|
Take with you
scenes of today's Amish farm life, their schools, barn raising,
wood-working shops, businesses, church gatherings, transportation,
and the effects of tourism. |
The Amish live far outside the
cultural mainstream. During the last
century, they grew from 5,000,
inhabiting a handful of states, to
200,000 souls living in 25 states
and one Canadian province.
Preferring community to technology, the Amish live
their lives in close fellowship with
each other. Within their religious
communities, everyone agrees on what
technologies to adopt, what clothes
to wear and what horse-powered
transportation to drive.
A decade ago, approximately 90% of Amish earned their
incomes from farming operations.
Today, in some communities, less
than 5% do so. Learn how the Amish
have successfully responded to a
tightening agricultural economy.
See how their strict adherence to
community values contributes to
their doubling in size every 20
years.
This documentary takes you on an intimate journey into
Ohio Amish life and culture. You
will discover how rapid growth and
economic pressures threaten their
community. You will also meet a
people who, as a result of creative
disengagement with the culture
around them, thrive.
Burton Buller documents the lives of the Amish,
Hutterites, and Mennonites. His
programs have appeared on PBS,
Discovery Channel, The Learning
Channel, Hallmark Channel, ABC TV
and NBC TV.
Sixty
years ago, the Amish were consigned
to disappear, swallowed by
modernity. Today they are thriving
as never before, spiritually and
sociologically. The film brilliantly
documents that process.
- Dr. Al Keim, Professor Emeritus
of History, Eastern Mennonite
University |
