Gary Beeber has given us a beautiful portrait with his documentary, Michael Malone, Portrait of an American Organic Farmer. In it, he follows Malone through the seasons and interviews him about every aspect of his life and work. Malone himself likens his farm and his life to a work of art, and so it is a prime subject for a portrait. Thank you for taking the time to answer some questions.
Chris McClure, UniversalCinema Magazine (UM): First off, how many visits did you make to the farm? And over how long a period?
Gary Beeber (GB): I’d have to say at least 20 visits. The filming was done during the pandemic, over several months for sure.
(UM): Where did the inspiration for this film come from?
(GB): Hungry Toad Farm is just a few miles down the road from where I live and I buy my produce and eggs from them. I didn’t meet Michael right away because he’s busy working the farm and not usually in the farm store. Every now and he’d be there and we started talking. The small conversations turned into large conversations. I am of course a documentary film-maker and am very interested in people’s stories. I had never done a documentary about farming, but Michael is a great character, and very interesting. I also really liked where he’s coming from.
(UM): Did you consider other organic farmers for the film, or were you primarily interested in Michael Malone?
(GB): I was only interested in Michael’s story.
(UM): Are there any lessons you hope viewers come away with from the film?
(GB): As the old saying goes “you can’t judge a book by it’s cover.” So true.
(UM): What did Michael think of the film?
(GB): He likes it. I think he was amazed at how many film festivals selected the film.
(UM): I really liked the soundtrack by Heartland Nights, Cody Martin and others. Can you tell us a bit about how you put that together?
(GB): I spent a lot of time on the music. I wanted to set a certain mood and Heartland Nights, Cody Martin, etc had just what I was looking for.
(UM): Michael says he wants to keep doing what he’s doing until he keels over. Do you get the sense that the farm will one day be able to continue without him?
(GB): I surely hope so. It would probably never be quite the same, Michael is the heart and soul of Hungry Toad Farm.
(UM): How good is the produce from the Hungry Toad?
(GB): Excellent quality. It’s every bit as good as what’s said in the film. I wouldn’t go there if it wasn’t.
© 2021. UniversalCinema Mag.