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Two farmers walk through a field of tomatoes holding loudspeakers and discuss which music is best for the crops.
“Lets vary the music a bit. Not just traditional Greek music.”
“But the crop has quadrupled with traditional music. But if you think classical music is better, let’s try it. It needs Wagner.”
The opening of When Tomatoes Met Wagner is a sign of the eccentric personalities that lead this honest documentary about small town farmers in Greece.
Set in the village of Ilias, total population 33 of mostly elderly women, the documentary follows the story of the middle-aged, scruffy and energetic farmer Aleco who runs an organic farm alongside his cousin and five ‘aunties’.
The farm makes heritage tomato products for export and they’ve discovered an unconventional method that seems to produce better tomatoes: Wagner. It follows through their equally unconventional path to success, which eventually finds Aleco's jars of tomato sauce sold in British supermarket chains Odysea, Wholefoods and Sainsbury’s.
Small farmers challenging industrial agriculture, whose unexpected success raises the spirits of an entire town that has been struggling from an economic crisis - this is a feel-good film of real human stories that you're going to want to curl up to this evening.
