True Films 3.0 - Kevin Kelly

Frontier House
By Maro Chermayeff
2002, 360 min.
Available from Amazon
Rent from Netflix
The success of the BBC documentary 1900 House (p.7) spawned Frontier House. This BBC factual
transfers the experiment of inserting modern folks into old times to the edge of Montana during
homesteading days. It ups the challenge by requiring the participants to build their homes and
raise all their own food while sticking to period tools and the lifestyle of pioneers in 1893. The
three families who settle in a beautiful valley need to stockpile enough food, shelter and firewood
to last a Montanan winter. Instead of cooperating, they compete against each other, with lots
of bickering and backstabbing, making this remarkable 6 hours series into what Survivor should
have been – an authentic test of surviving. By the way, the men and boys loved being pioneers,
while the women and girls were imprisoned by it.
After camping in a tent and cooking outside, one
mother rejoices as their log cabin takes shape
(above). They have to finish their shelter before winter
starts. At the start of the families’ covered wagon
journey to their homestead a pair of draft horses are
spooked and bolt (below), nearly running over one of
the women pioneers.
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