OVID.tv Presents TINY: A STORY ABOUT LIVING SMALL Review

From the sun’s first peaking ray over the horizon all the way to the heavy blanket of night, we see Christopher Smith tirelessly working away on building the tiny house of his dreams. Close-ups of sawdust rising from screws being drilled into wooden planks accompany the crows of roosters seemingly cheering Smith on with his tiny house endeavors. As time passes in the documentary, the glow of summer fades into autumn, which quickly slips into a frostbitten winter. Smith continues to uncover new challenges as time, weather and money seem to join forces against him.

Tiny: A Story About Living Small captures the journey of Christopher Smith as he takes the initiative to diverge from our materialistic society and build his own tiny house. Inspired by the transcendentalism and minimalism behind tiny living, Smith set aside three months to build his entire new home from scratch with only the help of his girlfriend Merete Mueller. Underestimating all the work that would go into building his 124 square foot house, Smith’s summer project ends up progressing into a tedious yearlong one.

OVID.tv’s TINY: A STORY ABOUT LIVING SMALL Reveals the Magic of Minimalist Living

Bouncing back between capturing Smith’s construction and guiding us through a great variety of tiny houses, the film allows us to not only understand, but also visualize Smith’s end goal. Featuring a secluded log cabin ornamented with whimsical stained glass windows all the way to an airy farm-style house with pop-up tables and hidden storage compartments, we find ourselves willingly diving headfirst with Smith into the quaint, fairytale-like world of tiny living. Twinkling eyes and beaming smiles compose the tiny house owners interviewed, as they tell their story and lead Smith through every nook and cranny of their forever home. Learning about these peoples’ journeys and the obstacles they encountered while building their tiny house, we can sense Smith’s dwindling hope resurrect and spring soon comes both literally and figuratively.

As Smith’s lifelong fantasy gradually molds into a reality, we begin to see his tiny house turn into something more than just a place for him to live. It becomes a symbol of his extreme dedication and persistence despite all the challenges thrown in front of him. It becomes a symbol of the bountiful support that Mueller nourished Smith with throughout this project. But for us, it most importantly becomes a symbol of what it means to be able to call a place home. Smith states it best in saying,“We’re not sure what the future holds, but we do know that the tiny house will be here in the mountains. One point of orientation in a world of possibility.”

CREATIVE TEAM:

Directors: Christopher Smith, Merete Mueller
Producers: Christopher Smith, Merete Mueller
Writer: Merete Mueller
Musician: Timothy Cleary
Cinematographers: Christopher Smith, Kevin Hoth, Merete Mueller
Editor: Christopher Smith
Sound Designer: Elliot Thompson
Actors: Christopher Smith, Merete Mueller

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

Nominate this for The Picture This Post BEST OF 2021???
Click Readers' Choice

Want to see who won the Picture This Post READERS’ CHOICE competition last year?
WATCH THIS SHORT VIDEO—

For more information on this film, please visit the OVID.tv webpage for TINY: A STORY ABOUT LIVING SMALL.

Click here to read more Picture This Post Review of Top Pick Documentaries and watch this video --

Picture This Post Documentary Reviews RoundUp --Our Top Picks

Images courtesy of OVID.tv

About the Author: Kaitlin Balasaygun

Kaitlin Balasaygun’s love for the arts began at an early age when she first picked up her dad’s old camera and started photographing everything. From the pancakes she had for breakfast to her sunbathing pup, everything turned into art and something worth capturing. Through this passion for photography, Kaitlin soon fell in love with various other forms of art like writing, painting and music. When she’s not spending time indulging in the arts, the majority of Kaitlin’s time is spent training for her competitive swim team, as swimming is another passion that she discovered at a young age.