Drawn to the edges —telling stories shaped by place.
Long-form documentary films from the margins of Europe.
Currently in the Romansh valleys of Graubünden, Switzerland.
Selected Works.
Director / DP.
Documentary work from 2025 centred on rural life, philosophy, craft, and landscape expressed through Serra. An Otherlands project.
Lives unfold at the edges: shaped by land, memory, and craft.
I follow them quietly, through film, writing, and light, bearing witness to the rhythms of place.
Otherlands holds these stories — small, patient, and rooted in the world they inhabit.
Recent work.
Documentary.
Fexer: A Knifemaker & An Ancient Alpine Language
In the remote Val Fex, a blacksmith forges knives inspired by the mountains that shaped his family for generations — as the valley around him is quietly transformed. The film is not about loss. It is about what endures, and what it costs to be the person through whom things endure.
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Directed and Produced by Adrian Howell
Featuring Roger Rominger
Presented by Otherlands
Recent work.
Documentary.
Possibility: From Philosophy to Farming in the Mountains of Portugal
Growing up in Apartheid era in South Africa shaped the course of Deborah Osberg's life. From researching in the vast landscapes of the Namib desert, to lecturing on educational philosophy in south-west England - this film follows her journey back to the wilderness, exploring a new creative expression - one which brings together both beginnings and endings in the mountains of Serra da Estrela, Central Portugal.
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Directed & Produced by Adrian Howell
Featuring Deborah Osberg
Produced as part of Serra
Recent work.
Documentary.
Process: The Alchemy of Wood, Fire and Wildness
Four years ago, Luca D'Ortenzi made a radical change: relocating from urban London to the rugged granite mountains of the Serra da Estrela. After surviving devastating wildfires in 2022, he discovered a passion for woodturning, transforming burnt trees into pieces of art. This film shares his perspective on this process and shows how rural living can be a catalyst to unveil the true self.
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Directed & Produced by Adrian Howell.
Featuring Luca D’Ortenzi
Produced as part of Serra
Recent work.
Documentary.
Bridging the Divide
The frontier days of Western Colorado are over, but a new form of expansion threatens what remains of the American wilderness: the insatiable industry of oil and gas development.
Bridging the Divide explores this conflict through the lens of culture, society and history, retracing the story of this land back to indigenous times, exploring the anthropocentric philosophy that dominates western culture. It asks the question: how can we continue to seek infinite growth on a finite planet? And how can we reconcile our love of the land with the needs we take from it?
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Directed by Adrian Howell
Produced by Tucker Farris
Co-written by Tucker Farris & Adrian Howell
Click here to listen to a podcast interview discussing the project and the context behind it.