 |
| Molly and John Chester ©2019 Neon |
Years back, John lived on his uncle’s farm, where he was taught to respect the land. At that time, he didn’t see things the way he saw them.
 |
| The Biggest Little Farm ©2019 Neon |
The Chesters found everything they needed online: investors, volunteers, and even livestock! The outline has a similar strategy to the game we played on Facebook, Farmville, but it is accurate at this time.
 |
| The Biggest Little Farm Mural at the Arclight, Hollywood. Photo José A. Hermosillo ©2019 Festival in LA |
In 2009, John had no time to waste. His background in photography and knowledge of farming inspired him to tell his personal story about Nature and life cycles.
John began filming their journey, focusing on how the seasons changed and shaped the environment over the years. He used that information as a fundamental guide for working with his crew.
John assembled the footage with the help of some interns and finished this fun-to-watch documentary.
The cinematography is by John Chester himself, and it has the quality of any National Geographic project.
“The Biggest Little Farm” features stunning imagery and accessible, fun narration that make watching this film a joy.
After a screening in Beverly Hills, we held a very insightful Q&A with John Chester, during which he reflected, “Nature doesn’t work right or wrong. It only works with consequences. The complexity becomes an emotional experience. The most crucial task is to diversify the soil, adding natural nutrients, because the conditions of the land are tied to everything else.” “Farming is the most interesting video game you can ever imagine playing.”
 |
| Emma and Greasy, The Biggest Little Farm ©2019 Neon |
To transform every adversity into an opportunity, the new farmers relied on observation and discovered that even predators become pollinators to keep the balance in life.
On a farm, living and dead walk side by side, and death is only a facet of life. One of their most challenging tasks was to euthanize an animal, but remember that life recycles itself: death means nothing to the ecosystem, only a new beginning for another being to subsist.
John Chester added, “An embarrassing situation cripples the possibility of finding an explanation. When something goes bad, do not freak out; a problem is a chance to find a solution.”
The marvelous documentary teaches us to treasure the fact that “observation is our superpower.”
 |
| Greasy, The Biggest Little Farm ©2019 Neon. |
Audiences worldwide help the good documentary earn accolades, mostly at film festivals such as Sundance and the AFI FEST. But the narrative omits essential information - financial standings, earnings and losses, and relevant economic data - for people who, after watching the documentary, feel motivated to venture and follow the filmmakers/entrepreneurs’ lead in farming.
In the film, the lack of “money matters” and other specific details needed to make this farm sustainable is compensated for by natural humor, tenderness, and charm.
Though we followed Chester’s experiences carefully, we couldn’t stop thinking about the lives of the vast army of people we don’t see on the screen but who helped make the film. It will be equally enlightening to see the volunteers, interns, and farm workers who keep the piece of land alive.
 |
| Children’s book, The Biggest Little Farm, ©2019 Neon |
“The Biggest Little Farm” profoundly impacts the viewer with its honesty and accessibility. It is mainly about the significant challenges we face due to Climate Change and Global Warming.
Thumbs up to the Chester family for their extraordinary ability to restore and maintain the land where Nature and humans coexist harmoniously.
