54:20 Maine’s philosophy sums up the entire point of this movie…
for posters that believe these people need to be kept under surveillance “lest they move into your community,” they obviously are not interested in your community; it is why they are where they are… they want nothing to do with you, and your plastic society, so why not let them live as they choose, rather than having to conform to your notions of how people should live…

great film but they said it themselves...it is an insane asylum...but with drugs, alcohol and guns! They bum from the outside society when they are in need of resources (suprise). An eye needs to be kept on this insane asylum in the desert.

great movie but these people are crazy. Yes they are free but they bum food and resources from the rest of us. They were correct in stating that it is an insane asylum ...but with weapons. We need to keep an eye on them lest they move into your community.

thank you, i enjoyed it very very much...inspiring and worth recommending to a friend....
...it is the story of many people around the world…

wtf is going on at 49:10
Am I the only one who hears what “Gecko” says. That’s quite an embarrassing outburst if you ask me! Haha...it cracks me up everytime I hear it.

so, they speak a lot of freedom but what they are doing during the day (i don´t mean drive by the car around, sitting and talking:-) )??..i´m interesting in how they grow the food, get the water and so on

Not so off the grid now that the entire world is looking at you!  I’m sure most “city” people probably just think this is a movie, not a documentary.

Keep living friends.

This was very enlightening, thank you.

Truly one of the better films I have ever seen. America, land of the free, allowing anyone to do anything as long as it does not hurt your neighbor.

Thank you for making me think and ask questions about my life on how I relate to the world around me.

Holy crap. what a great film. i love the music. the truth to the story and the gritty story of a place in america I can hardly imagine. Great job guys

Absolutely Amazing...Great film!

Its beautiful when people have a place to go, to come to terms with themselves.
Everyone wants their place in the Sun.
Some people NEED their place in the Sun.
It restores your faith in Mankind to see this.
Bless their souls.

This terrific film was ruined by one of the worst video playback pages I’ve ever seen. It wouldn’t run 2 minutes before it would stop for 10. I would reload the page and wait 5 minutes and get to watch another couple of minutes. Hope it’s temporary, as I would love to be able to watch the film in its entirety, even with the ads--which, by the way, will no longer be there if the advertisers realise that the site they’re paying is unable to attract viewers because of the unpleasant viewing experience. Maybe I’ll just buy the DVD.

Wow.
A raggedly rich story; heartbreakingly impoverished, dirty, sad, ugly, closed-off end of the line but seen through, it’s clean true, and real, real window-without-a-frame, wide-open beautiful. Boil off the oceans of gridlocked despair, and what’s left of people is just the salt and stars.... the film makes the case why when the system, or lack of it, takes everything, you can still have a choice whether to give up your pride, fight for your freedom, to live, help where you can and let live where you can’t.
Peace to all who were in and otherwise created this canvas of over the edge but on the ground living Americans, a shared group portrait of why freedom isn’t free; though both wars alluded to were ultimately misguided, obscenely successful attempts by the wealthy and powerful to ‘fuel the grid,’ I thank “Maine” & al. for their service; they’re true patriots who believe in and put it all on the line for what this country and the Constitution is all about & live it best they can, honest & free in valor, lonesome love & squalor.I just wish we did better by them and gave ‘em a little more back; they more than deserve it, and deserve it far more than any of the the war profiteers who have usurped our Constitution for their rapacious ends. They took everything - but not the most important things - from us. The Spirit can not be stolen, nor destroyed; it can only be given up. Thanks for the living reminder, and having the courage to live it in the face of adversity most folks don’t understand. Peace, and God watch over these fine souls with some of the greatest challenges woven in the soles of their walking shoes. And carry them when You can, carry them far above those mountains, their mountains, o beautiful for spacious longing to belong again, as they always do, as we always do, to the salt of the earth…

well done

12:43
I’d love to live free like these people but what gives him the right to pull his kids out of school though? Let them decide for themselves whether they want to live this way. Now they have no choice.

It is an absolutely entertaining film. I imagine this lifestyle is very gratifying,pleasing.

why the hell would the government hassle these people? they just want to be left alone..

Love this film
would be fun if there were people who lived in tress haha

beautiful

thank you for sharing

Wow. I lived on the mesa almost 10 years ago. It’s nice to know that some of my old friends are still alive. It doesn’t seem to be any different now than it was then.

An awesome look at individuality and the free spirit.

It’s interesting to see what happens to those who feel wronged and feel they cannot compete in the modern world.

Very interesting film. Where most of America now has no trespassing signs all over the place, it nice these brave souls have found a bit of personal freedom to enjoy while it lasts. I have seen such places eventually get gentrified by those with money to burn. I fear that even the Mesa will get turned as more and more self styled eco dewellers seek their share of the American dream.

Wow! this is just to good to be true, I wish i live there. I didn’t see any minorities, is this strictly white?

I have come to the mesa. Every year for the past 3 years. I have met many wonderful people. But what I am sorry to say is this film. Shows only one side and one group of people on the mesa. There are people who have homes that are nice well built and clean. Who take the bad roads every day into town to work. Some retired people who have a nice simple place. Its not all run down cobled together shacks. Out there But homes of people. Much like the rest of the area around taos its self. Just off grid. Then go a few miles north and you find the earth ship comunitys. You can look them up on Google. Then south to 3 peaks. To a totly difrent comunnity. On the same mesa. Do a google earth seacrh for Carson. And see how the others live. They are just as independent. And devers. But most spend more time and money on there dwelings. The main thing I am trying to say dont judge us all from just this one movie. That in my opinon. HAS a very negitive slant to what the Mesa is and what it means to live here.

49:09, that’s all i’m saying…

Ads for wireless, make up and I don’t even remember what else were certainly ironic throughout this documentary.  While some of these folks probably do suffer from some mental issues as a previous commenter stated, so the ferk does the rest of society.  Just because you get up every a.m., go to work, do the work (or not as the case often is), come home, do dinner, take the kids somewhere they have to go, go to bed, etc., etc. doesn’t mean you don’t have some form of mental illness, too.  Why is your life more normal than theirs?  Most “normal” people are addicted to something...tv, the internet, porn, food, prescription medication, so why is their world freaky?  This country and the rest of the world has survived this long because of people like this.  Don’t knock it just because you have electricity and they don’t.  You’re as ferked up as the next person, regardless of your physical comfort level.

I own a property in the mesa up toward the top in the trees, away from most of where this film was made, but all in the same square mile grid mostly! In the two visits I have made there, I have found the people to very friendly , warm , and kind ! Bought land site unseen and new knowthing of this film or of this place. But belive from what I have seen for myself that they did an amazing job of showing what many lives are like on the mesa, other wise known as two peaks. And if it was not for the bad roads I would move there tomorrow! And still may yet!

I drove by this dump recently.......freedom is real cool, but, building a house out of a schoolbus, smoking pot all day and being a misfit is not!  I was appalled by the conditions.  There is some manner of addiction and mental health issues with these folks.  Rock on you freaks!

Rock on! It’s so cool to know there is actually a place or more out there like that! I think it’s one of the most beautiful things I have seen today. Awesome Man. I wouldn’t mind living like that. Rock on!

Rock on! It’s so cool to know there is actually a place or more out there like that! I think it’s one of the most beautiful things I have seen today. Awesome Man. I wouldn’t mind living like that. Rock on!

What a bunch of POSERS!
Off grid my arse.
They run away from everything while they run away from themselves.  They refuse to defend their precious Freedom from the same oppressive gov’t they despise.
They don’t support themselves, they NEED the townspeople to trade with.  They NEED the Food Banks to FEED them.  They’re no more “off-grid” than your average shack-dwelling sharecropper.
They drink Bottled Water!
They chop firewood and have pigs, yet NO ONE seems to make soap.  So they use mud??  This is NOT about being “off grid”.  This is about being very confused.

They live like rats in a landfill.  No one seems to pick up after themselves. 

All that said, I cannot fault their HEART.  They do seem to be earnest.  There are a lot of challenges to keep them occupied.  Life there is hard, yes, which is why no one else lives there or cares to live there.  They each carry a tremendous burden, yes, and this is good therapy for them all.

But they’re about to eventually learn just why society looks like it does.  Just why there are rules.  Just why there are people to enforce them.  Just why people DON’T live this way any more. 

They’re just taking the long way to learn.

And we think we need the tv, big car, large house, and good job to be happy.  What we need is to get back to the roots.  Small communities supporting one another, neighbors helping neighbors and for the government to take a step back and learn its place.  Excellent film.

great documentary; i beleive i have visited the town outside of the mesa, it believe the towns name is Sedona. Known for being one of the locations of the Earths vortexs

makes sense that the mental ill find solace here

all those people seemed like good folks, maybe a bit off kilter but geniune people

It’s weird seeing bank commercials splitting up such an amazing story about people who will never need to deal with a bank in their lives.

Some people will look at those folks as hippies, lowlifes, bums, and all manner of the dregs.
But I don’t.

But this is what people do when the structure of civilazation melts away.
There then becomes a life for every individual.
Even the mentally ill.

Being the Last Great Frontier, we have a lot of those types scattered throughout the wilderness in Alaska.

It strikes me as interesting how the mentally ill seem to always thrive in these situations.
In these places where they are not forced to conform.

If you stop & think, alot of the Pioneers & Mountainmen of the past were more offten then not waaaaay off center.
Back then, some men would go out and spend their whole lives alone.
Becouse they could not or did not want to live under the rule of other men.

I believe we are going to see more & more of this type of thing.

Badly need your help. 

Hi all. Only some people get what they want. Those are the people who show up to get it. With respect , Pablo from Grenada.

this documentary is prolly one of my favorites and all those people are badasses

Good evening. Noble life demands a noble architecture for noble uses of noble men. Lack of culture means what it has always meant: ignoble civilization and therefore imminent downfall.

Could you help me. You cannot make a man by standing a sheep on its hind legs. But by standing a flock of sheep in that position you can make a crowd of men. Help me! 

Hi. In the future I’m going to keep here links to their sites. But I do not worry about the sites where my link is removed. So if you do not want to see a mountain of links, simply delete this message. After 2 weeks, I will come back and check.

One of the most amazing films I’ve seen - a lifestyle that at first appears to be laughable, only to open up into something very rare and beautiful in a unique way.  This is a remarkable piece of filming - with humor and pathos, and above all understanding and joy for a life most of us could never imagine.  Wonderfully done.

The film makers were very successful at gaining the trust of this group of highly mistrusting individuals and show us a glimpse of their rugged, wild, self-reliant lives on a New Mexico high-country mesa.  It’s a wonderful gift, thank you!

All around great piece of filmmaking-Amazing characters, great cinematography. True democracy at work-not necessarily pretty- but authentic.

thanks, not what i was planning for this sunday morning but cool

I agree Susan,I have been arguing this fact with several “keyboard anarchists” on YouTube. Watch the classic documentary called “ Alone in the Wilderness” to see how a real man lives off the grid...Richard Proenekke.

It’s really hard times for business corporations, too much recession result into job cuts and more payday loans to survive in this time. But did you hear about Ken Karpman? He is now living example of rags to riches and back to rags. The former corporate trader has been hit hard by the economic recession and now, desperate for quick payday loans, Karpman took a job at Mike�??s Pizza & Deli Station in Clearwater, Florida. He is now earning $7.29 an hour plus tips. He�??s grateful to have work, even if it sometimes takes him to the doors of neighbors to his old office building. There has been stress in the Karpman marriage. But when it comes to who is most at fault for the collapse, Ken Karpman points at himself. �??If we didn�??t have to worry about the lights getting turned off, we can spend more time talking about us.�?� We have to admit that Ken Karpman at least deserves credit for the effort. So try to be thankful because some of us are still bless.

CLICK THE LINK FOR MORE DETAILS: personalmoneystore.com/moneyblog/2009/03/20/ken-karpman-pizzaboy-ceo/

will dispel any notions you may have of a romantic off-the-grid lifestyle.

so far i have watched two TWO movies, or should i say tried to watch.  this one skipped a part and is streaming slowly (which i guess could be my end) the last movie i tried failed to load halfway through and there was no way to fast forward.

Good quality when it works, if it works

I lived in a remote unincoperated arrea of the Mojave desert for 23 years. I raised and educated my kids because I didnt want them in a state sponsored indoctrination center who`s sole purpose is social engineering. I was also armed to the teeth because there was no 911 out there. Believe it or not some of us DO want to be left alone and we dont want hot tubs and Volvos. “Civilized” America ant all that.

This documentary was simply stunning! 5 out of 5
I find it amazing that even under dire circumstances these people still find a way to get a long and be so peaceful but still know when its time to pull out the AK-47 and are willing to defend this great country of ours but are all amazing people with some amazing-inspirational views on the world.

American kids are given the right to education so they have more tools to work with to make good choices in life. Parents who deny them of this, are selfish. I wouldnt want an alcoholic who lacks the skills to survive in a normal society raising my children. On the flip side, good parents who do home schooling and are not sheltering their children, have the right to live how they choose. What worries me is mental illness, pedephilia etc. Social services should look into any family who isolate their children for abuse, lack of provisions, education, and/or neglect. Other than that, most of these people are survivors from their own demons and dont appear to be hurting anyone. There are homeless people now more than ever, bouncing from friends house to friends house, living out of their cars etc. Most are not homeless from choice so they struggle holding jobs. “Off the grid” to me, shows there are alternatives from suicide that are very positive.

American kids are given the right to education so they have more tools to work with to make good choices in life. Parents who deny them of this, are selfish. I wouldnt want an alcoholic who lacks the skills to survive in a normal society raising my children. On the flip side, good parents who do home schooling and are not sheltering their children, have the right to live how they choose. What worries me is mental illness, pedephilia etc. so social services should look into any family who isolates their children and/or doesnt provide adequitly. Other than that, these people are survivors from their own demons and dont appear to be hurting anyone. There are homeless people now more than ever, bouncing from friends house to friends house, living out of their cars etc. Most are not homeless from choice so they struggle holding jobs. Off the grid to me, shows there are alternatives to suicide for some.

I love this documentary. I’ve heard of the mesa and know of a few people that have gone there. Up until now it’s been nothing more then a mystery. What i find beautiful is the utter display of liberty in this movie. There’s a feeling i would expect from being out there of true and untamed freedom. The kind you can only dream about living the city or in mainstream society.

Don’t Judge. Parents have a god given right to educate their own children, especially if they disagree with the federal education system. Being forced by law to put your kids in school is down right un-American. Just because someone chooses not to work should not be an indicator of one’s character. A job does not make a person. That is their freedom to choose not to work. Lastly, the Earth was and is meant to be owned by everyone. How can one put a price on the land...it is here for all. Money as a means of trade was systematically designed for the control of the human race by the power players. Freedom is the last thing that bonds all human beings. We must respect peoples’ wishes on how they choose to live. They are not hurting anyone on the grid. Think about it!

SCUM BAGS!!

####### MUT KILLED HIS DOGS,I HOPE HES IN JAIL FOR EVER!

NON OF THEM HAVE JOBS OR OWN THE LAND THEY LIVE ON AND RUIN WITH ALL THERE JUNK!

THE KIDS NEED TO BE IN SCHOOL AND AS FAR AWAY FROM THERE DAD AND THAT NICE LAND THAT THEY TURNED TO ####.

I lived on the mesa for about a year. The only reason we moved is because i got pregnant and didn’t have proper identification to get insurance. i still love it and plan on going back. this is where my heart is. it’s even more beautiful and stark when you’re there. the only place i know to escape the rat race and be insane in peace without living on the streets.

I lived in Taos for about 8 years and know a couple of these people. This is a pretty accurate depiction of life on the Mesa.

I don’t understand why or how they went the entire length of the movie without one mention of the Rainbow Family, since most of these people are obviously Rainbow Hippies, and the community seems to be run in a very very similar manner as a Gathering.

That was a #### good documentary, let people live how they want… @steve: If you don’t like it you can “elevate the human condition” in the grid and leave it be.

I have some junk land around pecos, van horn and el paso.
I like the idea of being left alone to do what you want.

This is a movie about free people, or people as free as they can be in the US, it is comforting seeing people take care of them selves. Its nice to see people that don’t depend on the government.

And I should care because? After spending 16 years of my life in the arid, conservative, and backwards state of AZ I really tire of watching/hearing from folks that cannot live with others and recuse themselves to an isolated life.I cannot find any value in this film. It is nihilistic and offers no answers to the viewers and, least of all, the ‘stars’. I believe that creativity serves its purpose by elevating the human condition. Can someone say the same of this film?

We need the New America movement!
http://www.youtube.com/user/GeneralNariscolopez2

With the way things are going this is going to become the nomral way of life…

Peter
http://www.randomously.com

This movie was incredible.

thank you

What an interesting take on life!  Reminds me of characters from childhood, Burning Man, and the indelible desire we all have for absolute freedom. 

Even in chaos, there is order.  Wonderfully cool.

-osgo