12 Shocking Documentaries That Will Change How You See The World
5. Minimalism: A Documentary About The Important Things (2015)
Produced by YouTuber Matt D’Avella, Minimalism is a documentary that follows the lives of Joshua Fields Millburn and Ryan Nocodemus who are…. you guessed it, Minimalists.
The film aims to take you through the lives of many minimalists from all sorts of locations, backgrounds and ages, and show you what it means to live a meaningful life with less. There’s a strong focus on consumerism and how marketing drives us to buy without considering the difference between need and want. There’s a clear emphasis on the fact that we need to rethink our priorities as humans and not only start living kinder lives but start distributing resources more fairly. It may not be shocking in subject matter but surprising once you revalue your possessions.
The hook of the film is how it discusses the ways that minimalism changes depending on the family - it’s not a rigid structure but something individual to the person - it’s not throwing away everything but looking at what you need. Minimalism is a look into what’s around you and the benefits that your possessions have vs your initial perception.