Hot Docs 2019 – To Share or Not to Share
Mark is a traveller and he believes in life beyond capitalism. He has given up his successful squash coach career in London and now, in Tallinn, he invites people to join a community where nobody uses any money and everyone shares with each other their skills, experiences, food, and love.
Interview with Director Minna Hint
Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
When I met Mark - the protagonist of my film To Share or Not to Share – I felt almost immediately compelled to make a documentary about his sincere plans to turn his life around 180 degrees. Whilst many of us have pondered over life without money and possessions, Mark had the courage to actually try it out. I wanted to observe his lifestyle and ways how to break out of capitalism.
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
If you have ever had enough of this greedy, unfair, consumerist, ownership oriented capitalist lifestyle and questioned its validity, you might find it interesting to follow one man’s journey to change the system. It is also a good character study.
How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
At the current free market economy or capitalism, people are valued according to their financial skills. But humans also have other gifts, in any area, in music, art or science. These skills must be valued as well, and a wise balance between them must be found. History has shown, that society as a whole wins when the human capacity of thinking is practiced and put to good use.
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?
The decision to start making a movie about Mark came fast. There was no classical preparation period, I had to start filming right away, following Mark's actions in linear time because he was very spontaneous and sometimes even impatient. Wished to get the result immediately. This demanded a lot of time and patience from the filmmakers as well. The environment where Mark entered was totally different compared to the UK, different climate, different language. Estonia is one of the Eastern countries of the European Union, where most of the population is focused on growing their wealth. Under these conditions, it was extremely interesting to cheer for the main character's successes and failures and to see my own fellow compatriots from a completely different point of view.
What type of feedback have you received so far?
So far the feedback has been rather emotional. People have considered the documentary extremely funny and depressive at the same time. Many find the protagonist Mark appaling and appealing concurrently.
Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?
When we started making this film, the international METOO campaign had not yet started. It started when we were already finishing the editing of the film. Now that the film is in front of the public, we feel that many people watch this film through the METOO filter and interpret some events in the film differently than the author had planned. But this is also very interesting when the film offers different interpretations.
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
Through this portal, we wish to introduce nowadays' people of Estonia and their activities to the readers. With your help, we offer the opportunity to share the same experiences and the reader can compare them with similar activities worldwide.
Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?
First of all, we are looking for contact with people who make the programs of the festivals, to enrich their festival with our film. It must be said that our film is 90% in English. Our film is so new, that it does not have a distributor yet, so maybe there is a distributor, who finds distributing channels for this film. If there are journalists who wish to write about communities in Estonia or about the living without money experiment, then we are happy to share this kind of information.
What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?
I would like people who have watched this film, will question themselves and their own lifestyle and the society they live in. I would hope people to have conversations on the topic of sharing-economy and alternative lifestyles. I would hope people to ponder on the mistakes the protagonist made in his journey.
What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?
How much, if at all are you willing to share? Would you like to live a life without money? Is there an alternative to money driven society?
Interview: April 2019
We Are Moving Stories embraces new voices in drama, documentary, animation, TV, web series, music video, women's films, LGBTQIA+, POC, First Nations, scifi, supernatural, horror, world cinema. If you have just made a film - we'd love to hear from you. Or if you know a filmmaker - can you recommend us? More info: Carmela
To Share or Not to Share
Mark is a traveller and he believes in life beyond capitalism. He has given up his successful squash coach career in London and now, in Tallinn, he invites people to join a community where nobody uses any money and everyone shares with each other their skills, experiences, food, and love.
Length: 1:16:00
Director: Minna Hint & Meelis Muhu
Producer: Meelis Muhu
Writer: Minna Hint
Looking for: distributors
Facebook: To Share or Not to Share
Where can I watch it next and in the coming month? HotDocs