"Faith like Potatoes," directed by Regardt van den Bergh and released in 2006, recounts the story of Angus Buchan during the late seventies. The drama centers on a farmer who relocated his family from Zambia—seeking refuge from political turmoil—to eastern South Africa to cultivate maize. Frank Rautenbach portrays Buchan alongside Jeanne Neilson and Hamilton Dlamini as members of his family and workforce. They encounter numerous difficulties in their new location, culminating in Angus’s decision to plant potatoes through faith despite a severe drought. The film's documentary style echoes other African biographical films like “I Dreamed of Africa” (2000) and "Nowhere in Africa" (2001), though with an emphasis on religious belief. While I wasn't previously familiar with Buchan, he later became a notable South African evangelist—with his own television program. The movie explores his early life and eventual conversion to Christianity, but the spiritual aspects don’t truly surface until roughly the midpoint, which is when the film becomes more engaging. Because it's based on a true story, the narrative lacks the typical momentum of a conventional three-act structure, instead presenting an ordinary depiction of events. Other films with similar origins shared this characteristic. However, this can be seen as a positive aspect, allowing the movie to portray reality without resorting to embellishment—a contrast to films like Oliver Stone’s “The Doors” (1991), which relied on sensationalized storytelling and outright falsehoods. Some critics contend that "Faith like Potatoes" also presents fabricated narratives and contains questionable theological inconsistencies. I don't necessarily agree, but elaborating on my reasoning would be lengthy, as the answers are subtly present within the film itself. It’s best to view it, consider its themes, and form your own conclusions. The movie has a runtime of 1 hour and 56 minutes and was filmed in South Africa. Angus Buchan authored the book upon which the screenplay by Regardt van den Bergh is based. GRADE: B-/C+

Source on TMDB