FILM review: A father-daughter bond strenghtened by nature
Inspired by a true story and the book My Abandonment by Peter Rock, this beautiful and raw film - Leave no trace - is set in the U.S, and takes us on the journey of an unlikely duo, a father and his teenage daughter, as they strive to live quasi-independently off-grid in the suburban mature forests.
Until they become evicted (it is illegal to live on public lands), we see how organized and happy they live, despite obvious challenges imposed by the weather, amongst other factors. The young girl partakes in foraging, harvesting rainwater and basically learning survival skills, while maintaining a good level of education (probably higher than most kids her age busying themselves with other occupations).
While the intermittent placement in ‘society’ of these forest-refugees places too much strain on the father - a war veteran who has lost faith in most of today’s consumerist attitudes it seems - the daughters’ innocence and openness brings about hope. Hope to live in a world where it appears possible for pockets of society to retain a love for nature while still engaging with it humanely. Hope to create social links with ‘invisible’ to most people, attached to their primeval desire to live as outcasts in nature.
This film highlights how nature makes us grow by teaching us how precious resources are, and how easily overcome and lost we can be if we don’t look after it or ourselves within it. As Florence Williams’ wonderful book The Nature Fix explains, it is no surprise that veterans may find solace in nature, to heal their PTSD wounds, thanks to the many ways in which the natural environment can help save us in various ways by (re-)connecting us to nature.
I argue, it is no surprise we feel all the more strenghtened to go out into forests after seeing this film, armed with a fresh set of eyes to appreciate that we, in North America, still have access to rich, diverse forest resources that we could very happily live in.












