A visionary architect grapples with corporate and political meddling in a bid to build entirely self-sustained, eco-friendly communities in the New Mexico desert. Infectious and inspiring.
Screened as part of NZIFF 2008
Garbage Warrior 2007
A house made of beer cans, car tyres and plastic water bottles? Strange as it may sound, architect Michael Reynolds has built entire communities out of these very things. For over 30 years, Reynolds’ “earthships” have sprouted out of the New Mexico desert, relying upon only the earth’s natural resources to heat, cool, water and power them. However, his unorthodox methods (subtext: the jaw-dropping narrow-mindedness of the authorities) get him disbarred from the American Architectural Association and sued to a standstill. Rather than give up, Reynolds is unflappable: he lobbies for the right to create a sustainable living test site in the state. Corporate and political filibustering thwart his plans; it takes a tragic natural disaster on the other side of the world to trigger an about-turn in state policy. Oliver Hodge’s documentary encapsulates the essence of what it is to be an ordinary guy with an extraordinary vision, fighting for what he believes. It is infectious, inspiring and supremely uplifting. — YT