Product Details

• Format: Color, NTSC
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: Vision Video
• VHS Release Date: December 11, 1992
• Run Time: 54 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 6302661374
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #273,039 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

Intimate documentary takes you inside the world of the Amish.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars wonderful and very informative., March 23, 2001

By 

linn marrero (Port Orchard,Wa) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Amish:a People of Preservation [VHS] (VHS Tape)

For learning about Amish culture this video is a must.Beautiful pictures of the lancaster county countryside take a step back in time and learn about why the Amish live the way they do.A young man who left the community at the age of 19 for the university guides you through this presentation and tells you about why they dress this way, why they do church at home and the video further explains why they use horse and buggy and forsake modern electricity.The people of preservation further explains about their swiss anabaptist beginnings and why they came to America in the first place.A wonderful view of the plain and simple life which is truly refreshing in our modern fast paced world.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great resource!, November 14, 2003

By 

Kurt A. Johnson (North-Central Illinois, USA) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Amish:a People of Preservation [VHS] (VHS Tape)

This 1991 documentary is a fascinating, 54-minute look inside the world of the Amish. Lovingly directed by Mennonite John Ruth, this film is a sympathetic look at the Amish, and succeeds in giving the viewer a more in-depth look at Amish life than most other films (and even books!). It looks at such parts of Amish life as farming, childhood, worship, recreation, courtship, barn raising, and even the impact of tourism.

This is a great resource! As the description above shows, this film covers a lot of Amish life, and even contains rarely recorded examples of Amish preaching and singing. If you are interested in the Amish, then I highly recommend this tape to you!

12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Informative, Respectful Documentary, August 21, 2007

By 

Susan K. Schoonover "Sue Yingling" (Boulder, CO) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Amish: A People of Preservation (DVD)

This PBS documentary is well rendered and answers many questions "the English" (non Amish people) may have had about the Amish way of life. Why is it not hypocritical to use a phone or accept a ride in a non Amish person's car when the Amish can not own such items themselves? Is everyone raised as Amish excommunicated from the church for life if they leave the church? How can the Amish continue to support themselves and their large families as modern farming techniques improve and make their family farm way of life obsolete? Why are some modern conveniences once banned now permitted? Why does the government allow special Amish schools that end at grade school and are exempt from most public and private school rules? I've had all these questions and all were answered during the course of this film. The overall message of the film is one of tolerance and gratitude to the Amish for their preservation of all Americans less urban past, their hard work and their love for their community and family. The film focuses on Lancaster, PA but does mention that the largest Amish community is now in Holmes County, Ohio and newer communities are now flourishing throughout many parts of the US.