Wilding
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ (out of 5 stars)
As the world struggles through various natural and man-made disasters, there is something special about a film where people yearn to give back to the earth. Based on the book Wilding: The Return of Nature to a British Farm by Isabella Tree, she documents their true-to-life experience behind the Knepp Wildland rewilding project. In 2001, they decided to turn their family farm into a nature sanctuary, as they stopped farming and introduced deer, English Longhorn cattle, pigs, beavers, and storks to the land.
As one who grew up in a farming family and community, I was torn between two worlds when I saw this film. Charlie Burrell and Isabella Tree's rewilding project was fascinating and appealed to the conservationist side. Seeing the wildlife and countryside return to life was compelling and beautifully explained. Meanwhile, the other side of my soul was frustrated by the farmer's heritage as it was an affront to the hardworking people of this background. Initially, this story of reclaiming nature and bringing it back to its original state seemed like these privileged landowners were trying to justify the failure of their farm. Yet, as the narrative unfolded on screen, it became apparent that these quirky individuals were genuinely trying to reintroduce animals, insects, bird species, and plant life to England.
Director David Allen paints a beautiful picture of this process as it occurs in time-lapse over the years. Complemented by Isabella Tree's narration, it gives us a glimpse into their mindset and purpose for letting the family estate go wild. All the while, the farmer's sensibilities yearned to ask the question: if everyone did this, who would feed the nations of the world? Not everyone has a farm estate to give back to nature, and humanity's needs are significant. Yet, their choices added something to this world's beauty and are admirable for conservationists who yearn to get our world back to its original state. A tale that was told similarly in Australia by Rachel Ward in her film: Rachel's Farm.
Wilding is a one-sided affair that shows how God's creation can reclaim the downside of humanity's mismanagement of the land. Yet, it fails to show how this process can be done in a manner that still feeds the world and honours the world's farmers.
Find out more about Russ Matthews' latest book: Reel Marriage.
Reel Dialogue: What does being a good steward of the earth mean?
Conservation of the earth and its waters can be a polarising topic, but are you aware that it is one of God's first instructions? In Genesis, we are told to care for the creation—not to allow it to become a god in itself, but to care for it as the assigned stewards by the God who created it.
In the modern world, the belief in conservation can take on different levels of consideration. Some are exceptionally good and should be supported to save animals and sea life from extinction. Unfortunately, some organisations have taken it to such an extreme that it has become unappealing and heavy-handed.
So, what does the Bible have to say about this topic?
One of God's first commands to mankind was to take care of his created beasts. The challenge is not to allow these beasts to take precedence over humanity's care or get in the way of our service to God. Like most things, they are to have a place in God's world, but the creation should never diminish the focus on the Creator.
