1
00:00:01,034 --> 00:00:02,536
- Hi, welcome
to Independent Lens.
2
00:00:02,603 --> 00:00:06,507
I'm Pete Schwaba, host of PBS
Wisconsin's Director's Cut.
3
00:00:06,573 --> 00:00:09,443
Farmers in America have
struggled for decades now,
4
00:00:09,510 --> 00:00:12,513
regardless of which
political party is in power.
5
00:00:12,579 --> 00:00:15,148
Tonight's film explores the
lives of Black farmers
6
00:00:15,215 --> 00:00:17,484
whose struggle is even harder.
7
00:00:17,551 --> 00:00:18,819
Over 100 years ago,
8
00:00:18,886 --> 00:00:22,890
Black farmers owned almost
17 million acres of farmland.
9
00:00:22,956 --> 00:00:26,193
Today, that number is down
to 1.5 million
10
00:00:26,260 --> 00:00:29,263
as the struggles for
Black farmers continue to climb.
11
00:00:29,329 --> 00:00:30,464
We will learn all about it
12
00:00:30,531 --> 00:00:34,535
in tonight's absolutely
remarkable film Seeds.
13
00:00:34,601 --> 00:00:35,869
Director Brittany Shyne's film
14
00:00:35,936 --> 00:00:38,472
focuses primarily
on Southern farmers,
15
00:00:38,539 --> 00:00:40,641
who have struggled to hold on
for generations
16
00:00:40,707 --> 00:00:43,777
due to the challenges
family-owned farms face.
17
00:00:43,844 --> 00:00:46,914
Shyne shows how important
the legacy of their farms is
18
00:00:46,980 --> 00:00:50,851
to her actors and the joy and
pride of owning their own land,
19
00:00:50,918 --> 00:00:54,555
juxtaposed with the demands
of everyday life on farms,
20
00:00:54,621 --> 00:00:56,990
such as milking cows,
harvesting cotton,
21
00:00:57,057 --> 00:00:58,992
and the financial challenges
that arise
22
00:00:59,059 --> 00:01:02,029
when expensive machinery
needs to be replaced.
23
00:01:02,095 --> 00:01:05,432
Shyne emphasizes the connection
these farmers feel to each other
24
00:01:05,499 --> 00:01:07,034
as well as the land
they live on,
25
00:01:07,100 --> 00:01:09,369
using hypnotic, haunting images
26
00:01:09,436 --> 00:01:12,840
and letting the sounds of the
farm act almost like score,
27
00:01:12,906 --> 00:01:15,709
offering viewers a truly
immersive experience
28
00:01:15,776 --> 00:01:19,079
in the lives of her characters
and their stories.
29
00:01:19,146 --> 00:01:22,416
The director adds soft,
sweet moments of intimacy
30
00:01:22,482 --> 00:01:24,418
set against beautiful
farming locations
31
00:01:24,484 --> 00:01:27,621
in scenes that have been called
meditative vignettes,
32
00:01:27,688 --> 00:01:30,757
enhanced even more by the
black-and-white picture.
33
00:01:30,824 --> 00:01:33,260
Shyne says she started
the project in 2015
34
00:01:33,327 --> 00:01:36,630
after finding inspiration
from her own ancestors.
35
00:01:36,697 --> 00:01:39,433
Her grandfather was raised
on a farm in Louisiana
36
00:01:39,499 --> 00:01:42,002
and her grandmother
was a sharecropper.
37
00:01:42,069 --> 00:01:44,204
Shyne says when it came
to her actors,
38
00:01:44,271 --> 00:01:47,741
she focused her camera on their
wise, weathered faces
39
00:01:47,808 --> 00:01:49,042
and their hands.
40
00:01:49,109 --> 00:01:51,111
Shyne says focusing
on the hands,
41
00:01:51,178 --> 00:01:53,380
whether they were taking care
of young children
42
00:01:53,447 --> 00:01:55,349
or using tools on the land,
43
00:01:55,415 --> 00:01:58,752
helped connect the narrative
of family and farm together
44
00:01:58,819 --> 00:02:00,754
because hands show the care
and love
45
00:02:00,821 --> 00:02:03,857
that is so prevalent
throughout this documentary.
46
00:02:03,924 --> 00:02:05,926
Brittany Shyne says she uses
a lyrical style
47
00:02:05,993 --> 00:02:09,096
to weave together stories
of race, class, culture,
48
00:02:09,162 --> 00:02:11,064
and family lineage.
49
00:02:11,131 --> 00:02:13,000
She seems to have found
her style,
50
00:02:13,066 --> 00:02:15,736
as she has become
a highly decorated filmmaker
51
00:02:15,802 --> 00:02:17,804
who has worn many hats
during her career
52
00:02:17,871 --> 00:02:20,107
to get to what has to be
the pinnacle.
53
00:02:20,174 --> 00:02:21,708
So far, that is.
54
00:02:21,775 --> 00:02:23,510
She has worked
in the art department,
55
00:02:23,577 --> 00:02:26,380
on camera crews, and has been
a cinematographer
56
00:02:26,446 --> 00:02:28,015
and now a director.
57
00:02:28,081 --> 00:02:31,118
Seeds won the Grand Jury Prize
in the documentary category
58
00:02:31,185 --> 00:02:33,520
at last year's
Sundance Film Festival.
59
00:02:33,587 --> 00:02:36,890
She's also taken home awards
for cinematography and directing
60
00:02:36,957 --> 00:02:39,626
at various other
high-profile festivals.
61
00:02:39,693 --> 00:02:42,829
Overall, Seeds has
11 film festival wins
62
00:02:42,896 --> 00:02:47,000
and 20 nominations
across various categories.
63
00:02:47,067 --> 00:02:48,602
Incredibly impressive given that
64
00:02:48,669 --> 00:02:51,271
this is her first feature
documentary.
65
00:02:51,338 --> 00:02:53,106
Let's sit back
and enjoy this film
66
00:02:53,173 --> 00:02:56,977
that Rolling Stone calls a
mixture of protest and poetry
67
00:02:57,044 --> 00:02:59,012
that captures the mortality,
wisdom,
68
00:02:59,079 --> 00:03:02,349
and enduring spirit
of the farming community.
69
00:03:02,416 --> 00:03:05,686
Seeds starts now
on PBS Wisconsin,
70
00:03:05,752 --> 00:03:08,755
your home for independent film.