Documentary provides fresh look on farming

Danish film on biodynamic agriculture creates a connection between subjects and audience

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Photo Credit: Cats & Docs

Olivia Sieff

At first glance, “Good Things Await” seems like yet another foodie movie about where your food comes from and the process from dirt to plate, but actually provides a captivating and heartfelt look at one man’s struggle to run a biodynamic farm.

The Danish documentary, directed by Phie Ambo, follows Niels Stockholm and his partner Rita, at Thorshøjgaard, Stockholm’s biodynamic farm over the course of a year as they face government fines and a possible shut down. Stockholm, 79, is a stubborn, philosophical man who strongly believes in the spiritual and ethical connection between him and his cattle and has no intention of changing his ways, despite government input.

The documentary not only shows Stockholm’s unique personality, but also sheds light on a mystical and noteworthy agricultural system. Biodynamics, a spiritual and ecological approach to agriculture and food production, focuses on the connection between the cosmos and the earth. While the approach seems different and eccentric at first, Stockholm’s view and outlook on the system makes it not only attainable, but also desirable.

While the Danish music played throughout can seem a bit daunting and uncomfortable to a foreigner, the film does an excellent job of captivating its audience with the story of a simple man. Instead of focusing solely on the actual practice of biodynamics and farming in general, the story told sheds light on Stockholm’s situation and spunky personality, making him the highlight of the documentary.

The documentary does a phenomenal job connecting the viewer with Niels Stockholm and his situation, along with providing an unusual insight on farming in a spiritual and emotional way.