Living on One Dollar is a stark look into the poverty and reality that up to one billion face around the world today. This film takes the viewers to rural Guatemala where the crew decides to allocate an average of $1 per day for living across two months.
The interesting and realistic part of this experience based learning is that the total of $60 is divided up unequally to be paid out in different amounts on different days. What was the deciding factor that chose how much money they would receive per day? Drawing from a hat! Some days they would receive zero dollars while other they may receive up to six.
Living on One Dollar attempts to show the world the struggles that the people in this Guatemalan village experience everyday. Some days, earning money may be sparse, while others it may not happen at all. Yet life must go on and everyone must be cared for.
The look into the small houses that they live in and the tools that they have for cooking is a sharp difference than the average American uses in life. The filmmakers begin to understand hunger and the almost desperate need for work on a different level than they had before.
Living on One Dollar does a great job consciously drawing the viewer into the life of the community and the personal stories of the people who live this way their entire lives. We learn about a 20 year old woman named Rosa and a 12 year old boy named Chino. We learn about their hardships and about their dreams. The filmmakers do a great job appealing to the humanity in us all to open our eyes and realize that the world is in need… great need.
Watch this documentary if you are interested in learning about a way of life and harsh circumstances that almost 1/7th of the population faces today. It is heartfelt, a great watch, and hard to see.
Documentary Citation – Temple, Chris.. “Living On One Dollar.” Living On One Dollar A Day , Production by Chris Temple, Zach Ingrasci 22, April, 2013. http://livingonone.org/
“To share a space with conscious individuals who are self aware, vulnerable and grounded has been a true treat. The practice run by Harry quickly became a space for deep presence, emotional work, authentic connections, and has been invaluable to help continue developing my own coaching skills. Harry always does a tremendous job of keeping each group aligned with the intention of the exercise and ensures every participant receives a valuable experience.”