This Way of Life has had three sell-out screenings in a 1000-seat theatre at the Berlin Film Festival.

The low-budget documentary has been produced and directed by Bay View couple Tom Burstyn and Barbara Sumner-Burstyn, of Cloud South Films.

Speaking from Berlin Mrs Sumner-Burstyn told Hawke's Bay Today the audience response to the film had been "rapturous".

"We were just blown away, it's been incredible," she said.

The micro-budget documentary follows the story of a Maori couple in their early 30s, Peter and Colleen Karena, as they raise their six children and 50 horses through various hardships.

Shot during four years against the Ruahine mountains and Waimarama Beach, the survival story captures the highs and lows of the Karenas' life, including the birth of a child, a miscarriage, the burning of their home and the theft of their horses.

Narrated by the couple's oldest son Llewelyn, 12, the film is shown through his eyes, providing a unique insight into the family relationship.

The film shows a world lived outside modern 21st century consumerism and Mrs Sumner-Burstyn believes it is part of its appeal.

"It's not mainstream and I think it's really authentic. People like it because they live outside the market concept of who we are as human beings."

The pair, along with Colleen and Llewelyn, are in Berlin until March 25 for the festival.

"It's so exciting to see a film made in Hawke's Bay, about Hawke's Bay people be so admired and so embraced by an European audience," Mrs Sumner-Burstyn said.

The independent documentary has also played to sell-out houses at both the New Zealand and Vancouver International Film Festivals.

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