By Noma Faingold

In the documentary, “Harvest,” co-directors Natalie Baszile and her daughter, Hyacinth Parker, let the four brothers tell and show the story of family farm life in rural Louisiana, revealing complexities, struggles, tragedy, resilience and togetherness.

From a stunning view, high above the acres of corn, soy and cotton, the well-formed lines of growth look harmonious. At ground level, the reality is not so pristine. “Harvest” opens with the brothers, who are devoted to farming and to each other, hindered by outdated, faulty machinery.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, do not 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 film 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 Oct. 20 at the 4-Star Theater on Clement Street, 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 Inner Richmond, 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.

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,” she said. “We wanted to spend time with them and show them another slice of life.”

On the last evening, they came to Baszile’s house 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 had not ever directed a documentary, she asked the Nelson brothers if they would be willing to participate in “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 have a large family: seven siblings with 31 children between them. The gatherings, anchored by their mother, Mary, are joyful, prayerful and have 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.

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 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.”

What helped the new filmmakers is they surrounded themselves with artistic, seasoned professionals, including cinematographer Keith Walker (who has a lot of credits having worked with Oprah Winfrey) 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, who got her start in documentaries on the FX series, “Welcome to Wrexham,” and Baszile wanted “Harvest” to be contemporary and have a narrative feel.

“We wanted there to be suspense. Are they going to make it?” she said. “The Nelsons know they must stick together if they hope to survive.”

“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 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.

While promoting “Harvest” on the festival circuit, Baszile’s latest work of fiction, “Friends and Family,” is being released Oct. 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.

“Harvest”will screen on Oct. 20 at 6 p.m., at the 4-Star Theater. Baszile will be a special guest. The film will also stream online. Litquake will host a conversation between “Friends and Family” author Natalie Baszile and the East Bay’s Cheryl Dunye, director/producer of 1996’s “The Watermelon Woman,” at the San Francisco Main Library on Oct. 11 at 3 p.m.