Pearls of wisdom — and plenty of handy gardening tips — abound in Agatha’s Almanac, director Amalie Atkins’ charming portrait of her elderly aunt. We posed our Qs à la mode to Amalie, and here’s what she shared!
If I had to describe my film using only three adjectives, they would be: Handcrafted, idiosyncratic, unconventional.
I wanted to make this film because: I wanted people to fall in love with my aunt. In our family, she is legendary — everyone has a story about Agatha! However, I didn’t ask for anyone else’s stories. I wanted her voice to drive the film. Her voice now lives in my head. I find myself quoting her, often, especially on tough days. I hear her say, “Do what you can and don’t worry about the rest” She offers so much practical advice — having figured out how to live her best life. Agatha has some peculiar ways of doing things and I wanted to share these unusual methods. She has so much to offer and since she is not going to live forever, I wanted to spend time with her and document her world before it disappears.
The thing that surprised me most while making my film was: The intensity of Agatha’s processes. Like the indoor bean harvest. Rhayne Vermette and I were the only crew that day. We didn’t see it coming. There is so much we didn’t see coming. The exercise scene was another one that threw us for a loop. Sometimes we only knew the first step. She would explain what she was about to do so we could position the camera, but then she was off to the races. She is a force! It was a surprise how fast she’d move. For all the sync scenes, we used a cumbersome Arri SR2 16mm camera — not meant for chase scenes.
My favorite moment/scene/sequence in my film is: When she launches into a heartfelt monologue on creativity. In that moment, I had a full-circle feeling. Something got slotted into my heart that I had been looking for all along.
My most invaluable piece of doc-making equipment was/is: My lungs. I learned how to take nourishing deep breaths during this time. [And] a magic 16mm lens. Speaking its name out loud might hinder its powers.
My must-have snack to get me through hours in the editing room is: Borrowing Agatha’s recipe for working long hours: “a chocolate and four almonds. Then I can go ’til its dark.” I would add candied ginger to this list.
One piece of documentary-filmmaking advice I’d like to share with aspiring documentarians is: Choose a story, an image, a song, an idea that grips your entire being. It doesn’t have to be a grand story, it could be a tiny story that only you know and care about. To sustain the time and energy needed, you must hold a longing because there are hard days ahead. If you arm yourself with love, moments of brightness will slice through the darkness.
Want to check out Amalie’s film, or just learn more about it?
Get the scoop, and your tickets, here!
