Seeds (Documentary)
Director: Brittany Shyne
Producer: Danielle Varga,Sabrina Schmidt Gordon
Cinematographer: Brittany Shyne
Composer: Robert Aiki Aubrey Lowe
Editor: Malika Zouhali-Worrall
A Sundance-winning portrait of Black generational farmers that captures the weight of history, the fragility of legacy and the flux of contemporary America.
For well over a century across the Deep South, African-American families have farmed lands that their ancestors were once forced to work as slaves. Capturing the passage of time and the bonds of community, director Brittany Shyne tenderly chronicles the day-to-day experiences of these farmers – from harvesting to funerals, medical appointments, civic meetings and protests – as they struggle to make their way in an increasingly punitive economic climate.
Nine years in the making, Shyne’s first feature-length film won the US Grand Jury Prize: Documentary at Sundance, hailed by the jury for “its directing, cinematography, and dreamlike immersion”. Shooting in sparkling black-and-white, Shyne serves as director, producer and cinematographer, her personal approach allowing her to foster connections with her subjects and a palpable intimacy on screen. A distinctive meditation on the decline of generational farming and the shifts of American history, Seeds is as affecting as it is deeply humanistic.
“Inherently poetic and powerful … There is no part of Seeds that doesn’t feel like a priceless heirloom, like a window into a critical cultural history that must be maintained or [else] be permanently lost.” – RogerEbert.com