CPH:DOX 2025 – Only on Earth

It seems like the world is coming to an end in ‘Only on Earth’, and perhaps it is. Robin Petré’s film is a sublime cinematic work set in southern Galicia, one of Europe’s most vulnerable zones for forest fires. During the hottest and driest summer on record, humans and animals struggle to survive as the apocalyptic fires draw closer. Wild horses have roamed the Galician mountains for centuries and play a crucial role in fire prevention by slowing down the flammable undergrowth. But their numbers are dwindling as human development collides with nature. Through a range of perspectives – the horses, a young cowboy, an experienced fire analyst, a devoted equine veterinarian, and a farm family on the front lines – Petré reflects on the fragile balance of our natural world and the relationship between humans and animals.