Claudia Varney

GFI Fellow - Class of 2015

Undergraduate Student, World Arts and Cultures
UCLA

Project

Down to Earth: Stories of Urban Gardeners in Los Angeles

Description

Down to Earth is an ethnographic documentary. Centering on two sites, one in Watts and one in Hollywood, the film explores the potential of urban gardening in supporting community building, sustaining urbanites' personal connections to land, and helping gardeners to maintain their spiritual, mental and physical wellness.

Goals

This project was devoted to exploring the processes and people that create and sustain urban gardens in Los Angeles, and the ways in which urban gardens in Los Angles also sustain and nourish the gardeners by constructing strong communities.

Future Plans

I am interested in state and local public policy around food systems, and would like to continue exploring the intersections of food, green spaces in urban settings, labor and emotional wellness.

Mentors

Andy Rice and Aparna Sharma