Breathtaking. That's the word I can think of. I came across "Living on One" in my Spanish class and it's safe to say that throughout the entire length of the film not one student could take their eyes from the screen. It takes a lot of get the attention of 20 teenagers but this film did it. It captures poverty in its most raw state and beautifully embeds the emotion within it. It challenges superficial representations of third world nations and sheds light on nothing but the truth. It will change how you view your life. Incredibly humbling, a must watch.

Living on One Dollar (2013) ** (out of 4)Four friends traveled to a rural part of Guatemala where they try to survive on what's basically less than one dollar. The extreme poverty of the area is the main focus of this documentary.I'm sure everyone involved with this documentary had great intentions but the end result just didn't really work with me. I couldn't help but feel that this film was done by privileged people with money who wanted to go shine a light on poor people. I'm sorry but I just never felt like I was watching something real and instead it just seemed too hokey and fake.Perhaps I'm 100% wrong. Heck, I might be since I've never been to this location or worked with any of these people. With that said, if what I was watching was real then it just didn't come across that way on screen. The film really did seem to be scripted as we get the good stuff, we get the drama, we get the downfall, we get the miracle that saves the day, we get another tragedy and then the happy ending. It just never did work with me.

I really felt this could have been powerful, however I felt this was really just a shallow portrayal by a bunch of kids with little to lose. This really could have been very powerful if they had spent a year, rather than eight weeks. I never felt like they were really doing anything more than a peace corps volunteer might have experienced over a much longer period of time.Frankly it felt like a bunch of rich kids trying to feel better about themselves. If they were really trying to survive they would have taken their radish harvest and seriously tried to sell it to the indigenous culture. Giving it away just proved that in the end they could rely on the bank account set up by their parents. I am not impressed.It just had no impact with me.Sorry

What a wonderfully humbling & memorable documentary! I watched this along with an entire high school campus in our attempt to share with teens what true poverty looks like. This documentary does not try to overdo anything. It's simple, concise, and impactful. It's a piece that gives one a new perspective in how to look at life and the hardships that we all have to endure. If one thinks his/her life is hard, this documentary may very well serve as a starting point to help an individual see that most hardships that many of us perceive truly do pale in comparison to what over 1 billion people in the world have to live with everyday. It's a great documentary to share with people regardless of age, race, gender, and class level. Watch it and tell people about it. Perhaps, together, many more people will become compassionate enough to help others who truly need our help.