Seasons of Change on Henry's Farm

Working alongside nature on his idyllic farm, farmer Henry confronts monumental changes.
by
Year Released
2019
Film Length(s)
83 mins
Closed captioning available
Remote video URL

Introduction

Farmer Henry Brockman works alongside nature on his idyllic sustainable farm. When he puts apprentices in charge of the farm to spend a “fallow year” with his wife Hiroko in Japan, things don’t turn out as planned and he must grapple with the future of farming in a changing climate.

Synopsis

For a quarter-century, Henry Brockman has worked alongside nature to grow delicious organic vegetables on his idyllic Midwestern farm. But farming takes a toll on his aging body and Henry dreams of scaling back. So he puts his former apprentices in charge of the farm, while spending a “fallow year” with his wife Hiroko in Japan. But things don’t turn out as planned, and Henry must grapple with the future of farming in a changing climate on personal, generational, and global levels.

Steeped in images of natural beauty, this thoughtful and engaging documentary shows us what’s involved in bringing good food to the table, and how biodiversity, adaptability, and resilience are key to survival in an evermore unpredictable future.

Director Commentary

When I started filming on Henry's Farm in the fall of 2014, the setting seemed idyllic and I loved recording the subtle sights and sounds of nature. Organic farmer Henry Brockman was working in harmony with nature and climate change seemed a distant threat for the Midwest. But during the course of filming, flooding became much more frequent and the effects of climate change unfolded right in front of our eyes. The resulting film is a quietly observed portrait of hardworking, thoughtful and committed people working the land, that – as one viewer stated – takes us straight from Eden to hell.

Features and Languages

Film Features

  • Closed Captioning
  • Subtitles

Film/Audio Languages

  • English

Subtitle/Caption Languages

  • Japanese/日本語
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