A documentary that records the lives and experiences of people in North Devon who have chosen to live without mains electricity is to have an exclusive, limited run in two cinemas in November.

The film, where is heaven?, took a decade to film and has won awards and played to sold-out venues despite technically being in its pre-release phase.

Now, five screenings have been confirmed for two cinemas in Devon thanks to the University of Exeter and its not-for-profit eXeFilm distribution company.

The Odeon in Exeter will host two shows on Sunday, 2 November and Tuesday, 6 November, the latter with a Q&A with the film’s creators, Gerard Bryan and David Rafique.

The film – which has won audience awards at Brighton Cine City and the Red Cedar Film Festival – will then move to the Barn Cinema in Dartington for screenings on the 7th, 8th and 13th.

“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,” says Jezz Vernon, Director of exefilm, and Associate Professor in Film Studies in the Department of Communications, Drama and Film. “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!”

eXeFilm is the first film distribution company to have been incorporated by a UK university, and has been developed by staff and students to bring culturally diverse world cinema and documentaries to the big screen.

Founded in 2024 to both assist the independent distribution sector and provide valuable experience to students, eXeFilm accompanies each release with contextual research rooted in the department’s expertise on the study of the film industry.

“We are delighted to be working with Odeon and the Barn to bring this to audiences in Devon,” adds Associate Professor Vernon. “It is precisely the sort of independent-spirited, and dare I say it, ‘off-grid’ film that we wanted to champion when we envisaged eXeFilm.”

For more information on show dates and times, visit whereisheavenfilm.com.