Common Ground

This is a letter. A letter that serves as a warning for the future generation. For our world. This is how the documentary Common Ground chose to start the journey with the audience. Starting off with a somber tone that many documentaries follow while discussing environmental health. But where Common Ground branches off is how by the end, the audience is left teary eyed and full of hope that it is never too late to start making a better future. And that letter then serves as a promise that we will never give up. Common Ground stands as its own piece of art that delivers a clear environmental message and how we can change the world. Just from using soil.

The directors Joshua and Rebecca Tickell dives into one of the most powerful tools that can heal the world's and human health which is regenerative agriculture. This is the process of reshaping the ecosystem so it can be used to produce benefits for humans while aiding the world's health like reducing carbon from the atmosphere and bringing animals back to an ecosystem. We experience the power of regenerative agriculture as the documentary takes the audience across America to meet insightful experts on the subject. In North Dakota, regenerative rancher Gabe Brown compares his luscious farmland full of animals chirping to his neighbor's land that has turned into a gray block from modern agricultural practice. Up north in upstate New York, regenerative rancher Leah Penniman brought life back to an ecosystem that was deemed to have the worst soil health in the area through regenerative practices. Far west in California, Founder of Ecdysis Foundation Jonathan Lundgren teaches the truth of regenerative agriculture from the lies that he was taught from the agrochemical companies control of the agriculture education system. All of these narrative elements are guided by the stellar narration of Laura Dern, Rosario Dawson, Ian Somerhalder, Donald Glover, and Jason Momoa.

It's not just Tickell's directing skills that shine in the documentary. The production gets to show their love for the cinema arts through their own work. Zianna Milito's detailed animation provides visuals for Tickell's writing to make the different insights of regenerative agriculture more understandable. With some animation moments, it feels as if we are part of the explanation as the camera travels through interweaving roots and flowing with the carbon dioxide which has the audience stay engaged with the explanation. As stated before, the documentary travels in the U. S. as the main setting. This containment doesn't just allow the audience to follow the documentary's story, but also show them how close these individuals are to each other. It gives a comforting and hopefully feeling that these like minded individuals are not scarce throughout the world. It feels that the documentary sways regenerative agriculture as a collaborative effort with anyone can engage with the practice and heal the world. And this is the biggest accomplishment of the documentary: encouragement. At the end, the letter at the beginning ends with a hopeful promise that we won't quit in healing the world. This statement can spark hope within us and aid in the battle for a better world.

Common Ground chose to do what many documentaries could not: bring hope. Through the content and filmmaking, the documentary is a great watch for any person, and I hope they found hope as I did for the environment.

Growing up constantly being told that climate change was going to destroy our planet, I always understood that reversing climate change should be our highest priority. After watching the documentary Common Ground by Josh and Rebecca Tickell, all my concerns about our environment were acknowledged. This documentary uses visual and emotional elements, like including regenerative farmer Gabe Brown to emphasize the importance of regenerative farming and the negative consequences of modern farming techniques. This documentary teaches its audience about the ways individuals and farmers can take part in reviving the earth's soil, like discussing how planting your own garden can make an impact. I truly enjoyed this documentary's hopeful message and how if we as a collective work towards helping our soil, we will be helping in the future of our climate. I highly recommend going to see Common Ground in theaters.

Everyone is connected to not only each other, but also to the Earth. However, we are living in a society that is so incredibly divided that we forget this simple fact. Despite all of our differences, we all share a common ground, the soil in which we live upon. It's from the soil that we are sustained. Common Ground by Joshua and Rebecca Tickell, dives into the fact that soil is what is keeping the environment stable. Given that most of our food is grown in the soil, unhealthy soil means unhealthy food. Our health is directly tied to what we consume, and as mentioned in the film, food is quite literally medicine. Regenerative practices will be the legacy that we leave behind so that future generations can thrive. With a packed cast of actors who are passionate about the film's message, such as Ian Somerhalder, Common Ground is a catalyst for change in the agricultural world.

"Common Ground", the 2023 documentary by Joshua and Rebecca Tickell, is not just a film; it's a powerful narrative that delves into topics surrounding regenerative agriculture and how it can positively impact our environment. What sets "Common Ground" apart is it's approach to deal with such controversial topics like the ongoing Roundup Trial. The film sheds light on the injustices and the environmental consequences, giving a voice to those who have been affected. Getting to hear from so many different perspectives really opened up my eyes to the severity of these issues. It's a touching story and left me motivated to take the necessary steps to help out our planet!

Important message to everyone that our food choices and how it is produced affects soils. Saving our soil will save us from environmental disaster. We can all do our part in advocating regenerative agriculture. Registered for Amazon prime just to watch is highly important documentary. Hopefully their message can be spread to as many people as possible. Change is possible and we all have our part to play. This documentary is story telling at it's best, making the complicated easy to understand. Complexity of farming made simple, if I were a conventional farmer I would transition to regenerative agriculture!