Ironically, before viewing this film, I witnessed an act of kindness today on the roadways. I was in the traffic flow when suddenly, some 4 or 5 car lengths ahead, both lanes in my direction came to a complete and abrupt stop. Initially I thought there was an accident, as a young lady emerged from her car and bent over the roadway, only to carry something onto the grassy side of the road, then returned to her vehicle as impatient drivers illegally sped onto the median to pass. As traffic started up again, within a minute, I looked over to the grass and saw a turtle scurrying off into the brush, and realized this young lady chose to save an animal's life rather than have it killed by the speeding cars.
In this documentary, directed by David Gaz, and narrated by the acclaimed author Catherine Ryan Hyde ("Pay It Forward"), it focuses on how acts of kindness, no matter how small,can have a profound effect on the universe. My favorite part of the movie was when the filmmakers asked many people what was the kindest thing anyone ever did for them. Their answers, I thought, were most touching and heart-rending.
Also, the film mentions Karma and what we put out in the world can eventually come back to us in one form or another, and that people who are kind, statistics show, live longer, as a rule, and have better relationships than mean people.
Of course, with today's media focusing on violence, terrorism, atrocities etc., it's difficult to filter through the negativity, and realize there's plenty of people and organizations in this world that strive to be kind and help others, even if the gesture is as small as gently patting another person on the back or giving them a hug.
Overall, at only 1 hr. and 14 min. this documentary buoyed my spirits and made me realize again that even if we don't see it on the news there are plenty of kind acts being performed every day across the globe.
