Garden of Life (2017)

Directed by: Marco Niemeijer | 72 minutes | documentary

In ‘Garden of Life’ filmmaker Marco Niemeijer follows his father-in-law. Leo is 82 years old and starting to have dementia. But despite the fact that the life of Leo and his loved ones is increasingly dominated by Alzheimer’s, Leo focuses on his garden. A beautiful garden with flowers and plants that he considers living beings. Not a day goes by that Leo is weeding, picking or sweeping. He doesn’t skip a day, he says, unless there really is no other option. Leo does his best to maintain things, but in the year that Niemeijer follows his father-in-law, you see how this is becoming increasingly difficult. Leo goes backwards insanely fast, both physically and mentally. Over time, you see him looking around in a daze, but he continues to tirelessly. Through rain, frost or pneumonia, Leo plods on. The passion of a fragile man means that ‘Garden of Life’ provides a personal insight into the decline of man.

What is special about this intimate portrait is that the focus is on Leo. Bystanders – his wife, his children, his carers – are barely in the picture or only somewhere in the background. It almost seems as if you can look through Leo’s eyes and see his beautiful garden just as lost and with just as much admiration. Where in other documentaries or films you would probably hear the stories of a doctor or loved ones, here you see the decline as a silent killer making its appearance. Maximum effect is achieved with as few words as possible. In addition, the beautiful garden and the seasons that pass one by one provide wonderful images. Small details like a lonely rose in winter give a nice effect.

The only point of criticism is that despite ‘Garden of Life’ creating an almost familiar bond between its subject and the viewer, the long hour feels very slow. There is enough compassion for Leo, but because few things happen, the attention does wane after a while.

‘Garden of Life’ is an intimate portrait of a man and his garden. Decay sets in, the world shrinks, but the garden remains, nature always continues.