Living Without Money

“IhadeverythingIneeded,IhadahouseandIhadraisedtwochildren.Igaveitallaway.”<br/>　　ThedocumentaryLivingWithoutMoneyportraitsthelifeof68yearoldHeidemarieSchwermer,aGermanwomanwhomadeadeliberatechoicetostopusingmoney14yearsago.Shecancelledherapartment,gaveawayallofherbelongingsandkeptnothingbutasuitcasefullofclothes.Thiswasadecisionthatchangedtheentireoutlookonherlifedramatically.<br/>　　Today,after14years,sheisstilllivingalmostwithoutmoneyandclaimssheisfeelingmorefreeandindependentthanever.ThefilmfollowsHeidemarieinherdaytodaylifeandshowsthechallengesshemeetsbylivinganalternativelifestyle.<br/>　　Heidemarieisconstantlyonthemove,meetingnewpeople,stayingwitholdandnewfriendsforafewnights.Sheisneverworriedaboutthefuture,she’snotevenpre-occupiedaboutwhereshewillsleepnextweekorwhereshewillfindhernextmeal.Sheknowsbyexperiencethatthingsalwaysworkoutforheraslongassheisopentowhateverhappens.ShetravelsallaroundGermany,oftensheisalsoinAustria,SwitzerlandandItaly,holdinglecturesaboutherexperienceandtryingtoconveythemessagethataneasierwayoflifeispossible.<br/>　　Whatstartedoutasexchangingfavorsinlieuofmoneyhasnowbecomealifestyle.Sheisalwaystryingtohelpothersfindapathtoasimplerandmoreharmoniclife.Sheenjoyslifeinthemomentsheislivinginsteadofbeingpreoccupiedwiththefuture.<br/>　　InthefilmwefollowHeidemarieinherday-to-daylifeandexperiencehowshegoesabouttofindfood,transportandaplacetostay.Inadditiontoshowingthedailychallengesshemeetsfromlivingwithoutmoney,wegettohearmoreaboutHeidemarie’slifephilosophyandwhyshehaschosentolivethisway.Weseethatitisnotonlyeasyforhertolivewithoutmoneyinasocietywhereeverythingisbasedonmoneyandthevalueofapersonismeasuredonhowwealthyheorsheis.PeopleHeidemariemeetsonherway,oftenhavestrongopinionsaboutherlifestyle.Somecallhera“parasite”andclaimssheislivingoffothers,whilesomeseeherasa“visionarysourceofinspiration”.Throughherstorywecanconsidermoney’sinfluenceonourwayofthinking,livingandactingandtheimpactthishasonourownlivesandhealthandourenvironment.Thisfilmexplorestheseideasandreflectsofthemesofmaterialismandover-consumption.