ΕTERNAL MASH

Brassica oleracea, or wild cabbage, is a rare perennial plant species. Until recently, Brassica oleracea grew together with hundreds of other vegetables on Ruurd Walrecht’s biodiversity field, but after 40 years, Walrecht abandoned his life’s work of preserving rare and endangered plant species. Worn-out and thwarted by the government, he went to live in Sweden, taking his unique know-how along with him –know-how that could prove essential to our future food supply. In Eternal Mash we meet people who spent years cherishing the same dream as Walrecht: Reid de Jong, one of the few people in holland who is completely self-sufficient; Peter ten Bookum, who gave up his job as a graphic designer and chose to live as a nomad; and Boele Ytsma, Walrecht’s right-hand man, who is still not over his good friend’s sudden departure. The recollections of these men are intercut with impressions of their daily lives and the landscape they inhabit. In brief intermezzos, we see extreme close-ups of plants and hear Ruurd Walrecht’s contemplations in voice-over.