Canadian Premiere
An impassioned plea to care for the very thing that feeds us, balances the climate, and sustains life on earth: soil. An eye-opening invective against the harmful methods of American agriculture, Common Ground exposes the hidden agendas of agricultural giants, corporations, and government lobbyists, while unveiling the powerful potential of regenerative farming – how saving the soil can help save us along with it. Interweaving intimate stories of contemporary regenerative farms, to the pioneering soil research by Dr. Washington Carver and the long standing sustainable practices of Indigenous peoples, while uncovering the devastating effects of industrial farming by tracing a history of destructive tillage and soil erosion of the 1930’s Dust Bowl to the post WWII boom of machinery and fertilizer technology, to the cancerous herbicides and pesticides of Monsanto and emphasis on monocultures of corn and soy crops in the present day, filmmakers Josh and Rebecca Tickell (Kiss the Ground) reveal how soil regeneration is not about merely restoring the past, but improving the land and looking toward the future.
Series Media Partner
Community Partner
About Relaxed Screenings
The October 1 screening of Common Ground is a relaxed screening.
Relaxed screenings are open to ANYONE who would benefit from a less restrictive and sensory-friendly experience including (but not limited to) people living with dementia; Autistic people; people with learning difficulties; people with a sensory or communication disorder; parents with young babies; and anyone who feels they would benefit from a more supportive and inclusive experience.
How much are tickets? That’s up to you! Pay what you can for tickets to relaxed screenings. We do not want the cost of tickets to hinder your ability to attend. Click on “Book Tickets” and select the amount ($0, $7, $15, $20) you can pay per ticket.
At a relaxed screening you can expect:
- The lights to be up so it is not too dark
- The film sound levels to be lowered
- No trailers before the film
- Fewer tickets sold so folks can choose where they want to sit
- Audience noise and movement during the show
- Freedom to enter and exit the cinema
- A chill out space
- Sound reduction headphones
- Extra staff and volunteers on site to answer questions
Relaxed Screenings Presented by
Laura Dern, Jason Momoa, Woody Harrelson, Ian Somerhalder, Donald Glover, Ray Archuleta
USA
2023
Insights
English
Coarse Language
Book Tickets
Indigenous & Community Access
Indigenous Access Tickets Community Access Tickets Ticket Donation Requests
Credits
Executive Producer
Bill Benenson, Laurie Benenson, Jan Ellison Baszucki, John Paul DeJoria, Pamela B. Green
Producer
Rebecca Tickell, Josh Tickell, Eric Dillon
Screenwriter
Josh Tickell, Rebecca Tickell, Johnny O’Hara
Cinematography
Joaquim Pujol, Simon Balderas
Editor
Ryan A. Nichols, Anthony Ellison
Original Music
Jim Fairchild, Jacob Snider
Director
Josh & Rebecca Tickell
Josh and Rebecca Tickell are multi-award-winning filmmakers who specialize in aiding the global climate crisis. The two co-own Big Picture Ranch, a farm which doubles as an eco-friendly film studio. Their first collaborative film Fuel (2008) won the audience award for Best Documentary, and was shortlisted for an Oscar. Their newest film, Common Ground (2023) was the winner of the Human/Nature award amidst its premiere at Tribeca Film Festival. The pair has inspired over $20 billion dollars to be invested into renewable energy and regenerative agriculture globally.
Filmography: Fuel (2008); The Big Fix (2012); Kiss the Ground (2020); The Revolution Generation (2021)
Missing VIFF? Check out what's playing at the VIFF Centre
Blue Heron
In the late 1990s, eight-year-old Sasha and her Hungarian immigrant family relocate to a new home on Vancouver Island. Their fresh start is interrupted by increasingly dangerous behaviour from Jeremy, the family’s oldest child.
The Last One for the Road
Two middle-aged drunkards drive across the Veneto region on a freewheeling bender, taking a young college student along for the ride. A celebration of the spirit of drink and the kinds of stories told around a table of old friends and too much wine.
How Deep Is Your Love
Filmmaker Eleanor Mortimer tags along with a team of oceanographers and marine biologists as they survey the Clarion-Clipperton fracture, one of the most remote spots on Earth, home to a dazzling array of unknown creatures.
The Mother and the Bear
Johnny Ma’s film stars Kim Ho-jung as a Korean woman who flies to Winnipeg when her immigrant daughter is hospitalized there. This crowd-pleaser plays up cultural differences to hilarious effect and offers a touching take on mother-daughter tension.
