INDIA

Kerala, India. The Backwaters out of Allepey. Think Garden of Eden, with a twist: Communist party control. Our cameras capture the problems of land degradation and starvation faced by millions of people, in the midst of rising tension, strikes, and angry demonstrators. Local producers, Dileep, Emmanuel, Salman and Rooplal of On the Road Productions, guide us through the experience expertly. Soil Not Oil becomes the mantra as we journey North.

Dehra Dhun. North. In the foothills of the Himalayas, rests a verdant valley, and Vandana Shiva’s crowning achievement--The Navdanaya Institute. Living proof of what the human spirit can accomplish, the once demolished Doon valley revived after the community banned together to close down destructive chemical and cement plants that destroyed the soil. Lensing the sprawling research farm that helms the movement, we speak with Dr. Vandana Shiva about the “Green Revolution” and its dirt destroying fossil fuel chemical farming methods. Carlo Petrini of the Slow Food Movement, and Fritjof Capra world reknown author join us to discuss the shift in consciousness required to create a sustainable future. For India the future is now.

Banda. Central India. Beyond the famous temples of Khajuraho lies a world tourists never see. The future of that world can fall one of two ways: starvation and suicide or survival and sustainability. Lured by corporate promises of increased productivity, the once thriving organic farming community turned to chemical farming. The farmers bought tractors, fertilizers, and patented seeds. But when the seeds demanded more water than the region could provide, the farms can’t yield enough crop to overcome their debt. Many farmers commit suicide. We give voice to the surviving wives and children, desperately trying to reclaim their farms and their lives. We meet the organizers, inspired by Vandana Shiva, who want to empower the abandoned families with education and organic tools to re-green their farms. But most importantly, we capture the spark of hope that endures in a desperate community; and the desire of India to reclaim her sovereign right to feed her people, revere Dirt as a giver of life, and claim her responsibility to Dirt’s health and wellness.

CHIMAYO, NEW MEXICO
Divine Dirt. Miracles. A hole in a chapel floor. Every spring, people from all over North America pilgrimage to a small hillside church for the healing touch of sacred soil. We find a quaint but lively scene. Bikers line up next to cross-carrying believers. Camera crews and helicopters hover over the procession, while believers pray to Dirt. Families put aside their differences for the journey and leave inspired, holding a tiny bag of sacred dirt.

NEW YORK
Rikers Prison. An island. The biggest prison colony in the world has 14,000 inmates, 10 jails and 2 gardens. Of the thousands of prisoners who come to serve their sentences within its cold gray walls, a select group of men and women learn to garden. There’s a palpable contrast between the artificially lit, cement interior and the lush colors of the prison’s gardens. It’s a coveted privilege as many find peace in the delicate, quiet work of tending the soil, waiting for growth, and nurturing life. We are immediately captivated by Katrina, a 20 year-old inmate, who pets a beloved cactus that reminds her of herself. Her eyes light up as she tells us of Dirt’s redemptive powers.