The Planters
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Awkward telemarketer Martha Plant lives a lonely existence burying treasure and eating split pea soup. When she takes in a vagrant with multiple personalities, she discovers having three friends in one may be more than she can handle.
78 minutes. Not rated. Directed by Alexandra Kotcheff & Hannah Leder.
In the wake of her parents death, awkward telemarketer Martha Plant lives a lonely existence sucking at selling air conditioners, burying stolen treasure in the desert, and eating split pea soup. When she fortuitously collides into Sadie Mayflower, a bubbly vagrant with an orange suitcase and penchant for chit chat, Martha takes her in and offers her a position as her treasure burying assistant. But Martha quickly discovers her people-savvy friend has multiple personalities, some nicer than others.
Shot entirely without a crew, Alexandra Kotcheff and Hannah Leder's debut feature is a monument to friendship and DIY filmmaking. Pre-COVID, the co-directors and longtime pals remained in isolation during a 120-day production with only select trips for provisions or to the pic’s desert locations—shot in and around Palm Springs, Joshua Tree, L.A., New Mexico, and more. Kotcheff and Leder handled their own cinematography, production design, costumes, etc. and the result is a film sprouting with originality and humor