Documentaries about conscious coliving, intentional communities and ecovillages
We recently shared an article listing several documentaries about cults gone wrong to demonstrate some of the red flags to look for before joining a conscious community of any sort. In this article, we want to expand and cover multiple perspectives on the exploration of conscious coliving.
We recently shared an article Listing several documentaries about cults gone wrong to demonstrate some of the red flags to look for before joining a conscious community of any sort. In this article, we want to expand and cover multiple perspectives on the exploration of conscious coliving.
From looking at faith-based communities like Damanhur, to intentional communities built around permaculture and sustainability, such as in the documentary a Simpler Way - the aim of this list is to present opportunities for learning about the benefits, challenges and experiences of communal living.
Work in progress
The list of documentaries, shorts, mini-series, lectures is by no means exhaustive. If you know of a visual media project that should be featured on this email hello@lifeitself.org with your suggestions.
A-Z list of documentaries about intentional communal living, ecovillages and conscious coliving
American Commune
Rena and Nadine, siblings and filmmakers, were brought up within the confines of America's most prominent utopian socialist experiment during the 1970s. They recently revisited the commune that had been their home until they departed in 1985, a place they've concealed from their past for years. This visit leads them to confront their history while delving into the ascent and decline of the most thriving American commune.
Watch American Commune on Amazon Prime
A New We: Ecovillages and Eco-Communities in Europe
This documentary delves into the experiences of 10 ecovillages and ecological communities located across eight European countries. The featured communities include Sieben Linden, Damanhur, Tamera, Valle de Sensaciones, Matavenero, Schloss Glarisegg, Schloss Tonndorf, Krishna Valley, La Borie Noble, and Finca Tierra.
Watch A New We on the official website
A Simpler Way
In Australia, a dedicated community has united with the purpose of investigating and showcasing a more straightforward way of existence in reaction to global challenges. Over the course of the year, this collective collaboratively constructs tiny houses, cultivates vegetable gardens, adopts the principles of simple living and permaculture, and confronts the trials associated with communal living.
Commune
"Commune" is a documentary created by Jonathan Berman in 2005. The film centers around an intentional community named Black Bear Ranch, situated in Siskiyou County, California. It boasts narration by Peter Coyote, who, at one point in time, was a resident of Black Bear Ranch himself.
Communities of Hope
Primarily filmed at the European Ecovillage Network's annual European Ecovillage Gathering, and drawing upon two years of traversing and immersing in European communities, the film embarks on a captivating journey encompassing the regenerative mandala. It illuminates how ecovillages interconnect with the societal, economic, ecological, and cultural facets of sustainability. This documentary unveils the pathways to adopting a fresh worldview and forging a novel coexistence.
Cult or Commune: The Garden
A Vice documentary about The Garden intentional community. Following over a decade of operating as a modest off-the-grid farm, The Garden made a strategic move to expand their community by utilizing TikTok, which quickly led to their content going viral. Within days, TikTok became a hub for amateur investigators determined to unveil The Garden as a potentially perilous cult. This is an interesting perspective which looks at the communication of intentional communities online.
Watch Cult or Commune: The Garden on Youtube
Damanhur: The Documentary
This documentary ventures into the roots of the Federation of Damanhur, stretching across the Valchiusella valley, from its founder Falco Tarassco to the present-day residents and workers within the Damanhur spiritual ecocommunity. Established in 1975 within the Piedmont region of the Northern Italian Alps, this spiritual community wholeheartedly embodies its principles through various facets, including social structure, art, governance, and business. It is renowned for its iconic underground Temples of Humankind. The Damanhurians utilize these temples as a global instrument for healing, triggering personal and collective growth, and fostering an interstellar comprehension of humanity's connection to the cosmos.
Watch Damanhur: The Documentary on Gaia
Deep Listening
This feature documentary by Living in the Future, the journey delves into the enigmatic reservoir of Aboriginal wisdom, which holds the keys to fostering connection and healing. The central question it poses is: "What essential skills are required to cultivate thriving relationships, and how can we establish communities that are both resilient and environmentally sustainable?"
Watch Deep Listening on Living in the Future
Ecovillage Pioneers
Independent filmmaker Helen Iles embarks on a journey to delve into the world of community living, covering diverse aspects across the globe. She explores life at Crystal Waters Permaculture Village in Australia, delves into appropriate technology at Sunseed in Spain, and delves into the spiritual connections at the Findhorn Foundation in Scotland. Her exploration extends to Ireland's pioneering ecovillage and brings her in contact with the Tinkers Bubble and Kings Hill communities in Somerset, UK.
Watch Ecovillage Pioneers on Films For The Planet
Intentional: Dancing Rabbit Ecovillage
This documentary is an exploration of the Dancing Rabbit Ecovillage, located near Rutledge, Missouri, USA. This intentional community is in its early developmental phase, having been established in 1997 when the Dancing Rabbit Land Trust acquired 280 acres (approximately 1.1 km2) of land in northeastern Missouri. Currently, the on-site population consists of approximately 30 individuals, and their aim is to eventually evolve into a self-sustaining town with a local population of 500 to 1000 residents. All members of Dancing Rabbit commit to adhering to ecological covenants and sustainability principles.
Watch Intentional: Dancing Rabbit Ecovillage on Youtube
Intentional: Kashi Ashram
This documentary explores Kashi Ashram in a spiritual community, on an 80-acre (about 32 hectares) property situated along the St. Sebastian River, just west of the city of Sebastian, Florida. The development of the ashram was carried out by the students of Ma Jaya who established the ashram in 1976. The ashram follows a communal living arrangement, where residents actively contribute to tasks such as maintenance, food preparation, and engaging in yoga and meditation practices. At its peak, the ashram boasted a population of over two hundred residents.
Watch Intentional: Kashi Ashram on Youtube
Inventing Our Lives: The Kibbutz Experiment
The film offers a deep exploration of the 100-year history of Israel's kibbutz movement, as a contemporary generation grapples with the challenge of ensuring its continuity amid significant reforms and a new capitalist reality. The documentary features interviews with members spanning first, second, and third generations from notable kibbutzim, including Degania, the pioneering commune established in 1910; Hulda, a kibbutz that once teetered on the brink of collapse and was recently privatized; Sasa, the first kibbutz entirely settled by Americans and currently one of Israel's most affluent; and Tamuz, an urban kibbutz founded in 1987, situated in Beit Shemesh.
Watch Inventing Our Lives: The Kibbutz Experiment on Culture Unplugged
Lammas: How to Build an Ecovillage
This is the behind-the-scenes account of nine families embarking on an extraordinary journey, crafting charming, naturally integrated "hobbit" homes and flourishing gardens on land once grazed by sheep in Wales. Confronted by legal battles and local opposition, they confront relentless pressures to meet requirements and prove their success. Their ultimate objective: to establish the UK's inaugural planned ecovillage, Lammas.
Watch Lammas: How to Build an Ecovillage on Living in the Future
Living Communally: A Tour of Ithaca Ecovillage
Explore the EcoVillage at Ithaca was founded in 1991 and has evolved into a well-established communal village with three distinct neighborhoods established on 10% of the land, while the remaining 90% of the property is dedicated to farmland and natural areas.
Watch Living Communally: A Tour of Ithaca Ecovillage on Youtube
The Choice of Staying
Damanhur is a community of spiritual researchers that clandestinely constructed an underground temple in Northern Italy, acclaimed as the world's largest underground religious edifice. The people of Damanhur regard themselves as an autonomous nation, distinct from Italy, although this status is not officially recognized. "The Choice of Staying" narrates the tale of Damanhur through the perspective of a young Swedish woman who initially arrived to create a documentary but ultimately opted to remain. The documentary unravels the intricacies within this spiritual community, oscillating between allegations of being a cult and the endeavor to establish an alternative society.
Watch The Choice of Staying on the official website
Want to learn more about conscious coliving?
If you are curious about conscious coliving and want to implement it into your life, our free email courses are a great place to begin. Find out more here.
