Grasping for the Wind

Category: Feature Presentation

Rating: 4 stars

Grasping for the Wind is a well-presented documentary on the upheavals that Western culture has been experiencing from the Enlightenment Period up to the present. In particular, it argues that the social experiment to create a utopian society that was founded on secular humanism rather than the Judeo-Christian worldview—an experiment that began with the secular, humanistic philosophers of the 17th and 18th centuries—has only succeeded in plunging Western society into a culture of death, despair, narcissism and paranoia.


That’s a very strong point to make, but one that I think is right on target. As a Christian having majored in History in college, I have had the privilege of examining the cultures of previous centuries (in the Philippines as well as in the West) in the light of Biblical truths, and I have long since had a similar perspective regarding the consequences of Western society’s rejection of the God of the Bible. Even then, this video clarified a lot of things for me and made my vague convictions a little bit more defined.

What I really appreciate about the video

The Enlightenment has been much discussed by both secular humanists and proponents of the Judeo-Christian worldview, so the topic is certainly not new. But I find Grasping for the Wind very helpful because it uses art and literature to make its point. This makes the presentation so much more powerful because you can literally see the drastic change that people’s views on humanity and life has undergone since the Enlightenment Period.

Anyway, I give Grasping for the Wind four stars. It’s brief but relevant, poignant, and well argued (for a documentary). Can anyone make a similar video that’s more focused on Asia and the Philippines? Please? :P

Where to get it: Check out Vision Video's online store.