Hassan's Tomatoes

It's Hard By Oneself...

1980

The documentary takes the viewer to the Polish countryside of the mid-1970s. Andrzej, Leszek, Eugeniusz, Ryszard and Jerzy are young men who dream of finding their other half. The film's protagonists have advertised in newspapers and talk frankly and without inhibition about their search and the dilemmas it involves. The picture is complemented by the statements of their parents, who watch their sons' efforts to start a family with love but also concern. The film also gives an insight into the problems farmers face - not only love but also hard work on the land awaits the chosen one of their hearts. "Either get married or quit this farm", "What's one to do on a farm?" - say the characters in the film. The countryside is not a place made for living alone.

Mysore

1940

Two sides of Mysore: down to earth with the field workers and an Indian spectacle for the Maharaja.

L'Amour vache

2023 · ★ 8

No synopsis available.

After Winter, Spring

2012 · ★ 1

Family farmers in southwest France practice an ancestral way of life under threat in a world increasingly dominated by large-scale industrial agriculture.

The Goddess and the Computer

1988

For centuries, rice farmers on the island of Bali have taken great care not to offend Dewi Danu, the water goddess who dwells in the crater lake near the peak of Batur volcano. Through an analysis of ritual, resource management practices (planting schedules, irrigation vs. conservation, etc) and social organization, anthropologist Steve Lansing and ecologist James Kremer discover the intricacy and sustainability of this ancient water management agricultural system.

Of the Land

2015

Within the last half century, our agriculture and food has changed more than it has changed before in several thousand years. New technologies and scientific ingenuity have given rise to genetically modified organisms (GMO) and other novel foods. Some people have raised concerns about the safety of GMOs in our food supply, given their incredible dominance in the majority of our diet. Traditional, organic farmers, have consistently been under attack by large corporate farming interests, who seek to dominate the food industry and run family farms out of business. This film looks at our current food system as well as a variety of smaller, organic options available to consumers who want to support sustainable farming methods.

Legacy

2024

Is there a mental health crisis in agriculture in Colorado? Farming and ranching has become increasingly difficult over the years. An industry that is typically viewed as romantic, hardworking, and "salt-of-the earth" is actually a job full of tremendous stress outside of anyone's control. Combine that with the enormous generational pressure to continue the family farm, and you have a large group of people that are suffering silently. How do we take care of those that are taking care of us?

Delmarva and the Ground for Change

Three family-owned farms on the Delmarva Peninsula and their success using practices that protect and promote healthy soil; practices that also safeguard working lands against the extremes posed by climate change.

I'm Just A Layman in Pursuit of Justice: Black Farmers Fight Against USDA

"I’m Just a Layman in Pursuit of Justice" chronicles the injustices of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, also known as ‘the last plantation,’ and the lived experiences of Black farmers who chose to fight against discrimination.

Sugar in Their Blood

2023

Mainly through the voice of family patriarch Joe Judice, Sugar in Their Blood follows a family of 7th generation Louisiana sugarcane farmers as they struggle with all of the challenges inherit in staying in business. It's a story of pride and resilience in the face of constantly changing conditions, both in terms of business and climate.

The Holstein Dilemma

2021

What the heck is a heritage breed, anyway, and why should we all care? What started out as a simple question at a livestock fair inspired filmmakers Rick and Elara Bowman to search for answers across North America, from those who actually do the work and the experts that back it up with science. With interviews from agriculturalists, scientists and personalities to find out more about Heritage Breed livestock, this film explores why diversity is important in today's agricultural model that's based on large volume, fast growth, and the cheapest product possible for the consumer, but little else. Heritage breed animals have things to offer that we won't know we need until we need them, like pest and disease resistance, fertility, and tolerance to climate extremes.

Look & See: A Portrait of Wendell Berry

2016 · ★ 6.7

A cinematic portrait of farmer and writer Wendell Berry. Through his eyes, we see both the changing landscapes of rural America in the era of industrial agriculture and the redemptive beauty in taking the unworn path.