Mr. Indifferent: A Short Film About Helping Others
Mr. Indifferent is a marvelous short film – about three minutes longs – created and directed by Aryasb Feiz. In a very entertaining and original way, Feiz invites us to reflect on the value of helping others.
It’s very important to pass this message onto small children, which is why you should watch this short film along with them. Click here to watch!
“Our prime purpose in this life is to help others. And if you can’t help them, at least don’t hurt them.”
– Dalai Lama –
Mr. Indifferent: A short film about the value of helping others
Mr. Indifferent features a very serious and selfish man who takes no interest in others and only worries about his own concerns. In fact, in the first scenes of this short film we can observe the following:
- The man allows the elevator doors to shut right as a woman’s rushing to get in.
- He doesn’t even flinch when he sees a little girl’s balloon slip out of her hands.
- The man offers no assistance or concern when another man’s grocery cart rolls away from him.
- Mr. Indifferent ignores a woman who’s gathering signatures for a good cause.
In all of these situations, with just a simple gesture, the man could have helped these people. However, he preferred to act as if they didn’t exist.
All of this changes when he gets ready to cross the street on a crosswalk. Suddenly, and to his surprise, he grabs his arm so that he’ll help her cross. The man can’t say no so, at a very slow pace, they cross the street together. However, all of a sudden, a car comes speeding through and almost runs them over.
Mr. Indifferent has a change of heart
After crossing the street, the woman thanks the man for his help and pinches his cheek while smiling up at him. It’s then that this solitary man changes his vision of the world and decides to change his behavior.
In the following scene, we observe this attitude change by observing how his actions contrast with those he had before. For example:
- He keeps the elevator doors from closing so that a woman can get in.
- He instantly rescues a little girl’s balloon when it gets away from her.
- He decides to stop at the stand where a woman is asking for support for a good cause and signs the petition.
What’s more, he also volunteers to clean up the garbage on the beach, care for some children, donate blood, and provide company for the elderly in a nursing home. By doing all of these things, he realizes that his life is much happier.
One day, while he’s out walking, the man encounters another very serious and solitary man at the crosswalk. Therefore, he decides to put on his sunglasses and grab a cane as if he were blind. Then, he grabs the serious man by the arm, just as the elderly woman had done with him in the past. By doing so, he hopes to open the man’s eyes and show him how satisfying helping others can be.
“Helping those in need isn’t just a matter of duty, it’s a matter of happiness.”
– Jose Martí –
Conclusions regarding the value of helping others…
This short film helps us understand that it’s never too late to start helping others. What’s more, it’s never too late to teach your children about the value of volunteerism.
Just the same, it’s best to teach children to be solitary from the time they’re young. That way, you can guarantee that they’ll grow up with certain civil and social values.
Encourage your children to perform small gestures to help others. For example, donate toys and clothing to those who need them, offer their support and friendship to more vulnerable classmates, etc. Both you and your children will learn a great lesson.
