All Short Documentaries

Flute Making and Human Making

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…

Happen FilmsJune 28, 2024

Permaculture

Being the Change at 85

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…

Happen FilmsMarch 29, 2024

Permaculture

The City Food Commons

The City Food Commons shares the story of Roimata Food Commons, an urban food forest initiative driven by Ōtautahi Christchurch local Michael Reynolds. The aim of the project is to…

Happen FilmsFebruary 29, 2024

Permaculture

Strawbale Dream Home

This film 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,…

Happen FilmsDecember 14, 2023

Permaculture

Together We Grow

Click here if you'd prefer to watch and comment on 'Together We Grow: The Story of Common Unity' on YouTube.What do you get when you combine a community cafe, a…

NickNovember 20, 2023

Permaculture

The Rubbish Trip

Hannah and Liam are the inspiring couple behind The Rubbish Trip, originally a nationwide tour offering free zero waste workshops around Aotearoa New Zealand. Now experts on the why’s and…

Happen FilmsNovember 9, 2023

Permaculture

In Ben & bEartha (or Ben and Bertha) we follow the story of passionate composter Ben Bushell of Community Compost, Nelson (https://communitycompost.co.nz/). Ben’s taking community composting to the next level!…

NickOctober 8, 2023

Permaculture

Fishing for the Future

What is the solution to overfishing? Small-scale, ethically conscious fishing is typically seen as no longer financially viable, but Nate Smith’s Aotearoa New Zealand-based Gravity Fishing business is directly tackling…

Happen FilmsAugust 10, 2023

Permaculture

Growing Wild Together

About the film Watch our original film from 2016, An Invitation for Wildness. In Growing Wild Together we return to the nearly 30-year-old food forest growing on 2 acres of…

Happen FilmsJune 6, 2022

Permaculture

Building Indigenous Food Sovereignty with Hua Parakore

About the film Hua Parakore was established in Aotearoa New Zealand by Te Waka Kai Ora, the National Māori Organics Authority. It provides a framework using Indigenous values – Māori…

Happen FilmsJuly 16, 2021

Permaculture

The Food Forest Farmers

Syntropic farming is a new and ancient regenerative agriculture practice that can be implemented in any region, in any climate, in limitless ways – even in your own back yard.…

Happen FilmsApril 23, 2021

Permaculture

From Weedy Forests to Grassy Woodlands

From Weedy Forests to Grassy Woodlands tells the story of a community-led initiative to mitigate forest fire risk using goats and hand tools rather than herbicides, heavy machinery, and burn-offs.…

Happen FilmsAugust 11, 2020

Permaculture Tours

Permaculture Tours Episode 3: Limestone Farm Revisit

In Episode 3 of Permaculture Tours we revisit the amazing Limestone Permaculture Farm. in NSW, Australia. We first visited Limestone back in 2015, when Brett and Nici were five years…

Happen FilmsApril 16, 2020

Permaculture Tours

Permaculture Tours Episode 2: Melliodora

In Episode 2 of Permaculture Tours, we visit Melliodora, the home of David Holmgren and Su Dennett in Victoria, Australia. David is the co-originator of the permaculture concept and this…

Happen FilmsDecember 3, 2019

Permaculture

How a Family of 5 Make Almost Zero Waste

In Hobart, Tasmania, Lauren & Oberon Carter and their three daughters have been making lifestyle changes towards producing almost no rubbish – they've only filled one small jar with waste…

Happen FilmsJune 29, 2019

Hands On

How to Forage Seaweed and Make A Delicious Seasoning

In the first video of our new Hands On series we learn how to forage for seaweed and make gomasio, a delicious seasoning for soups, salads, scrambled eggs and a…

Happen FilmsApril 21, 2019

Permaculture

Incredibly Abundant City Permaculture Garden

The Plummery is a suburban home where a backyard permaculture garden measuring only 100sq/m (1076 sq feet) produces over 400kg/900 pounds of food year-round! Kat Lavers describes her approach to…

Happen FilmsFebruary 23, 2019

Permaculture

Sustainable City Living on 1/10th of an Acre

What does sustainable living in the city look like? By living more simply, creating permaculture gardens, utilizing energy technologies such as biogas and solar power, and taking part in community…

Happen FilmsOctober 21, 2018

Permaculture Tours

Permaculture Tours Episode 1: Abdallah House

Welcome to the first episode of our new series, Permaculture Tours! In this series we’ll be diving deep into some amazing properties designed using permaculture principles, with the aim of…

Happen FilmsAugust 6, 2018

Permaculture

Living a Radically Simple Permaculture Life

Creatures of Place is an insight into the wonderful world of Artist as Family: Meg Ulman, Patrick Jones, and their youngest son, Woody. Living on an urban 1/4-acre section in…

Happen FilmsJune 27, 2018

Regenerative Agriculture

Farming Sustainably With Regenerative Agriculture

Regenerative agriculture offers a future for the sustainable farming of meat in line with nature’s needs, by using holistic grazing and organic/biodynamic practices and even sequestering carbon in the soil…

Happen FilmsJune 14, 2017

Regenerative Agriculture

Organic Farming is the Future of Agriculture

In this film, organic market gardeners Frank and Josje talk about why the supermarket system doesn't work and how Community Supported Agriculture fits into a new story for food growing.…

Happen FilmsMay 22, 2017

Permaculture

Make Amazing Compost With a Composting Toilet

Here’s a subject we’re super passionate about – although it’s not for everyone! Humanure composting is the ultimate in self-responsibility – when we use flush toilets we not only waste…

Happen FilmsMarch 22, 2017

Permaculture

Organic Urban Farming on a 1/2-Acre Property

In the small town of Oxford, New Zealand, Kane and Fiona Hogan have transformed their urban 1/2-acre property into abundant veggie gardens. The aim of Urban Gardener is to build…

Happen FilmsFebruary 16, 2017

Permaculture

Thriving 23-Year-Old Permaculture Food Forest

In the small town of Riverton at the bottom of New Zealand’s South Island is Robert and Robyn Guyton’s amazing 23-year-old food forest. The 2-acre property has been transformed from…

Happen FilmsNovember 25, 2016

ALL SHORT FILMS

Flute Making and Human Making

Being the Change at 85

The City Food Commons

Strawbale Dream Home

Together We Grow

The Rubbish Trip

Ben and bEartha

Fishing for the Future

Growing Wild Together

Building Indigenous Food Sovereignty with Hua Parakore

The Food Forest Farmers

From Weedy Forests to Grassy Woodlands

Permaculture Tours Episode 3: Limestone Farm Revisit

Permaculture Tours Episode 2: Melliodora

How a Family of 5 Make Almost Zero Waste

How to Forage Seaweed and Make A Delicious Seasoning

Incredibly Abundant City Permaculture Garden

Sustainable City Living on 1/10th of an Acre

Permaculture Tours Episode 1: Abdallah House

Living a Radically Simple Permaculture Life

Farming Sustainably With Regenerative Agriculture

Organic Farming is the Future of Agriculture

Make Amazing Compost With a Composting Toilet

Organic Urban Farming on a 1/2-Acre Property

Thriving 23-Year-Old Permaculture Food Forest