Park City, Utah – Brittany Shyne’s documentary debut, Seeds, isn’t a film that adheres to conventional storytelling. It begins with a funeral, but rather than dwelling on loss, it immediately pivots to the enduring cycle of life, symbolized by a grandmother offering candy to her grandchild. This cyclical approach, Shyne explained during the film’s premiere at the Sundance Film Festival, is central to her vision for a project that took nine years to complete.
Seeds intimately portrays the lives of Black generational farmers in the American South – specifically, three farms across Georgia and Mississippi. The film doesn’t present a linear narrative, instead opting for a tapestry-like structure that reflects the interconnectedness of these communities and the enduring legacy of their work. As editor Malika Zouhali-Worrall revealed during a post-screening Q&A, the sheer volume of footage – over 200 days worth – initially presented a challenge. “For a while we were trying to figure out how important it was to know which specific farm you were on,” she said, “because you can get really bogged down in those details.”
the editing team realized the power lay in the collective story. “There was a wonderful, liberating moment when we realized it’s like a kind of tapestry of farms in the South,” Zouhali-Worrall explained. The film focuses on the everyday realities of farming – cotton harvesting, animal care, equipment repairs, and the constant financial pressures – but it’s the intimate moments, captured with Shyne’s distinctive cinematography, that truly resonate. These are the conversations through car windows, the simple act of sharing candy, the quiet connection to the land that define the families’ lives.
However, Seeds doesn’t shy away from the sobering historical context. The film acknowledges the dramatic decline in Black land ownership in the United States. In , Black farmers owned 16 million acres of land. Today, that number is a fraction of what it once was. The documentary subtly highlights the systemic inequities that contribute to this disparity, noting the difficulties these farmers face in accessing funding compared to their white counterparts.
Shyne’s approach, as described in interviews, was driven by a desire to understand both the loss and the renewal inherent in generational farming. “I just thought it was important to understand things wither away, but things grow again,” she stated. This sentiment is reflected in the film’s structure and its focus on the younger generations who are striving to continue their families’ legacies.
The film’s impact has been significant since its Sundance premiere. Seeds garnered the U.S. Documentary Grand Jury Prize at Sundance, and has continued to receive accolades, including the Grand Jury Award at the Full Frame Film Festival, the Best Feature Documentary Award at the Athens International Film + Video Film Festival, and the Visionary Lens Award at the Ashland Film Festival. It also won the Kirby Walker Documentary Award at the San Francisco International Film Festival, the Best Director of a Documentary Feature at the RiverRun International Film Festival, the Gold Lady Harimaguada Award and CIMA Award at the Las Palmas de Gran Canaria International Film Festival, and the Grand Jury Award at the Seattle International Film Festival. This string of awards underscores the film’s critical acclaim and its resonance with audiences.
Seeds isn’t simply a documentary about farming; it’s a powerful exploration of family, legacy, and the enduring connection between people and the land. It’s a film that acknowledges the pain of the past while offering a hopeful glimpse into the future, and a testament to the resilience of a community determined to preserve its heritage. The film’s cyclical structure, combined with Shyne’s intimate cinematography, creates a viewing experience that is both emotionally resonant and intellectually stimulating. It’s a film that stays with you long after the credits roll, prompting reflection on the importance of land ownership, the persistence of systemic inequities, and the enduring power of generational connection.
The film, clocking in at 123 minutes, is a project supported by the Sundance Institute’s Documentary Film Program, and produced by Interior Films, Walking Productions, Black Public Media, ITVS, Vespertine Films, JustFilms/Ford Foundation, Chicken & Egg Films, and Viva Maude, with Tessa Thompson serving as an executive producer under her Viva Maude banner.
