PERMACULTURE FILM CLUB: Into the Soil

ABOUT THE FILM

Brigid LeFevre runs the community-supported agriculture operation ”Förädlad” (roughly ”Enhanced”) in Järna, Sweden. It’s a biodynamic vegetable garden that focuses on fermenting the harvest to enrich it with nutritious lactic acid bacteria and to make it keep for a long time.

Brigid grew up in an anthroposophically inspired Camphill community in Northern Ireland where volunteers lived and worked together with people with special needs. It was a very self-sufficient community with its own weaver and a biodynamic farm. The local store brought in bulk organic produce and each household would weigh and write down their purchases – without any actual exchange of money.

Growing up in a place where food was separated from the economic market has had a big impact on Brigid’s philosophy as a farmer. And, come to think about it, why is it that the global ups and downs of the economy should determine the operating practices of small-scale local farms?

In Brigid’s garden, it doesn’t. She grows and ferments vegetables for the members, who subscribe to her jars of delicious sauerkraut, kimchi, and all sorts of lacto-fermented pickles all year round. The members support this regenerative agriculture operation with money or hands-on help in the garden.

It’s a local, circular economy, which underpins an alive garden, buzzing and chirping, where the goal isn’t to turn a profit, but rather to make the soil more alive with the passing of each season.

ABOUT THE DIRECTOR 

MATTIAS OLSEN

I guess I began to “wake up” with the 9/11 attacks. Not with the attacks themselves – rather with how they were handled. What types of questions were asked afterwards. What types of explanations were given.

We were all in shock. I lived in Brooklyn at the time, and witnessed the second plane strike from my roof. The weeks and months following were really weird. I found myself glued to the television a lot. I was trying to understand what had happened and why it had happened. I mean really understand it. But all I heard from the experts on TV were that these were “evil-doers” who were “jealous with our freedom” and that the best thing we could do to help the situation, really, was to go shopping or see a Broadway show.

Something started to smell really fishy from there. And it made me question all sorts of things. Like why are chicken breasts so large? And so cheap? And why is it that growth is always portrayed in media as something positive? It got me reading up on history. On civilisation. It got me reading Naomi Klein, Daniel Quinn, Chelis Glendinning and Charles Eisenstein. In particular the book “The Ascent of Humanity” twisted my previous knowledge of the world inside out.

Several aspects of my life took a new turn. I left New York for Sweden and moved to the countryside. I started growing my own food, baking my own bread and brewing my own beverages. I started reading newspapers with a more critical eye. I started questioning my urge to buy stuff.

As far as my working life, my “career”, that had been so heavily hinged upon craving acceptance from the “film business”, wanting to be approved through selections of my work to prestigious film festivals and through cooperation with fancy tv networks … well, that all changed too.

Life is short. And long. But which ever way you look at it, it’s going to come to an end. There’s going to be that point of being old (hopefully) and looking back at your days. And I’ll bet anything that prestigious film festivals will NOT be what’s on my mind when that day comes. The only thing that’ll matter will be the connections I’m part of. With family. With friends. With nature.

And maybe this will also matter: have I been true to myself in this lifetime? Have I been true to the inner workings of my stomach and my soul? To my gut feeling, to that which inspires me, to that which makes me feel good on a deep level?

The films and podcast episodes that I conceive and present through this window that I’ve chosen to call Campfire Stories are a manifestation of those inner workings. Some of them might eventually be screened in some fancy film festival, or reach millions through some tv network. But that’s not the point or the purpose. The point and the purpose is that they arise, manifest and, if I’m lucky, resonate with others. Inspire others.

Inspiring change through film.

ABOUT OUR FREE MONTHLY FILM CLUB

Welcome to the Permaculture Education Institute's monthly permaculture film club. We screen permaculture-related films each month and host a global conversation inspired by the film. Make sure to subscribe below to our event's portal here to hear immediately when we release a new event.

THIS IS A ‘PAY WHAT YOU CAN’ EVENT - WHAT HAPPENS TO THE MONEY?

Whilst our film clubs are free events, we do warmly welcome your generous donation. We always send 100% of all donations received via our registered charity, Ethos Foundation. Any donation received from this event will go towards permaculture food forest nurseries and planting in East African refugee camps and locally-led classes to show youth how to set up and maintain a perennial food forest. People have been living in these camps for decades - perennial food systems are so much more reliable, robust, and abundant, and help to fight the hunger and poverty experienced every day.

FILM CLUB HOST:  MORAG GAMBLE, PERMACULTURE EDUCATION INSTITUTE

ABOUT MORAG GAMBLE

Morag Gamble is the founder of the Permaculture Education Institute teaching permaculture educators and designers on six continents. She has lived for a quarter of a century in an award-winning ecovillage and has taught at leading ecological learning centres such as Schumacher College. She is also the creator of the

Sense-Making in a Changing World Podcast, and the Our Permaculture LifeBLOG and YouTube collectively viewed over 10 million times. Morag also hosts the Ethos Fellowship - a 12-month youth leadership program, Ethos Foundation - a registered charity offering free permaculture education for refugees, and mentors and hosts the award-winning global Permayouth.

FILM CLUB SPONSOR:  PERMACULTURE EDUCATION INSTITUTE

ABOUT THE SPONSOR

Permaculture Education Institute, based at Crystal Waters Ecovillage on Gubbi Gubbi country, offers programs to support people worldwide to become teachers of permaculture and to activate permaculture communities. The Institute hosts regular global conversations exploring one-planet living and earth restoration - through film, podcasts, masterclasses, discussion forums and many courses.

• The all-inclusive Permaculture Educators Program is an in-depth online course and global learning community combining the Permaculture Design Certificate (PDC) and Permaculture Teacher Certificate, plus permaculture business modules. Start anytime. 
• Our foundational yearlong online Permaculture Design Course - will help you to create an amazing design for a place of your choice. Start anytime.
• The Incredible Edible Garden is our self-paced 6-module online permaculture gardening course