The ZDF report “Our own farm” is a bow to self-sufficient people who don’t fall over when the wind is blowing against them.
The stories that ZDF tells with its series of reports “37 Degrees” are intended to encourage or arouse sympathy, depending on the topic. Often it is about people who have successfully overcome a serious illness or have learned to live with it. Sometimes the films also portray outsiders and in this way contribute to greater tolerance. Judging by contributions of this kind, which are always about emotions, “Our own farm” is a bit out of the ordinary. Iris Bettray and Ina Gempf introduce two married couples who have decided to take care of themselves. In order to be able to document all the ups and downs of this endeavor, the authors visited the two courtyards several times over the course of twelve months.
While the “37 degrees” contributions usually live from the preparatory work, because a relationship of trust must first develop before the protagonists can give an insight into their soul, the couple from the Eifel in particular are mainly concerned with the Beckett motto “Better fail ”: Sara and Michael, former competitive athletes in their late thirties, bought a farm in the Eifel. You now own an idyllic piece of land, a total of six hectares, of which 2,000 square meters are usable, and want to grow fruit and vegetables there.
“37 degrees: Our own farm” (ZDF): Two couples, two stories
He is a full-time sports manager, so the existence of the family of five does not depend for better or for worse on how good or bad the harvest is; therefore the engagement sometimes seems like an extravagant hobby, even if it takes up a lot of time and even more money, because large sums of money have to be invested in the property on a regular basis. Both are self-taught agriculturalists and accordingly make many beginner mistakes. There can be no question of self-sufficiency anyway. Without the help of Sara’s parents, who also live on the farm and look after the small children, the undertaking would not even be possible.
To the broadcast
“37 degrees: Our own farm”, Tuesday, August 3rd, 10:30 pm, ZDF
In the case of the second couple, Christiane and Martin, things are different. They are around twenty years older and have been self-sufficient since 2007. The common farm on the Lower Rhine stands in many ways for a new beginning, and not only because the marriage is the second for both of them. That’s why a typical “37 degrees” sentence is still used: “Life wasn’t quite so good with Martin” – the former freight forwarder has been severely visually impaired for 17 years. At that time, he says, he thought about “flipping the switch”. The article omits further biographical details. This is also quite unusual for this series, which otherwise does not miss any opportunity to press on the tear gland.
Whether Martin’s first marriage failed because of his illness, whether Christiane led him out of the valley: Bettray and Gempf leave all of that to the audience’s imagination. This is very beneficial for a change, after all, the comments at “37 degrees” always sound as if the authors could look people in the heads in front of the camera.
“37 degrees: Our own farm” (ZDF): Soothing factual
Christiane and Martin are obviously not quite as wealthy as Sara and Michael, for them self-sufficiency is not just an incentive; they actually only have to “buy” for 15 euros a week. In order to be able to reliably pay running costs such as taxes, electricity and water, Christiane has a part-time job. Except for the short excursion into emotional realms, which only lasts one sentence, this second level of the film also remains pleasantly factual. If the comment hadn’t mentioned the eye disease, it wouldn’t be noticed at all. Martin does have a guide dog, but the handicap hardly seems to affect him in everyday life.
Unlike the two from the Eifel with their “trial and error” project, the couple from the Lower Rhine have apparently found their calling, even if not everything works out for them. In addition, the most pious cannot live in peace when neighbors see their own quality of life impaired by the smells produced by the animals, as is mentioned in passing.
So it is primarily the deviations from the series scheme that make “Our Own Farm” a special film: It is not about understanding, pity or admiration, but about four people who persistently and despite all adversities do their thing. As an appeal not to fall over and give up at the first headwind, the report fits into the pattern of “37 degrees”. (Tilmann P. Gangloff)
