CPH:DOX 2025: Agatha’s Almanac (dir. Amalie Atkins) | Review
In Agatha’s Almanac, director Amalie Atkins pays tribute to the ingenuity and resilience of her aunt.
Agatha was born in the province of Manitoba, Canada, where she still lives today, alone. She owns a large property where she lives almost self-sufficiently thanks to the abundant harvests from her garden. Her days are shaped by the cycles of nature: planting in the spring, tending to the crops, and harvesting fruits and vegetables through the summer and into early fall, before preparing the soil for winter. At over eighty years old, she exudes a remarkable energy and determination, working from dawn till dusk, relying only on her own strength. In Agatha’s Almanac, director Amalie Atkins paints a tender portrait of her aunt Agatha, highlighting her ingenuity and resilience.
In the documentary feature, which premiered at CPH:DOX 2025 as part of the DOX:AWARD section, the director’s camera follows the protagonist as she goes about her tasks. This approach creates an intimate connection with Agatha. Speaking directly to her niece, who holds the camera, it feels as if she’s speaking to us, sharing her knowledge and memories, some of which are painful. To deepen this immersion into her aunt’s life, the director chose to use an image with faded colors and occasional stilted motion, evoking the imperfections and charm of old films.
Pragmatic and highly skilled, Agatha repairs, mends, and patches up things, including her beloved old sneakers, in contrast to the frantic consumerism that has defined the post-war era. At her home, everything is labeled, as every item has a purpose and function in the ecosystem she has created over the years. Like the bucket that collects rainwater for both watering the crops and for her personal use, as the property’s running water system has been out of order for many years. Throughout her life, Agatha has developed a remarkable, sometimes surprising set of skills. One scene that particularly stood out to us takes place in the fall. After harvesting the dried bean plants, she treads on them to release the beans. She then brings everything into her living room, carefully covers her furniture, and sets up a large fan, letting the freshly shelled beans fall slowly in front of it to clean and dry them. A charmingly outdated but very effective winnowing system.
Agatha’s Almanac is a precious testament to a skillset and a thoughtful way of consuming, both of which are gradually fading as our elders pass on.
