I love documentaries.
I just had to come out and say that. I figured the time was long past for gilding the lily or beating around the bush so I just decided to say it. For those of you out there like me that also love documentaries I hope my stepping forward will help you come clean with your documentary addiction. Its ok don't worry, there are enough of us documentary lovers out there that you will not be at a loss for friends if your current ones decide to disown you upon finding out about your "problem". Anyways I suppose I should actually get to the subject that all brought you here. The three thought provoking films that I wish to discuss all center around the theme of a alternative lifestyles. They cover ideas from building your house out of garbage to living without electricity in New York City. I was intrigued by all these films and they helped shape many of my ideas and dreams about where I want to take my life.
And they are....
- Garbage Warrior
- No Impact Man
- Off the Grid
Garbage Warrior
This is a film put together by Oliver Hooge and it follows the journey of a New Mexico architect by the name of Michael Reynolds. Now what Michael and his "green disciples" have been doing is building passive solar off the grid self sustaining households using garbage. They scavenge materials such as worn tires, glass and plastic bottles, wood and then using the landscape where the house will be built and the very soil that is there they will build a fully functional house from the ground up. When these "Earthships" as they are called are completed they essentially are a self contained biosphere that creates their own energy, captures water, and provides space for people to grow there own food. If you would like to read more about Garbage Warrior here is the link to the website
http://www.garbagewarrior.com/
Also for your viewing pleasure you can watch the whole thing here and if you enjoyed it so much and want it for your collection it can be found at this location
No Impact Man
This documentary is personally one of my favorites mainly because of the lengths that Colin Beaven and his family are willing to go to live this no impact lifestyle. When this film was made he his wife and there 2 year old daughter had started on a program that was designed by Colin to wean them off of modern life and all it impacts. Not an easy task given that at the time Colin and his family live in New York City. This film while lacking concrete advice or technical expertise is full of heart and really shows what aspects of modern life have taken away from our quality of life. One of my favorite quotes from the movie was said by Michelle Conlin
"...We have no TV, no lights, no electricity, no air conditioning. Those were the things that kept us inside. Were kind of forced outside all the time now... The days feel like they last forever."
The first time I was watching the movie and I heard her say that it hit me like sledgehammer it just made sense. So to sum it up this film it more about the philosophy behind living a no impact alternative lifestyle than the cold hard facts. But I still think it is a great thought provoking film that deserves at least one viewing or in my case going on my fourth view after I watch it again after I'm done with this article.
For those of you with Netflix Instant watch you can watch the whole documentary there if not the trailer can be found here and if that trailer wasn't enough to whet your appetite it can be found here as well.
Off the Grid
Last but not least we have Off the Grid by Les Stroud of Survivor Man fame. This film covers the the transition of Les Stroud his wife and two children from a typical Canadian home to an off the grid homestead in the Canadian wilderness. They completely retrofit an old barn into a home along with erecting additional cabins to provide more space for his family. I really liked this one for its technical aspects such as the wind turbines solar installations, and how they retrofit the old barn to meet their housing needs. It's a good solid documentary that touches on the nuts and bolts of building your own off the grid power and water systems as well as some aspects of land management. To watch this documentary you can check it out here. If this one is a real interest to you can you must add it to your collection you can find it on Amazon
Well there you have it 3 thought-provoking documentaries that hopefully got those neurons just firing away in your brain. Please feel free to post comments on this article telling me what you think of the films I mention above and if you have any you would like to see added to the list.
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