Can public lands help to unite a divided America?

New eye-opening feature documentary The Ground Between Us explores the public lands debate in a unique way; presenting the reality of the people who live and work on public lands, but hold vastly different connections and perspectives. Through these stories, co-directors Zeppelin Zeerip and Galen Knowles ask: “Can public lands help to unite a divided America?”

Since 2017, public lands throughout America have faced unprecedented threats. Bears Ears National Monument was shrunk by 85%, the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge was opened to oil exploration, and the Elliott State Forest in Oregon was nearly privatized. Throughout this, Americans from both sides of the political spectrum have stood up and made their voices heard in support of protecting these areas.

The Ground Between Us follows the key issues of the public lands debate through the eyes of three families. In Alaska, an indigenous tribe are claiming back their culture; in Oregon, meet a family with a long history of living and working in the forests as loggers, and in Utah, a family of ranchers hailing from the old west are bringing up a new generation to appreciate the lands that are such an integral part of their lives. These families embody the conversations and points of view that are so important when debating American citizen’s rights to public land. But despite their differences they have one thing in common: their love and commitment to the public lands that they call home.