Agatha’s Almanac‘s titular subject, Manitoba farmer Agatha Bock, has a solution for home maintenance – duct tape. She proudly points to one of the little beams on her house where one can barely see the difference between the beam and tape. The documentary is a balm – it captures Bock doing things like making snacks. Most of the things she does speak to her self sufficiency, showing the way in case someone wants to follow her lead. It also captures her watching the deer, an animal she likes even if they eat a lot out of the crops from her garden.

The documentary captures this 90-year-old woman beautifully, although all it takes to wow me are aesthetics reminding me of the past. Collaborating with director Amalie Atkins is director Rhayne Vermette, and seeing the latter serve as a cinematographer here is great. There are also some great musical choices in Agatha’s Almanac, adding a sense of modern whimsy in depicting someone living her life. This documentary would be good if it was just relying on vibes but it’s actually giving us someone worthy of a nuanced character study. Agatha Bock’s self sufficiency manifests itself when she’s making and talking about food.

Agatha’s Almanac has the same wavelength as its subject, an impressionistic approach in capturing a woman who is independent. Just like most farmers, she lives under the mercy of the whims of nature showing its quiet, formidable strength. It’s not just the deer she has to watch out for, she also notes when hail causes damage to her crops. Even while talking about these setbacks, the documentary catches her easy cadence, describing herself as someone who isn’t a worrywort. There is so much to learn from this woman, central to one of the best documentaries at this year’s festival.