“This is the philosophical, scientific, pragmatic and ethical debate of the century.” – François Léger, agricultural engineer (quoted in the film and translated from the original French).

It’s fairly rare to not have heard of permaculture in 2022. However, only five short years ago when this film was released, it remained somewhat little-known. I was under the impression that only people with agricultural training could be interested in the subject; my point of view was still “primed to divide” and I lacked an awareness of permaculture’s breadth and depth. I didn’t understand that it was more like a worldview, guided by sensitive and environmentally minded values.

Permaculture is a type of complex cultural engineering, both at the social and agricultural level. It is both art and science, part of the many acts that push us to reconsider our relationship to the living world(s). If you’ve never had the time to absorb the concept of permaculture, why not join us now? While The Awakening of Permaculture focuses on one specific location (France), fails to open adequate space for the perspectives of women and those who carry ancestral knowledge, it remains a solid primer to this approach toward designing the world that spurs us to change our behaviours for the greener. I now believe that any effort towards more ecological practices, including sustainable agriculture, should concern all humans on this Earth—not just farmers.

 

Sylvie Lapointe
Filmmaker