Eco village film hits cinemas (From Western Telegraph)

Lammas eco village film premieres at Cardigan’s Theatr Mwldan

6:17pm Monday 21st January 2013 in News

A film outlining a group of eco pioneers’ quest to build a sustainable and low impact community in north Pembrokeshire premieres tomorrow (Tuesday).

Living In The Future – Lammas documents the highs and lows of nine pioneering families as they build their own affordable homes, grow their own food and create a new community in Lammas, the UK’s first planned eco village.

The film will also open at cinemas and other venues throughout England and Wales on Tuesday (January 22nd). After the film there will be a Skype question and answer session with speakers from Lammas.

“We want to encourage more people to use Lammas as a blue print for eco villages elsewhere in the UK, or at least work towards living a more sustainable life style”

said Lammas co-founder, Paul Wimbush.

Living in the Future offers a very honest look at the lives of the people taking part in this pioneering project.

Although they all share a desire to live a sustainable life and are not afraid of hard work, the residents come from different walks of life; some have lived off-grid before and some have come from a mainstream life in the city.

Leander Wolstenholme admits that his terraced house in Liverpool and regular job provided a very stable lifestyle, which he was scared to leave.

“I was half-hoping that we wouldn’t get planning permission so that we wouldn’t have to have that huge upheaval and come here,” he confesses.

However, after a four-year planning battle Lammas got the go ahead to build nine eco-smallholdings, a campsite and a community hub building on 76 acres of mixed pasture and woodland.

Some locals were initially against the project, fearing an onslaught of hippies and dogs. Now people from all over the world visit Lammas to take inspiration from the unique community.

Helen Iles, who directed the film, said: “The documentary shows people building environmentally sustainable and affordable homes.

“They have adapted the traditional smallholding model with the latest innovations in environmental design, green technology and permaculture and created something inspirational.”

Living In The Future – Lammas will be screened at 8.15pm at Cardigan’s Theatr Mwldan on Tuesday.