Short Summary
"This is one of the secrets of life, no less. It really could change the
world if people could just listen." Maddy Harland, Permaculture
Magazine.
Hello, I’m Helen.
I'm seeking funding to distribute our new documentary film Deep Listening. Our campaign will run from 1st August to 1st September 2015 and we want you to help us raise $2,900 by pre-ordering the film. Even better, get a Screening Licence and share this secret with your community. Your ticket sales could help fund your own project!
This film traces a history of intentional community in Australia and presents a fascinating portrait of alternative lifestyle based on respect for the land, for Aboriginal people and for each other. “Dadirri” is an Aboriginal word given by Elder Miriam-Rose Ungunmerr-Baumann. It can be translated as “deep listening” and refers to the meditative, even mystical relationship connecting land and people. This intuitive way of being echoes throughout environmental and spiritual culture. In this beautiful 75 minute documentary, you’ll learn from alternative lifestyle leaders such as David Holmgren, Robin Clayfield and John Seed how deep listening builds connection. How this connection nurtures us. How it heals relationships and builds community. As Aboriginal elder Uncle Larry Walsh says,
"You take care of the land and then the land can take care of you and you can take care of other people."
At a time when we need to re-learn these ways of caring, it seems wise to listen to a culture which has survived over 50,000 years on the land.
What you can do
This Film is already made. Now we want it to reach its audience. That’s where you come in. To raise funds for distribution, we’re offering the Film to you as a High-Quality Download or as a Limited Edition DVD. This is your only chance to get this Film on DVD, as we're not intending to make any more after the campaign! We're also offering reduced-rate Screening Licences, because we feel this film is best watched with other people and followed with robust discussion.
All contributions - however small - are really important to us, but so is the
encouragement and energetic exchange of your support. We want this Film to reach as many people as possible, so if you know anyone who might resonate with the message of
Deep Listening, please share the campaign link via Facebook or Twitter or invite them to sign up to
our newsletter for more news and events.
![]()
No Risk
In backing this venture, there is no risk to you. I’ve been exploring intentional communities and ecovillages for more than 15 years and I’ve already made two films on the subject -
Ecovillage Pioneers and
Lammas (
see our "3's a Crowd" perk). As I said, the Film is already made and in fact, we’ve had five sell-out screenings to audiences in Melbourne. Guess what? They loved it!
![]()
Who does this film appeal to?
Deep Listening, along with all the
Living in the Future films, goes down well in groups with a focus on environmental issues, sustainability or community. In addition, deep listening can be seen as a spiritual practice, so it appeals to yogis and meditators, too. In fact, if you are in a group or relationship of any kind, the issues and techniques discussed in Deep Listening will give you cause to stop and think, and hopefully, will inspire action.
I hope you enjoy the film and are inspired to practice some deep listening of your own. Keep in touch and let us know how it goes for you. We'll be sharing our own
#deeplistening experiences on
Facebook and
Twitter, so join in and you might win one of our cool prizes!
What You Get
When you select a perk, your contribution helps us reach our target of $2,900. Everything will will go towards the HARD COSTS of Phase 1 of our distribution strategy:
- DVD Reproduction Fees, including cover art and design - $1,300
- "Box Set" USB Reproduction Fees, including cover art and design - $1,400
- Online Distribution Fees - for streaming and digital downloads - $200
Additional funds raised will go towards Phase 2:
- Additional USBs - no more DVDs are planned after the campaign
- Digital Media Hosting
- Marketing & Promotions
- Film Festival submissions
- Website Fees and Maintenance
- Licensing & Legal Fees Related to Distribution
- Every penny will go directly to distributing the film!
By supporting this campaign, you can get in on the ground floor and be part of a revolution - a quiet revolution - towards a more connected way of being.
![]()
Choose your perk!
1.
In with the In-Crowd - A High-Quality Digital Download of Deep Listening: Dadirri
2. Crowding Around - A Limited-Edition DVD of Deep Listening: Dadirri
3. 2's Company, 3's a Crowd - A unique printed USB Card "Box Set" with all THREE Living in the Future Films about sustainable communities - Ecovillage Pioneers, Lammas and Deep Listening: Dadirri
4. Crowd-Puller #1 and #2 - A special rate Screening Licence, Download and DVD. Please choose this for libraries, educational institutions, or to organise a screening in your community.
5. Playing to the Crowd - 10 HALF PRICE Limited Edition DVDs for re-sale in your community or store. (Also available with Crowd Puller Extra).
6. The "it" Crowd - Your name on the end credits of the Film with a big THANK-YOU!
7. Crowd Control - A reduced-rate place on the Groupwork Institute's legendary 2-day Facilitation Training Course in Melbourne. Plus a copy of Glen Ochre's brilliant facilitation manual - Getting Our Act Together.
8. Stand Out from the Crowd - put YOUR name or company logo on the opening credits of the film and on the DVD cover. We'll even make you a funky animated logo so you look super-cool.
If we reach our target, all of the above distribution goals will be possible and Deep Listening will be on its way to a global audience. More than that, we will have created a living community of deep listeners who will already be making the world a sweeter, more connected place to be :)
If we fall short, we'll still be able to give the film a push, it just won't be as effective, so please share and encourage your friends to jump on board as well!
![]()
Background to our project
Living in the Future is a project which began in the UK with the successful alternative news organisation, Undercurrents. From a six-part online video project, it has grown into a 60-episode
web series and a feature documentary trilogy, documenting ecovillages and sustainable communities all over the world.
Living in the Future has inspired thousands of people towards a more sustainable. healthier way of being. Here is what some of our supporters say about our work:
"Thank you for opening my eyes to this whole new way of living. It's truly a dream come true.” (Mirmana Van Melis, Netherlands on the Living in the Future web series)
"I keep your Ecovillage Pioneers film by my bed as a reminder of how I want to live." (Charly, UK)
“Congratulations on an excellent film. I like the breadth of communities covered and all the issues brought to the fore.” (Carol Shantal, Australia, on Deep Listening: Dadirri)
The Impact
"It's vital. To change the world, we have to listen to each other." Glen Ochre
This film is about people who have committed their lives to exploring a lifestyle based on care for the land and care for each other. As Aboriginal culture shows, it's the way humans have survived in the landscape for generations and perhaps it's the only way we will survive the challenging times ahead.
By backing this film, you are expressing faith in people power, in conscious community and in a vibrant, connected way of being. Crowd funding and the share economy is part of that new system. In this
new paradigm, people, not corporations, decide what they want, what they
need and how things will happen. That's YOU.
Living in the Future has a track record in delivering inspiring films to a world-wide connected community. Thanks for being part of that community.
Risks & Challenges
Let's be clear. The film is already made. There is no risk to you. You are simply pre-ordering in a format of your choice. What's more, we've selected our perks carefully so that you get maximum value. No extra merchandise will be produced. We're only making what we need to get these films to you - our audience.
We're an experienced team and we hope to fulfill your pledges by the end of September 2015. So go on, choose your perk now and take part in sharing this inspiring story and making the world a better place to be!
Other Ways You Can Help
As much as we need hard cash, we really need the encouragement and energetic exchange of your support to keep us going. Please SHARE this campaign to as many like-minded people as
possible. We also need translators, community event organisers and social media activists. So if this sounds like you, get in touch! We'd love to work with you.
