Intense disaster movie Silo now available

Farmers across the U.S. are talking about a new movie that showcases the danger of getting trapped in a silo filled with corn.

The 70-minute independent movie, simply called Silo, focuses on two workers trapped and sinking in a grain silo. The movie looks at the potential rescue as well as the impact on the farming community.

The film’s distribution is unique. Instead of being shown in theatres or on Netflix, farmers or farm groups pay for a US $2,500 licence to show the film. Since that licence comes with a Blu Ray DVD of the film, Silo can be shown in a school auditorium, hotel conference room or even in a barn on a projector screen. The first Canadian screening was last fall at a film festival in Edmonton.

The producers recommend showings be accompanied by a discussion event about farm safety, grain safety and mental health. In the U.S., Silo has been shown at the National Farm Machinery Show, the Nashville Fire Expo and the Farm Progress Show.

“Silo lays bare the many, very real stresses of life on the farm, especially the physical dangers,” said John Hawkins, managing director of conventions and operations with the American Farm Bureau Federation, which showed the film at the group’s annual convention and trade show in January. “It places equal emphasis on how rural communities come together when a neighbour is in need. That resonates very strongly with the Farm Bureau family, as does the film’s attention to mental health and rural resilience, two important elements of the annual convention theme, Sustaining America’s Agriculture.”

Ohio’s Country Journal marketing specialist Rise Labig reviewed the movie, saying farmers need to see it.

“All of us in the ag community know that safety is a huge risk every single day on the farm,” she said. “Yet, herein lies something we all know to be true: It’s very easy to get comfortable with the risks. Please go see this film. Is it easy to watch? No. People need to understand the risks and need to be reminded that it is so easy for an accident to happen.”

Labig said the movie reminded her how there are too many times when we don’t know where someone is, and accidents can happen quickly. U.S. statistics say an adult can be completely buried in a silo within 20 seconds. She said the film will make you ask questions about your own farm, such as if there are directions to tell someone how to shut off your grain system in the event of an accident.

The independent movie was released in 2019 and has been, or will be, viewed at 75 U.S. events. To enquire about booking, visit www.silothefilm.com.