A Simpler Way: Crisis as Opportunity (2016) - Free Full Documentary

"A Simpler Way: Crisis as Opportunity" is a free-to-view, feature-length documentary that follows a community in Australia who have come together to explore and demonstrate a simpler way to live in response to global crises. Throughout the year the group build tiny houses, plant veggie gardens, practice simple living and permaculture principles, and discover the challenges of living in community. This documentary, our very first!, was shot while we were living on the property for the entire year as part of the community. The documentary includes interviews with David Holmgren, Helena Norberg-Hodge, Nicole Foss, Ted Trainer, Graham Turner, and more.

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** Film credits **
Directed by: Jordan Osmond and Samuel Alexander
Written by: Samuel Alexander, Jordan Osmond, and Antoinette Wilson
Executive Producers: The Simplicity Institute, Marcus Foth, Dale & Clare Hembrow
Cinematography by: Jordan Osmond
Edited by: Richard Sidey and Aliscia Young
Music:

Thanks to all the generous Indiegogo supporters who made this project possible!

[tanner]

It's been 5 years since I've first watched this video and I'm now officially living off grid with my family to pursue a different path ❤

[FPGSanctuary]

On my way to Hawaii to start a 100% off-grid permaculture fruit farm on my 3 acres. I'm 50 and disabled, but want a new life and a new way!

[jedilady]

Who is watching this now during the corona virus pandemic??

[kamadogrove]

The pandemic really pushed me into realizing I need a more self sufficient life. I've stepped out of the nursing field to go back to writing novels (Gina Holmes) and even started a youtube channel teaching self sufficiency. I'm so content!

[helenrichards]

As a 68year old seeing what you are doing is so inspiring and we are living simply too. We were bought up very poor and saw it as a great benefit and bought our girls up the same way. We have always seen that there is a terrible culture of spending and consuming that’s terribly toxic. Covid is a stepping back and assessment time for the world apart from the terrible reality of inequality in sharing our resources from, us, the wealthy countries…We have elephants dancing in the room that we are not addressing. You are wonderful, more power to you all…♥️

[phoenixlight]

I woke up at around 3am and somehow ended up watching this, completely guided here, and I've been crying happy tears all the way through. It's hard to express so briefly but there is so much resonance and what I've been imagining for my own life for so long...this just reaffirms everything and inspires my intentions even more. Thank you to this collective, beautiful Soul family. 🙏🌱🌻

[keithbell]

Mahatma Ghandhi- "God made the world for mankind to sustain his needs, not to sustain his greed".

[jellybelly]

I feel the root of much unhappiness is our disconnect from nature and being forced to confront the rat race in a never ending battle of paying bills and taxes. And the wages these days are insufficient

[rolandclose]

I live in the middle of a small city in central Florida. I have been living "a simpler life" for the past seven years. Becoming less and less dependent on government and "stuff". At 59 years of age I have decided to stay where I am and incorporate many of these lessons into my life.

[estherchandy]

"I want my life to be a gesture to a more sustainable and loving world"

[Habakalabababs]

I absolutely LOVED this documentary! Me and my toddler are at the point of moving into an even smaller apartment (34m2) but it has a big front and back garden and is in 30 seconds distance to the woods. It would allow me to practice permaculture in the gardens and build a tiny home in the backyard for things like meditation and my son so he can be in his bubble without me disturbing. Living smaller is rewarding and after this move we will be looking to life more rural within a community. This documentary sparks up so much! And I saw some amazing ideas for the new house and yard, but also loved every word of wisdom shared.

Thank you so much for sharing this! You have some wonderful vids here <3

[robertcontreras]

The Truth is NEVER easy to swallow. It is much easier to bury our heads in the sand. Bravo for this message! Thank You so much!

[csgn]

How can there be any dislikes ?...
Anyways, my actual comment was going to be : If there is one sentence to remember... "We can't wait for authorities and government to do something about it, we just have to do things. It has to be from the bottom up."
This is sadly the truth, but we have to trust in our future, we have the power the change things, it's a question of general awerness.
This is an international issue. I'm french and I just watched this great documentary, thank you !

[brothermayihavesomeloops]

The cursed algorithm recently blessed me with Living the Change, which led me to this film. Looking forward to viewing while I work my 9-5 today. Life circumstances will be changing soon, and I reckon my partner and I will be able to save enough to buy a fairly small parcel of land debt-free within the next 2-3 years. I'm feeling incredibly fortunate and motivated by this. It's something that's grown on my mind for years, and I've begun to wonder at times if it would ever become viable for me. The universe's timing has confused me but ultimately favored me more times than I can rack up to "just coincidence." Thank you for your creations that show us there is a better way.

[bmccameron]

I think it's an important realisation that we ought not focus too much on the packaging, rather than all strive toward this model, simply recognise we can achieve exactly the same outcome by building communities based upon these principals within the burbs, urban farming, sharing and let go of the concept of competition, individual over collective. We don't need to dismantle the existing in order to refocus, repurpose and recalibrate/adjust our perceptions. While this is an inspirational documentary and I admire their resolve, to all run off in a belief we must abandon what's already around us, we simply don't. We need to change our way of life within the existing infrastructure. Imagine how abundantly adequate our existing road network could be for decades if most vehicles were simply no longer used in the current way. Streetscapes can be repurposed as collective zones for multiple uses. WE need to adjust and an end to debt slavery is imo the key. We also would benefit from demanding less and in that sense this remains intact as a wonderful example. Thinking I must overhaul my life and walk away simply discards the invested energy within that investment, passing it all onto the next sucker is more Ponzi. At some point we either won't or can't continue to work to pay the man and will no longer want the myriad consumer crap that's killing the planet and all entities upon it. The endless investment driven race to the top limits our creativity, too afraid to be judged or diminish based upon perceptions of desirability/resale/values, etc. We very much can do this and it's coming, not nearly soon enough for many if not all.

[holisticallyfitbritt]

What an amazing documentary and community in general. I have had an insane urge lately to live a simple life, and this made me want it a million times more. The world 100% needs more of this simple living. Thank you for this. Keep spreading this message <3

[annettehackett]

Thank you for all the hard work that went in to this. Especially to those who went against the modern paradigm of individualism, and offered their lives (or one year of it!) to live with others, for others, in a way that is now considered abnormal. Humankind has to change if we are to survive what is coming, and projects like this offer not only ideas, but hope. Ted Trainer is an amazing person - my thanks also go to him for daring to write about and live consistently with his beliefs. You are all an inspiration!

[integralstanley]

My life is not usually simple and sometimes it is. I lived yesterday afternoon in a local park. I felt the warm sunshine pierce through the cool breeze. I heard the birds sing joy. I watched the cherry blossoms gently fall to ground. All I needed was a small container of water. Perhaps if we are grateful for our short periods of simplicity they will expand. I love your movie.

[patrickboyle]

This is wonderful. Thank You! This year I have started growing some food and the pleasure I get from eating tomatoes, kale, cucumbers and peas I have grown myself is immense. It's the simple things. Time for change.

[farisasmith]

I give these people much credit. It takes courage to step off the hamster wheel that is this modern day life and seek a different life. To detoxify yourself from mindless consumption, endless stress, and increasing dissatisfaction with fleeting happiness is difficult. That's why most people are still chasing the dream. We may not all go live in a community like this but we can still begin to free ourselves from destructive behaviors. It just takes courage to make a start and a good plan.