After a recent episode of Portlandia epically skewered the tiny house movement, it may be time again to look at the micro living phenomenon in earnest. Indeed, Small is Beautiful, a new documentary from Australian filmmaker Jeremy Beasley cuts deep into the lives of four tiny house dwellers in Portland, Oregon—including a young couple who embark on living in a few hundred square feet with their two dogs (↑). The film uncovers all sorts of tiny living motivations, ranging from the practical (e.g. it's a liberating alternative to 30-year mortgages) to the more abstract (e.g. it's a way to develop a more meaningful relationship with the surrounding community.) As Beasley tells Treehugger, "The more time I spent documenting the people, the more I realized the humanity of it was the interesting part—not the houses themselves."
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