Agatha’s Almanac
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Director Amalie Atkins’s 90-year-old aunt, Agatha Bock, is the sole inhabitant of her enormous family farm. Agatha grows heirloom seeds that have been passed down through generations using traditional methods. The farm does not use modern technology, nor does Agatha want it. The vegetables, beans, watermelons and other home-grown produce from her garden are more than enough. There is plenty to do on the farm. Agatha does everything herself, sometimes with the help of little more than duct tape. Following the repetitive routines feels almost meditative.
The slow pace of the documentary, the summer landscapes and the theme of ageing inevitably bring to mind another Canadian work that also explores the finiteness and meaning of life. If Cynthia Scott’s docu-fiction The Company of Strangers (1991) once moved you, Agatha’s Almanac will probably speak to you as well.
Filled with different shades of green and shot on 16 mm film, this summery documentary is aesthetically charming. Red accents, such as Agatha’s socks, strawberries preserved in jars and a red pull-along garden cart, complete the visually delightful result. Through Agatha’s daily chores, old age is portrayed as a neutral stage of life and, above all, a privilege. Sometimes the best and most memorable documentary films are those in which very little happens. Agatha’s Almanac is undoubtedly one of the documentary gems of the year.
Eelia Leikas (translated by Eleonora Weyner)
