My Stuff

My Stuff is a captivating Finnish documentary released in 2013. It's directed by and stars Petri Luukkainen, a young film director who brilliantly uses his personal story to pose interesting questions about modern life, consumerism, and personal identity. The film also features Helena Saarinen and Juho Luukkainen in minor roles.

My Stuff opens with a dispirited Petri. After a painful breakup, he contemplates his place in a life filled with stuff - physical possessions that swallow up room in his Helsinki apartment. He walks through piles of clothing, cooking utensils, electronics, and books. It’s a scene many urban dwellers can identify with - crammed apartments filled with objects they can't seem to part with or remember how they acquired in the first place. His life feels cluttered, physically and metaphorically.

In a quest to reclaim control over his life and understand the role of his possessions, Petri takes up a unique and radical experiment. He decides to empty his apartment of everything he owns and seal it away in a storage unit, vowing to introduce only one item back into his life per day for a year. He starts naked and barefoot in the cold Finnish winter, completely stripped of his usual comforts.

My Stuff benefits tremendously from Petri's candidness. He is constantly direct and honest with the audience about his emotional state and concerns as he navigates this challenging journey. Whether it's his struggle to decide which items he genuinely needs and values, or the incredibly high level of vulnerability and solitude he experiences, My Stuff explores a compelling idea that is both personal and universal in its scope.

As Petri wrestles with the harshness of his self-imposed predicament, the audience gains insight into the concept of stuff, shedding new light on how material goods often play a more significant role in our lives than mere utility. The film suggests that the possessions we surround ourselves with are intrinsically linked to our sense of self, our status, and how we relate to others.

Throughout the film, the director documents his progress and setbacks, showing the harsh reality of his situation. Petri struggles with practical problems such as how to entertain himself without his usual electronics, how to keep warm without his clothes, or how to make something to eat without his cooking utensils.

But more significantly, My Stuff delves into the emotional and psychological aspects of living a minimalistic life. As Petri copes with loneliness, disconnection, and initially, the physical challenges, he embarks on a unique introspective journey. He contemplates the emotional security that his stuff provided and the role that consumer culture plays in his life. He muses on the expectations society places on individuality and questions whether possessions define or limit our self-expression.

As the year progresses, the sparse, often monochromatic cinematography reflects the isolation Petri experiences, and it's an isolation that is profound yet enlightening. The experiment, while uncomfortable and challenging, forces Petri to confront essential philosophical questions about personal fulfillment, possessions, and identity.

The film's supporting characters effectively reinforce these themes. Helena Saarinen and Juho Luukkainen provide emotional and practical support to Petri in his moments of self-doubt. They challenge and engage with him philosophically, serving as important sounding boards for his evolving thoughts and ideas.

Brilliantly exploring themes of materialism, self-identity, and happiness, My Stuff is a revealing movie that uses the quirky eccentricity of its protagonist’s experiment to provoke an insightful debate about the dichotomy between who we are and what we own. This film is thought-provoking, strange, and undoubtedly compelling. Is choosing a life of minimalism freeing, or does it expose us to a harsh and vulnerable existence?

My Stuff showcases Petri Luukkainen's year-long experiment through raw and unflinching honesty. It's a film that not only tells a personal narrative about one man's quest for understanding but indirectly forces audiences to reevaluate their relationship with their own stuff. By doing so, "My Stuff" becomes more than just a film—it develops into a mirror that reflects society's consumerism, allowing audiences to question their own needs, wants, and happiness.