Directed by Amelie Atkins, Agatha’s Almanac invites the viewer into the home and garden of 90-year-old Agatha Bock. Living on her 54-acre family farm in southern Manitoba, Agatha works hard to make sure that every seed is sown and every watermelon picked properly. Offering mantras that range from working hard for happiness to the magic of duct tape, Agatha is shown to be a woman of wisdom and conviction who believes that there’s beauty in the world to be celebrated.

By painting her frames with warm glows, Atkins portrays Agatha’s story with nostalgic adoration. Every scene holds Agatha in high regard as a loving and energetic matriarch. As a result, there’s something particularly adorable about Agatha that makes her a compelling subject. She’s not our grandmother… but we feel like she could be. There’s a genuineness about her that reveals the purity of her soul. At her heart, she is shown here to be a woman of conviction. With every gardening tip and handmade quilt, Agatha simply works hard for the love of it. But she’s not trying to change the world.

She’s simply trying to make things as beautiful as possible.

Agatha is a woman that is passionate about living in harmony with the natural world and it’s her joy that makes Almanac such a poignant piece. For Atkins, it’s clear that Agatha’s hands hold a captivating spirit. As we witness multiple shots of Agatha’s vast number of work gloves, the film honours her commitment to making things better. She is a woman who never stops moving (until she must take a rest, at least) and Atkins simply allows her to share herself with the audience. There is no final argument or any grand speech. Instead, Atkins simply lets Agatha walk us through her garden and offer us the gift of her presence.

And that may be the most beautiful thing of all.

Agatha’s Almanac is playing at HotDocs ’25. For more information, click here.