Devon documentary Where Is Heaven? comes to Exeter’s Odeon for limited screenings

An award-winning documentary exploring off-grid life in North Devon is coming to Exeter for a short cinema run this November.

Filmed over the course of a decade, Where Is Heaven? follows the lives of people who have chosen to live without mains electricity, capturing both the beauty and challenges of their remote, self-sufficient way of life.

The film, which has already won audience awards at Brighton Cine City and the Red Cedar Film Festival, will be shown exclusively at two Devon venues thanks to the University of Exeter’s eXeFilm, a not-for-profit film distribution company run by staff and students.

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Exeter’s Odeon Cinema will host two screenings on Sunday 2 November and Tuesday 6 November, with the latter including a Q&A session featuring filmmakers Gerard Bryan and David Rafique. 

The film will then move to the Barn Cinema at Dartington for additional showings on 7, 8, and 13 November.

Jezz Vernon, Director of eXeFilm and Associate Professor in Film Studies at the University of Exeter, said the film’s journey has mirrored the independent spirit of its subjects: “Over a decade, Where Is Heaven? documented not only the beauty of this often-harsh environment, but the indefatigable spirit of the people who have chosen to make it their home.”

“And this spirit is mirrored by the production of the film itself, which has proven to be a remarkable success despite having no marketing behind it, buoyed by word-of-mouth alone.”

Gerard Bryan, the director, told Exeter Today that, “After ten years in the making we are delighted the film has become such a phenomenon in the West country. It's been shown in village halls, pubs , film clubs, local cinemas and arts centres.” 

“We hope these new Devon screening dates will enable Where Is Heaven? to reach an even wider audience.”

eXeFilm was founded in 2024 as the UK’s first university-based film distribution company. It aims to bring culturally diverse world cinema and documentaries to the big screen while giving students hands-on experience in film distribution and research.

Professor Vernon said the partnership with local cinemas reflects the company’s goals: “We are delighted to be working with Odeon and the Barn to bring this to audiences in Devon. It is precisely the sort of independent-spirited — and dare I say, ‘off-grid’ — film we wanted to champion when we envisaged eXeFilm.”