Human

Learning, to me, goes beyond understanding the mechanics of our environment. It includes the development of habits, such as introspection, critical thinking, and empathy. The moment we came screaming into this world, our brains started making sense of things. What is love? What is trust? What are other people?

Some of these things we learn not just by words or imitation, but through systems in our brain that have evolved to respond to particular experiences: seeing faces, experiencing touch, hearing the heartbeat of our mothers.

But as in any other category, we may learn the wrong things. Abuse destroys trust. Negligence withholds love. Separation stifles empathy. And over time, we need to reinforce our knowledge of love, trust, and empathy – like any other thing we've learned.

Yann Arthus-Bertrand's "Human" is a tour de force in exercising our empathy. Filmed in 60 countries, it is the result of interviews with more than 2,000 people. It showcases not only the diversity of humanity, but also the beauty of our planet through stunning aerial photography.

This is an intense work. It requires setting aside time and mental energy to take in the stories, which are often heartbreaking. You will hear the stories of people living in abject poverty, people who have lost their entire families to war, women who have been raped, killers who have been forgiven, and humans of all ages who have endured shameful prejudice.

Tales of heroic endurance and the relentless pursuit of happiness, education, justice – those are the most uplifting moments in the film. A film like this might risk falling into a kind of moral relativism, a mere celebration of diversity. But "Human" returns to the call for justice throughout.

One Indian man tells the story of how the victims of water shortages are helping to construct a twin tower with 76 swimming pools to be enjoyed by the wealthy. He says he is furious because the connection between inequality and its effects is so apparent. A destitute old woman yells at the camera, calling us all to account for ignoring the suffering of the poor.

In another scene in between interviews, we see a vast array of skyscrapers lit at night. From afar, they look gorgeous, an incredible show of light and architecture. Then the camera zooms into one of the buildings, and we see office cubicles, lonely workers, a soulless, sterile environment.

"Human" does not give us an answer to injustice, inequality, poverty, waste, war. It reminds us powerfully that there is a question here: If we care about one another as human beings, what do we do now?

Very broad and deep viewing.

The slow panning scenes and atmospheric music deliver a sublime high definition experience complimented and counterbalanced by short intimate accounts of very personal stories mostly about the individuals themselves and their sometimes incredible lives and at times harrowing experiences. So much so I had to pause for a break from the emotional intensity of some of the toughest stories.

There are three volumes/films and I have only watched most of the way through the first so far. I wonder if the on-screen text is played/available in other languages because I saw them in English on Google Play and the multitude people telling their stories are truly drawn from all walks of life and corners of the world.

A marvelous way to expand your view of humanity.

This film is a definite masterpiece that can surely bring some pretty deep feelings in everyone's mind. Even tough I am not fully competent of understanding each and every one of those feelings I did learn quite a valuable lesson: Individually we are different but there is only one whole we can make and that is humanity itself. The movie consists of stories, little life stories that through their simplicity altogether with the atmosphere created by the people themselves make a great place to understand what life really is and how life differs from one person to another. It really forms an opinion on every single aspect of life like: poverty, love, feelings and death. The overall quality of the movie is amazing, not only by how the general structure is build but also from an emotional perspective. Moreover, watching each and every one of those people telling their stories gives you an opportunity to catch a glimpse in their life. Combining that with the wonderful collection of music and sceneries you are persuaded to endorse the idea of life thriving everywhere and in every condition. The stories are said through an interview form, the focus being strictly on the teller. The black background and the silence that surrounds gives a very deep view in those people lives, but here is where Yann Arthus- Bertrand's genius comes on. He makes us see and understand those ideas right from the people' s mind and perspective. To sum up, I can definitely recommend this documentary to absolutely anyone who wants to take a moment and enjoy the vastness of life and world. One small detail I want to say is that I have seen the three part version which in my opinion is very suitable to many people because it give you time to understand each one very easily.

This is an inspired review. After stumbling across a short clip and being lead to the entire production on YouTube, I feel I've been given a tremendous gift. What has been presented for us is a clear window into the souls of those we live with but never normally see.

The chosen angle of people being shown creates a personal feel that gave me a feeling that I was being spoken to. Topics were given eclectic voices, articulated in ways that will forever keep my eyes open wide to the vastness of human expression. Cleverly shot, contemplative scenery of both nature and humanity were spliced at intervals allowed for a well paced interchange and time to reflect.

The music wonderfully complements the atmosphere being created. It aids contemplation and harmonises the stories with the scenery.

The high-definition format adds to the feeling of immersion, seamlessly moving me from one story to the next. I was reminded by the work of Ron Fricke with the documentary 'Samsara' which uses a similar approach.

This, however, gives a poetic voice to humans' narration of life experience that adds another dimension to this piece.

'Human' felt like an education that I wish I had received in my formative years. But I am thankful for it now and I hope it will take you on a journey similar to the one I have taken, the journey of being 'Human'.

I never take time to do these things, but it needs to be said: This is an amazing piece of art.

The emphasis on the human element is just perfect. If anything, it is a cure to public ignorance. Hope many teachers show this to the children in their classes, if only to let them know how lucky they are actually having a TV and the time spare to watch it.

This world could use some more (long distance) compassion and this movie is part of solving that problem. Hopefully it will encourage and inspire other filmmakers to highlight human happiness, pain, suffering and all other emotions in more different ways to come. Just loved this whole movie and hope others will grow wise enough to see its beauty too.