Common Ground

This is a follow up documentary after Kiss the Ground (2011), which is somewhat inferior in standards of documentary-making and seem to target a younger viewer's range, but with the same important message: that we ruin the earth and our topsoil with current practices of industrialized farming. Furthermore, companies like Monsanto in particular but the food industry as a whole play an abject role in applying propaganda (attacks on whistleblowers), manipulation (funding farm colleges and rogue science) and bribing of government officials and government-policies through campaign funding. The cost in terms of public and ecological health is alarming. We have to turn this around or we will go down as the generation which leaves a gigantic mess for the generations to come.

Unlike your average documentary, Common Ground transcends traditional storytelling to deliver a powerful call to action. It isn't merely an exploration of regenerative agriculture, but a compelling narrative that urges viewers to reconsider their impact on the planet, and their role in shaping a sustainable future. Directors Josh and Rebecca Tickell transcend this movement by starting and closing the film as a letter to future generations. It foreshadows both what could happen if we as a society don't start heading in the direction of regenerative agriculture, vs if we do. This contrast really adds tension to the film and emotion to the viewer, prompting them to think critically about the future of the earth and their role in this issue. By doing this, it creates a direct connection between the viewers and the subject matter. As the documentary unfolds it provides a thorough explanation of regenerative agriculture by using farmers like Gabe Brown and Rick Clarke who have been using regenerative farming techniques. They introduce us to all the pros of regenerative farming along with the struggles they have faced to get to where they are. Whether you are an advocate for environmental change or new to the concept of regenerative farming, Common Ground is a compelling call to embrace a groundbreaking path forward.

From the moment the film opens, Common Ground demonstrates a mature self-assuredness in its message. The film's impressive suite of familiar faces, such as Rosario Dawson, Jason Momoa, Laura Dern, and Donald Glover, each kick off the film by composing letters to the future generations. These letters serve as both warnings of the impending climate disaster, and also promises to make a difference now, before things get worse. There's a problem, and we must solve it. That problem is climate change, and if humanity can't work together for a solution, there's no backup Earth.

The damage to our environment in the wake of industrial agriculture is difficult to hear about, and even harder to imagine fixing. Green grasslands and forests are turning into deserts. Soils in our farmlands are turning to dust. Carcinogens from pesticides and herbicides are leaching into our food. In the face of these threats and challenges, long-time eco-documentarians Joshua and Rebecca Tickell offer what few other climate documentaries of this kind can: a real, actionable solution to climate change. A solution that doesn't just halt the destruction, but reverses the damage already done. A solution that's been hiding just beneath our feet.

Through the testimony of regenerative ranchers and incisive contributions of soil experts, Common Ground reveals a better way to go about farming known as regenerative agriculture. This approach to farming involves managing farmland for soil health and avoiding practices that damage the soil microbiome. Where conventional agricultural practices such as pesticides, herbicides, and tillage kill microorganisms in the soil and rip up the delicate root networks that allow carbon to be stored in the earth, regeneration offers a wholesome alternative, strengthening plants against pests by natural means such as managed grazing, fertilizing with manure, and sowing seeds without damaging this natural system. Regenerative agriculture harnesses the power of photosynthesis to siphon dangerous amounts of carbon from the atmosphere, drawing them down into the plants we grow and storing it securely in the soil, reversing the damage of climate change.

The film further illustrates through stunning close-ups and sweeping landscapes shots alike how regenerative methods improve human nutrition, enrich rural communities, and restore the water cycles vital to life. This beautiful cinematography enlivens an assortment of impactful real-world examples from successful regenerative farmers. While his neighbor's conventionally managed field remains an expanse of barren dirt, Gabe Brown's regeneratively managed property stands as thriving pastures and cropland. In Williamsport Indiana, Rick Clark saves millions of dollars per acre through regenerative methods, showcasing the potential for regeneration to enliven rural economies across the nation. Meanwhile, Alejandro Carrillo brings life back to the arid Chihuahua desert, harnessing regenerative soil management through managed grazing to literally create rain! These methods are having a tangible impact on the places they are implemented, and Common Ground invites us to witness these transformations first-hand.

With a contemplative and moving soundtrack by Jacob Samuel Snider and Jim Fairchild, and the beautiful cinematography of Simon Balderas and Joaquim Pujol, Common Ground offers a narrative that transcends mere exposition into artful revelation. Shots of sprawling fields and mountains give a holistic, birds-eye perspective on the landscapes affected and changed by these natural processes. Orchestral swells and punctuated silences lend the movie a feeling of belonging amongst even the most affecting cinema. Common Ground is impactful, insightful, and shows us what real solutions to climate change look like! Thank you Joshua and Rebecca Tickell! And thank you, especially to Gabe Brown! Here's to regenerating the future!

Important message to everyone that our food choices and how it is produced affects soils. Saving our soil will save us from environmental disaster. We can all do our part in advocating regenerative agriculture. Registered for Amazon prime just to watch is highly important documentary. Hopefully their message can be spread to as many people as possible. Change is possible and we all have our part to play. This documentary is story telling at it's best, making the complicated easy to understand. Complexity of farming made simple, if I were a conventional farmer I would transition to regenerative agriculture!

"Common Ground", the 2023 documentary by Joshua and Rebecca Tickell, is not just a film; it's a powerful narrative that delves into topics surrounding regenerative agriculture and how it can positively impact our environment. What sets "Common Ground" apart is it's approach to deal with such controversial topics like the ongoing Roundup Trial. The film sheds light on the injustices and the environmental consequences, giving a voice to those who have been affected. Getting to hear from so many different perspectives really opened up my eyes to the severity of these issues. It's a touching story and left me motivated to take the necessary steps to help out our planet!