A Community of Gardeners – a new documentary currently in production

Release Date: September 2010
Cintia Cabib Video Productions

See the trailer here.

An outdoor classroom, an oasis of peace in an inner-city neighborhood, a link to an immigrant’s homeland: the roles of seven Washington, D.C. community gardens are as varied as the gardeners themselves. Meet them and visit their plots in “A Community of Gardeners,” a new documentary currently in production.

Throughout Washington, D.C., people of all ages, backgrounds and nationalities are gardening side by side, growing vegetables, fruits and flowers in community gardens. Some are looking for basic sustenance, others for a way to remember their homelands, still others for a place to find a respite from their troubles.

The Melvin Hazen Community Garden is a former World War II Victory Garden.

Through the voices of young people, senior citizens, immigrants, garden volunteers and educators, the one-hour documentary, “A Community of Gardeners,” will explore the vital role of seven urban community gardens, not only as sources of fresh, nutritious food, but as outdoor classrooms, places of healing, centers of social interaction, and oases of beauty and calm in inner-city neighborhoods. The documentary will also look back on the history of community gardens in the United States, from the potato patch farms of the late nineteenth century, to the victory gardens of World War II, to community gardening’s current renaissance.

Visit the film website here.

Cintia Cabib is an independent producer, videographer and editor whose award-winning programs have aired on PBS affiliates and on cable television. Her videos have been screened at film festivals and have been purchased by non-profit organizations, school systems and libraries. Between 1991-2005, Cintia was the training director at Montgomery Community Television in Rockville, Maryland, where she produced informational and educational programs, taught and managed video production classes, and supervised community-produced television programs. Cintia’s documentaries and educational videos have covered a variety of topics, including the history of an 88-year old carousel, health issues affecting African Americans, a vocational class for students with disabilities, and the art of juggling. A native of Buenos Aires, Argentina, Cintia is fluent in Spanish. Several of her videos have focused on Washington, D.C.’s Latino community. To learn more about Cintia’s programs and to view video clips, please visit www.cintiacabib.com.

Visit the filmmaker’s website here.