This affectionate, accessible and elegantly brisk documentary follows loveable English eccentric Jerry “Mungo” Francis, who until recently lived year-round on a beach, a dream many of have probably had at one point or another but lacked the gumption to pursue. Although he effectively existed off the grid, inhabiting a set of makeshift shelters on Folkestone beach that consists of a dilapidated cottage, an old dry-docked boat and some tents, his lifestyle wasn’t entirely without amenities thanks to a jerry-rigged generator, foraged fresh water, and internet access. For company, there’s a lazy Jack Russell bitch who whelps an adorable puppy at one point, some chickens, and many friends and family who drop by to help him out. It would all have been utterly idyllic if National Rail, who claimed they owned the land he was living on, weren’t trying to evict him. Painterly cinematography and pleasant folky tunes help this sea-breeze sweet story, with its melancholy final act, slip down easily.
