NATURE IN LIVING HARMONY WITH
Edited by Luna Randisek
I decided to a documentary based project about an alternative community living in the South of Portugal. Through this project I am hoping to expand peoples knowledge on different lifestyles.
This is a very personal project to me as I grew up in this community. Growing up I thought this was the norm and everyone lead this kind of lifestyle. As I got older and eventually left Portugal, I realized this was far from the truth!
What makes this community alternative is their self-sustainable approach to an off-grid lifestyle. The people are loacted in the countryside, on the outskirts of a small village. They live on big lands, in unregistered houses they built themselvs. Many also live in caravans. They collect their own rainwater through water filtration systems, run off solar power, use compost toilets and dont tend to have any appliances such as televisions, fridges, microwaves, etc..
The community mostly consists of foreigners, rather than Portuguese people. This means there is a wide range of diversity between the people. Most people there felt like the “outcasts” in their home countries, therefore despite the diversity, everyone is very accepting. The one thing they all have in common is that they want to leave as little of a footprint on the world as possible. They all want to live in harmony with nature.
I spent 5 weeks in this village (which will stay anonymous).
Throughout my time there I chose to conduct interviews with the people living there, in order to gain a deeper insight on what it is that attracts people ot this lifestyle I decided to interview the people there. The quotes scattered throughout these pages are taken from these interviews.
I have really enjoyed the development of this project, as it has allowed me to look at my home from a new perspective. I also feel much more connected to the people I have grown up with, as the interviews helped me gain more insight into their lives and experiences. I hope that by including these quotes into this book, I will be able to do the same for you!
“I collect my own rainwater and store it in my water tanks. My home runs off solar power. i built my home with 5 friends. they were hippies with dreadlocks, who wore flipflops as they operated heavy machinery! ... I have 3 cats, 3 dogs, 2 pigs and a bunch of chickens!” - Karen, Scottish, 56
“Its a blue sky life instead of a grey sky life!” - Claire, British, 54
“Theres a sense of freedom here. Wether this comes from the natural landscapes, the sun or how easy it is to live in peace, there is definately a sense of freedom. I think thats what attracts people to this place” - Karen, Scottish, 56
“I came here because I wanted my kids to grow up in a place they could run around barefoot without me needing to worry about rubbish on the ground and busy roads.” - Susie, British, 47
“Growing up here means naked children running around in wellies!’Sunny, British/Portuguese, 18
“I love the people here. There are so many creatives! Artists, dancers, sculpters, painters. And musicians. So many musicians! It is a very creative place” - Tieneke, Dutch, 74
“Everybody here knows eachother. My parents are friends with everyone, so they have all known me since I was a little boy!” - Sunny, British, 18
“When we fist got here it was still very much the old portugal. Donkey carts was the normal transport. There were no people, just theportuguese farmers. Maybe 2 old cars in the whole area.” - Don, Dutch, 75
