Browse films

The Meaning of Vanlife

Jim Lounsbury
Australia, 2019, 88 min.

In English.
Includes adult language.

AIFF Award Winner:
Best Foreign Documentary

The Meaning of Vanlife is an adventurous, revealing look into the Vanlife community through the eyes of nomads who have chosen to live a life of freedom on the road. A documentary about a movement that exemplifies a deeper societal trend towards minimalism and authentic community building.

Director's Statement

Is Vanlife just a fad, driven by social media, hashtags and photographs of beautiful couples in pristine locations? Or is it a community dealing with the current economic pressures by leaning toward minimalism and simpler living? A group of people redefining their expectations for life by valuing things like community, acceptance and renewal? When asking "˜Vanlifers' why they chose this alternative lifestyle, the most common word within their answers was freedom. This documentary was a chance to discover what that freedom looks like, and what resonant beliefs, philosophical truths and new ideas can be gleaned from these modern-day nomads.

Category: Documentary, Award Winner.
Themes: Community, Lifestyle, Road Trip, World Cinema.

More in Documentary

  • Still Standing

    Still Standing

    Victor Tadashi Suarez
    United States, 2026, 10 min.

    After the Los Angeles wildfires leave thousands of homes contaminated with toxic ash, residents face an impossible choice: should they risk their health to... more ›

  • The Nest

    The Nest

    Derek Brown
    United States, 2025, 17 min.

    Inside Bronx International High School, a sanctuary for New York's most vulnerable youth, an immigrant community bands together to create a better future... more ›

  • A Promise of Paradise

    A Promise of Paradise

    Thomas Machowicz
    United States, 2025, 16 min.

    A powerful encounter with the matriarch of his herd changed everything. Moved by the connection he felt, Dan made a life-altering decision: he would send the... more ›