Agatha's Almanac: A Powerhouse's Garden Tale

0:00It's April 9th. You're listening to Calgary News today, AI-powered local news. I'm Cory with the story. A 92-year-old powerhouse named Agatha Bach is stealing the spotlight in her niece's documentary, Agatha's Almanac. Filmmaker Emily Atkins captured the raw rhythm of Agatha's days on their ancestral farm in southern Manitoba, where she tends a massive garden, without running water or a cell phone. This award winner just hit theaters across Canada and six other spots worldwide. The film snacked Best Canadian Featuredock at Hot Docks in 2025 and landed in the top 10 at the Toronto International Film Festival. It started with screenings like a sold-out show in Gimli last summer, but now it's blowing up in places like Winnipeg, Vancouver, and Toronto. Agatha is no stranger to hard work. She and her 95-year-old brother John bought the farm from their parents. She heads there every May till the first snow, saying the physical grind keeps her sharp and dismisses city life full-time.

1:00Viewers dig her old school ways, connecting to that generational grit. Atkins drew from childhood memories on the farm, and a short film where Agatha shone, stretching this project over six years into an 86-minute. Gimli shot on 16mm. She hopes it sparks folks to plant even a windowsill pot, calling growth straight up healing. Meanwhile, Agatha eyes returning to her garden this summer after a health hiccup last year, cherishing those quiet, moonlit swings. The films a reminder were all here just for a season, now rolling in Winnipeg through next Wednesday and heading to Japan, Taiwan, Belgium, and beyond.