Cream Show - Anthea Lasis

CREAM SHOW

/ kreem shoh / n., adj.
(planter slang)

1. (n.) a piece of land so
soft, rich, and effortless
to plant that it feels like
cheating. a dream contract.
a money-maker. the opposite
of hell.

a cream show is a state of
mind, a good day energy.
it’s the kind of ground that
makes a planter believe,
only for a moment, that the
job isn’t total madness.

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Every spring, thousands converge on the wilderness, shovels in hand, to reforest a land scarred by extraction. CREAM SHOW offers a raw and intimate glimpse into this uniquely Canadian rite of passage. An endeavour that oscillates between backbreaking labour and moments of quiet, meditative solitude in remote corners of the country.

Tree planting is both a survival contest and a surreal summer camp experience, where the physical challenges of bending over 2,000 times a day intertwine with the subtle joys of nature. Amid bug bites, aching muscles, and the ever-present humour of dry socks, profound connections emerge: connections to the land, to fellow workers, and to oneself.

More than a mere chronicle of reforestation, CREAM SHOW is a reflection on resilience and the bittersweet beauty of the outdoors. It captures eight summers in the woods, revealing the gritty, unexpected, and profoundly transformative nature of this singular experience.
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First Edition of 75 copies
2025
5.5 x 8
88 pg
Perfect bound
ISBN 978-1-0691011-1-2

A photobook project by Anthea Lasis
Published by Lyricalmyrical books