On a small farm in a Norwegian forest, the Paynes live a purposefully isolated life, aiming to be wild and free. Maria and Nik, along with their four children Ulv, Falk, Freja, and Ronja are self-sufficient. They practice home-schooling and strive for a closely-knit family dynamic in harmony with nature. However, when tragedy strikes the family, it upends their idyllic world and forces them to forge a new path into modern society.

The Garden Cinema View:

Manifesting initially as a paean to the benefits and challenges of an off-grid, low intervention, lifestyle, A New Kind of Wilderness is quickly upended into a study of grief and, indeed, reintegration into society. It’s practically impossible to be unmoved watching Nik Payne and his young children dealing with such tumultuous grief and upheaval. But there is also humour in the culture clash of wilderness and town (and between the UK and Norway), as well as a sense of catharsis and healing.