Life in a Day (2010)

Life in a Day (2010)

2011, Society  -   71 Comments
7.12
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Ratings: 7.12/10 from 33 users.

Life in a DayDirector Kevin Macdonald and producer Ridley Scott team up to offer this candid snapshot of a single day on planet Earth.

Compiled from over 80,000 YouTube submissions by contributors in 192 countries, Life in a Day presents a microcosmic view of our daily experiences as a global society.

From the mundane to the profound, everything has its place as we spend 90 minutes gaining greater insight into the lives of people who may be more like us than we ever suspected, despite the fact that we're separated by incredible distances.

Clips are not labeled with locations - some are nevertheless easy to figure out, but others leave few clues. Obviously this is intentional on Macdonald's part, as you occasionally find yourself distracted by trying to figure out where the hell the various videos come from.

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71 Comments / User Reviews

  1. lorriebeauchamp

    With my winter depression settling in, I couldn't have chosen a better time to watch this incredible slice of life. I felt as if I were on a dizzying tour of the world, with billions of people reaching out to connect and share their love of life, their achievements, their rituals, their sorrows, their inner thoughts and their PERSPECTIVE. In a world increasingly divided by war, intolerance and racism, this is one of the best feel-good offerings in a long, long while. Great idea, skilled editing, obviously a labor of love, and a huge success. We are all one.

  2. Manu Hashidate

    This is a truly unique film, and what a wonderfully creative concept. And by serendipity, caught a sharp snapshot of the simple wonders enjoyed by most folk on planet earth - and tragically, the horrors of the last-ever Love Parade, too!

    Though, today like any other normal day under the sun is sadly lamentable...R.I.P. Tony Scott

  3. Chris Cassels

    I remember when everyone was asked to shoot video on that day. I wanted to be part of it. I made video of things in my town but never sent the footage in. After watching this today, I regret not sending in the video. It was not a thrilling day, just way better than what everyone else was doing that day. I expected more from the doc that what I just saw. I hope they do it again.

  4. Naresh Kumar

    Poorly edited docu. Boring scenes lengthened. Very depressing. Doesn't show the positive side of life. Will make the viewer more negative about life, whereas we must enjoy every part of life, thanking god for whatsoever little he gave us.

  5. Trevis Robotie

    cool one...the us in them.man in the mirror

  6. Nia

    wow I really liked this docu.. brought tears to my eyes, made me laugh and also made me grateful for the things I have :) great documentary!

  7. Markeysha Evans

    Great DOCU!

  8. Guest

    This is one of my favourite Docs here, it shows how very much alike we all are in spite of our cultural differences. Isn't that what they were trying to say, that we all get through the day the best we can whatever it has in store for us and when it's done we sleep. Rich, poor, black, white, tall, short ....... we are all just people :)

  9. Guest

    In most cases concerning mass produced meat, it is not so much the way an animal is killed that is lamentable, it is the conditions in which it lives.
    One takes minutes or seconds, the other a life time.
    az

    1. Guest

      Never met a farmer with a pet, animals work or they get eaten and they're only value is what the butcher will pay per pound. I gave up eating meat while at the first farm job I had, it's a dirty product. Probably healthier to eat road kill.

    2. knowledgeizpower

      So are you a vegetarian? You said that you gave up eating meat while at the farm... I like the outdoors myself lol being a southern girl we went fishing alot growing up lol. But Yes I did enjoy this one myself....Peace

    3. Guest

      Hi :) Yeah, saw the state of the animals before they went to slaughter and it put me off for life. Not just the drenching, dipping etc but had to dig maggots out of wounds and stuff to make them look healthy enough to eat. Then there is the processing plant, dirty is not the word! Things might have improved there over the last few years but I'd make a guess that with such a high turnover of staff it never quite reaches the standard of cleanliness it should. Lots of southerners on here, You chatty people or just a friendly bunch ? Yes I'm a vegetarian :)

    4. knowledgeizpower

      Hii Back Atcha Fifty LoL :-) Wow I don't see how you managed that my goodness! :-0 But you know what I would have to say we are BOTH LoL..Yes southerners are soo soo Friendly especially when we get to know you...We will treat you like you have been friends for years after speaking for the first time Lol....Well I am not vegetarian though I have to be honest Kay...But I Love animals I have two Cats they are my babies ;)....I am glad we finally got to talk though. You seem really sweet and I had wanted to tell ya I Liked your Avatar it was so cute and squishy...But Okay Peace To You :-D

    5. Guest

      You know what, I always smile when I read your comments, don't you ever get mad? Glad to chat with you too but got to go and get my little one from school, catch you round ;)

    6. knowledgeizpower

      Thanks that is kind of you lol. Sometimes I do yes I think that its healthier to have a positive pleasant attitude though. When you are mad it gives out a negative energy. Its good to replace those negative emotions with positive ones...glad too lol..Peace

  10. Dulce Bustamante

    good documentary. I didn't expect it to have a traditional story line since it is a day in the life of thousands of people. It did follow a logical order. And following the thread, how does Jenny suggest that cow should have been sacrificed?

    1. Jenny Lea

      i am sure there is a better way of killing this animal, slitting the throat for example would be more humane as the animal would die quickly. I know that that cow in the film was in severe pain just by looking at it, would'nt you be if a blunt instrument was just stabbed through your skull and brain...twice!?

    2. Guest

      Are you vegetarian? Do you live in a big city or small one for that matter? Do you buy your meat at a regular grocery store? Have you ever attended the killing of a animal you are about to eat?
      I agree watching it is not much fun and buying a piece wrapped in a styrofoam container is much easier, in which case you may be blindly eating a part of an animal that was killed in the worse way..
      az

    3. Guest

      Took the words out of my mouth, all I can add is that a well fed cat will hunt more efficiently than a hungry one, I thing about 7 million songbirds each year in England alone. Innocent little kitty. :)

    4. Jenny Lea

      i am no vegi, i live in a big city and buy halal meat because that way the animals throat is cut and its dies a quicker, less painful death. as you can imagine, living in a big city i have'nt had the opportunity to witness the killing of an animal (maybe roadkill) I did'nt watch the docu for fun, i watched it to learn what happens everyday on and around the earth, doe'snt mean i have to agree with it though. my point is how the film PORTRAYS ANIMAL CRUELTY AS THE NORM. it's all subjective anyway and depends on how the individual views animals. i mean do people watch the film and think oh yeah thats not pleasant but that how we get our meat? so it is what it is,i'll just put that to the back of my mind and not dare say or do anything about it. its the same as watching charity ads them and saying oh well s@!t happens!

    5. knowledgeizpower

      Hey Az, aren't you a vegetarian also? You and Fifty may have something in common though lol. How have you been still hanging in there? I have to catch up watching some more Docs I enjoyed spending time with family over the Holidays.. But anyhow enjoyed watching this one awhile Back....Peace

    6. Guest

      At 53 i have been a vegetarian, a meatarian, a fishtarian, a sextarian and a few other, now i am just a politarian. I eat whatever people serve me in their house, cabin, hut, or dwelling of any kind and whenever i am in control of the shopping i stay away as much as possible from styrofoam container, cans, frozen diners and pestiside covered food. I love kale and try to eat it every day.
      It appears as if my job offer has taken the route of all the stuff i ate in the past. LOL
      So i may be here for quite some time, some will like it and some won't.
      I am in a pretty funny mood tonight, been laughing on my own for the last few hours...thanks to TDF and it's great members.
      Take care Peace
      az

    7. knowledgeizpower

      LOL...What in the world Az Politarian i will have to use that one LmaO...Well hell I'm Glad you are in a funny Mood. Thats what I like to just enjoy just talking to folk learning new things old thing all things..And what do you mean you are Not going anywhere Az stop playing LoL. Who cares if some like it or won't anyway. That is their problem thats the way I feel about it. My Gran always taught me growing up Don't Let Anyone Steal your Joy.. I always keep that with me...So Smile! You need to hit me up sometime too I told you that I Ain't (lol) going to keep saying that either. Peace To You Too :-)

  11. Ruiti Rainbow

    I'm not sure the piglet was being roasted. It looked like a sow crate. Jenny, can you comment on one part of a film which shows a day in our world warts and all? It's hard to watch sometimes but a true representation of how people live. I enjoyed it because of that.

    1. Jenny Lea

      I do hope you are right rainbow! and hopefully i was mistaken. i do agree that the films shows some things that 'happen in the world' 'warts and all' but so does domestic violence, child abuse and drug addiction. However does that make these things right? My point was simply that the film portrays animal cruelty as normal/OK/something that happens in every day all the time so it is fine, when it clearly is'nt.

  12. ponderwhatistrue

    jenny this doc also showed violence and war poverty and cruelty to humans. Why is it you only speak up for animals?
    This doc is showing all of earth the good and the bad. You may be right but this is reality and no one said it was normal or acceptable. Just like no one said poverty was normal or acceptable

    1. Jenny Lea

      Calling it reality is a passive way of accepting cruelty...just because there is some good in the world does not mean that the bad should also be taken on board. 'i speak up for animals' because it is humans who kill them for fun,sport and entertainment. these animals are not doing it to themselves! animals kill other animals for 1 reason, to survive...humans however...
      violence, war and poverty are created by humans that effect humans which is a totally different thing. in my view these animals are innocent and the film portrays an acceptance of animal cruelty by including this footage in representing ' life in a day' on earth

    2. Guest

      Cats don't kill to survive, most of the time it's the fun of the chase. Chimps kill for power and yes, humans kill for a million reasons. There really is no nice way to kill something, if your hungry or your family is hungry you'd kill that cow with a spoon if you had to no matter how innocent you think it is. They killed for food, not for fun, sport or entertainment. Its not cruelty, its dinner and dying that way is miserable but its over fairly quickly. I've killed a few animals (even though I'm a vege) and I've sat and watched a close relative die a long death, I know which one is better.

    3. Jenny Lea

      yes naturally cats do kill to survive but i bet a nice bowl of whiskers would make any domestic cat fussy, i have never seen a lion etc kill for fun. chimps kill for the survival of thier genes so they can mate with females. i am no vege but i would like to know that the meat on my plate was killed in the most humane way as possible, i am not againest killing animals, i am againest killing them in a severly painful & disrespectful way and making that the norm. i am sure i would rather eat a carrot or two than attempt to kill that cow with a spoon though.

    4. Guest

      Unless you rear and kill that meat yourself it is not going to be humanely dispatched. Its actually harder to kill something than you might think, Little suckers hang on in there. Maybe that's the price you ought to pay if you want to eat meat, nothing so strange as seeing life drain away.

    5. Jenny Lea

      i dont see how me raising and killing an animal is any different than a humane farmer doing the same and selling me the produce. but hey thats your opinion and i respect it, you seem to have some knowledge on and around the subject.

    6. Guest

      I guess its one of those things you don't know 'til you've tried it :) Plenty of things I haven't done yet and to be honest even though I'm glad for the lesson I learned, I think I'd have been just as glad to stay ignorant :))

    7. ponderwhatistrue

      recognizing that terrible things happen is in no way the same as accepting it. No I don't agree with it and I realize that. but to say it is accepted because it is shown in this doc is just silly.
      This doc is about earth.
      Earth has terrible things
      therefore this doc is obligated to show terrible things. To not show such things would be the same as only showing the good side of alcoholic drinking and not the bad.
      And how can you speak so lightly about war and poverty. You speak as if starving children deserve it just because there human. Are there no innocent humans that you could also be concerned about? What about that one kid who shines shoes all day. surely he deserves your sympathy just as much if not more than a cow...

    8. Jenny Lea

      i was merely stating how the docu has come across. should'nt the film be called EARTH:the good, the bad and the terrible then instead? why call it life in a day as if to say 'well, hey animal cruelty happens everyday, so its ok, dont worry about it'. of course children are innocent and those who suffer deserve sympathy and help but i didnt think this was the place to discuss all the worlds problems! I mentioned the cow etc because it stuck out for me and it was something i felt strongly about, basically stating an opinion. but as they say 'never talk about religion or war... and apparently animal cruelty!

    9. Guest

      I think Life in a Day is good enough, its not terrible, its life :)

  13. Jenny Lea

    I had to turn this off when it showed a piglet being grilled alive on a BBQ and a cow being stabbed in the head twice with a slaughter house gun/device. this type of animal cruelty should not be accepted as normal in society and should be looked at, it is sadistic to treat a living thing in this way even if it is part of the food chain, this is the very reason animals used for food should be shown some respect in death as they provide us with food, why should they die a thoughtless, agonising death?

  14. scallywagy

    Watching this documentary. 1.34.56 min was apart of my Life in a Day thank you enjoyable. Shows every hour is very special.

  15. knowledgeizpower

    This was a good film....Peace

  16. Barbara Corvelli

    Emotionally stirring, interesting, and enlightening.

    1. Barbara Corvelli

      PS hadda look away a few times - dang graphic for the sheltered

  17. Dan Nuttall

    very good. a must watch!

  18. Ankur Orthodontist

    Just random clips, no storyline, no subject, no message, no correlation, Not my cup of tea.But i would appreciate the efforts on behalf of you tube, Director Kevin Macdonald and producer Ridley Scott for coming up with an unique idea and conceptualising it.Editing 4500 hrs of raw footage and taking out 95 mts of watchable stuff is in itself demanding.

    1. Shiane Brown

      it had a perfect storyline of life itself, a perfect subject of life itself a perfect message of life itself. The documentary is that simple. There were no narration in this doc. Yet you understand what is going on in every minute of the movie. Regular peoples lives, just different time zones, places, environments. It's a raw film, good to take in ya know? :)

  19. Si Belsi

    the answer my friend is (of course) cycling around the world

    1. Guest

      Not sure my little shopper would make it but I think I could coax her a mile or two along the coast :)

  20. Guest

    Managed to watch the last half just now, bit of emotional roller coaster but still one of the most beautiful things here.

  21. Guest

    Damn, gotta go! Guy Fawkes Night - Fireworks :) see ya later

  22. Guest

    Warms the cockles of your heart, everything the same and different :)

  23. 0xDeadBeef

    My goodness!! What a treat!! Really f'ing good....

  24. Junaid Av

    this is what......am searching for many days........ amazing

    1. Guest

      Imagine having participated and seing your footage, like a drop in an ocean of moments of a common day.
      This is what the internet allows, it reminds me of these songs played by various people all over the world and put together to form one unity of a song. The best i've seen being Stand By Me | Playing For Change | Song Around the World ...fabulous!
      az

    2. blahblahbob

      that is def. a very cool aspect of the production.

  25. blahblahbob

    disjointed? not really. boring as hell after the first 30 minutes? completely. this reminds me of the kind of film a first year film student would see and have his life changed by.... then forget about completely.

    1. MissJackie Oh

      idk, i really enjoyed it. could have been more content but hell, can you imagine all of the footage there was to sort thru & possibly still is?! it was nice. i like documentaries tho. of course there was no action like rambo or anything..but it was pieced together well.

    2. blahblahbob

      good point. it was well done and all but maybe i need more narrative or something cause after a while the chop editing kind of got to me. i didnt mean to talk poop. it would be more pretentious if it were a student art film, but the fact that its basically user generated restores my faith in it a bit, just not my cup o tea i guess.

  26. Nathan Hollway

    We are all so different, and yet the same.

  27. Yavanna

    This is disjointed and instantly forgettable. I watch the first hour and gave up. Perhaps I`m not "spiritual" enough.

    1. Guest

      80,000 submissions from 192 countries....disjointed? What do you mean?
      az

    2. Yavanna

      You need me to define disjointed? You have answered yourself with "80,000 submissions from 192 countries".

      Sorry Az I didn't enjoy it, I didn't take anything away from it and I`m clicking my invisible dislike button. Glad most people seem to oppose me on this. I'd hate to be normal.

      This glorifies the mundane human experience of today which quite frankly is well..... mundane. I guess I just don't find ordinary humanity that interesting.

    3. Guest

      We always take something away from something...in your case it was negative which is ok i suppose, because everything has two sides and for that, some have to stand on the light side if not the heavy one.
      az

    4. Yavanna

      Horses for courses.

  28. Tyler Partridge

    I think this film really helps to shed light on the misconceptions many people have of other cultures--and perhaps even denominations of our own cultures. Diverse as this planet may be, we certainly share many of the same fears, and basic human desires.

    I would like to see more films like this.

  29. J R

    I wasn't here on the 24th. Too bad, otherwise I would have helped.

  30. Guest

    Forgot to say...the music track and the cinema/photography is beautiful. I will watch this again.
    az

  31. Tom

    Wow.
    Life . . . as it is.

  32. Revilo

    A brilliant masterpiece depicting humanity, and the lives that envelope it.

  33. Guest

    This most amazing movie was like sitting by the ocean watching the many different waves clashing on rocks, fish jumping up, seaguls flying by, clouds moving slowly, children in the distance playingrunninglaughing, wind blowing, waves rolling to my toes, up my legs, up my body, me sinking a little deeper with every crests and troughs....immersed in the reality of all these people.
    It is movies like this one....that may that can that contains will
    az

  34. Matt Kukowski

    Interesting ... at times I fast forwarded ... the North and South Korean biker guy was my favorite.

  35. PaulGloor

    full of tears of happiness, sadness and laughter all wrapped in one.
    These are the lives of real people. I love it.

  36. Truthseeker420

    I heard about this project awhile back and then forgot all about it until today when - thank you Vlatko - I opened my email. What a nice surprise because as far as I'm concerned anything to do with Ridley Scott is going to be great. He has always understood us (humans) I felt and this time proved it. Although not an inherently human thing - we sure do like to watch each other don't we?!

  37. Rolands Jaunzems

    Yesterday is a history, tomorrow is a mystery but today is a gift, that is why it is called - present.