The Harvest
A film by Macdaleine St.Remy and produced by Kai Torres & Patrick Hamm
Vea Williams and Lloyd McDaniel, a Jamaican couple in their late thirties, work on a farm in upstate New York while grappling with infertility. Both believe Vea is the cause of their struggles. Thanks to the farm owners whose daughter works at a clinic, they gain access to a fertility consultation in Manhattan. It’s an opportunity they otherwise couldn’t afford. The visit is a mix of relief and heartache: relief at receiving a diagnosis and the possibility of intervention, but also a blow to Lloyd’s pride when they learn his low sperm count is the root of their difficulties. The doctor’s reassurances open up the possibility of a different future than they had imagined when they arrived, leaving Vea and Lloyd to silently reflect on what lies ahead. Back on the farm, as the sun sets, Vea allows herself a brief moment of vulnerability and rest in the quiet orchard, finding a small, hard-won peace amid her emotional turmoil.
Last year, when I turned 35, I found myself grappling more seriously with questions about motherhood—questions that had always lingered in the background. At the same time, attacks on various forms of assisted reproductive care, a previously untouchable aspect of healthcare in the U.S., became widespread. This forced me to confront the particularly fraught situation that Black women like myself face. If we desire to become mothers, the avenues available to us are increasingly limited as we navigate the systemic racism embedded within healthcare.
My interest lies in stories concerned with the extraordinary aspects of ordinary Black life. With my thesis film, The Harvest, I explore the emotional and financial strain that infertility can have on a couple desperate to have a child that is biologically their own.
I aim for a restrained visual style, inspired by Yasujirō Ozu, where each frame is treated like a painting. I will use silence and natural sounds to enhance emotional subtlety, employing music sparingly. The settings—both the farm and NYC—are integral to the narrative, reflecting my protagonist’s personal transformation.
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