.
 
My mom caught this over the weekend and called to tell me all about it.
 
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