The Garden

It’s a classic David and Goliath story. Race, class, and politics flare up in this excellent documentary. “The Garden” was nominated for Best Documentary Feature at the 2009 Academy Awards and finally gets a run in theaters.

A 13-acre plot of farm ground in downtown Los Angeles has been worked for over a decade by low income Latinos. Land is communal, open to anyone to farm. The location is a lone spot of nature in the otherwise developed cityscape.

The city bought the land from a private developer in the 80s, but recently sold it back to him in a backroom deal off the record. Now the city and developer want the immigrants out so a warehouse can be constructed.

The land has become much more than it seems for its workers; it has become their livelihood, their way of living.

Director Scott Hamilton Kennedy wisely lets the farmers tell the story instead of opting for a narrator to string things together. These real people carry the picture and let us get to know them. They simultaneously feel authentic and like characters in a work of fiction.

Lack of narration helps draw you in and forget you’re watching a documentary. Title screens are used to fill in bits of information not covered elsewhere.

Lawsuits and rallies abound to save the garden. Trouble doesn’t only brew between the city and the farmers though. A farmer is evicted after not complying with community established rules and attacks another with a machete.

Guess it’s not in the Garden of Eden.

It’s great to see that this movie contains an honest to goodness story, richer than many concocted by Hollywood writers. A few years worth of the power struggle for the garden are covered in the brisk, 80 minute running time.

The direction and editing are adept, working to clearly tell the story. The movie was obviously shot a low budget, but this gives it a homespun charm much like that of the garden itself. It feels like an indie picture produced lovingly by professionals.

The only thing that kept me from getting completely behind the cause was the likelihood that not all of the farmers were legal citizens; illegal immigrants shouldn’t have a legal leg to stand on. But it appeared that many of them were legitimate residents.

While the film obviously sides with the farmers, both sides are represented. The councilwoman and developer responsible for the illegal deal get to express their side, even though the latter refused to be interviewed. Kennedy went out of his way to make sure everyone was heard.

Go see “The Garden.” It’s an excellent slice of life picture with a real story to tell.

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