The Science of the Soil

Thanks to The Bruce Museum's Fred Elser First Sunday Science series, we had an opportunity to expand the content of our feature documentary Indigenize the Plate. As we were having initial discussions with The Bruce Museum about a screening of the film, the First Sunday Science organizer, Kelly McQuade, reached out with a proposal for us to give a talk about the agricultural elements that the film features. This was such a unique approach because, while the film does cover some aspects of agriculture, it's only a small component of a larger story.

Indigenize the Plate was originally going to be a simple case study about the Indigenous roots of organic agriculture. The rich story components would have been missing. In its place would have been a 20-minute educational exploration about how one community blends ancient and modern technologies to ensure a sustainable future. The talk for First Sunday Science was essentially an adaptation of this original case study idea, taking a chance to explore the things that the final film couldn't - including footage that didn't make the final cut. The end result is a talk that serves as an excellent companion piece for the film.

Where Indigenize the Plate inspires, this talk fascinates. Where the film itself challenges perceptions, this talk sparks ideas and solutions. They are two parts of a larger story. One of the biggest challenges as a filmmaker is to pair down your content and make sure it's the leanest, best, version of itself. The case study video that never came to be found an even better form as a means to get a conversation going. The lively discussion after the talk was at least one indication of that.

Unexpected opportunities like this are proof that stories are a living work. They adapt, grow, and evolve to meet the audiences they connect with. The film itself will be playing at The Bruce Museum in early June. If you'd like to be notified please feel free to sign up below or reach out if you'd like to bring the film and or the talk to your community!