Living in Dryden

Thoughts on Empowered: The Movie

I mentioned this movie a few weeks ago for its Dryden roots, but only got to actually seeing it last night.

Its creators have been organizing group showings around the area, which I think is great for starting conversation, but there's also some real benefit to seeing it in your own house. You can watch what people are doing in their own houses, while looking around at your own and considering what options you have.

I was a little worried about watching it, to be honest - earnest documentaries don't always work that well. This one does, I think mostly because it pushes harder on concrete things people are doing to address energy challenges instead of just offering a list of "50 things you can do to reduce your footprint" or similar. None of the many different things these people are doing is easy, but it's still within reach.

I try sometimes to do similar things here, especially about the work I've done on this house and land, trying to make clear that readers can do things too. It doesn't take a massively expensive Passivhaus, LEED certification, or a farm to do useful things. Sometimes that's even worked, as a few of the queries I've had about contractors indicate. Still, Empowered goes to a level of project and commitment that I haven't shown here, and it's pushing me to consider taking things further.

It is definitely possible to make a difference, even on a small scale. It's not easy, but there are so many things we can do...

There's a lot more about the movie, including clips, at the Empowered: The Movie web site.

(And yes, I I know the producer, director, and many of the other folks who created or appear in the movie. I was a little startled to see someone I'd only met on Sunday afternoon in the movie, even - I had no idea. I don't think any of that changes my take on the film, however.)