If you peered into the soul of the American farmer today, what would you find? Would it be a career driven by greed to control a nation’s food source? Or, would it be the cathartic cycle of struggle and release surrounding land ownership that has witnessed four generations of a family pass it by?
From Novelist to Filmmaker: Natalie Baszile and Hyacinth Parker’s Vision
The Tribeca Festival Special Jury Mention and Albert Maysles Award-winning mother-daughter directing duo, Natalie Baszile (“Queen Sugar” author) and Hyacinth Parker, have taken their collection of American agricultural stories to a new visual medium in the ‘Harvest’ documentary.
Capturing 1,000 Acres: The Nelson Brothers of Louisiana
Following the Nelson Brothers’ seasonal process of acquiring and managing over 1,000 acres of land across rural Louisiana, the film alludes to the looming effects of discriminatory practices against American farmers. Beginning with The Homestead Act of 1862 that ultimately culminated in the casual and routine denial of loans by USDA Aid for farmers, The Discrimination Financial Assistance Program (DFAP) attempts to rectify this today.
Despite this step toward fostering a new initiative toward aid and understanding, echoes of these practices are still felt by farmers like the Nelson Brothers’ father. Almost challenging the injustice channeled through the next generation, the brothers vow to stick together and expand their growing empire, all while battling crumbling mechanical and agricultural equipment.
Land, Family, and America’s Agricultural Accountability
Emotional struggles tied to the harshness of the land and its intimate connection to the family linger as well. The indiscriminate mingling of family, land, and heritage culminates in a thoughtful, provocative, and grounding portrait being added to the tapestry of agricultural history and its accountability in America today.
Have you ever considered what your produce has gone through to reach your table? Or what the farmers may have sacrificed to keep society fed each day?
Leave your thoughts in the comment section below, we’d love to hear from you! Also be sure to follow us for more Tribeca Festival News & Reviews!
☆ In Asian Spaces ☆ Ephesians 6:12 ☆
Leave a Reply