This unique documentary follows the life of director Kate Schermerhorn during a major transitional period. Her aging parents are moving out of their dream home to an assisted living home, and while the change is necessary, Kate feels fear and revulsion watching her mother give away every piece of her childhood. In an effort to rescue as many material memories as she can, Kate begins the arduous, Sisyphean task of cleaning out her garage.
Through this journey, she examines the major cultural force in American society: Blind consumerism. Everyone finds meaning in their possessions. Even Buddhist Geshes have attachments to their robes and prayer beads. As Kate struggles to let go of the hopes and dreams represented by her overaccumulation to save the memories of her mother and father, many others weigh in with their experiences. Some are experts in grief, organization, and religion while others are those who have learned to live with excess.
Do I Need This? is scheduled for release on PBS in 2024. Kate Schermerhorn’s breakdown of American consumerism will be especially effective for most people, as many Americans struggle with their own piles of junk. Some of us have a pile on a table somewhere while others fill their garages with useful but unused items. We watch Kate and her family struggle with their overconsumption.
While Kate muses about American culture valuing owning overdoing, the rest of her family struggles with the big changes. Her husband begins hauling more things home, and her children are driven to small tantrums when they’re asked to downsize some of their own accumulation. This charming and friendly documentary is well-suited to anyone studying hoarding, consumerism, grief, and family dynamics. While Do I Need This? focuses its marketing on the analysis of consumerism, the documentary offers a unique case study on American life, grief, and family dynamics. Highly Recommended. Editor’s Choice.
Where does this title belong on public library shelves?
Do I Need This? belongs on cultural and lifestyle documentary shelves. It may fit well among ecology titles documenting overconsumption.
What type of film series could use this title?
Do I Need This? would be an excellent addition to any film series about family, aging, grief, or loss.
What is the retail price and/or Public Performance License fee?
Not yet available for retail purchase, Public Performance License Fee varies