2025 | United States | Documentary

Return to the Earth

  • English 7 mins
  • Director | Amy Smyth
  • Writer | -
  • Producer | -

STATUS: Completed

This film is currently not available.   

What if your home could be handmade—from the ground beneath your feet? This intimate micro-documentary tells the story of Betty Seaman—a mother, builder, and teacher—who constructed her family's cob home with her own hands. What began as a quest for affordable, sustainable shelter grew into a living classroom for resilience and community. But when wildfires came dangerously close to consuming everything she had built, Betty was forced to confront the stark realities of life on a changing planet. Filmed while the Palisades fires were still smouldering, her story emerges as one of survival, adaptation, and the possibility of building back without using toxic materials.

Sustainability Housing Wildfire Community Resilience
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