By Noma Faingold
In the documentary, “Harvest,” co-directors Natalie Baszile and her daughter, Hyacinth Parker, let the four Nelson brothers tell and show the story of family farm life in rural Louisiana, revealing all the complexities, struggles, tragedy, resilience and togetherness.
From a stunning view, high above the acres of corn, soy and cotton, the uniformed lines of growth look harmonious. At ground level, the reality isn’t so pristine. “Harvest” opens with the four brothers, who are devoted to farming and to each other, hindered by outdated, faulty machinery.
As the documentary unfolds, it becomes apparent that the Nelsons, fourth generation family farmers, don’t get discouraged by mechanical woes, unpredictable and extreme weather, political machinations or financial setbacks. “They are battling the elements all the time,” Baszile said, who also co-produced the doc with her daughter. “It’s a climate change film, but it’s more than that. When we started filming in June 2023, they were facing the worst drought they had ever faced. In 2024, it was the exact opposite. They had to contend with biblical flooding. We tried to convey that these farmers are at the mercy of the weather all the time. They’re always having to adapt.”
“Harvest,” being screened during the Green Film Festival of San Francisco on October 20, at the 4-Star Theater in San Francisco, became a visual extension of Baszile’s 2021 non-fiction anthology book, “We Are Each Other’s Harvest: Celebrating African American Farmers, Land & Legacy,” which dove into the current landscape of Black farmers in America, through a kaleidoscope of mediums, such as essays, first-person interviews, photography and poems.
Baszile, who lives in the Richmond District, quickly took to the Nelson brothers when she first interviewed them for her book. She stayed in touch with them. “They were so delightful, charismatic and ambitious. Their brotherly dynamic was really endearing,” she said.
Natalie Baszile. Photo by Noma Faingold.
In November 2022 (after that season’s harvest), Baszile invited the brothers (Willie “Bo,” Willis “Shun,” Courtney “Chops,” and Adrain “A-Earl”), who range in age from mid-30s to mid-40s, to visit in San Francisco. They had never been to California. For five days, Baszile, her husband, Warrington Parker, Hyacinth and younger daughter, Chloe (currently a chef at Chez Panisse) took the Nelsons on a tour of the Bay Area, including walking across the Golden Gate Bridge. “We walked their socks off all over the city,” Baszile said. “We wanted to spend time with them and show them another slice of life.”
On the last evening, they came to Baszile’s home for dinner. They talked about their hopes and dreams for their commodities farm in Sondheimer, Louisiana, population 200.
Baszile was inspired by their ambition and vision. Even though she hadn’t ever directed a documentary, she asked the Nelson brothers if they would be willing to be at the core of “Harvest,” a realistic portrayal of the brothers and their families.
They were up for it.
“I really appreciated they are the next generation of farmers,” she said. “When people think about Black farmers, they tend to picture old Black men in overalls, worn down by life’s difficulties. The Nelsons are the opposite of that. They are lively. They are on a mission to be some of the largest Black farmers in the U.S. I want them to succeed.”
The Nelsons are a huge family: seven siblings with 31 children between them. The gatherings, anchored by their mother, Mary, are joyful, prayerful and feature an abundance of food prepared with love. They celebrate holidays, milestones (like high school graduations) and honor those they have lost.; In particular, Zyron, a teenage son of Willis “Shun,” who died in a freak accident in the fields a few years before. The family gathers on Zyron’s birthday every year.
Baszile dreaded asking about Zyron and waited until almost the end of the shoot to address the subject. “It’s a big part of the story. It’s a big part of what drives them,” she said. “We’re not trying to make them relive that. It’s still painful for every member of that family.”
With a small film crew of seven, “Harvest” began shooting on location in the summer of 2023.
The plan was to create a story arc from the fall harvest of 2023 to the harvest of 2024. Baszile lost count of how many location trips were made. “I don’t think any of us knew what we were really getting into. I don’t think any of us expected it would be almost two years of filming with them,” she said “We were down there every couple of months, following them around, asking questions, probing, filming whatever they were doing in their lives. We certainly didn’t know. We had never made a documentary before. We were learning.”
Aside from Hyacinth, who got her start in the documentary sphere on the FX series, “Welcome to Wrexham,” what helped the new filmmakers is that they surrounded themselves with artistic, seasoned professionals, including cinematographer Keith Walker (who has a number of credits associated with Oprah Winfrey projects) and composer Gil Talmi, who created an evocative, uplifting score.
Guidance from Executive Producer Dawn Porter, a prolific documentary filmmaker behind 2020’s “John Lewis: Good Trouble” and 2024’s “Luther: Never Too Much,” proved to be the expertise “Harvest” needed.
Hyacinth and Baszile wanted “Harvest” to be contemporary and have a narrative feel. “We wanted there to be suspense. Are they going to make it?” Baszile said. “The Nelsons know they must stick together if they hope to survive.”
Natalie and Hyacinth on location
The film concludes at the end of the Joe Biden presidency. “People were feeling optimistic. All of that changed overnight. A lot of grants for sustainability and for regenerative agriculture that the Nelsons had been counting on for 2025 and 2026 – those were canceled. They’re suffering like all farmers are suffering” Baszile said. “They don’t complain. They’re very pragmatic.”
“Harvest,” which had its world premiere on June 6 at the 2026 Tribeca Film Festival, might not have happened if it wasn’t for the success of Baszile’s 2017 novel, “Queen Sugar,” which was adapted into a drama series on OWN, executive produced by Winfrey with Ava DuVernay (“13th,” “Selma”) as show runner. Set in rural Louisiana, the series, which ran for seven seasons, centers on the lives of three siblings, who must deal with the aftermath of their father’s sudden death and decide the fate of his 800-acre sugarcane farm. “The book and the show captured people’s imaginations,” Baszile said. “The questions I was asking myself in ‘Queen Sugar’ were questions that resonated with viewers.”
Baszile, who grew up in Palos Verdes, went to UC Berkeley for undergrad, earned a masters degree at UCLA and completed the MFA Program for Writers from the Warren Wilson College, spent 11 years working for her father in his aluminum business. “I was miserable for 10 and a half of those years,” she said.
In 2003, she, her husband and young daughters moved to San Francisco. “This is really home. It feels like me. The vibe is me. Politically, it feels like me. Culturally, I like that it’s a little more understated. It’s not as flamboyant and conspicuous as L.A. can be. Architecturally, it’s more interesting up here. The proximity to nature is better,” Baszile said. “My soul is here.”
While promoting “Harvest” on the festival circuit, Baszile’s latest work of fiction, “Friends and Family,” is being released October 6. “It has nothing to do with farming,” she said.
Set in San Francisco, the story examines a sudden and growing conflict between two longtime close friends, Babs and Nora, following a traumatic incident involving Nora’s teenage son. Among the themes explored are race, loyalty, privilege and allyship.
Baszile was thrilled about the collaborative aspect of filmmaking, but she still embraces the solitude of writing. “It’s me and the page and what’s in my mind. I love that process,” she said. “When it’s hard, I have no one to turn to. But I love being in that dream state when I’m thinking about the characters and creating that world when the characters become real.”
“Harvest” will screen at the Green Film Festival of San Francisco, October 20 at 6 p.m., at the 4-Star Theater, 2200 Clement St. Director/Producer Natalie Baszile will be a special guest. The film will also stream online from October 15-22. https://greenfest2026.eventive.org/live_schedule/6aa42ee9fbc292787361136a
Litquake will host a conversation between “Friends and Family” author Natalie Baszile and the East Bay’s Cheryl Dunye, trailblazing director/producer of 1996’s “The Watermelon Woman,” at the San Francisco Main Library, October 11, at 3 p.m. https://www.eventbrite.com.
Natalie Baszile’s superb website is a great place to visit.
Follow her on Instagram
Natalie and Hyacinth at the Tribeca Film Festival Premiere.
Noma Faingold is a writer and photographer who lives in Noe Valley. A native San Franciscan who grew up in the Sunset District, Faingold is a frequent contributor to the Richmond Review and Sunset Beacon newspapers, among others. She is obsessed with pop culture and the arts, especially film, theater and fashion. Noma has written about poet Lawrence Ferlinghetti, artists Tamara de Łempicka, Isaac Julien, and Wayne Thiebaud, numerous independent filmmakers, and singer/songwriters Janis Joplin, Diane Warren, and Linda Smith for EatDrinkFilms.