This Way of Life

In an isolated and stunning rural New Zealand setting, Peter and Colleen Ottley-Karena raise their seven children on the thin edge between freedom and disaster. the children are brought up to respect nature, their horses and each other. Regardless of their lack of material wealth, they never lose sight of the magic in everyday tasks - collecting eggs, helping their dad to break in horses, or hunting and preparing food for their family. Untamed and unafraid, the idea of risk is alien to them. to see then seven-year-old Aurora expertly ride a massive stallion bareback with no more than a rope halter asks us to re-examine our ideas of what children are capable of. With its genesis in the multi award-winning 2009 documentary of the same name, we see where the Ottley-Karena family is now. Faced with a range of new challenges, they approach life with characteristic dignity and strength. But is their unique lifestyle one that is sustainable in the long term?