Summary:
Most of us question our purpose in life. Who am I? Why am I here? These, along with other spiritual and existential questions, are thoroughly explored in THE HUMAN EXPERIENCE.
In a world fraught with hostility and violence, an altruistic group of young men – Clifford Azize, Jeffrey Azize, Michael Campo and Matthew Sanchez – endeavor to understand the true essence of the human spirit by living among the world’s forgotten souls. The documentary highlights three of their profound experiences:
Experience I: Living Homeless in New York City: Clifford and Jeffrey Azize take to the streets of New York City to live among the homeless without money, shelter or food, during one of the coldest winters on record.
Experience II: The Lost Children of Peru: In the foothills of the Andes Mountains, Clifford and Jeffrey volunteer at a home for sick, destitute and orphaned children.
Experience III: Lepers of Ghana: The group interviews AIDS victims and visits a leper colony in West Africa.
By experiencing first-hand that hope and faith prevail in the hearts of our most disenfranchised members of society, these four men emerge from their experiences seeing more beauty in everything and everyone around them.
Narrated by Jeffrey and Clifford Azize, THE HUMAN EXPERIENCE features in-depth interviews with philosophers, humanitarians and religious leaders, including Activist Dr. Alveda King (niece to MLK), Anna Halpine (founder, World Youth Alliance), Rev. Richard Neuhaus and Rabbi Simon Jacobson..
THE HUMAN EXPERIENCE was an official selection at over 30 film festivals and has won 16 awards, including the Audience Choice Award at the American Cinematic Experience at Tribeca (2009 ACEfest) and best documentary at Atlanta International Documentary Film Festival (2009 DocuFest Atlanta). The film also had a successful theatrical run..
An original score composed by Thomas J. Bergersen is featured in THE HUMAN EXPERIENCE along with music from Bob Marley, Jimmy Durante and Enya.
My Thoughts:
I have always been a fan of documentaries, so when I was sent a copy of this movie, I couldn't wait to watch it. The premise of this movie is that are all connected, no matter where we are from, who we are, etc., by the bond of being "human." We follow two brothers who want to see how others live and set out to see what drives people. There was a lot of commentary and information thrown at you in the film. A few times I had to stop and rewind parts as I was lost. The film would go from following one group p of people to interviews, to filler material and then back.
But, overall, this is a good documentary that will expose us to how others live. And, it does a great job in answering questions most of us ask -- Who am I? Why am I here? In the end, we are all part of the human experience, and are all connected because of this journey.
Disclosure: I was sent a copy of this DVD from the vendor in order to write up an honest review. The views above are mine and mine alone.
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