IDFA x De Balie: Agatha’s Almanac

Bent over but self-assured, 90-year-old Agatha is still hard at work in the large garden of her old family farm in Manitoba, Canada. Captured on 16mm film, this is a sumptuous portrait of her world of traditional skills, far removed from modernity.

Frail as she is, 90-year-old Agatha has chosen to remain alone on the old family farm in Manitoba, Canada. She lives a solitary life, but she doesn’t feel lonely. And there’s plenty to do in the vast gardens where she sows and harvests everything from potatoes to strawberries and melons. Some of the seeds she plants still come from the supplies of her forebears.

Surrounded by greenery, she’s happy to tell us all about it in her no-nonsense way, the same as she does with the quilts she makes. More sensitive topics—a sister’s death, admirers she turned down—are mentioned almost in passing. Slowly, quietly, what emerges is not only a portrait of Agatha, but of a way of life now almost forgotten. She sees life as a privilege, even if it isn’t always easy.

Agatha’s Almanac is the debut feature documentary by multidisciplinary artist Amalie Atkins, Agatha’s niece. With a small, all-female crew, she filmed her aunt’s artisanal world on 16mm over a timespan of six years. The film was awarded Best Canadian Feature Documentary at the prestigious Hot Docs Festival.

De Balie has selected six of the best films featured at IDFA. Documentaries on a wide range of subjects, taking you from the intimacy of the therapy room to the microscopic world of fungi. Despite their diversity, these films share a common thread: they are auteur-driven works, created with a distinct artistic vision. Films that use the camera as a tool of expression, rather than mere registration. Join us after each screening for a conversation hosted by De Balie, with filmmakers and notable guests.