Look & See: A Portrait Of Wendell Berry

Look & See: A Portrait of Wendell Berry is a 2016 documentary film which presents an intimate and profound meditation on the life and work of the widely acclaimed writer and farmer, Wendell Berry. This contemplative and moving documentary provides audiences with a rewarding exploration into rural America as seen through the eyes of one of its most profound philosophers and passionate advocates.

Directed by Laura Dunn and executive produced by renowned American filmmaker Robert Redford and author Terrence Malick, Look & See: A Portrait of Wendell Berry, aims to draw our attention towards the modern displacement of the traditional farming operations which Berry ardently argued for during his life. The film combines Berry’s philosophical reflections with sketches of life in his rural Kentucky hometown of Henry County, creating a juxtapose of being and living.

The filmmakers endeavor to capture the rhythms of life and labor in rural America, showing that Berry's writings are not just about farming, but are also philosophical musings on our connection to the land, community, and place. The documentary features appearances from his family members: John Berry Jr., Mary Berry; and his wife Tanya Berry, who add depth to the viewers' understanding of Berry's ideas and their lasting relevance. We are also given glimpses of his personal life, showing how his philosophy is not merely a theory but lived experience.

Although widely recognized as a poet, novelist, and environmental activist, Wendell Berry has famously eschewed the public spotlight, making this film a rare and valuable peek into his private world. The film frames Berry’s life against the backdrop of the changing landscape of rural farming communities, that are gradually being displaced by industrial agriculture operations. Seen through Berry’s experiences, viewers get to contemplate on the organic, self-sustaining nature of small-scale farming as opposed to the intensive, profit-driven orientation of industrialized farming.

Rather than being a conventional biographical documentary, Look & See: A Portrait of Wendell Berry is more a picture of life, nature, and the pursuit of harmony. The film elegantly interweaves Berry's writings, archival footage, and beautiful cinematography of the Kentucky landscapes with conversations among the local farmers, who bear witness to the changes that Berry critiques. The film works as a portrayal of a place, a community, a way of life, and a thinker, masterfully combining these strands into a coherent and compelling statement.

The film manages to center Berry’s straightforward and unadorned writing style, using his works as a narrative backbone to an exploration of American rural life and its transformation over time. Berry’s poems and essays come to life through the narration, illuminating the profound themes within his work, namely the interdependence of humans, animals, and the land, the destruction of communities by industrialism, and the importance of sustainability.

Look & See: A Portrait of Wendell Berry also aims to bring to light the fact that for Berry the problems that face the rural farming communities in America are not isolated, but indeed are the problems of the world at large. He asserts that modern people have detached themselves from the land, and thereby from each other. He emphasizes the significance of living in harmony with nature, and forming strong communal ties as critical to our survival as a species.

With a title such as "Look & See", the film urges its audience to truly perceive our world: its beauty and its losses, its possibilities and its tragedies. It showcases how Wendell Berry’s life and work bleed into one another, making him not only a writer but also a farmer, a critic, an advocate, a man deeply entwined with the land and community he loves.

In an age where rural livelihoods are often sidelined and marginalized, Look & See: A Portrait of Wendell Berry, offers a perspective that champions the values of community, sustainability, and respect for the natural world. This film goes beyond just a portrait of Wendell Berry; it compels us to consider our own connection to the land, and our mutually dependent relationship with nature, instigating us to question and redefine our very perception of progress.

With this film, an oval of Wendell Berry's life is painted - a man who epitomizes clarity of vision, profound wisdom, and an undying love for his community and the land – an exploration beyond a traditional biopic but a soothing and reflective journey.