With so much turmoil around the world, filmmaker Louie Schwartzberg believes that gratitude can help balance the scales. In his new film “Gratitude Revealed,” he takes his audience on a journey where they can explore how to live a more meaningful life.
“We may not be able to change the world, but we want to try to shine light where we can,“ Schwartzberg told the Journal.
As the son of Holocaust survivors, Schwartzberg understands the power of gratitude firsthand. “You grow up really learning to appreciate all the little things in life: the roof over your head, food on the table, a steady job, the miracle of having children,” Schwartzberg said.
He believes survival is part of his DNA. For Schwartzberg, “Gratitude is the overarching umbrella of all positive values and virtues … That’s why, in the movie, we don’t really talk about gratitude as much as we talk about courage, forgiveness, connection, generosity, creativity [and] wonder.”
Schwartzberg calls his film a mosaic or tapestry. Gratitude is found – and expressed – through community, curiosity, creativity and courage.
Schwartzberg calls his film a mosaic or tapestry. Woven throughout are intimate conversations with everyday people from dairy farmers and salsa dancers to low riders and people recently released from prison, as well as thought leaders and personalities, including Deepak Chopra, producer Brian Grazer and sitcom legend Norman Lear. Gratitude is found – and expressed – through community, curiosity, creativity and courage.
“The film itself is an exploration,” Schwartzberg said. “The audience needs to lean in and create the context and meaning.”
For instance, someone in the film may remind you of a relative or a location he visits might spark a memory. Schwartzberg hopes these little things trigger insight and emotion; he wants his film to touch people’s souls.
“You are your own best friend, you are your own guide, you are your own everything,” he said. “A lot of times we’ve become disconnected with our inner self, and when you recognize it, then you [can] reconnect to it.”
When faced with challenges, you have two choices: you can be a victim or change your way of thinking.
“What you learn about gratitude is, it builds resilience,” Schwartzberg said. “You bounce back a lot faster.”
Another thing he discovered: Gratitude stops you from going on a negative spiral. Simply thinking about what you are grateful for stops that rumination.
“You can’t be thinking a negative thought and a positive thought at the same time,” he said. Gratitude forces us to go in a different direction … It’s amazing how well it does work.”
Schwartzberg used the quiet time during COVID to put “Gratitude Revealed” together.
“It was a great opportunity to dive into my library and try to put this giant megillah together,” he said. “I’ve been accumulating all these stories of people who overcame adversity, like my parents, but still had a lot of love and joy. They were not damaged people.”
These themes of resilience are also reflected in his nature work, which includes his award-winning documentary “Fantastic Fungi.”
In “Fantastic Fungi” for instance, Schwartzberg explores the magic of the natural world.
“What we really explored with “Fantastic Fungi” is this thing called the mycelium network, [which is] the root structure of mushrooms,” he said. “Mushrooms sprout up as a fruit, but their root system is all underground …”
He continued, “The mother tree [is] this underground network of trees that share information and nutrients with one another to create ecosystems that flourish without greed. It’s a really beautiful blueprint for how we could live our lives.”
With “Gratitude Revealed,” Schwartzberg takes nature’s wisdom above ground, asking his audience how they can apply it to their life, relationships, community and to the world.
“Overcoming adversity by being tough, by being a survivor, that’s a nature-story, too,” he said.
“We all want a kinder world. We all want to be more compassionate toward each other. If we do that, then [we’re] making the world a better place.”
To watch “Gratitude Revealed,” go to LouieChannel.tv. You can also explore GratitudeRevealed.com, where you can discover resources to deepen your connection with gratitude.
