A group set up to oppose developers is the subject of this painstaking documentary, which shows the importance of manual work – and hope

In France, ZAD – “zone to defend” in English – refers to plots of land occupied by radical activists with the aim of blocking planned development projects. Formed in opposition to a governmental proposal for a new airport, the ZAD in the Notre-Dame-des-Landes region is the most famous example of this subversive practice. With sublime patience and care, Guillaume Cailleau and Ben Russell’s immersive documentary takes us into the day-to-day life of this extraordinary commune, where more than 150 people live, work and organise for change.

The popular image of the militant activist in mainstream media is generally reduced to one of joyless aggression and childish petulance; what makes Direct Action particularly invigorating is how it diverges from such sensationalist reporting. While the film briefly begins with videos of violent clashes between police and protesters, much of its 212-minute runtime is dedicated to the unseen pleasures and hardships of collective action. Rendered tactile on textured 16mm film, quotidian routines of kneading bread, cultivating vegetables or tool-making merge into a hypnotic stream of images. Labour emerges not merely as a chore but as the glue that holds the whole community together.