DOC - The Heart of the Christmas Tree / El Corazón del Arbol de Navidad

Documentary Feature

Title: The Heart of the Christmas Tree / El Corazón del Arbol de Navidad

Project Status: In Production

TRT: 70 minutes

Logline 

Decorating a Christmas tree is a holiday tradition for many American families, regardless of faith. This documentary unwraps the process of growing Christmas trees, revealing the people, land, and labor that support this beloved tradition.

Synopsis

Set in the southern Appalachian mountains of North Carolina, this documentary explores the hidden labor behind one of the most familiar icons of the holiday season. Every year, families across the United States bring home a Christmas tree with little knowledge of the workers, land, or time required to grow it. At the heart of the story is the relationship between farm owners, H-2A workers from Mexico, and the mountain landscape.

Each spring, José Cruz leaves his home in Tampico, Mexico and travels north to the Appalachian Mountains, where he has worked for more than two decades tending trees at Cartner’s Christmas Tree farm. The film follows José, tracing his labor across borders and seasons.

In North Carolina, the film follows the Cartner family, whose farm history is tied to the development of the state’s Christmas tree industry. Sam Cartner Jr. is carrying forward his family’s farm while adapting to a changing world, one shaped by volatile weather, international labor markets, and economic pressure. Through José and Sam, the film captures both the intimacy and the contradictions of this agricultural system. The film asks what it means to build beauty and tradition through labor that remains largely invisible.

Additional Project Info

Co-Directors Statement:
We live in Christmas tree growing communities in the mountains of western North Carolina. We have spent the past four years building relationships with farm owners, H-2A workers, agricultural extension agents, and others who work with Christmas trees.
Our process begins with conversations with potential participants, providing an overview of the project, our goals, and the filmmaking process. Regular check-ins with all participants provides a structure that allows everyone to share their questions, ideas, and concerns. These check-ins also allow us to have continuing conversations about consent as the project develops. We continually work on ways to minimize risk or potential harm to participants. For example, to reduce legal risk, we only film workers with current visas. Each of these steps is important to ensure that we are accountable to the communities we are documenting.

We have two primary criteria for the project's success:
1. Do participants see their lives accurately reflected in the work?
2. Do audiences gain a deeper understanding of the human connections behind products we purchase, such as Christmas trees?

Team

Co-directors: Yolanda Adams and Tom Hansell
Producer: Anjanette Leveret

Seeking

We are seeking funding to complete production and support for distribution and impact.

Contact

Tom Hansell

thansell@gmail.com