Customer Reviews

Amish:a People of Preservation [VHS]

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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.

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!

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.

This video was given to me by a friend several years ago as I have been interested in the Amish community, having German farming immigrant ancestors in Kansas. It is not a recent video having been originally done about twenty years ago but the content is not out of date and it will give a very good overview of basic Amish life. It is narrated by two men who grew up in Amish communities and they offer a good and kind insight into the community. There are many different branches of Amish and Mennonite life and practice and belief, which I think the general public does not realize. Aside from the distinctive "plain clothes" there is much that differs. This is a wholesome video and not like some more recent videos that showed the "dark side" of those who chose not to follow the faith. I would recommend this as a wholesome insight into this faith community.

I found this DVD to be interesting & somewhat entertaining. The movie almost solely revolves around the amish men, their roles in the family, society & community. This contains nearly nothing about the amish women & girls. Being a woman, I was hoping for more about the female life within the amish home. Very dissappointed! Felt this was a waste of money for me.

This was a very informative documentary. Although it was mainly about the Amish, there was also some information about the Mennonite community. As my ancestors were Hugeunots from the same area of ALsace-Lorraine as these two groups, with similar views, I found this very informative as well as refreshing. This was a very positive review of the community, so that any previous misconceptions someone may have had that may have ridiculed this group could be replaced with the reasons why they have endured for so long. We could learn from them.

The documentary is interesting enough.It's not saturated with fact, which can be good or bad depending on your expectations.

However, I did laugh when, during the explanation of Amish migration westward, the state of Missouri was named while the state Illinois was highlighted. Rest assured, both have strong Amish communities. But I did wonder how this goof got through editing. I expected better from PBS.

This DVD explores the lifestlye of the Amish. Once you get past the superficialality of their lifestyle that the "English" usually see from passing their buggies -- they are deeply spiritual people. Another movie that should be watch with this is "The Stranger Among Us"

This DVD was very informal and interesting, into learning the lives of the Amish. I enjoyed and had some people borrow this video. Very well documented.