- Welcome to Independent Lens.
I'm Pete Schwaba,
host of PBS Wisconsin's Director's Cut.
"The trouble with farming is that decisions are made
with the heart instead of the head."
So says a farmer in tonight's film Greener Pastures.
The documentary captures the day-to-day lives and struggles
of four small Midwestern
multi-generational family farmers,
including Monroe, Wisconsin soybean and corn farmer
Jeff Ditzenberger.
As peaceful as life on the farm might seem,
what people might not know is that
many farmers are dealing with serious mental health issues.
Greener Pastures dives deep into just why this is happening
as those in the agriculture business,
as they see their livelihoods affected by climate change
and globalization.
The film exposes the serious health care crisis
in rural America,
where mental health needs often go unaddressed
due to a shortage of available care.
For Greener Pastures director Sam Mirpoorian,
this is his documentary feature film debut.
The director not only kept farmer hours
during the course of the project,
and it was the total indie film experience
that helped Mirpoorian really capture the essence of the film
and tell his story he felt passionate about,
maybe even more so than he intended at the outset.
Due to lack of funds,
Mirpoorion would stay with the film subjects on their farms
to save money, and as a result,
saw just what Midwestern farmers are dealing with every day.
Mirpoorian's film juxtaposes stunning,
at times calming cinematic scenery,
with the turmoil and stress his characters face.
While living the farmer life during filming,
Sam Mirpoorian had a revelation that changed his life
and how he views life in America.
In a recent interview, Mirpoorian recalled
how all the jobs and craziness in his life
leading up to his film positioned him
to make Greener Pastures,
saying, "If I ever run for president one day,
"I'm prioritizing agriculture workers, farmers' mental health,
"health care professionals, and educators
"because people being taught, healed, and fed
sustains democracy and civilization."
And if he never reaches the highest office in the land,
at least he made a film
that has enjoyed a highly successful festival run
and racked up several awards,
including a Golden Badger at the 2023 Wisconsin Film Festival.
Greener Pastures starts now on PBS Wisconsin,
your home for independent film.