Movies? Documentaries? What To Watch

Well hey there!!

Now this is a bit of a change, isn't it!!!

Normally I do book reviews or uni hacks and bible help. HOWEVER... recently Luke and I have been really getting into..

Documentaries.

I know..

I was always one of those people who could NEVER get into documentaries. I found them kind of boring and it was NEVER my go to.

So Luke and I would sit down and watch a movie over dinner. But we started to feel like we weren't really connecting. We would spend time together, but it wasn't intentional. And when we sat down to watch a devotional together it was INTENSE. Sometimes we just wanted to watch something. So we switched to documentaries.

And boy am I hooked!!!! We are finding that they are such conversation starters and informative. Rather than taking in some dumb useless bit of information we are able to learn and challenge each other on our beliefs. We were also finding it super hard to find appropriate movies that weren't cringy!!

So today I wanted to take you through a couple of the documentaries we have been watching to see if maybe you would like them too!! All of these are on Netflix :)

1. Patterns of Evidence: Exodus

We took up this one as a recommendation from my Dad. This documentary follows the journey of a Christian filmmaker as he questions notable Archeologists and Historians about the plausibility of the Exodus ACTUALLY happening.

He shows how it is such a divided topic due to the timeline but how if you are willing to follow historical methods, everything actually lines up. From the entrance of Joseph and the Jews into Egypt, his tomb, the plagues, the Exodus and removal of Joseph's bones, to the fall of Jericho.

This documentary was mind-blowing to me, especially as an historian. I feel like we often seen the Bible as a fairytale, it doesn't quite fit into what we know of 'ancient history' and the epic tales of the 'Greeks' and 'Romans'.

However, he works with this and slots the Exodus right into our timeline.

Though it is dramatised and a little cringy in moments, this documentary blew my mind and I would totally recommend it to ANYONE wanting the Bible to become more real to them.

2. Minamalism

Luke and I have really been into the whole Tiny House movement. It is something we have wanted to do for a REALLY long time and look forward to doing as soon as we aren't dependent on being in the city.

Watching this documentary really solidified this in our minds and made us question the daily life that we live. Being in a first-world country, it is so easy to get caught up in the fast-fashion, high-stress, online world. Sometimes we just need to disconnect. We weren't always like this and we weren't designed to cope with this kind of life. Why else has there been a rise in heart attacks, anxiety, depression, and suicide?

This documentary really helps you to take a step back and think about what is happiness? Am I happy? What makes me happy?

We only get one life and it is so easy to get swept up in the wave of comparison, judgement, and (let's face it) hoarding just to get the latest stuff.

Anyone wanting a breath of fresh air should watch this documentary. It follows the story of two friends who discovered this and left their high-paying, corporate jobs for the minamalist life. Though cutting down to 52 items may not be for everyone, it has definitely made me think about the stuff that I buy and whether I actually need it or whether it is just to help me find that temporary happiness.

3. The True Cost

This was the documentary we watched straight after Minamalism and they really go hand in hand.

I want to start off by saying that I am a cheap shopper. I wanted $20 jeans, $5 shirts, maybe $10 dresses but no higher. This documentary really made me question what I was doing. I thought I didn't have the money.

The True Cost follows the fast-fashion industry, explaining how it developed and the effect it has on the lives of those in third-world countries and our environment - something we don't see because it isn't slammed in our faces everyday so we can ignore it.

This goes through exactly what goes into making those $4 dresses we buy at H&M and other label stores. And it has made me feel disgusted.

I can't believe I gave into the advertising.

And did you know that a lot of clothes we take to trift stores don't actually get sold but rather get carted RIGHT BACK TO BANGALADESH where they are left to rot? It really makes me question whether I really need extra clothes.

That in particular caused me to question the whole YouTuber haul thing. I always passed it off as okay because they send their clothes they don't need (which is a heck of a lot) to a thrift store. But now knowing where those excess clothes go makes it no longer okay. I can't buy into that, let alone support it.

I would totally recommend this to someone who wants their eyes opened to the disease, sickness, and risk the people in production go through just to make your clothing as cheap as possible.

I'm beginning to realise that if I bought less and just paid a higher price, I would still be spending the same for a small amount of clothing, thus not buying more than I need yet still helping to improve the lives of those who have no other choice but to work in awful warehouses. Surely I can do my part in this story.

4. The Magic Pill

This is the latest documentary we have seen and I wanted to put it in to show the health side of documentaries. Luke is a health nut (he did an Exercise Science degree) and he has helped me to jump on the bandwagon.

Though we don't follow a Keto diet, and I'm still not planning on subscribing to it, this documentary helped open my eyes to the effect of diet on our bodies - to the point of curing diabetes!!!

Many of the problems we have in our lives comes from our High Carb, High Sugar, Low Fat diets. Watching this documentary really helped me to think about how I was fueling my body.

Some of this stuff I find slightly exaggerated (I really don't think Keto is the ONLY diet) but it helps to put things in perspective and get you thinking about things.

Clean it up!!

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I hope you enjoyed this, even though it was a little different, I just thought it would be a cool idea to suggest as an alternative to just watching movies all the time!!

Until later,

Michaela.