Never have I finished a documentary and felt so selfish, lazy, grateful, and inspired at the same time. "Human" is truly a must-see if you are having a bad day, a good day, or if you don't feel like writing the rest of that paper.
"Human" is a documentary split into three volumes. It is comprised of 2,020 interviews of people from all backgrounds and cultures across the world, interspersed with clips from all over the globe of everyday happenings, like men crossing deserts on camels or workers milling over an enormous pile of trash.
Yahn Arthus-Bertran came up with the idea for the documentary when the filmmaker spent a day talking with a local farmer about his hopes, concerns, and priorities — examining the basic questions that shape a life. “It was the first time I had ever been confronted with really finding out about a person’s life and experiences,” Arthus-Bertrand says.
The interviewees were asked the same 40 questions that covered topics from race to religion and everything in between. Some of the questions included, "When is the last time you said ‘I love you’ to your parents?" and, “What is the toughest trial you have had to face, and what did you learn from it?” The answers truly give the viewer an insight into another perspective.
For example, a woman from the United States talks about what she would say to her rapist and the effects that this rape had on her military career. Another man talks about how the mother of the man he murdered taught him more than he ever imagined. Another man talks about how his life has changed after becoming handicapped. Jane Goodall and Cameron Diaz also make appearances in this film, and it's really interesting to listen to them answer these deep questions while gaining their insights.
"Human" has not yet been released on Netflix or in American theaters. It is, however, on YouTube, along with separate interviews from certain people like Goodall and Diaz. Human tries to get at the heart of what it means to be human and in many ways, it does answer this question. You can watch the documentary here:
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