"Living on One Dollar"
(2003)
Starring &
Directed by: Zach Ingrasci, Chris Temple, Sean Leonard
Executive
producers: david ross, Michael lang & jeff klein
Genre:
Documentaries (Social & Cultural)
Synopsis:
This movie is about two young new Yorkers who venture to the poverty-stricken country of Guatemala south of Mexico, in order to experience poverty at first hand by living on less than one dollar a day (similar to the Guatemala people). It is stated that 7/10 cities are in extreme poverty in Guatemala. They aim to assimilate themselves with the people of Guatemala, replicating their everyday activities such as laboring in the mountains, trading goods for income, and borrowing loans from the local bank in order to pay rent and everyday living expenses.
This movie is about two young new Yorkers who venture to the poverty-stricken country of Guatemala south of Mexico, in order to experience poverty at first hand by living on less than one dollar a day (similar to the Guatemala people). It is stated that 7/10 cities are in extreme poverty in Guatemala. They aim to assimilate themselves with the people of Guatemala, replicating their everyday activities such as laboring in the mountains, trading goods for income, and borrowing loans from the local bank in order to pay rent and everyday living expenses.
Review:
This documentary appealed to me primarily because it highlighted how lucky I am, and we are as a whole, to posses of the basic everyday living needs such as food, shelter, electricity and clean water. Not only that, but we are all given the opportunity to pursue our future goals; whereas for the Guatemala people, their first and foremost and (most of the time) only goal is to simply survive. A 12 year old boy called Chino, who has a family of 8, began taking responsibility for his family since he was 10, trekking the mountains and farming in order to support his family. One salient aspect about this boy, and that appeals to most individuals living in poverty-stricken regions is that, they all have the desire to become something, or someone in the future, but they are humble enough to accept the fact that majority (if not all) of the time, their dream of becoming someone famous/reputable, is unlikely to come true. Instead, they accept the fate that they are restricted by. In Chino’s case, if he wasn’t restricted by his financial position and lack of education, he wishes he could become a professional soccer player. However, he has accepted the fate that he is going to become a farmer. Chino’s case, made me ponder about the infinite things that we all take for granted, such as having a bed for a good nights sleep, a phone that we throw out every time there’s a new one on the market, electricity, a job, and last but definitely not least, EDUCATION!
This documentary appealed to me primarily because it highlighted how lucky I am, and we are as a whole, to posses of the basic everyday living needs such as food, shelter, electricity and clean water. Not only that, but we are all given the opportunity to pursue our future goals; whereas for the Guatemala people, their first and foremost and (most of the time) only goal is to simply survive. A 12 year old boy called Chino, who has a family of 8, began taking responsibility for his family since he was 10, trekking the mountains and farming in order to support his family. One salient aspect about this boy, and that appeals to most individuals living in poverty-stricken regions is that, they all have the desire to become something, or someone in the future, but they are humble enough to accept the fact that majority (if not all) of the time, their dream of becoming someone famous/reputable, is unlikely to come true. Instead, they accept the fate that they are restricted by. In Chino’s case, if he wasn’t restricted by his financial position and lack of education, he wishes he could become a professional soccer player. However, he has accepted the fate that he is going to become a farmer. Chino’s case, made me ponder about the infinite things that we all take for granted, such as having a bed for a good nights sleep, a phone that we throw out every time there’s a new one on the market, electricity, a job, and last but definitely not least, EDUCATION!
RATING (out of 5):
*****
Shavira Maharani
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