Directed by: Shelby Adams and Mimi Pickering
1973
Running Time: 9:00
B&W
Mountain Farmer is a visit with Lee Banks, one of the last of the old-style mountain farmers--a man who grew his own and "never bought." A horse and a wooden plow, a vegetable garden, and a few hogs sustain Lee and his family. A fine film for use in discussions of values, land use, rural sociology, aging, and the persistence of traditional lifestyles in the late 20th century.
Reviews
"Mountain Farmer is one of the most extraordinary documentaries I've ever seen. Its qualities of extreme simplicity and complete honesty combine with a very direct approach to its fascinating, often moving, subject matter." -Fred Camper, School of the Art Institute of Chicago
"Fiddle music plays around scenes of the old man coaxing potatoes from the ground as he carefully guides plow and horse. With only the briefest of introductions, you like the old man, respect his independence, and wish his family well." -Tom Brom, Cineaste
"For any group desiring to appreciate what honest-to-God rural America is, they must see Mountain Farmer. We thoroughly enjoyed it." -Louis S. Meyer, Director, Institute for Community Services, Edinboro State College
Screenings & Festivals
The Art Institute of Chicago
Film Festival Rotterdam
Pacific Film Archive
Sinking Creek Film Celebration--Cash Award
