A feature-length
documentary directed by Jordan Osmond and Samuel
Alexander, 'A Simpler Way: Crisis as Opportunity'
takes us to Gippsland, Australia, where residents
have fully embraced the notion of a simpler
existence far from the maddening crowds and
stress-inducing cityscapes.
Part of a 12-month
experiment known as
The Simpler Way Project, the
inhabitants of this community all share a common
commitment to social change and environmental
preservation.
What does it mean to live simply?
For this diverse group
of conscientious citizens, it means that you
reconnect to the natural world, conserve your
resources, and peel back the extravagances, economic
shackles and unsustainable definitions of success in
the modern industrialized world.
In their tiny homes
hand-crafted from largely recycled materials, they
seek the purity that comes from a return to the
basics.
Many people believe that you don't know what you've
got until it's gone, but this community has
discovered that the exact opposite is true.
Gone are the
conveniences and accessories of present-day
civilization - electricity, cell phones, and
internet access - and in its place is the truest
form of a social network.
Some have left drudging
40-hour work weeks spent in the service of large and
faceless corporations.
In their new reality,
they find everything they need in the natural world
that surrounds them in every direction and through
the support they find in their fellow
co-inhabitants.
Their cause is grounded in more than just a desire
for personal growth and experience. They see the ills of a
dying planet and an overly stressed population.
From
their perspective, the next evolution of the human
species will only be made possible by going back to
the fundamentals.
Green energy, farming
and artisan craft making each play a major role in
realizing this potential.
'A Simpler Way: Crisis as Opportunity' follows each
step of this fascinating year-long journey, and it's
clear that every challenge faced by this close-knit
community has opened a door to revelation.
Upon the completion of
this project, each of them will take these lessons
of simple living back home with them and create a
lasting change that reverberates to others.
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