LAFF Review: Inspiring Urban Gardening Doc ‘Can You Dig This’ Exec Produced By John Legend Has Real Heart
“Can You Dig This” tracks the natural cycle of a garden’s growth, and pairs it with the man-made roadblocks capable of cutting it short. Such a timeframe means an extensive period of prep and execution in the company of four South Los Angeles groups and individuals—all dedicated to urban gardening in their own way. And it's incredible how much director Delila Vallot (“Tunnel Vision”) observes through the inspiring crew she follows.
It’s a truly diverse cast of characters at play here in and around Compton, Watts, and the only one who embraces the gardening cause full force is also the youngest. Quimonie Lewis is an eight-year-old with four sisters and a father, Randy, who serves as president of the Compton housing project where they live. Quimonie’s fiercely determined personality finds an on-site community garden as the answer to three troubles in her life: her father’s health troubles due to an all-meat diet, lack of income, and the benefit of free, organic food grown...