The Pine Barrens - David Scott Kessler ( Philadelphia , Pennsylvania ). A wilderness stands in defiance of the encroaching megalopolis that surrounds it . Rare orchids and endangered species thrive near busy roadways . Wildfires rage through forests bringing life to its sandy soil . Land once deemed inhospitable , gave rise to a community and with it , a sense of pride inexorably linked to the diminishing island of darkness . Under a veil of folklore and myth , within the most densely populated state in America lies the New Jersey Pine Barrens . For six years , during a period of political flux that threatens to undermine New Jersey Pineland ’ s protections , David Scott Kessler filmed the forest and its inhabitants in order to create a growing and evolving portrait of nature and identity . 2019 ; 104 min .