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PERMACULTURE DOCUMENTARIES

If there's one theme that's guaranteed to turn up in our films, it's permaculture. As a design system for gardens, farms and forests, homes, communities and social structures, you name it permaculture offers a perspective that incorporates resilience and sustainability into any plan for change.


From interviews with the co-originator of permaculture, David Holmgren, to films in which permaculture is showcased even if not named, our films share a variety of ways in which to incorporate permaculture into day to day life. We hope you're inspired to become a permie yourself!

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Woody smiling up to a person out of shot

Simple Living, Permaculture, Community, Urban Living

A Day in the Life of Woody

12 mins

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.

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 before and after layout of photos of Adam and Sian's empty paddock and newly built strawbale hom

Permaculture, Simple Living, Homes & Building, Community

Strawbale Dream Home

25 mins

Follow Adam and Sian as they build their traditional timber frame home combining timber joinery, strawbale and cob.

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.

A goat peers at the camera through gum trees and scrub.

Community, Permaculture, Regenerating Nature, Farming

From Weedy Forests to Grassy Woodlands

12 mins

A film exploring how the simple practice of grazing goats on wild lands can lead to a healthier forest and a more connected community.

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.

Photo of Lauren, Oberon and their two daughters harvesting vegetables from a garden.

Community, Permaculture, Simple Living, Zero Waste, Urban Living

A Life with Less Waste

8 mins

What secrets does this family hold to reducing individual impact on the planet by reducing family waste streams?

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.

Photograph of a herd of black cows grazing in a green feild of grass

Farming, Permaculture, Regenerating Nature

Restoring Paradise

8 mins

A short film showcases Mangarara Farm, where holistic grazing practices are regenerating the land to the biodiverse fields that once were.

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.

A photograph of Tom and Sarah side by side and smiling at each other, with Neesa on Sarah's lap eating a pear.

Community, Permaculture, Simple Living, Homes & Building

Living Simply in an Off-Grid Tiny House

6 mins

Living simply in just 20 square metres this family has found a different way of living that helps them to feel more sustained and content.

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.

Photo of the side of the green tiny house, it's two windows open, with a large pine tree behind it.

Community, Simple Living, Permaculture, Homes & Building, Zero Waste

$420 Tiny House

4 mins

This film showcases the build of a very tiny house, built using reclaimed materials by a couple with no previous building experience.

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.

Photograph of the rustic tiny house at night with starry sky behind and geodesic dome lit from inside the house.

Community, Permaculture, Simple Living, Homes & Building

Building a Beautiful, Rustic Tiny House

8 mins

Meet Taj as she gives a tour and describes living simply in this 10 sq metre tiny house built using reclaimed materials.

Photograph of the entrance to the Agari kitchen showing pieces of splayed timber climbing a tree trunk.

Community, Permaculture, Simple Living

Agari Permaculture Farm

4 mins

A short film showcasing Agari Permaculture Farm, a place for exploring natural building and permaculture.

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