‘Now something is slowly changing’ (2019)

Directed by: Mint Film Office | 106 minutes | documentary

“Ten churches close their doors every day. It is not surprising that the demand for personal coaches has increased enormously recently.” With this quote, one of the speakers from ‘Now something is happening slowly’ clearly shows the current trend. A huge demand has arisen for people who can help in the eternal search for the answers to life’s questions. With the church becoming less and less relevant, there has been a proliferation of different avenues to answer these questions. But in the meantime, consumers can no longer see the wood for the trees. Because what do all those treatments mean? What works? And how does one get to personal growth?

This documentary is an attempt to find answers to these questions. The filmmaker has done this by observing various forms of therapy. With a wide lens, filmed from a distance on a tripod, the viewer follows these meetings like a fly on the wall. The advantage of this is that the viewer looks completely objectively at the displayed images, without making a direct judgment about the treatment method. However, it is a side effect that the whole thing does not attract the viewer much. It regularly looks flat, which raises the question of what the maker’s essential aim was.

What stands out positively about ‘Now things are slowly changing’ is the amount of different forms of therapy on display. From one-on-one sessions at a kitchen table, to presentations at a company, a vlogger making ASMR videos on her bed, massaging pigs and a happiness-seeking course for primary school children. The offer is wide, for all ages, professions and personal convictions. For someone who has hardly any experience with therapeutic sessions, it is very interesting to get an idea of ​​the possibilities, especially in the case of forms of therapy that have a lesser reputation, such as the use of animals. This documentary shows the added value that different types of animals can have in therapy. For example in a leadership training session with horses. Since horses react directly to human emotions, it is quickly clear to both the handler and the treated person where possible problems lie. Development is also easy to follow.

However, that development is often missing in other scenes. The whole is presented as an all-encompassing session, with a head and a tail, but the individual sessions often lack development. This makes it difficult for the viewer to get an idea of ​​the effect of the various methods shown. The title of the film can of course be an indication of the time-consuming element of personal development, but this is difficult to reconcile from the objective quest for overview in the landscape of therapies. Although with this documentary all the trees can be seen individually, it is still difficult for the viewer to view the entire forest.

For a film called ‘Now something is slowly changing’, it is therefore a bit disappointing how much happens in it. Nevertheless, it is a refreshing look at the world of therapy and self-fulfillment that, especially at a time when these topics are more popular than ever, is very useful to the viewer. Certainly people with a strong opinion about the effect of therapy, or people who need it but want to know more first, should watch this documentary. After all, imaging is the first step towards a social acceptance of the function that therapy can have in self-development.