Watch Kids' Reviews of
DANCES WITH CHICKENS

Dance with Chickens is an interesting look at how city kids react to and learn from being in a rural environment and learn to adapt to living off the grid.

Two city girls (Lei Leong and Paige Stepherd) explore rural life when they join Peter at his farm overlooking the ocean in Taiwan. They go through all of Peter's task that he usually does - feeding chickens, picking fruit, making jam, even helping dig a new humanure toilet. The girls are unfamiliar with nature but they slowly start to enjoy being in nature and learn to enjoy its many gifts. The dialogue is in Mandarin Chinese with English subtitles.

This documentary really gives an inside look at rural life in Taiwan. The camera work and audio recording are terrific. I really enjoy the creative camera work at the beginning. I also love the scene when the camera follows them while they are walking through the trees. The girls' enthusiasm for learning new things is palpable and it's fun to observe and learn from their experience. Peter is a wonderful guide and very patient with the girls. They always find a way to mix play in with getting chores done. I enjoyed watching the girls experience everything that goes on at the farm and develop a new relationship with nature. My favorite part of the film is when they feed the ducks and chickens. In the end, the girls experience a whole different side of life by living "off the grid" in a marvelous sustainable rural environment where one works hard but has a lot of fun at the same time. It's quite a contrast to city life.

The film's message is that nature is your friend and could be exciting and lead to great adventures. There are some scenes that may be considered a bit too risky for US audiences like when they are standing up in the back of the truck or cracking open coconuts with machetes.

I give Dances with Chickens 3.5 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 8 to 12. By Janie R., KIDS FIRST!

Dance with Chickens is an interesting look at how city kids react to and learn from being in a rural environment and learn to adapt to living off the grid.

Two city girls (Lei Leong and Paige Stepherd) explore rural life when they join Peter at his farm overlooking the ocean in Taiwan. They go through all of Peter's task that he usually does - feeding chickens, picking fruit, making jam, even helping dig a new humanure toilet. The girls are unfamiliar with nature but they slowly start to enjoy being in nature and learn to enjoy its many gifts. The dialogue is in Mandarin Chinese with English subtitles.

This documentary really gives an inside look at rural life in Taiwan. The camera work and audio recording are terrific. I really enjoy the creative camera work at the beginning. I also love the scene when the camera follows them while they are walking through the trees. The girls' enthusiasm for learning new things is palpable and it's fun to observe and learn from their experience. Peter is a wonderful guide and very patient with the girls. They always find a way to mix play in with getting chores done. I enjoyed watching the girls experience everything that goes on at the farm and develop a new relationship with nature. My favorite part of the film is when they feed the ducks and chickens. In the end, the girls experience a whole different side of life by living "off the grid" in a marvelous sustainable rural environment where one works hard but has a lot of fun at the same time. It's quite a contrast to city life.

The film's message is that nature is your friend and could be exciting and lead to great adventures. There are some scenes that may be considered a bit too risky for US audiences like when they are standing up in the back of the truck or cracking open coconuts with machetes.

I give Dances with Chickens 3.5 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 8 to 12. By Janie R., KIDS FIRST!

Two young girls from the city learn both the challenges and fun of rural life when they join Peter at his forest-cloaked farm in the hills overlooking the Pacific Ocean on Taiwan's tropical southeastern coast. Sustainability is the rule here, and the story unfolds as the girls help out with everyday tasks like feeding the family chickens and picking fruit as well as with sustainable-farm operations, including building an earth oven, digging a new humanure toilet, and making roselle jam. From cooking over a wood-fired stove and making coconut porridge for the hens to crouching over an open outdoor toilet when 'nature calls', nearly every experience here is new and unfamiliar. By opening a window onto "off the grid" sustainable living, this episode shows how living in tune with nature can be fun and rewarding, with plenty of time left over to appreciate the fruits of your labor and enjoy nature's many gifts.