Academy Award-nominated director to present, discuss film Sept. 30
By Jeffrey Romagni : September 29th, 2009
After the six days of looting, assault and arson during the Los Angeles Riots of 1992, many people were looking for a form of healing. Since then, the South Central Farmers have worked to build a better community and helped feed area residents through the creation of a local 14-acre garden.
To many members of that community, the garden was seen as a blessing in the midst of one of the county’s most blighted neighborhoods — until a wealthy developer bought the land and threatened to destroy the unifying garden.
As part of The University of Toledo’s Hispanic Heritage Month, Scott Hamilton Kennedy will present and discuss his Academy Award-nominated documentary, “The Garden,” Wednesday, Sept. 30, at 6 p.m. in Doermann Theater on Main Campus.
“The Garden” follows the lives of the farmers, from the extensive work done on the urban farm to their efforts to save the soul of their community in City Hall. Although many of the community residents emigrated from Latin American countries where they feared for their lives if they spoke out, this film shows the community as it organized, fought back, and demanded answers.
In addition, “The Garden” further explores and exposes several fault lines in American society and invokes challenging questions about liberty, equality and justice for the poorest and most vulnerable populations.
Kennedy
“There are so many reasons I was inspired to pick up my camera and follow this story,” Kennedy explained in his director’s statement. “The first time I stepped onto the garden at 41st and Alameda, the city of Los Angeles seemed to vanish. Surrounded by the varieties of fruits, vegetables and herbs, the smell, the air was different immediately. And the people: warm, humble and generous in spirit and with the bounty of their plots.”
In addition to being nominated for an Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature, “The Garden,” won the Best Documentary Award at the American Film Institute/Discovery’s SILVERDOCS Festival, and was an official selection at the L.A. Film Festival.
For more information on this free, public event or other Hispanic Heritage Month happenings, contact the Office of Multicultural Student Services at 419.530.2261.
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