Bonsai People
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Rating: 4.8/5 (6 votes cast)

What if you could harness the power of the free market to solve the problems of poverty, hunger, and inequality? To some, it sounds impossible. But Nobel Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunus is doing exactly that. Bonsai People celebrates Yunus’ extraordinary humanitarian work, which started by lending $27 to 42 people out of his own pocket and has now grown to helping 1 out of every 1,000 people on earth. But he didn’t stop there - whenever he sees a problem he starts a business, creating a mix between business and social work, which he’s coined “social business.” By tackling some of the world’s most vexing problems from healthcare, education to alternative energy, he is demonstrating to the world that complex problems sometimes do have simple answers. Microcredit is just the tip of the iceberg!
Why It's FilmBuff
Some people are so important to us as a society yet it’s not until a filmmaker gives us a glimpse into that person’s world do we realize how much these people matter. Muhammed Yunus may be a name you’ve never heard, but he is affecting us all on a global scale. We feel privileged to share this filmmaker's journey as she follows this Nobel Peace Prize winner and uses her lens to show us just how much Yunus has changed the world.

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78 mins -
Cast:
  • Muhammad Yunus
    ... Himself
Crew:
  • Director:
    Holly Mosher
  • Writer:
    Lisa Gold
  • Producers:
    Holly Mosher
Film Reviews:
  • "This heartfelt and thought-provoking documentary by Holly Mosher presents the best tribute in many a moon to the fire power of the free market to expand and enrich the lives of poor people around the world."
    Spirituality & Practice
  • "Packed with details that somehow don't weigh it down, this is a hopeful film - about the power of honest work to confer dignity as well as put food on the table, about how the seed of an idea can take root and grow."
    Los Angeles Times
  • "A moving tribute to a true visionary with a viable plan to alleviate suffering."
    AALBC.com
  • "One man's address of worldwide poverty makes for compelling viewing in Holly Mosher's deeply humane and inspiring, if somewhat simplistic, documentary."
    Film Journal International
Film Festivals:
  • One World Film Festival
  • DocMiami
  • UNSPOKEN Human Rights Film Festival
  • UNA-USA GLOBAL WAKE-UP
  • Lucerne Int'l Film Festival Showcase
  • Driftless Film Festival
  • LA Femme Film Festival
Film Awards:
  • Audience Award, Documentary
Production Company:
Hummingbird Pictures LLC
Film Website URL