Seeds review stunning film following struggling Black farmers in the American south

"Brittany Shyne's stunning documentary observes Black farmers in the American south over the course of seven years, and portrays the beauty and the hardships of working with the land. The black-and-white cinematography lends a visual sumptuousness to the rituals of harvest: we see giant machines extracting cotton buds from open bolls, leaving behind a whirl of white fluffs fluttering in the air."

"Hardworking as the farmers are, however, systematic discrimination continues to hinder their financial security. While their white neighbours have easy access to federal support, Black farmers are faced with near-insurmountable red tape, resulting in much longer waiting times for funding. With the landslide effect of operational costs and taxes, many have had their land taken away from them. One particularly poignant sequence follows 89-year-old Carlie Williams,"

"Most of the subjects in the documentary also hail from older generations; the implication is that, with all its precariousness, this line of work is no longer viable for younger people. Still, this documentary is far from an elegy. The resilient community fight back, as they march to Washington to protest against the inadequacies of the Biden administration. Echoing the cycle of crop cultivation, Shyne's film inhabits the seasons of life, bookended by images of a funeral and the open sky."

A seven-year visual chronicle follows Black farmers in the American South, portraying the beauty and hardship of working the land in luminous black-and-white images. Giant machines pick cotton, leaving fluffs drifting through the air, while the legacy of slavery gives farm choreography poetic and political resonance. Land ownership provides labour autonomy and preserves heritage for future generations, yet systemic discrimination and bureaucratic red tape deny timely federal support. Rising operational costs and taxes have led to widespread land loss. Most subjects are older; younger people find farming increasingly precarious. The community organizes protests and sustains hope amid melancholy.

Read at www.theguardian.com