Farming (film)

Farming
Farming
Directed by	Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje
Written by	Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje
Produced by	Michael London; Janice Williams; François Ivernel; Miranda Ballesteros; Andrew Levitas;
Starring	Damson Idris; Kate Beckinsale; John Dagleish; Jamie Winstone; Genevieve Nnaji; Gugu Mbatha-Raw;
Cinematography	Kit Fraser
Edited by	Tariq Anwar
Music by	Ilan Eshkeri
Production; companies	Metalwork Pictures; Logical Pictures; HanWay Films; Montebello Productions; Groundswell Productions; AAA Studios;
Distributed by	Lionsgate
Release dates	8 September 2018 (TIFF); 11 October 2019 (United Kingdom);
Running time	102 minutes
Country	United Kingdom
Language	English

Farming is a 2018 British film written and directed by Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, based on his own childhood. The plot is about a child whose Yorubá parents give him to a white working-class family in London in the 1980s, and who grows up to join a white skinhead gang led by a white supremacist.^[2]

The film, which stars Damson Idris, Kate Beckinsale, John Dagleish, Jaime Winstone, Genevieve Nnaji, and Gugu Mbatha-Raw, wrapped production in 2017.^[3] It premiered at the 2018 Toronto International Film Festival on 8 September and won the Michael Powell Award at the 2019 Edinburgh Film Festival.^[4] The film was released by Lionsgate on 11 October 2019 in the UK and by eOne on 25 October 2019 in the US.

Cast

Damson Idris as Enitan
Kate Beckinsale as Ingrid Carpenter
Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje as Femi
John Dagleish as Levi
Jaime Winstone as Lynn
Genevieve Nnaji as Tolu
Gugu Mbatha-Raw as Ms. Dapo
Cosmo Jarvis as Jonesy
Ann Mitchell as Hilda
Tom Canton as Bomber
Theodore Barklem-Biggs as Scum
Robert Maskell as Headmaster
Amariah Nkwo as Madame
Seun Shote as Mallam
Jubilee Jonathan-Nwala as Yemi
Adewale Akinnuoye-Abaje as Femi
Michael Akinsulire as Nigerian Teacher
Leke Adebayo as Alahgi
Ademola Adedoyin as Paddy
Adejola Adeyemi as Monday

Release

Farming premiered at the 2018 Toronto International Film Festival on 8 September in the Discovery Section.^[5] The film won the Michael Powell Award at the 2019 Edinburgh Film Festival.^[6] On 17 September 2018, the film's distribution rights were purchased for several countries and regions: the United Kingdom, France, Benelux, Australia, New Zealand, Latin America, South Korea, China, Greece, Portugal, Serbia, Montenegro, Singapore, the Middle East, and Turkey.^[7] Lionsgate UK released the film in the United Kingdom on 11 October 2019, followed by a United States release on 25 October.^[8]

Production

Production visited two Kent locations in Farming. At the first, The Historic Dockyard Chatham, various areas such as at The Joiner’s Shop, House Carpenters Shop, and the rear of The Smithery, Ropery and Anchor Wharf were used. Production also visited a jewellery shop in Gillingham for some further scenes.^[9]

Reception

The review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes reported a 56% approval rating based on 32 reviews, with an average score of 5.8/10.^[10] On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average of 51 out of 100, based on 9 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".^[11] Screen Daily wrote of the film, “Actor turned director Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje makes an arresting feature debut with Farming. Told with raw emotion and lurid violence, it transforms elements of his life story into a disturbing, eye-opening coming of age drama.”^[12]