Do I Need This? is a documentary film about consumerism, excess, and the stuff from which happiness is truly made.
This quirky, relatable, and profound award-winning film delicately interweaves the filmmaker’s complicated relationship to her family possessions during the late stages of her parents’ lives, together with a journey into the homes and minds of her fellow Americans - from a Buddhist monk to a woman who hoards and hides it, and a colorful cast of characters in between.
On the surface, Do I Need This? is a joy ride through our excessive consumption habits, but at its core, it is a deep and genuine reflection on happiness and aging, materialism and mortality. Audiences are invited to ponder their own threshold for excess, their own formula for a life well-lived, and their impact on our planet. One viewer recently said, "‘I recommend this film to every person living on this planet."
Do I Need This? will be broadcast on PBS stations nationally in 2024. The film features Randy Frost, co-author of 'Buried in Treasures’, Juliet Schor, author of ‘The Overspent American’, Peter Whyrbow, author of ‘American Mania’, Bea Johnson, author of ‘Zero Waste Home’, and Finn Murphy, author of ‘The Long Haul’.
Do I Need This? won the Audience Choice Award at its premiere screening at the Green Film Festival of San Francisco, and a 2023 Telly Award.
Do I Need This? was named one of the 10 best documentaries of the year by Video Librarian!