Fairhill: A Story of Land-Based Resistance

Aim

To finish a cinematic documentary about loss, resistance, and rebirth in the face of the forces that threaten land-based communities.

When their eco-commune in West Dorset collapses, Simon, Jasmine and Jon put every last saving into a bare hillside on Dartmoor in Devon and start again.

We've filmed their journey for three years and have 200+ hours of footage, it is showing the signs of making an incredible film! To do it justice we're asking you to help us raise the money to turn it into a proper feature film and give this the push that it really needs. We're trying to raise £35,000 by 5pm on Friday 24 October and every pound will go into post-production.

WHAT YOUR MONEY PAYS FOR

£25,000 Cinematic Editor to shape 200 hours into a feature
£5,000 Original music and licensing
£3,000 Colour grade
£2,000 Sound design and final mix

MILESTONES (this is a keep-what-you-raise campaign, so every pound is used)

£15,000 Rough cut: the editor starts work and we build the structure
£25,000 Fine cut: the full story locked
£35,000 Finished film: sound, grade and music, ready for festivals

THE STORY

On an empty piece of farmland in Dartmoor, an abandoned quarry sits among windswept hills and tangled forests. To most, it’s a worthless piece of land, but to Simon, Jasmine, and Jon, it’s everything. Refugees from a torn-apart eco-commune, they’ve found themselves putting all they have - every last saving, belonging, and hope - into this place, Fairhill Farm, embarking on a journey to establish a new low-impact farming community.  One day, they’ll have a flourishing organic vegetable garden and dairy farm, homes to live in, and land-based income to live from. Right now, they have four cows, two tents, and a massive undertaking ahead.

WHY THIS FILM, WHY NOW

Small farms, land-based projects and community living are under growing pressure. Fairhill shows what happens when a community falls apart, and what it takes for a determined few to begin again. We want it seen by the people making those choices: new farmers, community land trusts, councils and anyone wondering if there's another way to live.

BACK FAIRHILL TODAY 

• £25 puts your name in the credits
• £15 gets you the finished film.

WHO'S MAKING IT

Anson Hartford is a producer/director whose credits include the non-fiction feature films Maya (BFI & ZDF/Arte), Ping Pong (Film4) and Beads On One String (Netflix). He’s had films released theatrically worldwide and screened documentaries in competition at Rotterdam, Hotdocs, Palm Springs, Zanzibar, DocPoint, CPH Dox, DocFest. Anson has worked with broadcasters around the world including Al Jazeera, Arte, BBC, PBS, NRK, NBC, TVO, NHK, Yle, Svt, Channel 4 and with brands including The North Face.

Solveig Herzum is a documentary and fiction director and producer from Chicago, USA and Genoa, Italy. She is a graduate of the National Film and Television School’s MA in Directing Documentary and has several short film credits including: Wyld (Doc, 2024), The Picnic (Fiction, in post-production), Morning After (Fiction, in post-production), The Firefighter’s Daughter (Doc, 2023), Expecting Troscio (Doc, 2022). She has a background in participatory and devised creative processes, workshop facilitation, and advocacy and has worked with BFI, Into Film, Create, Park Circus, and Garden Studios. This is her first feature film.

HELP US FINISH FAIRHILL

• Back the film before 5pm on Friday 24 October.
• Share this page with one person who cares about the issues raised - sustainable farming / land access / community. It makes a real difference.

Funding method

Keep what you raise – this project will receive all pledges made by 24th October 2026 at 5:00pm