On This Land

Description

On This Land’ is a dystopian drama about greed, environmental destruction, and one man’s legacy.

In the centre of an ever-expanding city, one solitary piece of green space remains. It is owned by Alan Farmer, the ruthless CEO of a multinational corporation. His huge skyscraper is one of the many that loom over the land. Alan now wants to retire so he can enjoy his lavish lifestyle, but first, he plans to expand his company’s headquarters by building on his land.

However, years ago, Alan promised the land to his now-estranged daughter Bella. She lives here, together with her husband and a diverse bunch of activists. They have turned it into a sustainable farm, that feeds that the city's many homeless people. It is a precious, symbolic piece of nature that they are preserving for future generations.

Alan won’t let this stop him. He authorises the eviction of Bella and the other activists, and soon the ‘heavies’ from a private security firm start to close in.

Everything changes suddenly when Alan has an unexpected heart attack and narrowly escapes death. Bella reaches out to him in an attempt to reconnect, and he is forced to look beyond his greed to reconsider his legacy.

Biblical Connection

In the Parable of the Rich Fool, Jesus gives a stark warning against greed: “The ground of a certain rich man yielded an abundant harvest. He thought to himself, ‘What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.’ “Then he said, ‘This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store my surplus grain. And I’ll say to myself, “You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.”’ “But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?” (NIV Luke 12: 16-21) In ‘On This Land’, our ‘rich fool’, Alan Farmer, embodies the values of the corporate world. His approach is short-sighted and unsustainable. However, when he is faced with the possibility of death, he is forced to reconsider what really matters. Alan starts to see things from the perspective of his daughter Bella. She not only uses her farm to feed the disadvantaged locally but is also advocating for the millions around the world most affected by environmental destruction and climate change.