Over ten years of filming, a new documentary immerses viewers in the lives of a handful of residents in north Devon who have chosen to live entirely off the grid. The film eschews a fast-paced narrative, instead allowing its portrait of self-sufficient living to mature slowly, charting the subtle shifts in its subjects’ lives across a decade.
The individuals profiled are not recluses in the traditional sense, but a common thread is a pronounced comfort with solitude. Their relationships with others are complex and varied. One man, initially presented as a committed loner temporarily cohabiting with a partner, is seen by the film’s conclusion navigating family life with two young children, all while expressing a palpable nostalgia for his former independence. Another spirited woman enters a relationship with a local, though the partnership proves transient, leading her to reflect on whether her off-grid lifestyle is a cause or a consequence of her self-described “difficult” nature. In contrast, an octogenarian woman embodies serene contentment in her solitude, spending her days writing poetry and tending to her home.
Beyond its character studies, the film serves as a lyrical homage to the stark, windswept beauty of the Devon landscape. Significant screen time is devoted to the visual poetry of light moving over hills and wind sweeping through long grass. A folksy, whimsical soundtrack provides a rich auditory layer, perfectly complementing one of the film’s more colourful storylines involving a rebellious publican and his legendary, authority-defying lock-ins.
The documentary ultimately presents a textured exploration of the pursuit of self-sufficiency, examining the quiet triumphs and personal compromises that define this chosen way of life.
