The Garden

This documentary was nominated recently for an Academy Award. It exposes the confusion and corruption that jeopardized South Central Farm, which broke ground in Los Angeles after the 1992 riots and became a working farm of 14 acres, tilled by 350 low-income families in the middle of a predominantly Hispanic immigrant neighborhood. Ultimately, the film is not as much about the farm as it is about the underclass in American society. This is the story of how our cities treat immigrant populations, of backroom deals, of greedy land developers—and of a group of people who surprised everyone by standing up to powerful interests and making themselves heard. In 2006, Mountainfilm played the short, South Central Farmers, which ended without resolution. We were left to wonder: What happened to this grand idea? Thanks to The Garden, now we know. —MD