This documentary is unique in that the subject, farmer John Peterson, is both the author and the narrator. As he tells it, his life thus far has consisted of tensions between his farming upbringing, and the idealism and artistic expression of his college years and adulthood.

As a young man, John tried to combine both worlds by inviting hippies to work and play on his farm in an experiment he called the ‘Midwest Coast’. Failures and family pressures add to his pressures and he retreats to Mexico for solace.

When John returns home to farm again, he is subjected to a small-town witch-hunt. His lifetime neighbour, an aspiring sheriff, comes to the conclusion that John is a child-killing, orgiastic Satan worshipper. I got the feeling that part of the reason the film exists is for John to justify himself to his finger-pointing community.

There is something about the way John places himself as the poetic hero, which is profoundly irritating. Set-up shots of him in Mexico came across as self-conscious and indulgent. But in its poetic efforts, The Real Dirt on Farmer John does look beautiful. Super 8 from John’s wild ’60s days weaves with well-placed interviews and more current digital and film footage, creating a textured and nicely paced narrative of John’s life. A soundtrack littered with Dirty Three tracks adds to the narrative.

Critical of Farmer John’s self-indulgence, I admire him and can see that his eccentricity and efforts make his corner of the world a little bit better.

This is a deserving tale that is pretty well told.