Happen Films
Beautiful 1-Acre Small Scale Permaculture Property | Limestone Permaculture Farm Tour
updated
What happens when the values of the culture you’ve always known no longer align with how you see the world?
The New Peasants offers an intimate look into the life of Meg, Patrick, Zephyr, and Woody. A family who, for 20 years, have been transitioning away from modern industrial culture toward a radically simple, sustainable, and beautiful way of life.
Concerns about the industrial food system and environmental crises provided the family’s initial motivation to live differently. Now it’s 15 years since they’ve eaten from a supermarket or owned a car. The household, living intentionally below the poverty line and meeting 80% of their needs without using money, is nonetheless rich in so many ways. Wealth is found in their cellar of preserved foods, connections with community, saved seeds, homesteading skills and the time to focus on what really matters in life. Yet the decision to live this way has brought profound challenges for their family, in the form of their eldest son’s encounters with the law. These experiences have produced immense grief, but, in the end, also great joy.
This film shares the unfolding journey of a family rejecting the mainstream culture and working to create a new one. A culture and economy that draw on ways of the past while stepping joyfully into the future. For everything they’ve let go, something has been gained. With every challenge, something learned.
This is one family’s response to the predicament of our time, offering an inspiring glimpse into the kind of future, culture, and economy we can create. This family’s way of living shows that transformative change begins at the home and community level and that we can all participate in creating a better world.
Back in 2019 we visited Kat Lavers at her urban permaculture property, The Plummery. We were awed not just by the abundance of food growing in her tiny back yard, but by her approach to life, her household and community practices, and her wonderful eloquence. That film has been a hit – 2.2 million views to date on YouTube and over 1500 comments that are overwhelmingly inspired, excited, loving and grateful to Kat for her quiet wisdom. The film was also selected in four international film festivals.
It’s been on our mind to film with Kat again – to see if things have changed in the garden and in her thinking. Happily Kat was equally excited to share an update and even expand on her insights into inner-city gardening and living. We shot a revisit film with her in December 2024, just at the start of Melbourne’s summer, and this time Kat spoke about creating resilience both in our gardens and in our homes. We also get to see some of the very cool critters that maintain her garden’s thriving ecosystem.
Find out more about Kat Lavers and The Plummery: https://katlavers.com.au
Kat on Instagram: http://instagram.com/kat.lavers
Watch our first film at The Plummery from 2019: youtu.be/Y9ZukMyejLk
Host a screening of this film in your community!
happenfilms.com/category/all-products
Subtitles
Please get in touch if you'd like to create subtitles in your language! happenfilms.com/contact
More about Happen Films
We make short and feature-length documentaries, all about permaculture, resilience and sustainability.
Website: happenfilms.com
Instagram: instagram.com/happenfilms
Facebook: facebook.com/happenfilms
We're so proud of everything we've done over this time but it wouldn't be possible without you, our community. Thank you so much to everyone for watching our films, sharing them, leaving comments, or sending a donation our way. We love doing this work and are excited for the next 10 years ahead!
If you'd like to find out how you can support our work, you can check out our website happenfilms.com/support-us or visit our page on Patreon patreon.com/happenfilms
Thank you 💚
Rongoā and te ao Māori, the Māori worldview, take into account our life essence, our ancestral knowledge, the wisdom that comes from being connected – to each other and to the land. This ancient knowledge has been at risk of being completely lost. Thankfully, cultures that have remained indigenous have held on to so much ancestral wisdom. Donna Kerridge shares some of that insight in this film, and calls on us all to listen to the whispers of our ancestors.
Find out more about Donna Kerridge and her rongoā work here: oranewzealand.com/pages/about-us
If you'd like to help support us to make more films like this one, please consider joining our Patreon community! We release regular behind-the-scenes updates and exclusive content - patreon.com/happenfilms
Host a screening of this film in your community!
happenfilms.com/category/all-products
Subtitles
Please get in touch if you'd like to create subtitles in your language! happenfilms.com/contact
The films of the series "Something Beautiful for the World" explore how small acts of love and kindness have the potential to ripple out and change the world, touching hearts and minds in ways that we could never begin to imagine. We'll be sharing a total of 12 short films, from across five continents - releasing one per month for the whole year of 2024 - four from each filmmaker.
More info about the three production companies below:
Happen Films
Follow us on Youtube: youtube.com/@happenfilms
Visit our website: happenfilms.com
Support us on Patreon: patreon.com/happenfilms
Campfire Stories
Follow us on Youtube: youtube.com/@campfire-stories
Visit our website: campfire-stories.org
Support on Patreon: patreon.com/mattiasolsson
Reflections of Life
Follow us on Youtube: youtube.com/@ReflectionsofLife
Visit our website: https://reflectionsof.life
Support on Patreon: patreon.com/reflectionsoflife
A Day in the Life of Woody showcases the unschooled life of 11-year-old Blackwood, a boy who has been schooled from home all his life. There’s not much missing in a day spent with Woody that you wouldn’t find in the life of most 11-year-old Australian boys – bows & arrows, playing cricket, family time, learning time… but there’s a difference here. From growing the tree to make his future bows & arrows to skillfully handling a chainsaw as he helps his dad manage the local commons forest, Woody’s daily life is both similar and very different to the average young boy’s. Told entirely from Woody’s perspective, this 12-minute film shares an inspiring insight into one young boy’s experience of the world.
If you'd like to help support us to make more films like this one, please consider joining our Patreon community! We release regular behind-the-scenes updates and exclusive content - patreon.com/happenfilms
Host a screening of this film in your community!
happenfilms.com/product/short-film-free-screening-license
*Subtitles*
Please get in touch if you'd like to create subtitles in your language! happenfilms.com/contact
The films of the series "Something Beautiful for the World" explore how small acts of love and kindness have the potential to ripple out and change the world, touching hearts and minds in ways that we could never begin to imagine. We'll be sharing a total of 12 short films, from across five continents - releasing one per month for the whole year of 2024 - four from each filmmaker.
More info about the three production companies below:
Happen Films
Follow us on Youtube: youtube.com/@happenfilms
Visit our website: happenfilms.com
Support us on Patreon: patreon.com/happenfilms
Campfire Stories
Follow us on Youtube: youtube.com/@campfire-stories
Visit our website: campfire-stories.org
Support us on Patreon: patreon.com/mattiasolsson
Reflections of Life
Follow us on Youtube: youtube.com/@ReflectionsofLife
Visit our website: https://reflectionsof.life/
Support us on Patreon: patreon.com/reflectionsoflife
Flute Making and Human Making is a meditation on the similarities to be found between two unlikely things – a traditional Japanese bamboo flute and a human being. This short film is a unique exploration into the making of a shakuhachi flute, from bamboo harvest to beautiful music, and the crossovers with the making of a beautiful human. Had the thought ever occurred to you? Set your imagination to play!
Begin with a posture of openness, of attentiveness. Breathe down through the fluteness of your spine to sense the tensions, where to soften, where to loosen. Consider the flute’s five holes and your own five senses. What crafting can take place, what adjustments, so that the wholeness of your being becomes the greatest, most wonderful offering you can gift to the world?
Buddhist teacher Tarchin Hearn and blind flutemaker Kelvin Falconer take us on a journey into new territory, asking us to meditate deeply on our own crafting, our own fluteness, to take our turn in serious music-making for the healing of the world.
Based on Tarchin Hearn’s book Something Beautiful for the World: A shakuhachi sadhana. If you're inspired by the film to read the book, or to learn more about Tarchin's teachings, visit his website at greendharmatreasury.org
If you'd like to help support us to make more films like this one, please consider joining our Patreon community! We release regular behind-the-scenes updates and exclusive content - patreon.com/happenfilms
Host a screening of this film in your community!
happenfilms.com/product/short-film-free-screening-license
*Subtitles*
Please get in touch if you'd like to create subtitles in your language! happenfilms.com/contact
The films of the series "Something Beautiful for the World" explore how small acts of love and kindness have the potential to ripple out and change the world, touching hearts and minds in ways that we could never begin to imagine. We'll be sharing a total of 12 short films, from across five continents - releasing one per month for the whole year of 2024 - four from each filmmaker.
More info about the three production companies below:
Happen Films
Follow us on Youtube: youtube.com/@happenfilms
Visit our website: happenfilms.com
Support us on Patreon: patreon.com/happenfilms
Campfire Stories
Follow us on Youtube: youtube.com/@campfire-stories
Visit our website: campfire-stories.org
Support us on Patreon: patreon.com/mattiasolsson
Reflections of Life
Follow us on Youtube: youtube.com/@ReflectionsofLife
Visit our website: https://reflectionsof.life/
Support us on Patreon: patreon.com/reflectionsoflife
Is there an age at which you stop being an activist for change? Not according to Helen Dew!
In fact, Helen’s activism didn’t even begin until she was in her 60s. Back then, she was introduced to a woman who was campaigning to change the fragile and problematic global financial system. When Helen understood what the issues were, she realised, “Now I know what to do with my life.”
Our money system is integral to how we live our lives and the impact we have on each other and our planet. A lifelong gardener and an innately frugal child of the Great Depression, the concept of living simply is second nature to Helen. But as the world around her has become less and less ‘simple’ her passion has grown ever greater to educate her community about why we benefit from growing our own food, saving our own seeds, taking care of our water and other resources – and how all of these things are linked to the money system that dominates and impacts our lives.
For Helen, a key element in building personal and community resilience is in building quality soil. From making biochar for her compost to petitioning the local council to create a natural burial park, she has worked tirelessly in so many ways to contribute to her community and to the planet. She is truly Something Beautiful for the World!
If you'd like to help support us to make more films like this one, please consider joining our Patreon community! We release regular behind-the-scenes updates and exclusive content - patreon.com/happenfilms
Host a screening of this film in your community!
happenfilms.com/product/short-film-free-screening-license
*More about Helen's work*
Living Economies: livingeconomies.nz
*Subtitles*
Please get in touch if you'd like to create subtitles in your language! happenfilms.com/contact
The films of the series "Something Beautiful for the World" explore how small acts of love and kindness have the potential to ripple out and change the world, touching hearts and minds in ways that we could never begin to imagine. We'll be sharing a total of 12 short films, from across five continents - releasing one per month for the whole year of 2024 - four from each filmmaker.
More info about the three production companies below:
Happen Films
Follow us on Youtube: youtube.com/@happenfilms
Visit our website: happenfilms.com
Support us on Patreon: patreon.com/happenfilms
Campfire Stories
Follow us on Youtube: youtube.com/@campfire-stories
Visit our website: campfire-stories.org
Support us on Patreon: patreon.com/mattiasolsson
Reflections of Life
Follow us on Youtube: youtube.com/@reflectionsoflife
Visit our website: https://reflectionsof.life/
Support us on Patreon: patreon.com/reflectionsoflife
Planting began in 2017 – “we got permission [from Council] to plant 30 trees, so we planted 65” – and the food forest systems of the park now contain over 100 fruit and nut trees, many of them heritage trees, as well as over 1000 native plants, herbs, berries, vegetables, flowers, and perennial plants.
Michael calls the Commons “a step away from the transactional relationship that dominates the way that we act in the world”. The term Commons refers to a space that holds or creates resources that are nurtured by the community for the long term benefit of the community.
While the community is welcomed to working bees and planting days, participating in them is not a criteria for accessing the fruit and vegetables within. This free access to quality organic food is one of the many benefits of this Commons. Another is the community connections created as a result of coming together in the space. In addition, Michael has been able to convince the local council to stop spraying and to reduce mowing, a massive cost saving to the council that it would benefit from if more public parks were managed in this way.
Like all projects of this nature, accessing funding to employ people to maintain the Commons and undertake the work of connecting the community around it is a constant and often inhibiting challenge. But once these projects really get going they can become community-managed and really prove their worth to the community. Please help us share this film and inspire others to undertake similar projects in their own public spaces!
If you'd like to help support us to make more films like this one, please consider joining our Patreon community! We release regular behind-the-scenes updates and exclusive content - patreon.com/happenfilms
Host a screening of this film in your community!
happenfilms.com/product/short-film-free-screening-license
*More about Roimata Food Commons*
Website: roimatafoodcommons.org
Instagram: instagram.com/roimatafoodcommons
Facebook: facebook.com/roimatafoodcommons
*More about Happen Films*
We make short and feature-length documentaries, all about permaculture, resilience and sustainability.
Website: happenfilms.com
Instagram: instagram.com/happenfilms
Facebook: facebook.com/happenfilms
*Subtitles*
Please get in touch if you'd like to create subtitles in your language! happenfilms.com/contact
'Strawbale Dream Home' follows the building of a beautiful eco home by wonderful owner builders Adam and Sian in Victoria, Australia. It’s a stunning traditional timber frame home combining timber joinery, straw bale, and cob. And it radiates with the wholehearted love they poured into designing a sustainable home of their dreams, and then building it.
If you’ve been following us a while, you may recall that seven years ago we made a film about Adam and Sian’s first home, The Handmade House Truck. Their new forever home is even more special.
We shot this film sporadically over four years, which is a really long production run for us! Each time Jordan visited his homeland of Australia, he’d check in with Adam and Sian to catch up on the build. And the inevitable story that has developed around it.
That story included the birth of their first child alongside the unexpected death of a beloved family member. Both events weaving into the story of joy, heartache, community connection, frustration, and love that’s become as much part of the house’s structure as the straw and cob and timber.
Aside from the craftsmanship, beautiful aesthetics, and sheer naturalness of this building, we really love that it’s urban. You don’t get to see so many natural buildings in this setting. Perhaps seeing more eco homes like this created using natural building techniques will shine a light on the waste and toxic materials so prevalent today’s house construction.
This timber frame home serves as an inspiration in so many beautiful ways, as do its owner builders Adam and Sian!
This story was filmed on Gadubanud country in Victoria, Australia. We acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of this land and pay respects to Elders past, present, and emerging.
If you'd like to help support us to make more films like this one, please consider joining our Patreon community! We release regular behind-the-scenes updates and exclusive content: patreon.com/happenfilms
Host a screening of this film in your community!
happenfilms.com/product/short-film-free-screening-license
*Adam's Building Company Evergreen Homes*
Website: https://evergreenhomesaustralia.com.au
Instagram: instagram.com/evergreenhomesau
Facebook: facebook.com/evergreenhomesau
*More about Happen Films*
We make short and feature-length documentaries, all about permaculture, resilience and sustainability.
Website: happenfilms.com
Instagram: instagram.com/happenfilms
Facebook: facebook.com/happenfilms
*Subtitles*
Please get in touch if you'd like to create subtitles in your language! happenfilms.com/contact
*Thank you!*
We are forever grateful to everyone who supports us financially to make our films – we can’t do this without the regular donations we receive that range from $1 a month and make all the difference.
These awesome folk support us on Patreon: Andi Begerl, Brian Newton, Carolyn Gillum, Chris and Kristen, Dave Evans, Dennis Lange, Geoffrey Torkington, Georjette M., Greg & Rachel Hart, Jacqueline Hicks, Julian Maher, Kelle McNamara, Kelly & Peter Osmond, Kirti Patel, Lauren, Mary Conlan, Matthew Burdett, Pierre Blom, Rex & Jo, Sankar Madhavan, Teresa R., Tiitus Laine, V.J. Raghavan.
And a huge thank you to the incredible folk at Biome Trust for their generous long-term support for Happen Films.
Together we'll be releasing one film per month for the whole year, four from each filmmaker to make a total of 12 films. The common theme? Small acts with immeasurable impact. Small acts of love, kindness, and beauty have ripple effects that we may never see or understand, but they can change our world for the better.
Find the films as they come out in this playlist: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLye1JIzaiQ6rKe40SkcSWqoC_sn4v_vIY
We hope this series will inspire us all to celebrate and value those day-to-day actions and simple ways of being in the world that impact the world around us and contribute to creating a more beautiful world.
The title is borrowed from a book that is the inspiration for one of the films we'll release in the series. Something Beautiful for the World: A Shakuhachi Sadhana by Tarchin Hearn is a beautiful meditation on the ways we can compare the making of a traditional Japanese flute, a shakuhachi, and the making of a beautiful human (and consequently humanity). If that intrigues you as much as it intrigued us, we recommend checking out the book at greendharmatreasury.org/writings/books. We're excited to share that film with you next year!
Be sure to subscribe to us, @campfire-stories, and @ReflectionsofLife to be notified about each release. Stay tuned for the first film on 27 January 2024!
For this film, we asked Hannah and Liam about their perspective on what it means to be zero waste, what it’s taken for them to make suitable lifestyle changes toward that goal, and their work in advocacy and activism. This short film offers inspiration and encouragement to all of us, no matter where we are on our waste minimisation journey.
Hannah and Liam’s story offers another opportunity for Happen Films to contribute to the global conversation about waste. It is topical and it needs urgent action. We see it as a critical subject to be discussing in our households, communities, businesses, and with our governments: how can each and every one of us assume responsibility for our impact on the planet and on each other and work towards the necessary system change?
If you'd like to help support us to make more films like this one, please consider joining our Patreon community! We release regular behind-the-scenes updates and exclusive content: patreon.com/happenfilms
Host a screening of this film in your community!
happenfilms.com/product/short-film-free-screening-license
*More about The Rubbish Trip*
Website: http://therubbishtrip.co.nz
Instagram: instagram.com/therubbishtrip
Facebook: facebook.com/TheRubbishTrip
*More about Happen Films*
We make short and feature-length documentaries, all about permaculture, resilience and sustainability.
Website: happenfilms.com
Instagram: instagram.com/happenfilms
Facebook: facebook.com/happenfilms
*Subtitles*
Please get in touch if you'd like to create subtitles in your language! happenfilms.com/contact
*Thank you!*
We are forever grateful to everyone who supports us financially to make our films – we can’t do this without the regular donations we receive that range from $1 a month and make all the difference.
These awesome folk support us on Patreon: Andi Begerl, Brian Newton, Carolyn Gillum, Chris and Kristen, Dave Evans, Dennis Lange, Geoffrey Torkington, Georjette M., Greg & Rachel Hart, Jacqueline Hicks, Julian Maher, Kelle McNamara, Kelly & Peter Osmond, Kirti Patel, Lauren, Mary Conlan, Matthew Burdett, Pierre Blom, Rex & Jo, Sankar Madhavan, Teresa R., Tiitus Laine, V.J. Raghavan.
And a huge thank you to the incredible folk at Biome Trust for their generous long-term support for Happen Films.
In this documentary we get to know Ben and Bertha – a compost nerd and the machine he’s designed to revolutionise regional composting. If compost isn’t your thing yet, here’s a story that might surprise you into a passion for kitchen scraps and microbes. And if composting’s already one of your great loves – because compost practitioners do seem to really LOVE compost – then we reckon this community-focused story is going to stir up your compost passion!
If you'd like to help support us to make more films like this one, please consider joining our Patreon community! We release regular behind-the-scenes updates and exclusive content - patreon.com/happenfilms
Host a screening of this film in your community! happenfilms.com/product/ben-and-beartha-community-screening-license
*More about Community Compost*
Website: http://communitycompost.co.nz
Donate: http://communitycompost.co.nz/donate
Instagram: instagram.com/communitycompost
Facebook: facebook.com/compostnelson
*More about Happen Films*
We make short and feature-length documentaries, all about permaculture, resilience and sustainability.
Website: happenfilms.com
Instagram: instagram.com/happenfilms
Facebook: facebook.com/happenfilms
*Subtitles*
Please get in touch if you'd like to create subtitles in your language! happenfilms.com/contact
*Thank you!*
We are forever grateful to everyone who supports us financially to make our films – we can’t do this without the regular donations we receive that range from $1 a month and make all the difference.
These awesome folk support us on Patreon: John Braman, Andi Begerl, Chris and Kristen, Matthew Burdett, Kelle McNamara, Jacqueline Hicks, Dennis Lange, Teresa R., Dave Evans, Julian Maher, Mary Conlan, Greg and Rachel Hart, Brian Newton, Lauren, Kirti Patel, Carolyn Gillum, V.J. Raghavan, Geoffrey Torkington, Tiitus Laine, Rex and Jo, Sankar Madhavan, Pierre Blom, Kelly & Peter Osmond.
And a huge thank you to the incredible folk at Biome Trust for their generous long-term support for Happen Films.
A short clip from our new film 'Ben & bEartha: A Community's Compost Love Story'.
About the film:
Ben & bEartha is a 40-minute inspiring documentary following the highs and lows of a passionate community as they attempt to tackle the issue of food waste going to landfill. Their solution? A composting machine called bEartha and a small-scale, sustainable approach that produces beautiful soil.
In this new documentary we get to know Ben and Bertha – a compost nerd and the machine he’s designed to revolutionise regional composting.
If compost isn’t your thing yet, here’s a story that might surprise you into a passion for kitchen scraps and microbes. And if composting’s already one of your great loves – because compost practitioners do seem to really LOVE compost – then we reckon this community-focused story is going to stir up your compost passion!
Composting food scraps seems like such a small and simple act, but it’s one of many crucial solutions to addressing climate change, reducing waste, and creating a regenerative farming system.
A short clip from our new film 'Ben & bEartha' showing Compost Club, a group of passionate volunteers who gather every Saturday morning to build compost together! The food waste is collected from homes and businesses and brought to Compost Club for the community to turn into beautiful living soil.
Watch the video about Community Supported Filmmaking - youtube.com/watch?v=BGLSTGgWCmU
Ben and Bertha is a 40-minute documentary following the highs and lows of a passionate community of composters as they attempt to tackle the issue of food waste going to landfill. Their solution? A composting machine called bEartha and a community-scale approach that produces beautiful, living soil.
If compost isn’t your thing yet, here’s a story that might surprise you into a passion for kitchen scraps and microbes. And if composting’s already one of your great loves – because compost practitioners do seem to really LOVE compost – then we reckon this community-focused story is going to stir up your compost passion!
Composting food scraps seems like such a small and simple act, but it’s one of many crucial solutions to addressing climate change, reducing waste, and creating a regenerative food system.
In this new documentary we get to know Ben and Bertha – a compost nerd and the machine he’s designed to revolutionise regional composting.
**Find out more about Happen Films **
If you’re interested in supporting us to make more films, check out these options:
Open Collective: opencollective.com/happenfilms
Patreon: patreon.com/happenfilms
For more info about Happen Films, check out our website: happenfilms.com
We make short films and feature films, all with a permaculture, resilience, sustainability focus. Don’t forget to Subscribe here on YouTube!
**Find us on social media **
Twitter: twitter.com/happenfilms
Instagram: instagram.com/happenfilms
Facebook: facebook.com/happenfilms
In many countries there’s a common belief that small-scale fishing is no longer a financially viable option, but Gravity Fishing is supporting a family and employees while adhering to a deep ethical understanding of how to operate on the seas respectfully and sustainably. And now they’re rolling out a model to enable others to do the same. We’re excited to share this story of the future of fishing and we hope you’ll be as inspired by it as we are!
**Find out more about Gravity Fishing**
gravityfishing.co.nz
instagram.com/gravityfishingnz
facebook.com/gravityfishing
**Find out more about Sealective**
instagram.com/sealective_nz
sealective.co.nz
facebook.com/people/Sealective/100070257619945
**Find out more about Happen Films **
If you’re interested in supporting us to make more films, check out these options:
Open Collective: opencollective.com/happenfilms
Patreon: patreon.com/happenfilms
For more info about Happen Films, check out our website: happenfilms.com
We make short films and feature films, all with a permaculture, resilience, sustainability focus. Don’t forget to Subscribe here on YouTube!
**Find us on social media **
Twitter: twitter.com/happenfilms
Instagram: instagram.com/happenfilms
Facebook: facebook.com/happenfilms
**Film credits **
Directed by Jordan Osmond
Cinematography by Jordan Osmond & Jason Hosking
Sound recording by Anna Veale & Antoinette Wilson
Produced by Antoinette Wilson
Written by Jordan Osmond & Antoinette Wilson
Editing by Bailey Palmer
Sound mix by Richard Reade
Colour Grade by Luke Ross
Story feedback from Nick Tucker
Additional footage by Phillip Puckey
**Thanks! **
To our wonderful supporters on Patreon: Andi Begerl, Chris and Kristen, Matthew Burdett, Simone Wilson, Kelle McNamara, Peter Lord, Jacqueline Hicks, Dennis Lange, Teresa R., Raphael Hug, Dave Evans, Mark Denekamp, Julian Maher, Mary Conlan, Greg and Rachel Hart, Brian Newton, Lauren, Kirti Patel, Carolyn Gillum, V.J. Raghavan, Geoffrey Torkington, Tiitus Laine, Rex & Jo, Sankar Madhavan, Pierre Blom, Kelly & Peter Osmond.
And our wonderful supporters on Open Collective: Sergio Stanga Romero, Biome Fund, Carla Haack, Elise Hanley, Quatro Trust, Mike & Flora, Hannah Savill, Markus Kovanen, Di Lucas and all those who remain anonymous!
**Subtitles and closed captions **
We love that so many people have translated our films here on YouTube. Sadly, the community translation function no longer exists, but if you’d like to volunteer to translate to your language, please reach out to us via happenfilms.com/contact
“This beautiful film is the perfect antidote to the cynical narrative that says people are inherently selfish... This film will melt your heart. Guaranteed.”
– Rob Hopkins, author; co-founder Transition Network
Too many of our communities, here and around the world, are facing housing crises, food insecurity, social isolation, and more. In addition, the multiple impacts of the Covid pandemic and climate change are current and ongoing. How can we most effectively confront these challenges, and help our communities thrive in an economic system that leaves many feeling trapped in poverty?
Founder Julia Milne and her team have created a completely replicable model for developing strong, connected, resilient communities – a model that could be put in place across thousands of communities in Aotearoa and millions of communities across the world. They’ve proven it can be done, this film was made to help them share the story.
Chapters
00:00 - The ReMakery
03:07 - Urban Farming
09:35 - Prison Farm
11:49 - Common Unity Beginnings
18:32 - Sew Good Sewing
20:59 - ReMakery Kitchen
24:40 - Partnership with Kōkiri Marae
31:34 - ReCycled Rides
35:38 - Outro
Host a screening of this film in your community! happenfilms.com/product/together-we-grow-screening-license
**Find out more about Common Unity**
Website: commonunityproject.org.nz
Grow Kit: commonunityproject.org.nz/resources
Donate: commonunityproject.org.nz/donate
** Find out more about Happen Films **
If you’re interested in supporting us to make more films, check out these options:
Open Collective: opencollective.com/happenfilms
Patreon: patreon.com/happenfilms
For more info about Happen Films, check out our website: happenfilms.com
We make short films and feature films, all with a permaculture, resilience, sustainability focus. Don’t forget to Subscribe here on YouTube!
** Find us on social media **
Twitter: twitter.com/happenfilms
Instagram: instagram.com/happenfilms
Facebook: facebook.com/happenfilms
** Subtitles and closed captions **
We love that so many people have translated for our films here on YouTube. Sadly, the community translation function no longer exists, but if you'd like to volunteer to translate to your language, please reach out to us via happenfilms.com/contact
This film was made possible through generous financial support from
Namaste Foundation and assistance from The Gift Trust. Thank you!
We're currently mid-way through filming a new documentary and we wanted to give you a preview of what we've shot so far!
Blog post about Community Supported Filmmaking: happenfilms.com/community-supported-filmmaking
Watch the video about Community Supported Filmmaking - youtube.com/watch?v=BGLSTGgWCmU
In "Growing Wild Together" we return to the nearly 30-year-old permaculture food forest growing on the edge of a small town in the very south of Aotearoa New Zealand. The forest, previously an abandoned section filled with rubbish and burnt house remains, was the subject of our 2016 film An Invitation for Wildness. Now we’ve returned to find out what has changed in the forest and for the people who live there.
Robyn and Robert’s forest garden is home to countless forms of life, from trees and plants to birds, fish, and insects, and of course the humans who live amongst it all, in harmony. With time it grows wilder and wilder, “Like me,” says Robert. Since we first visited, the couple have also developed new projects, one of them reviving an old trade route, to help create food resilience for the nearby rural communities.
In the film, Robert says he’s convinced that the food forest model will be one of the most important models for creating a resilient future on Earth. He maintains we must learn to be loved by the forest. Here is a film to inspire love for our forests and everything they generously gift us!
** Find out more about Robert and Robyn's work: **
The Longwood Loop
Website: longwoodloop.co.nz
The Environment Centre
Website: sces.org.nz
** Find out more about Happen Films **
If you’re interested in supporting us to make more films, check out these options:
Open Collective: opencollective.com/happenfilms
Patreon: patreon.com/happenfilms
For more info about Happen Films, check out our website: happenfilms.com
We make short films and feature films, all with a permaculture, resilience, sustainability focus. Don’t forget to Subscribe here on YouTube!
** Find us on social media **
Twitter: twitter.com/happenfilms
Instagram: instagram.com/happenfilms
Facebook: facebook.com/happenfilms
** Film credits **
Directed by Jordan Osmond
Produced by Antoinette Wilson
Written by Jordan Osmond & Antoinette Wilson
Cinematography by Jordan Osmond & Jason Hosking
Editing by Bailey Palmer
Sound mix by Richard Reade
Story feedback from Nick Tucker
** Thanks! **
To our wonderful supporters on Open Collective and Patreon, who helped make this film happen: Amanda Card, Brian Newton, Carolyn Gillum, Dave Evans, Dennis Lange, Geoffrey Torkington, Greg & Rachel Hart, Jacqueline Hicks, Jess O’Shea, Jessica, Joan Leitch, Jonathan Wise, Julian Maher, Kelle McNamara, Kelly & Peter Osmond, Kirti Patel, Lauren, Lisa de Narvaez, Mark Denekamp, Mary Conlan, Milkwood, Moana Kiff, Nathan Kitchen, Peter Lord, Pierre Blom, Raphael Hug, Rex & Jo, Ron Hastie, Sankar Madhavan, Sherri Bangs, Teresa R., Tiitus Laine, V.J. Raghavan.
** Subtitles and closed captions **
We love that so many people have translated for our films here on YouTube. Sadly, the community translation function no longer exists, but if you'd like to volunteer to translate to your language, please reach out to us via happenfilms.com/contact
Check out the blog post: happenfilms.com/community-supported-filmmaking
After 7 years making films about sustainability and resilience, we’re working out how to build both of those into Happen Films itself.
We have a dream for HF: to shift to a funding model that reflects our values, to remove all ads from our YouTube channel, and to operate within the values of the Gift Economy.
So, we want to share a concept with you (that we just made up 😄) called Community Supported Filmmaking that will help us achieve our filmmaking goals. And officially launch our campaign to be fully community supported by the end of 2024.
With your help, we can build a strong future for Happen Films, one that we can all be proud to be part of and that reflects how we want the world to be.
Directors Jordan Osmond and Antoinette Wilson have brought together stories from their travels, along with interviews with experts able to explain how we come to be where we are today. From forest gardens to composting toilets, community supported agriculture to timebanking, Living the Change offers ways we can rethink our approach to how we live.
Subtitles available in: Bulgarian, Chinese, Czech, English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Serbian, Spanish, and Vietnamese.
Chapters:
00:00 - Introduction
04:11 - Exploring the issues
20:30 - Community Supported Agriculture (CSA)
26:28 - Regenerative Agriculture
31:34 - Food Forest
36:55 - Interbeing
40:48 - Permaculture Farm
48:00 - Family Living Simply
53:34 - Local Currency / Timebanking
58:40 - Repair Café
1:01:51 - Living Zero Waste
1:07:28 - Composting Toilets
1:11:20 - Compost Pickup
1:16:02 - Outro
Find us on social media:
Instagram: instagram.com/happenfilms
Facebook: facebook.com/happenfilms
Twitter: twitter.com/happenfilms
The official trailer for 'Together We Grow', our 40-minute documentary telling the story of Common Unity Project Aotearoa.
Introducing a thriving hub helping to build resilience into its local community by growing, sewing, repairing, sharing – you name it, Common Unity is doing it!
Too many of our communities, here and around the world, are facing housing crises, food insecurity, social isolation, and more. In addition, the multiple impacts of the Covid pandemic and climate change are current and ongoing. How can we most effectively confront these challenges, and help our communities thrive in an economic system that leaves many feeling trapped in poverty?
Founder Julia Milne and her team have created a completely replicable model for developing strong, connected, resilient communities – a model that could be put in place across thousands of communities in Aotearoa and millions of communities across the world. They’ve proven it can be done, this film was made to help them share the story!
** Find out more about Happen Films **
If you’re interested in supporting us to make more films, find us on Patreon: happenfilms.com/patreon
For more info about Happen Films, check out our website: https://happenfilms.com.
We make short films and feature films, all with a permaculture, resilience, sustainability focus.
Don’t forget to subscribe here on YouTube!
Find us on social media:
Instagram: instagram.com/happenfilms
Facebook: facebook.com/happenfilms
Twitter: twitter.com/happenfilms
This is the full-length interview with Dr Jessica Hutchings for our film "Hua Parakore: Living Indigenous Food Sovereignty".
Hua Parakore provides a framework using Indigenous values – Māori principles – for producing natural food without chemical inputs or GMO. It also encapsulates the Māori worldview in its approach to how food growers are verified as Hua Parakore, with principles that require practitioners to deeply consider such things as their connection with the land, its energy, the many species living on it, and their community.
There are many Māori-language words throughout the video so we've created English subtitles for those unfamiliar with the terms used. Please let us know if you discover errors. While the short film subtitles were professionally created, these ones are not. Errors will be corrected as soon as we hear about them!
**Question timecodes for this interview**
0:55: What was this land like when you arrived here?
3:28: Could you speak about the origin of the farm’s name, Papawhakaritorito?
4:48: What is Hua Parakore?
9:35: What are the core principles of Hua Parakore?
11:28: Could you elaborate on the core principle of ‘Whakapapa’?
15:25: Could you elaborate on the core principle of ‘Te Ao Tūroa’?
16:54: Could you elaborate on the core principle of ‘Mauri’?
19:52: Could you elaborate on the core principle of ‘Māramatanga’?
24:29: Could you elaborate on the core principle of ‘Mana’?
26:26: Could you elaborate on the core principle of ‘Wairua’?
27:45: What is the worldview behind the Hua Parakore framework?
31:05: How does Hua Parakore differ from organic certification schemes?
33:16: How does the process of becoming Hua Parakore verified differ to organic certification?
36:04: Could you speak to how biodynamics is incorporated into your Hua Parakore practice at Papawhakaritorito?
39:51: Could you explore the connections between healthy soil and healthy people?
42:16: What does the phrase food sovereignty mean?
48:42: What advice would you give to someone wanting to engage with Hua Parakore?
49:36: What place is there in Hua Parakore for Pākehā [non-Māori New Zealanders]?
51:07: How can Pākehā support Māori food sovereignty more generally?
53:41: How relevant is Hua Parakore beyond Aotearoa New Zealand?
56:13: How important is seed saving in the Hua Parakore framework?
**Find out more about Hua Parakore**
Te Waka Kai Ora: tewakakaiora.co.nz
Jessica Hutchings: jessicahutchings.org
Purchase Jessica's books via links on her website: jessicahutchings.org/books-and-offerings (The two books we've read – which have partly Māori-language titles but are both written in English – are: "Te Mahi Mara Hua Parakore: A Māori Food Sovereignty Handbook" and "Te Mahi Oneone Hua Parakore: A Māori Soil Sovereignty and Wellbeing Handbook".)
** Find out more about Happen Films **
If you’re interested in supporting us to make more films, find us on Patreon: happenfilms.com/patreon
For more info about Happen Films, check out our website: https://happenfilms.com.
We make short films and feature films, all with a permaculture, resilience, sustainability focus.
Don’t forget to subscribe here on YouTube!
Find us on social media:
Instagram: instagram.com/happenfilms
Facebook: facebook.com/happenfilms
Twitter: twitter.com/happenfilms
This documentary provides an insight into Hua Parakore from the perspective of one of its most knowledgeable practitioners – Dr Jessica Hutchings was one of the researchers who helped develop the framework.
We couldn't possibly do justice in one short film to everything that framework encapsulates, so we've also released the full-length interview we shot with Jessica, for those wishing to form a deeper understanding of Indigenous food sovereignty and the Hua Parakore framework. Find the link to that interview below.
**Find out more about Hua Parakore**
Te Waka Kai Ora: tewakakaiora.co.nz
Jessica Hutchings: jessicahutchings.org
Full-length interview with Jessica Hutchings: youtu.be/rLgZKv-szx8
Purchase Jessica's books via links on her website: jessicahutchings.org/books-and-offerings (The two books we've read – which have partly Māori-language titles but are both written in English – are: "Te Mahi Mara Hua Parakore: A Māori Food Sovereignty Handbook" and "Te Mahi Oneone Hua Parakore: A Māori Soil Sovereignty and Wellbeing Handbook".)
** Find out more about Happen Films **
If you’re interested in supporting us to make more films, find us on Patreon: happenfilms.com/patreon
For more info about Happen Films, check out our website: https://happenfilms.com.
We make short films and feature films, all with a permaculture, resilience, sustainability focus.
Don’t forget to subscribe here on YouTube!
Find us on social media:
Instagram: instagram.com/happenfilms
Facebook: facebook.com/happenfilms
Twitter: twitter.com/happenfilms
** Film credits **
Directed & written by Jordan Osmond & Antoinette Wilson
Produced by Antoinette Wilson
Cinematography and editing by Jordan Osmond
Story feedback and suggestions from Nick Tucker
Te reo Māori subtitles by Melanie Nelson
** To our wonderful supporters on Patreon, who helped make this film happen:
Cynthia Carter, Dennis Lange, Teresa Ruman, Elvin Chua, Raphael Hug, Dave Evans, Mark Denekamp, Julian Maher, Jenny Grainger, Sue Campbell, Melissa Tripodi, Filip Zeman, Greg and Rachel Hart, Brian Newton, Susan Hunsberger, Kirti Patel, Kelly Milikins, Kimberly Levesque, Nathan Kitchen, Alex Muir, Geoffrey Torkington, Tiitus Laine, Matthew Zimmer, Rex and Jo, Jess O'Shea, Lyb, Rahul Banerjee, Moana Kiff, Ron Hastie, David, Jonathan Wise, Georjette Mercer, Mary Conlan, Kate Hall, Lauren, Carolyn Gillum, V.J. Raghavan, Cicely Jette Stewart, Brett Davidson, Pierre Blom, Namaste Foundation, Sankar Madhavan.
** Subtitles and closed captions **
In the past, many people have generously taken time to translate our films here on YouTube. The Community Contributions function no longer exits, but if you’d like to contribute a translation please contact us. Making the film available in your language and to your community would mean the world to us!
Combining the practices of syntropic agroforestry with the principles of permaculture and their own deeply thoughtful approach to land regeneration, food growing, and lifestyle, this family is partnering with nature to create a humming diversity on the land and a positive story about the role of humans in an eco-system.
We came away from our shoot with so much invaluable information about the why and how of syntropic farming as it’s practised at PermaDynamics. For this reason we’ve made the full interview with Klaus Lotz available on our website, and all 10 full-length interviews, some of which we couldn’t include in the film, available on our Patreon page. Also if you’re keen to dig deeper into this style of growing food and regenerating soil, check out PermaDynamics' own videos available on their Patreon page.
Get access to all 10 full-length interviews: happenfilms.com/patreon
Join the PermaDynamics membership community: permadynamics.co.nz/membership
The full interview with Klaus Lotz: happenfilms.com/film/klaus-lotz-syntropic-farming
** Find out more about PermaDynamics at these links **
Website: permadynamics.co.nz
Instagram: instagram.com/permadynamics
Facebook: facebook.com/PermaDynamics.nz
** Find out more about Happen Films **
If you’re interested in supporting us to make more films, find us on Patreon: happenfilms.com/patreon
For more info about Happen Films, check out our website: https://happenfilms.com. We make short films and feature films, all with a permaculture, resilience, sustainability focus. Don’t forget to subscribe here on YouTube!
Find us on social media
Instagram: instagram.com/happenfilms
Facebook: facebook.com/happenfilms
Twitter: twitter.com/happenfilms
** Film credits **
Directed and written by Jordan Osmond & Antoinette Wilson
Produced by Antoinette Wilson
Cinematography and editing by Jordan Osmond
Story feedback and suggestions from Nick Tucker
Additional drone footage by Byron Birss (instagram.com/byron.in.new.zealand)
1990 photo by Malcolm Rands
** Thanks! **
To our wonderful supporters on Patreon, who helped make this film happen:
Kimberly Levesque, Matthew Zimmer, Rahul Banerjee, Jonathan Wise, Georjette Mercer, Mary Conlan, Kate Hall, V.J. Raghavan, Pierre Blom, Cicely Jette Stewart, Brett Davidson, Tony Schaufelberger, Namaste Foundation, Sankar Madhavan, Sue Campbell, Melissa Tripodi, Filip Zeman, Greg and Rachel Hart, Brian Newton, Susan Hunsberger, Kirti Patel, Kelly Milikins, Nathan Kitchen, Geoffrey Torkington, Alex Muir, Tiitus Laine, Rex and Jo, Jess O’Shea, Moana Kiff, William B. Everett, Ron Hastie, David, Lauren, Carolyn Gillum.
** Subtitles and closed captions **
In the past, many people have generously taken time to translate our films here on YouTube. The Community Contributions function no longer exits, but if you’d like to contribute a translation please contact us. Making the film available in your language and to your community would mean the world to us!
Chapters
00:00 - Intro to Syntropic Farming
2:36 - 17-Year-Old Food Forest
7:48 - Market Garden and Orchard
12:20 - Native and Exotic Plants
14:45 - Annuals in the Food Forest
17:29 - Tropical Hothouse
19:17 - 3-Month-Old Food Forest
Burn-offs keep the township safe from out-of-control fires, but they hinder the forest’s ability to regenerate, and thus cannot provide the environment necessary for the diversity of insects, birds and animals that are necessary in a healthy forest on a healthy planet. Restoring the forest also allows for traditional indigenous burns to take place, as the danger created by flammable non-native species has been reduced.
The work being done by the Goathand Cooperative is not only showing stunning results on the forest floor, it’s having much broader effects: the forest’s wildlife is thriving, the goats are healthy and happy, but in addition neighbours previously dubious about the project have come on board, so that new and strong community connections are being made. And as one Cooperative member says in the film, an important re-connection is also being made with nature. “We haven’t always been trammellers of land,” says Patrick Jones. This connection to the soil and to the forest is, he believes, “our way back to sanity”.
From Weedy Forests to Grassy Woodlands offers inspiration to anyone looking for ways to regenerate their own or a commons forest, anyone feeling the urgency of mitigating the potential disasters of forest fires in the most natural way possible, anyone in a locality and position to use goats for that purpose, and just anyone seeking reconnection to the earth that created and sustains us!
** Follow the Goathand Cooprative **
goathand.blogspot.com
** Find out more about Happen Films **
If you’re interested in supporting us to make more films, check out happenfilms.com/support
For more info about Happen Films, check out our website: happenfilms.com We make short films and feature films, all with a permaculture, resilience, sustainability focus. Don’t forget to Subscribe here on YouTube!
** Find us on social media **
Twitter: twitter.com/happenfilms
Instagram: instagram.com/happenfilms
Facebook: facebook.com/happenfilms
** Film credits **
Directed and written by Jordan Osmond
Story feedback by Antoinette Wilson & Nick Tucker
Cinematography by Jordan Osmond
Editing, colour grading and sound mix by Jordan Osmond
Additional footage by Michal Krawczyk vimeo.com/earthcare & Patrick Jones.
Intro song 'Walking bare' by Anthony Petrucci: anthonypetrucci.bandcamp.com/album/wombat-forest
** Thanks! **
Thank you to our wonderful Patreon supporters: Filip Zeman, Greg & Rachel Hart, Carolyn Gillum, Brian Newton, Emma Savage, Lauren, Susan Hunsberger, Danielle Klein, Al√™ Franco, Klyti Green, Kirti Patel, Kelly Milikins, Tabitha Bristow, Gabriel Moreno, Vijayalakshmi, Nathan Kitchen, Alex Muir, Geoffrey Torkington, Tiitus Laine, Cicely Jette Stewart, Mehron Kugler, Rex & Jo, Brett Davidson, Jess O’Shea, Tony Schaufelberger, Sankar Madhavan, Pierre Blom, Moana Kiff, Namaste Foundation, William B. Everett, Ron Hastie, David, Melissa Tripodi, Kate Hall.


