Great Movie for Preppers… (What not to do!)

If you’re a fan of modern homesteading stories or wilderness films set in the American West, do not miss “Land,” a 2021 production starring Robin Wright! Set in the Wyoming Rocky Mountains, it’s the story of a woman, Edee, who has retreated to the wilderness after an unbearable tragedy. 

You could watch this spare, lovely movie for the scenery alone—awe-inspiring snow-capped peaks, sparkling river, and dense forests teeming with wildlife. (It’s filmed on location on Moose Mountain, Alberta, Canada, standing in for Wyoming.) But you might pick up a few survival skills too!

What struck John and me right away was the Edee’s stunning lack of preparedness for a life in the wilderness—providing lots of “woman versus nature” conflict. At the beginning of the story, she actually didn’t have the first clue about what she was getting herself into. 

When John and I started our new life on our Foothills acreage, we figured out two things really fast. 

First, protect your food supply.

I cringed when I saw our gal Edee open a can of tuna on her front porch and casually pour the liquid onto the ground. I said to John, “What is she doing? Inviting every bear in the vicinity to visit?” Clearly “being bear safe” was not in her wheelhouse!

Second, preparing for winter is a year-round project. 

Edee learned both the hard way. When a bear broke into her cabin and devoured all her food (had it smelled the tuna earlier??) she discovered bears really can bite canned goods open. 

Also, keeping two fires going every day in an uninsulated cabin—one in the wood stove, and one in the fireplace—is pretty much a full time job. 

She did not have any firewood laid by, or a place to dry any. And as it turned out, fetching wood outside in the middle of a blizzard proved to be her undoing.

One other element might be even more important: before embarking on a life of isolation, extreme weather and unrelenting work simply to survive, it’s my experience that you should aim to be in good physical, mental, and emotional health. 

Grief-stricken, Edee’s mind and spirit was nearly broken by what had happened. She simply didn’t have the energy and focus for the life she had chosen. 

Magnificent Canadian Rockies

What Edee did discover is something else John and I learned our first, tumultuous year on our homestead: you can’t go it alone. Even the narrator of the wilderness memoir “One Man’s Wilderness” relied on a circle of friends to bring in food supplies and keep up his spirits.

(He also fed himself very well, with hearty balanced meals…not a steady diet of canned chili like Edee.) 

Complete isolation might work for a short time, but oftentimes it’s the kindness of strangers that gets you through.

Kindness and resilience is the heart of Edee’s journey in “Land.” I hope you’ll give this inspiring movie a try!