A journey over the walls that divide us, to explore the age-old debate of land and power, amid the fight for greater access to nature.
OUR LAND
A film by Orban Wallace
Welcome to Our Land, the home of compelling documentary films that capture the essence of human resilience and the beauty of diverse cultures. Our platform is dedicated to showcasing extraordinary stories that inspire, educate, and provoke thought. Our commitment to authentic storytelling sets us apart, as we delve into the depths of human experiences and share them with the world.
“Our Land is about starting a conversation — crossing divides to explore our shared sense of belonging and to reimagine our future relationship with the land and nature of the UK,” Wallace.
Synopsis
Our Land dares to tread where few have trespassed before, asking the timely question of who has the right to roam in the English countryside? The UK is a wild and beautiful place, but the vast majority of it is off limits to the general public, with 92% of land and 97% of all rivers in England not legally accessible. At the same time, it is a landscape shaped by centuries of inheritance and tradition, with land held and cared for by families across multiple generations.
Our Land takes us to the heart of the ‘Right to Roam’ movement as it embarks on a provocative trail of mass trespass, campaigning and education, while also exploring landowners’ concerns around environmental protection and the danger such widespread access could pose to a landscape already under threat.
Bringing these often-opposed worlds into sharp and revealing conversation, the film spotlights those fighting for greater public access — including Right to Roam campaigner Nadia Sheikh; Sunday Times bestselling author of The Book of Trespass, Nick Hayes; and Guy Shrubsole, Wainwright Prize-winning author of Who Owns England? and The Lie of the Land — as well as hearing from landowners from Cornwall to Scotland who see themselves as long-term custodians of the countryside. The film also brings to light barriers to connection to the countryside for people of colour, featuring groups that promote access to nature for Global Majority and refugee communities.
With an introduction to the history of the land justice debate by renowned nature writer Robert Macfarlane, animated by May Kindred Boothby, Our Land examines the complex issues of access, custodianship, and conservation, challenging age-old beliefs about property that have shaped our relationship with the land for over a thousand years.
Our Land is produced by Rebecca Wolff, Charlie Phillips, Leo Smith and Orban Wallace, for Gallivant Film, Grasp the Nettle Films and I Am Charlie Ltd, in association with Intermission Film. Executive producers are Sandra Whipham, Dale Vince and Sam Cryer, with Alice Aedy and Joi Lee of Earthrise as co-executive producers. Original music is by Daniel Inzani with a title track by Cosmo Sheldrake. It is supported by The BFI Doc Society Fund, awarding National Lottery funding and The Uncertain Kingdom.
Reviews
Perspectives of activists, landowners, and walkers reclaiming access to the countryside reveal how globally relevant questions of land ownership are bound to histories of colonialism, class, and power. With energy and clarity, the film captures a pivotal struggle over who nature belongs to and what it means to truly share land. – Ruth Somalo
DOC NYC 2025
Articulately presenting arguments from both sides, the film challenges age-old beliefs around property that have shaped our relationship with the land for over a thousand years. And as the battle for nature continues the film asks the vital question, who truly has the right to roam?
SHEFFIELD DOC FEST 2025
“We hear from both sides of the divide. Director Orban Wallace gives space for some of the landowners of large estates to offer their perspectives, which are more diverse than you might think. And it witnesses organised mass trespass events led by activists who question the 92% of English land which lacks legal public access.”
LEEDS INTL FESTIVAL 2025
