Years spent making films with a vision for inspiring change has convinced us that community resilience has a vital part to play in a positive future for humanity.

Roimata Food Commons, in the city of Ōtautahi Christchurch, Aotearoa, provides exactly that. It’s a commons garden and food forest situated in a public park, that anyone can harvest from, regardless of whether they’ve contributed to growing the food.

Once a grassed area providing no more than a thoroughfare between roads, a place that some felt unsafe venturing in to, is now a space that people in the neighbourhood not only regularly use, but where they now stop to pick fruit, harvest vegetables, bring their compost, and in the process get to know each other.

“A community space to nurture the health and wellbeing of our community and the ecosystem in which it is situated.”
– Michael Reynolds, Roimata Food Commons co-founder

This beautiful project shows how community food resilience can be generated in commons spaces with joint community effort. In the film, we’ll explore:

• • what it’s taken to set up a community food commons
  • the challenges in obtaining funding
  • why community commons like Roimata are so important
  • how similar commons spaces might be created in our own communities

We’ll also shine the spotlight on Roimata’s co-founder and main driver, Michael Reynolds – a passionate solo dad who’s given his all to this project. Pursuing round after round of funding to keep Roimata alive, Michael is a local hero and it’s about time the world heard his story!