The award-winning Canadian documentary To Make A Farm will have a screening at The Bookshelf Cinema in Guelph on March 4 and 5.
The feature-length documentary film explores the lives of five new farmers, depicting the struggles and triumphs of a season on a fledgling farm through the eyes of young farmers with no agricultural background who have decided to become small-scale farmers.
They face daily challenges and set-backs, but their work and optimism inspires hope for the future.
The film offers a practical and personal exploration of farming and local food.
Peter Henderson, The Bookshelf Cinema’s program manager, said the film has many great local connections.
“It seems like an obvious good fit, as there is a lot of people in Guelph and Wellington County who would be interested,” Henderson said, citing the film’s relevance to the University of Guelph’s many agriculture programs.
“We often show films that aren’t in the mainstream,” Henderson said. “We have a lot of connections through the Bookshelf bookstore with the community, farmers, gardeners, etc., and we knew they’d enjoy it.
“It is appealing to young people who might be interested in farming but might not get into it through their family history,” Henderson added.
The film’s sound track features Guelph musician Jeff Bird a fixture on the local music scene, with many film credits to his name, and a respected guest musician for Canadian group the Cowboy Junkies.
“When you get a local component, the film is even more appealing,” Henderson said.
Adding to the film’s appeal, audiences will get a chance to meet filmmaker Steve Suderman, who will be on hand for the film screenings, as will four of the farmers in the film, including Grey Bruce farmers Tarrah Young, Nathan Carey, Leslie Moskovits and Jeff Boesch.
To Make A Farm earned honours as one of the top 10 most popular Canadian films at the 2011 Vancouver International Film Festival.
The film was then taken on tour through several North American film festivals such as the Big Sky Documentary Film Festival (its American premier), and the DC Environmental Film Festival, along with festivals in Victoria, Saltspring Island, Powell River and the Kelowna World Film Festival.
Suderman is the film’s director, producer and cinematographer.
His film team included Bird, for music, Robin Schlaht as the executive producer and Jackie Dzuba, film editor.
The Bookshelf Cinema will feature two showings of To Make A Farm, March 4 at 7:30pm and March 5 at 9pm.
For more information people can visit www.bookshelf.ca.
