The Bunker Boom: Better Safe Than Sorry 2021

Directed by Arianna LaPenne · Documentary · 25 min

In rural South Dakota, xPoint is a subterranean neighborhood that is home to what may be the world's largest residential community of 'preppers,' people who live 'off the grid.' Whatever they seek to avoid or escape, the survivalist real estate market is booming. Director Arianna LaPenne peers into the motivations of middle class families uprooting their lives to live in converted military bunkers in response to society's collective anxieties. LaPenne finds a fledgling community around shared ideas, neighborly celebrations, and self-determination. The film investigates the compelling questions surrounding what problems human beings bring along with them when they seek to leave society behind.