An intimate portrait of Amish family life and faith, this film opens up a world usually kept private. Miriam and David are Old Order Amish and photography is not permitted under the strict rules of the Amish church. So when they agree to open their home and their lives to the cameras, they embark on a journey which is not without risk. As the film unfolds, we learn exactly what is at stake for this family and why they wanted to share their lives and risk all.
8.36
Rating: 8.36/10 based on 291 votes cast.
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Wow- blessed is this precious family by our Lord! Makes you yearn for the ‘Real’ things that we should be grateful for
What a lovely family.
@ 34:22 – Could somebody please inform me what this song is, starting at 34:22?
This is my second time watching this documentary, always finding solace in the Lapp family and the root of how I was raised, though not at all Amish.
This song is so incredibly beautiful (could not find it in the credits, online, or through IMDB), and I would like to understand the connection as this film means a lot to me, having grown up near to Lancaster, passing through here most months from Ohio to visit my extended family in Pennsylvania as a child.
If anyone could please kelp me in identifying this song, it would mean a lot to me! Thanks!
Pachelbel’s Canon
This song is “Salve Regina (based on Pachelbel’s Canon” and is sung by the group All Angels, which was a British classical crossover group.
Salve Regina is a Catholic Marian hymn also known as “Hail Holy Queen.” The latin lyrics of the song are here: https://genius.com/All-angels-salve-regina-based-on-pachelbels-canon-lyrics
and here is the song on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GR6GqcxjRH4
This is a vocal version of “Pachelbel’s Canon”,which is a instrumental classical piece written by the German Baroque composer Johann Pachelbel ;Canon and Gigue for 3 violins and basso continuo…,
I found this documentary and showed it to my college class when teaching culture/religion. I had such a good response, and I have watched it many times. I have always wanted to meet the family that had me revisit my own inner self to find truth. Real truth. No matter how many modern/materialistic things I have obtained, nothing has made me happier or put me in tears than to really seek myself internally and look up to God. I am so thrilled you were able to make this documentary. You have touched so many lives………..you have no idea. I hope to one day be able to visit your farm and say thank you for all you have shared. May God continue to bless your family.
Love this family
Now the have 7 children.
This documentary changed my life and made me become a stay at home mom! I love the ways of God that our society has lost, and this documentary really opened my eyes to loving my children, Husband and my God. May God always bless this family!!!
Saw the documentary, it was wonderfull! Hope you’re all doing well..
Warm greetings from the Netherlands.
I am one of the Lapps who the documentary was taken of.
Our farm is now open to the public.
Visit the website at pleasantparadisefarm.com
This drives me crazy, they dont have electric? There is a meter on the side of the house. The ringer washer she uses runs on electric. What am I missing?
It is solar or generator produced electric
They use solar! Also many of them buy other peoples houses that have the electric already in place.
At the beginning they do mention they don’t reject all technology, as it is typically associated with the Amish. They also portray the family as progressive in the sense of leaving behind some customs of the old order amish church. There’s also a difference between Old and New Order Amish (read more here: http://amishamerica.com/whats-the-difference-between-new-order-and-old-order-amish/ ), There are also many affiliations beneath each order.
THis is a long way of saying, they probably have a house with power, they just don’t use the electricity (probably other than the ringer washer).
This woman is so educated, loving and extremely well spoken. Inspired me in so many ways.
i learn a lot from this documentary , and I’m happy that this family open there home to them .and i hope more amish do the same .because i didn’t know nothing about amish until now .
i am a muslim and i found this film so interesting , i can see a lot of common things between our traditions and their traditions and between both religions too
what i’ve loved the most and what we really need it in our lives is their peaceful life and loving family they are so connected to each others , the kids are responsible too they are helping their parents like adults . they are right 100% about distractions . i think this is the healthy life that we are missing after technology obssession .
Thank you for your willingness to make your lifestyle and faith known to outsiders like myself. I was moved by your beautiful family. It was nice to see the healthy communication and loving ways you glorify God each day. The COURAGE to do what is right despite the threat of excommunication was extraordinary to see and dispels the notion that Amish are merely ignorant simpletons who don’t think for themselves.
If anything this film bolsters their choices as enabling men and women to live honestly and with clarity of purpose. They are very clear where their joy comes from and that it cannot be threatened or dampened if they follow the word of God. I don’t have such confidence but then again, I don’t have such faith. Inspiration is a fascinating subject. Good job to the film makers who didn’t exploit or overlay heir agenda if they had one. The family should be satisfied with the final product come what may.
Lovely people. Peaceful. Loving. Bless them.
Lovely documentary. It was so nice to see a young family holding down a traditional lifestyle but also being open to the outside world…I have not considered myself a Christian since I was a young child because it does not seem natural in a modern world. But had I been born into this, I could have more easily held true to the faith. Thanks so much for sharing. And thanks for also questioning those things that you do not hold true in your own lives.
What lovely people. It matters not if their god is real or not, what matters is that they live peacefully and in harmony with themselves and nature. They live simple lives full of love and are not blinded by the consumerism and superficiality we face. Sure, some things I don’t agree as with their lower status for women, but overall they seem to live happily.
Wow she is gorgeous! And I think they seem like a very lovely family actually, surprisingly because I think pretty much all religion is straight up bullshit and sometimes directly harmful
A lovely film, and an interesting insight into how different people choose to live their lives. This family particularly was also extremely brave and selfless in letting a camera crew interact with them, at risk of excommunication from a society they obviously care about so much, just to offer a window to outsiders into the Amish peoples’ often misunderstood world. They believe in God and live lives far more simplistically and traditionally than the average Westerner – and some people are insulting them for that? They are damaging no one. They are not enforcing their beliefs on anyone. Their lives and beliefs are not better or worse than ours – they are simply different. They are living their lives the way they want to live them, peacefully and lovingly, and they are all the more happy for it. Good on them.
give these people a tape=recorder and record every thing they. Play it back to them and hopefully they will realize the ridiculous comments the make,
Record everything they say and play it back? My friend, how would you survive under such scrutiny, if a camera was there to record everything you said and did over a period of time, and then some editor boiled it down to an hour? If you’re not perfect, like the rest of us, might there not be a few ridiculous comments in there? Even the comments you’ve left here of your own volition say more about you than they do about them.
i wonder what she is like in bed..?
being amish is just like anyother cult. Isolation/ no cameras.unreal supernatural gods.
thier woman are sexy hot clean. mmmmm I’ll take care of you if you are unhappy withthem.
how sad for them. resoucefull hardworking people being fooled by thier bible burshit.
I agree, BMRW. I thought the family was genuinely happy and doing exactly what they wanted to do, and the Lord’s will as they saw it, despite the potential consequences. Lovely people and kids. I would welcome them into my house any day.
Many Amish folk farm near us. I have never seen their children pitching fits or whining in stores. They don’t run all over the restaurants, either.
Its heartwarming to see these Dads and Moms devoting all their time to the kids, by allowing them to join in and help with all the work. They never appear to shoe them away. The fathers, especially.
Good doc, nice people, you miss the point Paul they didn’t deviate from their religion they were showing that they could keep their values and be somewhat up to date with everyone else, it’s all for nothing of course as there is no god, but it’s probably a group of elderly men excommunicating people for being human.
plus they wont work the sabbath day..so thats why they wont work sundays??..huuum the sabbath day is saturday..lol
I think you’re technically correct, but I have heard many Christians refer to Sunday as the Sabbath. It could be that they simply mean Sunday is their day of rest, as the word ‘Sabbath’ carries that meaning.
it just doesnt make sense..all im gonna say is they go shopping to a supermarket for all consumer products used by modern ppl..but they wont have electricity or be part of society..no they are not brave..like most religions,they cherry pick and contradict constantly
They don’t adapt to technology close to their habitat so that they can be saved from the distractions of technology and enjoy some quality time with their loved ones. Theirs is a pastoral way of life wherein they invest in human emotion, skills and nurture of their kids to
life a content and simple life.
So i guess their going to a mall is justified because at the end of it they are living life on their own terms alongside us and we being the majority dictate certain things for them, like the malls, and paved roads, and telephones.
This film was about a beautiful family and lovely people. They are very brave ; all the power to them.