Video: An Amish Man

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This short lyrical film offers a rare glimpse into modern Amish life. Originally Swiss Anabaptists, the Amish are a fellowship of Christians who live in small communities in the Northeastern and Midwestern United States. They adhere to a creed of simplicity in lifestyle and dress, historically declining many of the conveniences of modern technology. In An Amish Man, the director Philip Bloom allows David Hochstetler, a carpenter and contractor who runs a kitchen renovation company, to explain how Amish people live today – an existence very much governed by devout faith and simplicity, but also, increasingly, compromise.

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A married Amish man at an Amish Quilt Auction, Bonduel, Wisconsin, September 2007: Amish people traditionally eschew having their photographs taken because of the Bible’s injunction against “graven images,” but they are becoming less strict about many of their customs. (Photograph by Galen R Frysinger)