Jonathan B
Packed with great information and storytelling! Stunning visuals, amazing narration, clear explanations. This movie is sobering, practical, hopeful and inspiring, all at the same time. Ill be watching it again!
Rated 5/5 Stars •
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
12/08/23
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Heather
Finally, a movie that doesnt just tell us everything weve done to destroy our planet with ominous warnings of doom if we dont do something to change but a thoughtful, easy to understand, well laid out and clear SOLUTION. This film should be played in every high school in the country.
Rated 5/5 Stars •
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
10/11/23
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Maggie B
From climate challenges to community struggles, it is clear that the way our world produces food has affected the entire Earth. Little did I know, farmers across the country were already practicing the very method that could reverse these issues, while also healing our beloved planet. Directed by Joshua and Rebecca Tickell, Common Ground completely opened my eyes to a movement that is not just about saving the Earth, but also about creating a better life for the people who live here. The film presents regenerative agriculture as a solution to these struggles, which is a farming practice that revives natural resources and works in harmony with Earth. The film ties together a number of stories from regenerative farmers and highly-educated activists who are challenging the industrial food system. By focusing on their personal experiences that compelled them to advocate for change, the film shows how switching to regenerative farming can provide hope for a sustainable future. As a viewer, I could feel the true importance and the weight this movement has on our planet. From cancer-causing pesticides appearing in our drinking water to drying lands due to climate change and CO2 emissions, the film describes how these current issues raise concerns for everyone across the globe. However, Common Ground supplements each of these problems with hopeful, feasible, and current solutions that transcend feelings of positivity and motivation to those watching. Furthermore, the cinematography done by Simon Balderas and Joaquim Pujol was absolutely remarkable. With sweeping aerial views of gorgeous landscapes, candid footage of working farmers with great personalities, and powerful time-lapses that capture land coming back to life, the film truly made me feel like I was a part of the stories that were being told. Overall, Common Ground is both moving and empowering. With unforgettable visuals and inspiring solutions, it shows that a better future is not only possible but already happening, and we can all be a part of it! I highly recommend it to anyone, as all audiences will be impacted by the messages and artistic elements that are incorporated into this astonishing cinematic experience.
Rated 5/5 Stars •
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
10/10/25
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Christie S
SO IMPORTANT for humanity's future! Everyone should watch this well-done documentary.
Rated 5/5 Stars •
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
08/15/25
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Nat R
Definitely a must watch
Rated 5/5 Stars •
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
08/03/25
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Isaiah A
Gabe Brown stands between two fields. To his left is a vast expanse of lifeless dirt. To his right, a sprawling field of perennial pastures and verdant trees. On his neighbor’s plot, wind has eroded away the healthy topsoil, leaving the ground desolate and bare. On his own land, a line of trees and robust crops ensure that the soil holds firm. The difference between these two fields – industrial farming versus regenerative soil management – could decide the fate of humanity.
Before discovering this film, I, like many others, had no concept of the severity with which conventional agriculture damages our health and our environment. Common Ground reveals how agro-industrial chemicals and tillage damage the microbial biome in the soil and reduce the nutritional content of the food we grow. What’s more, carcinogenic chemicals leach into our food, damaging our health and the health of future generations.
While at first this news shocked and disheartened me, the film soon revealed how the very methods that made Gabe Brown’s field green even while his neighbor’s land remained desolate are the same methods that do away with harmful tillage and chemicals. These soil-healthy practices include growing cover crops and conducting managed grazing with livestock. By working in tandem with nature, rather than against it, these methods ensure that strong, healthy plants grow to feed strong, healthy humans. Collectively known as regenerative agriculture, this soil-conscious approach to farming not only prevents the loss of the soils we need to feed the world, but also draws carbon out of the atmosphere, mitigating and even reversing the adverse effects of climate change! The documentary reveals how, if embraced on a large enough scale, regeneration might make the difference between ecological disaster and human flourishing.
Longtime eco-documentarians Joshua and Rebecca Tickell bring together an all-star team of soil health advocates and celebrities. Familiar faces such as Rosario Dawson, Jason Momoa, and Laura Dern, whose sobering narrations paint a harrowing yet impassioned picture of how we can change. Meanwhile, down-to-earth farmers like Rick Clark, Glenn Elzinga, and Alejandro Carillo deliver first-hand experience implementing these methods, and reaping benefits both ecological and financial. The Tickells do an impeccable job balancing a diverse collection of voices, channeling them all into one beautiful and harmonious call to action. Before seeing this film, I was prone to despair for the future of our planet. But after seeing how regeneration has healed places like Salmon Idaho and Chihuahua Mexico, it’s difficult not to imagine how great a difference we can make if we act now.
This is a film I will definitely be revisiting again as a reminder of how I can do my part in making the future just a little brighter, a little cleaner, and a little greener for generations to come.
Rated 4.5/5 Stars •
Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars
07/18/25
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