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“Life in a Day 2020” is a YouTube documentary composed of videos that were filmed by people around the world that shows how they spent their day on July 25, 2020. This documentary directed by Kevin Macdonald and produced by Ridley Scott is a sequel from the “Life in a Day 2010” documentary. In 2010 the production team had received 80,000 submissions worldwide, and the number of videos jumped in 2020 to around 325,000 submissions. This shows that as technology and social media have been advancing over the years, many more people wanted to be involved. 

While both documentaries have a similar flow and structure, it is clear to see that technology has advanced tremendously, highlighted by the use of drones and high-quality cameras in the recent entry. Viewers don’t need to watch the 2010 version to understand the 2020 version, but a few people appear in both versions that you can follow along with. It was interesting to watch the two and see how much the world has changed in just a decade.

The film jumps through all walks of life on one single day.

One thing I liked about the documentary was how I was able to view the world from so many different perspectives. The film jumps through all walks of life on one single day. In one part of the world, people are celebrating major life events such as a wedding showing us his pet spiders. It shows childbirth in many different places, whether it be a hospital or inside a tent.

I think it was interesting how the film provided equal screen time for almost everyone. I thought it would have been compelling if the documentary had dug deeper into some of the emotional stories. An example is a woman who lost two of her brothers in police custody. Or the mother who showed footage of her joking around with her sleeping son from the “Life in a Day 2010” documentary and then revealed that he had recently passed away due to coronavirus complications and showed a vase of his ashes. While emotional moments were sprinkled in along the way, the documentary’s focus was to highlight everyday people struck by tragedy and the different lifestyles around the world. 

I thought the documentary was easy to follow along with. There were montages of videos separated into groups such as childbirth, COVID-19, weddings, quarantine and much more. It also revisited a few stories throughout the documentary, such as the kid who wanted to spend his day filming the seven trains that pass during a day, or a father and his young son planning a surprise party for his daughter. The high-quality video provides a more engaging experience for the viewer, compared to the 2010 version.

The film also showed the harsh times people have dealt with in the world, such as the pandemic, natural disasters and the riots and protests. It successfully displayed the vast differences in people’s outlooks and beliefs. One thing I didn’t like was that the documentary didn’t always share where the people were. I think it would have been helpful to the viewer if there was a subtitle that included the individual or family’s location.

One story that stood out to me was of a veteran who showed the viewers The Purple Heart honor that he received. This man clearly had gratitude and respect for his country as to showed his collection of memories, including a picture of him and two other soldiers escorting a fallen comrade. The man revealed that his comrade had taken his life due to PTSD from the war. Another photo shows the veteran at attention with a quote at the bottom that said, “This is who you’ll always be.” This caught my eye because the emotions are present, allowing viewers to feel the appreciation of his awards, the sadness of a fallen soldier due to tragic circumstances and the respect for his sacrifice for Americans.

Everyone can find a story that resonates with them.

“Life in a Day 2020” is a documentary that is worth a watch. I think it does a great job putting things in perspective and providing a view of the world from someone else’s eyes. I also would recommend watching the 2010 version to get a good look at how much the world has changed in such a short amount of time. I would have to give this documentary a rating of 9/10 because it was and interesting and engaging for the viewer. It also had good quality, was made well and flowed from one story to the other. Everyone can find a story that resonates with them. And it shows the ways of life that are different from our own.