Last night I saw the compelling Oscar nominated documentary The Garden by Scott Hamilton Kennedy (who previously directed the doc about Our Town being performed in a South Central Los Angeles High School). The Garden, also taking place in South Central is about a 14-acre community garden that was bulldozed by the land owners. The story of the garden is an interesting one.
The plot of land, in an industrial neighborhood, was taken by the city in the 80’s by imminent domain, in the mean time the project for which it was intended was derailed by a powerful community group. After the Rodney King riots, which sparked a rather understandable outrage after the police acted like criminals, even though King deserved an ass beating, aren’t cops support to comply with the law and act professional? - the Garden was born as a way of healing the neighborhood.
I should back up and say The Garden catered mostly to the Hispanics. Kennedy, a white documentarian does slightly get into the racial dynamics, but the film doesn’t dwell there. The land is sold through a back room deal back to its original owner, who I sympathized with up to a certain point, until the bulldozers came into the picture. (Spoiler warning)
The film, along the way is a compelling documentary about a neighborhood and the political dynamics of this location. I agree up to a certain extent with the developer that the farmers felt they had a sense of entitlement, in that I sometimes disagree with imminent domain laws. In fact if you want to get enraged there, like everything - is a blog for that (emdo.blogspot.com). I found this blog in trying to research a story I remember in Hartford, where the city had taken over someone’s home with the intention of building an on-ramp to either 84 or 91, and when that didn’t happen the owners wanted to purchase there home back. The courts, if I recall said “no” and the city continues to rent out the house - I remember that. I’m trying to find proof of that, but that is one example of how eminent domain can work at its worse.
At it’s best? Glad you asked - you know that crack house? Yeah. The city can that over. Sadly with the amount of foreclosures in certain areas you may see vacant homes being used to cook crystal meth, it’s bad, but I’m not making that one up, for that I’ll point you to the Tribeca Film Festival selection American Casino.
The city did what I think was a back room deal in The Garden, and they sold the property back to its original developer, Ralph Horwitz. Of coarse Mr. Horwitz declined to appear in the film, the filmmakers didn’t even feel the need to disclose this fact, but they get him on a deposition tape and later in an awful interview. Horwitz, which got 5 million for the land, bought it back for 5 million and tells the farmers they can purchase it back for 16 million. Amazingly through grants, pledges and donations the farmers and the mayor of LA who supported the farmers were able to meet Horwitz’s offer, which he didn’t take.
Here’s where things get out of control - the filmmakers obtained a radio interview with Horwitz who makes some decent points, but ultimately comes off as a shady bastard (most landlords probably are). He is made into the villain here, whereas the filmmakers did I think try to keep the story balanced up to a certain point, perhaps a true balance would have included an interview with the man himself, it’s clear he probably wouldn’t want to participate in this project.
As a post script to the story the field sits empty and the farmers have moved on. Horowtiz, I learn is working with Forever 21 to build a distribution center on the land, which has led to an internet boycott against Forever 21 in the event the deal goes through. Interesting, the land has been salted, so to speak.
Perhaps it’s Horowtiz’s character that is the problem - he proposed a purchase price, not thinking the group would obtain it, and when he did he decided to hold out for more money, citing he was personally offended because he believe the group made anti-Semitic comments about him. The film doesn’t document it, it spends more time with the farmers and in the court room. Watching this bizarre conflict play out, reminds me of an Avi Mograbi flick, although this one doesn’t quite have the bite and its not really about land conflicts.
Perhaps, as part of the eco movement, more community gardens should be developed. This all occurred in the “Hooray for me and fuck you” era of George W. Bush, but now we’re in a new territory - the green movement is in so is local produce. Michael Polan proposed the idea of the first family planting a garden, I’m unsure if they listened to him, but they have and its rather inspiring. This is not to say that things would be different today, but the farm and Polan’s book The Omnivore's Dilemma (which calls out Whole Foods) highlights the importance of going local and going fresh. I almost want to plant a garden my back yard again as well, I haven’t done so since my grandfather was alive (he inspired me to do it when I saw his backyard, not the green movement).
The Garden is essential, not as a film about the green movement, it is, but it’s wrapped in the foil of a compelling legal and social realist drama.
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