The cost of a thing is the amount of what I will call life which is required to be exchanged for it.”
– Henry David Thoreau
In order to get out of debt, an indecisive young man (Nick) makes a series of radically frugal lifestyle choices without telling his girlfriend-practically-fiancée (Marie) that he’s going to be homeless and living off the grid.
Nick Allander is a creative soul - a thoughtful, but indecisive young man with a Marketing job, a serious relationship, and a problem... he’s drowning in debt. Coming out of the pandemic, he and his partner, Marie, are looking to take the next step in their relationship, but when Nick’s mother, a hoarder in poor health, suddenly passes, he snaps, abandoning his career, leaving his apartment, and selling all his possessions to secretly squat in the garage of her foreclosed home.
Without telling Marie that he's unhoused, Nick commits to a strategy of extreme frugality. After taking advice from a bike mechanic who lives out of a tent, Nick successfully fixes up an old bike using Goodwill parts and tools and begins commuting to find a new job. Freed from costs and expectations, Nick discovers a sense of purpose and self-reliance as his debt drastically begins to shrink.
But Nick’s erratic behavior sets off suspicions for Marie, prompting him to double down on a scheme to win her back and face a difficult choice between committing to the woman he loves or devoting himself to a simpler existence.
A Simple Machine is a dramedy - an uplifting story of downward mobility - driven by grounded humor, charming yet sometimes flawed characters, and subtle social commentary. It’s the story of a reluctant hero finally choosing to do the opposite of what the world wants him to do, setting the stage for conflict but also personal growth.
A Simple Machine was shot in Portland, Oregon and is a testament to the honesty and gritty charm of NW independent film-making in the vein of Gus Van Sandt and Kelly Reichardt. It's a story of self-reliance, the ingenuity of simple tech, and the conflict between individual freedom and consumer culture. In times of economic uncertainty, maybe there's freedom in wanting less?
