The Story
Faced with ever-shrinking profits and increasingly unpredictable weather patterns, Canadian farmers are in a race to create larger and larger farms, believing that “bigger is better.” The resulting mega-farms become, in essence, subsidiaries of a few large corporations such as Monsanto and Cargill. It is a situation that may compel some to ask, “Who really controls food production?”
In Over Land, filmmaker Steve Suderman examines this question through the experiences of his family as they struggle to maintain their farm. Located near the small town of Gladstone (aka Happy Rock) on the flat Canadian prairies, the Sudermans farm 2,000 acres of grain and potatoes. Following a tradition of farming that spans generations, “the farm” is as much a part of the family’s identity as it is a source of conflict.
Running a family farm has been Rick Suderman’s life-long dream, but his three sons have not really found their own place in that dream. As the farm economy hits its lowest mark in 50 years, the family seems to reach its breaking point. Eldest son Mike wants nothing more to do with the farm, but isn’t sure what to do next. Chris and his wife Darlene still dream of a small family farm, but can’t reconcile that dream with reality. Somewhere in between is the filmmaker Steve Suderman, who hasn’t worked on the farm for several years, but still feels a sense of loyalty to his father and his dream.
After the farm loses several crops to bad weather, and a major potato processor reneges on a contract, the bank threatens to withdraw its financial support. The ensuing year and a half becomes the story of Over Land.
While offering an inside perspective on a crisis in agriculture and the transformation of the modern food chain, Over Land becomes a frank portrait of a family in uncertain times. With intimate access to each family member, Over Land tells the complicated story of a family’s love for each other, and the never-ending search for meaning and inner peace.