top of page

FILMS ABOUT FOOD AND GARDENING

In this selection of films you'll find a wide range of approaches to growing food. So much personal and collective resilience comes from having local and backyard access to quality food – our health and the planet's health depend on it!


Here you'll find examples of permaculture gardening, food forest gardening, oraganic gardening, an indigenous perspective on food growing, gardening in tiny spaces and gardening across acres, growing food to share with others and composting everything from food scraps to poo – you name it, if it has to do with growing beautiful soil and beautiful vegetables we're interested!

Filter options:

Use the buttons below to filter the list of films. You can select more than one option, and click again to deselect. 

Meg, Patrick and Woody harvest acorns on their front lawn.

Community, Farming, Food & Gardening, Homes & Building, Permaculture, Simple Living, Zero Waste

The New Peasants

60 mins

A new feature film releasing in June 2025 about the philosophy and lifestyle choices of an Australian family living profoundly simply.

Donna Kerridge explains the use of native plants in the herbal medicine of Māori.

Regenerating Nature, Food & Gardening, Community

Rongoā Māori

11 mins

Rongoā is the healing practice and an essential element of the worldview of Māori, the indigenous people of Aotearoa New Zealand.

Photograph of Helen Dew smiling at the camera, holding a freshly harvested basket of greens.

Community, Food & Gardening, Simple Living, Zero Waste, Economy, Urban Living

Being the Change at 85

13 mins

Helen Dew is an 85-year-old activist with a passion for gardening, community resilience, biochar, seed saving and living simply.

Photograph of Michael Reynolds sitting cross-legged amidst food forest trees speaking to camera.

Community, Food & Gardening, Permaculture, Regenerating Nature, Urban Living

The City Food Commons

12 mins

The commons has been an almost-forgotten concept, and yet once provided so much community resilience. This film showcases a new approach.

A graphic art poster for the Ben & bEartha film with Ben smiling in the foreground and teams of composters and community members in the background.

Zero Waste, Community, Urban Living, Food & Gardening

Ben & bEartha: A Community's Compost Love Story

39 mins

Follow the remarkable journey of a passionate man making composting at a community-wide scale not just a dream but the real thing.

Overhead image of Gravity Fishing's boat on a calm ocean along side the text 'Can this model change the fishing industry?'

Regenerating Nature, Food & Gardening

Fishing for the Future

17 mins

A small-scale, thoughtful and ethical approach to fishing our oceans is possible – this family is leading the way.

An aerial view of the Guytons 2 acres of food forest and their white and grey timber cottage.

Permaculture, Food & Gardening, Urban Living, Regenerating Nature

Growing Wild Together

16 mins

We revisit the food forest we filmed five years ago to discover what's changed and how much more wild it's all become – plants and people!

Four photos showing scenes from Together We Grow – children gardening, colourful artworks and a backyard garden

Food & Gardening, Community, Permaculture, Urban Living

Together We Grow: The Story of Common Unity

39 mins

Learn the variety of ways this community comes together to help those in need to have access to great food and meaningful connections

Photograph of Jessica Hutchings smiling as she looks up and to the right, while harvesting greens from her garden.

Community, Farming, Food & Gardening, Permaculture

Hua Parakore

8 mins

Hua Parakore encapsulates the principles behind growing food from a te ao Māori – Māori worldview perspective.

Photograph of Klaus Lotz holding a branch of bananas surrounded by the greenery of his food forest.

Farming, Food & Gardening, Permaculture, Regenerating Nature

The Food Forest Farmers

24 mins

What role do humans play in Earth's ecosystems and how can we be good stewards of the land? This film showcases syntropic farming as a way.

Aerial view of the Limestone Permaculture Farm showing garden beds, buildings and pathways.

Food & Gardening, Permaculture, Regenerating Nature, Farming

Limestone Permaculture Tour #3

17 mins

Our second film with Brett and Nici of Limestone Permaculture, and the third film in our Permaculture Tours series.

Photograph of David Holmgren kneeling amongst the greens of an abundant garden bed at Melliodora.

Community, Food & Gardening, Permaculture, Simple Living, Regenerating Nature

Melliodora Tour

11 mins

A tour of David Holmgren and Su Dennett's 1-hectare permaculture paradise – explore the home and garden of the co-founder of permaculture.

A photo of Robyn and Robert sitting on the porch of their green timber cottage.

Community, Food & Gardening, Permaculture, Regenerating Nature, Urban Living

An Invitation for Wildness

20 mins

The Guytons have made a name for themselves as forest gardeners. In this first of two films we tour the forest when it is 23 years old.

A photograph of Kisten Bradley holding up seaweed in one hand and a jar of gomasio in the other.

Permaculture, Food & Gardening

How to Make Seaweed Gomasio

11 mins

A step by step guide to foraging for edible seaweeds at your local beach and making gomasio to season your meals.

Kat Lavers holds a basket full of freshly harvested veges, standing in front of her tiny but abundant garden.

Permaculture, Community, Food & Gardening, Simple Living, Urban Living

The Plummery

8 mins

Find out how to grow an abundance of fruit and vegetables even when you have a tiny backyard garden in the middle of a busy city.

Sam and Helen's urban backyard garden

Permaculture, Simple Living, Urban Living, Zero Waste, Food & Gardening, Community, Economy

Degrowth in the Suburbs

15 mins

What does sustainable living in the city look like? This film explores the different methods one family employs to reduce their impact.

Photograph of Richard standing in front of his garden wearing a red t shirt and a brown hat.

Food & Gardening, Permaculture, Simple Living, Urban Living

Abdallah House

14 mins

A tour of a very small urban section that has been developed using permaculture principles to make best use of the space.

Meg, Woody and Patrick sit at the outdoor kitchen table eating dinner in orange bowls on an orange and yellow checkered table cloth.

Community, Food & Gardening, Permaculture, Simple Living, Zero Waste, Urban Living

Creatures of Place

12 mins

This family live an incredibly simple life, yet they have an abundance in so many things – food, community, time to create a beautiful life.

Poster artwork for Living the Change with green lettering, a blue planet and a black background.

Community, Simple Living, Regenerating Nature, Urban Living, Permaculture, Economy, Farming, Food & Gardening, Homes & Building, Zero Waste

Living the Change

86 mins

Living the Change is a feature-length documentary that explores solutions to the global crises we face today.

A photo of tomatoe vines being tied to string hanging from the rafters of a hothouse.

Farming, Food & Gardening, Permaculture

The Future of Food

5 mins

Frank and Josje discuss Community Supported Agriculture as a sustainable and viable food system for the future.

Greg proudly shows off two of his humanure compost piles made of pallets

Food & Gardening, Permaculture, Simple Living, Zero Waste

Closing the Loop

7 mins

Learn about how this couple manages their composting toilet, why it's so important, and how easy it is!

Fiona and Kane harvest vegetables from the tidy rows of their urban market garden.

Community, Food & Gardening, Permaculture, Urban Living

Urban Abundance

5 mins

This couple have turned their urban back yard into beautiful neat rows of market garden and help others to garden in their own back yards.

Photograph of a round tiny house lit up against a starry night sky.

Community, Food & Gardening, Permaculture, Simple Living, Zero Waste

A Simpler Way

78 mins

What would it look like to live within Earth's available resources? This group came together to explore a one-world-footprint lifestyle.

Andrew Martin is kneeling in front of a bush harvesting berries into a cane basket.

Farming, Food & Gardening, Permaculture, Regenerating Nature, Economy

From Finance to Farmer

15 mins

Explore the beautiful food forest Andrew Martin has created from a paddock of grass, and learn all the reasons why he's doing so.

Photograph of Lou, from Food is Free Laneway, speaking to camera about the #foodisfree initiative

Community, Food & Gardening, Permaculture, Urban Living

The Food Is Free Laneway

4 mins

A film showcasing Lou and the Food is Free Laneway she initiated alongside her house, following the principles of #foodisfree.

A photograph of Mark holding a stick and speaking to camera about his approach to gardening.

Farming, Food & Gardening, Permaculture

Purple Pear Permaculture Farm

6 mins

A tour of Purple Pear Farm, where permaculture principles and biodynamic farming guide the management of gardens and animals.

Photograph of Brett speaking to camera about his approach to planning his permaculture design.

Farming, Food & Gardening, Permaculture, Regenerating Nature

Limestone Permaculture Tour #1

13 mins

The first of two Happen Films tours of well known Limestone Permaculture Farm, where an abundance of food and medicine is grown on 1 acre.

bottom of page