Lavender Fields Forever

Director - Amelia Bartlett

Amelia Bartlett is a creative producer, filmmaker, and entrepreneur based in Knoxville, TN, dedicated to elevating regional stories and empowering local communities. A graduate of the University of South Florida with a BS in Entrepreneurship & Innovation, Amelia combines her passion for storytelling with strategic leadership to craft compelling narratives across film, documentary, unscripted TV, and multimedia projects.

Growing up in an antique store surrounded by small business owners and passionate creatives set her up for an eclectic, history-inspired interest in the everyday joys that make life spectacular.

Director Statement

Lavender Fields Forever is about what calls us home, in the sense of drawing us toward our destiny and the ideas that take root in our hearts to make a residence of our souls.

This is my first film and it developed as an unexpected parallel to my own journey of leaving where I was from, where I thought I'd make a life, to a land that called me home. Lydia’s story is ultimately about listening to intuition, braving the unknown, and refusing to settle for less than your destiny.

From personal experience —

When I was 21, I got to talking with a makeup brand CEO on a 2 am shoot at the Home Shopping Network about his family home in Italy, which was floundering with no one tending the property. Right then, he offered it to me: Would I want to cheaply lease the villa and become the steward of a working lavender farm?

I have always wondered what life could’ve been like if I’d said yes. It was a scary thought at the time, but I’ve learned experiences like these are what foster resilience and a true sense of self.

Lydia’s story feels particularly influenced by the book The Alchemist by Paolo Coelho, wherein the old man says, “Follow the omens.”