The Biggest Little Farm

This is mastery. We feel joy and fear with the owners and get to experience what they experience. We see the blooming power of nature and threatening danger of nature. We feel with the animals and we see the wonders arise we needed to see... to understand again how important it is to preserve and cherish nature.

For me, this is mastery of storytelling. This not a dictation of "you need to learn this" but an EXPERIENCE. The well crafted B roll inserts tell their own story, there are peaks and lows in the tension, a fast pace - like a motion picture with a script... because I think the editors had one before cutting these tons of material into this film. This is a well crafted story, well shot images and INTENSE content to be told. This is how I want to see ALL documentaries ever made look like... like the stories that most grab us, influence us, change us: with heros and villains and villains becoming even friends (like the "pest"s they encountered and could incorporate into their farm!). The sound design is a major part of this - and the animal sequences, cut together well crafted like Disney's "Beautiful desert" documentary, a milestone back then. This documentary changed a part of me - forever.

I am so in awe of what these amazing people have been able to achieve. If we all took a leaf out of this farm's book, or salad, the world and it's future would look so much better and it would certainly be a happier place to live.

I watched the pre-screening a few days ago and wow, this is just a really good documentary. I'm in filmmaking and the production value of this just oozes out! Awesomely shot. I cried a lot during this, multiple times, it's an engaging ride.

The story is very compelling, especially for people who are already into connecting with nature and for sustainability. And it's very inspiring for those who are new to the subject.

(Only criticism would be that there is a little bit too much explaining by voiceover narration, but it's okay, American films and docus tend to do that for viewers).

My daughter saw this film at the Philadelphia Film Festival and has been telling me for months that I MUST see "The Biggest Little Farm". Well, the documentary somehow got excellent distribution and I had a chance to see it in the theater just before its release to DVD (which is later this week).

The film is about an unusual farm near Los Angeles. What makes it unusual (apart from being so close to LA) is that instead of a monoculture, the farm takes a more holistic approach to farming. So, instead of one huge crop of almonds or citrus (pretty typical of this area), the farm grows many, many different things and tries to do them using older techniques which are better for the environment. The story takes place over a period of about 8-9 years.

While on the surface this story sounds VERY dull, it's amazing that it isn't. The filmmakers were able to tell a captivating story and did it very well for many reasons. Humanizing the story helped but what really helped was the lovely cinematography and music....and it helped to make the movie very relaxing and sweet. I highly recommend this film.

In 2010, John and Molly Chester left city life and bought land in southern California to establish the Apricot Lane Farms. This documentary (co-directed by John with Sandra Keats) was filmed over a period of eight years, showing the beginning of their venture and the hardships and victories along the way.

It was wise to have documented the farming project over many years as it shows the many ups and downs of the period thus making this film almost seem like a traditional comedy/drama. Some of the farm animals are even highlighted as special characters including a phenomenally fertile sow named Emma.

As non-farmers, the Chesters did something wise: they hired a farming expert, listened to him, and put into practice what they learned. A basic lesson is re-learned here (listen to the experts) yet what they were taught is something that most people would have ignored; some would have chosen to shut down the project entirely.

The key is diversity in everything: all possible forms of livestock, fruit, and vegetables. This may seem bizarre at first, but throughout "The Biggest Little Farm", this method proves that if nature has created a problem, another part of nature can solve that problem. Apricot Lane Farms proves itself to be a fascinating ecosystem. And Lord knows our damaged planet can use as many of those as possible.

Overall, "The Biggest Little Farm" is entertaining, enlightening, and ultimately encouraging. - dbamateurcritic