The Garden (2008)

The Garden is a documentary about the hopes and losses of the simple urban poor as they face the capriciousness of the rich and politically devious. Conceived as a peaceful initiative following the Rodney King race riots, a Los Angeles nonprofit operated the largest community garden in the country for 12 years, giving plots of land to 372 mostly Latino families to grow their own fresh fruit and vegetables. Comments from a variety of these salt-of-the-earth types belies how much their subsistence and welfare depended on the small plots of land they nurtured to a healthy harvest. Suddenly and inexplicably, their grassroots nirvana is to be taken away. They organize themselves, seek an injunction, and begin to learn how to dig up a different kind of dirt and wage a community-based appeal. The challenge is daunting yet their efforts are ultimately successful. This is a detective story with riveting twists and turns, indications of secret collusion, and evidence of confounding duplicity between two passive-aggressive county officials and the former owner. I don't want to give away the ending but if you care for the protagonists in this story (whom the antagonists brand as provocateurs for daring to challenge their will and to call on the rule of law), you will be left with gritty questions to chew as you ponder the essence of democracy, fairness, and justice. I caught it on the first night of a weekend run at the Museum of Fine Arts Houston. 4 stars.