I'm not sure what to say about this film. Be careful with it. DP really disliked it-- thought it was simplistic, black and white about complex issues. There were a few parts I agree were simplistic (they visit a children's hospital in Peru and gush over a little girl who'd been rescued from an abusive father, but completely ignore the abused mother, who is presumably still with the abuser to this day). On the other hand, I thought their handling of what it is like to live with AIDS was the best I've seen anywhere. They also spend a week sleeping on the street with some homeless men to try and understand what they go through-- having been homeless myself I cringed at the simplistic nature of their experiment, but also remembered what my first week out felt like, and yep, these guys captured the experience pretty much as I remembered it.
I'd say this film is an excellent starting point for discussion. The brothers struck me as completely sincere in their desire to ask vital and universal questions: why am I here? what difference does my life make? what should I devote myself to? They interview different kinds of people and conclude that we find meaning and joy by being present to our relationships, be they family, community, or just the person next to you on the bus. They determine that life is good, everyone deep down treasures their own life, and we should continually strive to recognize the worthiness of other people.
Surprisingly this film is not a downer. Most of the film is spent listening to people talk about the ideas and relationships that give their lives meaning. DP felt there was a clear agenda to the film (honor your parents, get married, have babies, etc), I saw it as raising more questions. The filmmakers themselves are only in their early 20's, so hopefully their next film will be more complex. I do plan to watch their next one, whenever it is made.
