15 Devastating Documentaries That Mustn't Be Ignored

12. Craigslist Joe (Joseph Garner, 2012)

It would be a stretch to call the man behind this Zach Galifianakis production an average Joe, as over the 30 days that this film spans, Joe is stretched from average to extraordinary by the kindness and love offered by total strangers. His idea is so incredibly simple and sincere that at first it may seem hopeless. The plan is to head into the city with zero money, a mobile phone wiped of contacts and a laptop, relying on nothing but the free help requested and offered on US website, Craigslist for 30 days including food, shelter, travel and so on. What starts as a first cold and leadless day soon sends him off on a journey of self and selfless discovery. The people he meets are much of the inspiration here, the places he travels are the charm and the result is unarguably moving. It might be limited somewhat by the accusations - not entirely wrong - that Joe enjoys social privileges that others from minority groups, or on the street would not be able to count on, but it doesn't destroy the experiment. The fact is that many of us distrust the people outside of our close circles and so we should, the world can be harsh. On the other hand, what we take for granted are the wonderful people that we'll never meet, the generous nature of many and the hardships that we all battle that ultimately bring us together. So, the question that Joe seeks the answer to is this: are people intrinsically good? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n-Z-BsTa8A4