Farming

About Farming

'Farming' is a 2018 British film written and directed by Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje. The movie presents an autobiographical account of the director's own experience as a child farmed out by his parents to a white British family in London in the 1960s. 'Farming' explores Adewale's struggle with his identity, the trauma of racism, and the allure of gang life. The film graphically portrays his journey from a fearful outsider to becoming a feared leader of skinhead gang, then ultimately his redemption and healing.

Making / Production

Farming was Akinnuoye-Agbaje’s directorial debut, sharing his shocking personal story. The movie took over twelve years to be made. The primary shooting was done in locations of London, to truthfully represent the environment of the time period the film portrays.

Actors

• Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje: Despite directing, he does not physically appear in the film. His character 'Enitan', is played by Damson Idris, who exquisitely portrayed the emotional roller-coaster Enitan goes through in the entire movie.
• Kate Beckinsale: She plays the foster mother 'Ingrid Carpenter', delivering a haunting performance as a complex and flawed character.
• Damson Idris: He played 'Enitan' with remarkable intensity, his performance mirrors the emotional journey of Adewale’s struggle.
• Gugu Mbatha-Raw: Plays 'Marie-Therese', a teacher who helps Enitan find his true self, demonstrated kindness and hope in her role.

Trivia / Interesting Facts

• The movie’s title, 'Farming', refers to the term 'child farming', a historical British practice of informal fostering often involving large numbers of children.
• Farming is Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje’s directorial debut and is based on his own childhood experiences.
• Despite the difficult theme, the movie was lauded for its honesty and raw depiction of the protagonist’s life.

Awards

Farming received critical acclaim and received various awards and nominations. It was nominated for the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival 2019. Damson Idris won the Best Performance award in the Edinburgh International Film Festival 2019 for his role in the movie.

Quotes

• "Love has many faces."
• "The hardest battle is the one we fight with ourselves."
• "In a battle between nature and nurture, nature always wins."

Music, Soundtrack

• Farming features an original score composed by Ilan Eshkeri.
• It includes various popular tracks from the ’70s and ’80s including punk and reggae music.