Bonsai People The Vision of Muhammad Yunus

Product Description What if you could harness the power of the free market to solve the problems of poverty, hunger, and inequality? To some, it sounds impossible, but Nobel Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunus is doing just that. Bonsai People is an emotionally compelling look at several women receiving microcredit loans and how it empowers them. Through their stories, we see what Yunus saw microcredit is an important tool, but financial woes are not their only problem they have needs which simple social business solutions can help fulfill. Bonsai People takes you on a journey to Bangladesh and into a handful of microcredit borrowers lives as they start using loans. You'll learn how microcredit works and you'll witness the tough choices many in poverty face. It also takes an honest look at microcredit failures and how health problems are the number one reason that people can't pay back a loan. The film then pulls out to show how people in poverty suffer from a lack of access, not just to financing, but often to things we take for granted: education, healthcare, nutrition, energy and more. You'll learn how Yunus started the fastest growing solar energy company, and how he eradicated night blindness among children by starting a seed company so that kids would get the vitamin A they needed by eating fruits and vegetables. You'll also learn how Yunus uses technology to bring mobile ultrasound devices into the villages so that pregnant women can get advanced healthcare at home. We also get great insight into the philosophies that Muhammad Yunus runs his businesses by: everyone is credit worthy; we all have a selfless side and that can be put into our business world; there is no shame in starting small; businesses that do good, can also be sustainable and many others. This film will inspire, educate and make you want to be a part of the solution to help lift others out of poverty by empowering them to take control of their lives. Review Filmmaker Holly Mosher s Bonsai People illustrates the pioneering work of the Grameen Bank in Bangladesh, which offers microcredit loans to women (amounting to just a few U.S. dollars) usually for small-business ventures but also to improve housing or pay for children s education. The documentary follows a young Grameen Bank manager establishing a new rural branch: in addition to running the enterprise, he approaches local families in order to find participants, organizes support groups, advises on using funds wisely, and addresses the community s social issues. Bonsai People profiles six individuals who have received loans, two of whom became community leaders as a result of their involvement (all were able to improve their economic status). Interviews with these six (combined with footage from their daily lives) are intercut with comments from Grameen founder Muhammad Yunus, who explains why he started working with microcredit and describes some of the other social businesses (non-profits) Grameen has underwritten that now provide telecommunications, healthcare, early childhood education, and marketing opportunities for the Bengali poor. Grameen and Yunus won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2006 for these efforts. The film s title reflects Yunus s belief that the poor are like bonsai trees they cannot grow or prosper because they re restricted by circumstances. DVD extras include featurettes on Grameen s non-profit organizations, and how to create a social business. Hopeful and inspiring, this is highly recommended. Aud: C, P. (M. Puffer-Rothenberg) --Video LibrarianMicro-Lending Biopic Recounts Nobel-Winner's Philanthropic Effort to Eradicate Poverty In 2006, Muhammad Yunus won the Nobel Peace Prize for opening a new type of bank in his native Bangladesh. His basic idea was to extend micro-loans to poor women so they could have a decent chance of breaking the cycle of poverty via self-employment. The innovative program proved to be so popular that it has been replicated around the world to the point that, today, over $6 billion has been borrowed by close to 8 million individuals. Bonsai People: The Vision of Muhammad Yunus is a reverential biopic which pays homage to that philanthropic achievement by the pioneering economist. The inspirational documentary marks the full-length feature directorial debut of Holly Mosher, a talented, NYU Tisch School grad who has dedicated her career to creating socially-conscious movies. In the film, Ms. Mosher gives her eminently-quotable subject free rein to expound upon his people-friendly philosophy. Ever the optimist, Yunus states that "We can create a poverty-free world, if we collectively believe in it." Surprisingly anti-materialistic for an economist, he further fervently believes "Making an impact on people's lives is every bit as fulfilling as making money." Betwixt and between such sage insights, the film follows the progress of a number of micro-lending beneficiaries over the course of a year. Again and again, we see that the difference as little as $100 in start-up cash can make in a life is staggering. The picture's takes its title from Yunis' explanation that "Poor people are bonsai people; there is nothing wrong with their seed-society never allowed them the space to grow... Our job is to help everyone unleash their potential." Sadly, his success has spawned a cottage industry of avaricious imitators, many of whom charge their unsuspecting victims usurious loan rates. Of course, the Nobel-winner laments this unfortunate development. Nonetheless, he remains committed to the cause, affirming that "Micro-lending is not about making money off the backs of the poor." A moving tribute to a true visionary with a viable plan to alleviate suffering. Excellent (4 stars) --News BlazeThis inspirational and uplifting documentary focuses on how Nobel Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunus formed the Grameen Bank as a means of reducing poverty in Bangladesh. Yunus started out by lending $27 to 42 impoverished individuals who live in rural areas. That small amount of money helped them start their own businesses. The bank continues to lend micro-credits to millions of poor people, mostly women, until this very day. Admittedly, it would have been provocative had Mosher interviewed economists who are critical of Yunus' solution micro-crediting. Is it something that's feasible in every country and, if so, is it sustainable? What are some of its systemic and systematic risks? A benefit/risk analysis would have been helpful, as well as more information about why Yunus was eventually kicked out of the Grameen Bank. The interviews with Yunus show how smart and compassionate he is as a human being. He wisely states that to help the poor become a part of the economy via micro-credit, Gross Domestic Product (GDP) grows while taking the lower class with it. He understands that we all live in a cosmopolitan, so everything that happens to even one poor person has some kind of effect on you as well as the economy and society as a whole. He also understands the important of providing human capital (education) to the poor so that they could use those tools to better themselves and, in turn, the economy. Those types of socio-economic approaches cannot be found in the vast majority of school textbooks, so that makes the Grameen Bank all the more unique and even somewhat subversive in how it treats the poor with such compassion---although my International Finance professor told the class that greed and selfishness are actually good for society, so it's professors like him (and his complacent, unctuous students) who would truly benefit from watching this film. Director Holly Mosher blends footage of rural Bangladesh women who struggle to start their own business with the aide of Grameen Bank. Their plight feels quite heartbreaking, but the way they overcome their financial hardships with the help of the bank will make you stand up and cheer. --NYC Movie Guru

Detalles del producto Is Discontinued By Manufacturer : No Dimensiones del paquete : 7.1 x 5.42 x 0.58 pulgadas; 2.93 Onzas Director : Holly Mosher Formato multimedia : NTSC, De pantalla ancha Tiempo de ejecución : 1 hora y 19 minutos Fecha de lanzamiento : Julio 7, 2015 Actores : Muhammad Yunus Estudio : Smore ASIN : B0177424LY País de origen : EE. UU. Número de discos : 1 Opiniones de clientes: 4.5 de 5 estrellas 6 calificaciones Is Discontinued By Manufacturer : No Dimensiones del paquete : 7.1 x 5.42 x 0.58 pulgadas; 2.93 Onzas Director : Holly Mosher Formato multimedia : NTSC, De pantalla ancha Tiempo de ejecución : 1 hora y 19 minutos Fecha de lanzamiento : Julio 7, 2015 Actores : Muhammad Yunus Estudio : Smore ASIN : B0177424LY País de origen : EE. UU. Número de discos : 1