LE FERME ( THE FARM)
A SIX- EPISODE DRAMA
Inspired by such modular masterpieces as CBC’s At the Hotel and Altman’s
Short Cuts, Le Ferme follows the lives of separate characters connected only by their place of residence … or a natural disaster.
Le Ferme is a tri- tower downtown Calgary condo development that’s “built for sustainable living.” It features wideplank floors, black- enamel farmhouse sinks, its own water source as well as cavernous wine cellars ( in lieu of storage lockers) and organic French gardens that yield green beans, grapes, and pens full of little lambs you can pet. Then eat, if necessary.
The well- heeled roster of modish residents— web designers, architects, entrepreneurs— have clawed their way to this tiny patch of real estate in unprecedented bidding wars ( a new development
in developments). Now they can relax in Cabernet- soaked French cooking classes in the halogen- bathed recreation room, civilized communion that distracts them from the fact that Le Ferme’s insane “pricepersqft” means that these chats will not be able to visit the actual country of France for years.
In Episode 1, the last unit is sold, but the development is not quite finished and tensions are running a little high. The towers are quake-, cyclone- and flood- ready, but … the little farm is a little behind. So when Hurricane Jessica comes sweeping across the Prairies and through the core, and all of Calgary slides off the grid, Le Ferme sets its quaint cow gates and electric fences against all visitors: there simply isn’t enough to go around.
Like a fine blend of Survivor and JG Ballard’s High Rise, with some French New Wave to maximize expression, Le Ferme morphs into its own complex universe as everyone tries to figure out how to put a tap into rain barrels without consulting the Internet, what a truffle is nutritionally for and who among them has the guts to kill something as adorable as a fluffy lamb.
There are tears, conflict, then condohopping, sex, wine and Ye- Ye Pop as the formerly professional corporate crowd is left to its own devices and vices. A new economy is born as money loses all meaning and residents trade their frozen Second to None shepherd’s pies for Mercato olives, Choklat, miniscule buds of weed ( which they try, unsuccessfully, to plant in the French soil) and Suzie- Q beads.
When Calgary gets up and running again at the end of Episode 6, a second electric fence is wrapped around Le Ferme— this time to keep Les Fermiers in. Oblivious and clearly mad, the inmates know no different.
And it’s only been one week …