Friday, October 23, 2009

Movie Review: The Garden


Image courtesy of TheGardenMovie.com

I am a huge fan of community gardens, and I recently watched a great documentary about the struggle of one community to keep its 14-acre garden in South Central Los Angeles.  The garden grew up in the wake of the destructive 1992 LA riots, and became the largest urban farm in the US.  This 2008 independent film follows a two-and-a-half-year court battle between the growers, a wealthy land developer, and the LA City Council.  In addition to the fight against the land developer and city council, the growers encounter resistance from another community advocacy group, highlighting racial tensions in the neighborhood.

The film is a moving portrait of the urban farmers, mostly Latin American immigrants, who not only created an unbelievably lush oasis in the middle of an industrial corridor but also joined together to organize and advocate their right to keep it. The Garden is a poignant look at the promises of urban agriculture and the failures of imagination and support from our legislative and legal systems.

The Garden was nominated for Best Documentary Feature at the 2009 Academy Awards.  To find or host a screening, visit TheGardenMovie.com.  You can also rent the movie at your video store.

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