RADICALLY simple 2005
Distributed by Bullfrog Films, PO Box 149, Oley, PA 19547; 800-543-FROG (3764)
Produced by Jan Cannon
Directed by Jan Cannon
DVD, color, 35 min.
Sr. High - Adult
American Studies, Environmental Studies, Ethics, Sociology
Date Entered: 10/27/2006
Reviewed by John J. Meier, Earl K. Long Library, University of New Orleans, New Orleans, LARADICALLY simple is a short documentary piece about the life and ideas of Jim Merkel, engineer and author of the similarly titled book RADICAL simplicity. The film is composed of short vignettes of Jim’s day to day activities of sustainable living at his home in Vermont: including hauling his own water from a stream, constructing an outhouse, commuting 30 miles to his job at Dartmouth by bike, and cooking using solar power. These clips are interspersed with footage of Jim speaking to groups, either directly about his book or on various topics relating to sustainability.
The visuals and sound are simple and of an acceptable quality. There are no extra features on the DVD with the exception of scene access. Jim’s website, listed on the DVD is no longer active as of this review.
While Jim Merkel is a good speaker with a fascinating message, he is shown frequently repeating his statistics and information. Many of the group discussions and speeches shown are confusing outside the context of reading RADICAL simplicity. The lack of any dialog or voice narration for his daily activities makes those portions much less interesting. Check out the related EMRO review of Architecture to Zucchini: The People, Companies and Organizations Pioneering Sustainability.
I do not recommend this video unless it was purchased as a supplement to the book, RADICAL simplicity, to visualize the concepts.