Directed by John Chester
USA | 2018 | Documentary | 91 min
Film Source: Neon
Awards / premier festivals: Telluride, TIFF
* Spotlight on the Environment*
The successes and failures of a couple determined to live in harmony with nature on a farm outside of Los Angeles are lovingly chronicled by filmmaking farmer John Chester, in this inspiring documentary. Teeming with stunningly beautiful images of flora and fauna — and a pregnant hog that will melt your heart — The Biggest Little Farm is a testament to idealism. It's also a family adventure, full of suspense and emotion that will leave a lump in your throat. When the barking of their beloved dog Todd leads to an eviction notice from their tiny LA apartment, John and Molly Chester make a choice that takes them out of the city and onto 200 acres in the foothills of Ventura County, naively endeavoring to build one of the most diverse farms of its kind in complete coexistence with nature. The land they’ve chosen, however, is utterly depleted of nutrients and suffering from a brutal drought. The film chronicles eight years of daunting work and outsized idealism as they attempt to create the utopia they seek. When the farm’s ecosystem finally begins to reawaken, so does the Chesters’ hope – but as their plan to create perfect harmony takes a series of wild turns, they realize that to survive they will have to reach a far greater understanding of the intricacies and wisdom of nature, and of life itself.