Ian Darling’s The Valley captures the quiet rhythms of life in Kangaroo Valley

Australian filmmaker Ian Darling’s latest project, *The Valley*, is a three-hour documentary exploring solitude and community life in Kangaroo Valley, inland from Kiama. Centred around residents such as farmer Kristen McLennan, who runs a free-range chicken farm, the film highlights the peaceful yet complex routines of rural existence. Darling and his crew spent 100 days documenting the area’s locals, from farmers and artists to bakers and firefighters, capturing the everyday moments that define small-town life.

The director, known for works like *The Final Quarter* and *The Pool*, was drawn to Kangaroo Valley’s stillness and natural beauty. He describes the film as a meditative portrayal of solitude, made without narration or music, similar in style to the observational documentaries of Frederick Wiseman. Darling hopes viewers will embrace the lengthy, quiet format as an antidote to modern chaos, offering a space for reflection and calm.

The Valley will premiere at the Sydney Film Festival in June 2026, where McLennan and other featured locals plan to attend. The event’s program will also include documentaries like *Silenced*, about lawyer Jennifer Robinson’s advocacy for sexual abuse survivors, and music features such as *Broken English*, a tribute to Marianne Faithfull, and *The Best Summer*, featuring rediscovered performance footage from Australia’s 1995 Summersault tour.