Do I Need This

Do I Need This? is about American excess, and the stuff from which happiness is truly made. This timely film interweaves the filmmaker’s complicated relationship to her possessions with a journey into the homes and minds of her fellow Americans - from a hoarder to a monk and a colorful group of characters in between. On the surface, it's a joy ride through American consumption habits; at its core, it is a deep reflection on aging, family, and happiness.

  • Kate Schermerhorn
    Director
    After Happily Ever After
  • Kate Schermerhorn
    Writer
    After Happily Ever After
  • Kate Schermerhorn
    Producer
    After Happily Ever After
  • Vicente Franco
    Producer
    Daughter from Danang
  • Vicente Franco
    Cinematography
    Daughter from Danang
  • Elizabeth Finlayson
    Editor
    Barbie Nation
  • Project Type:
    Documentary
  • Runtime:
    1 hour 3 minutes
  • Completion Date:
    December 31, 2021
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    HD
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Green Festival of San Francisco
    San Francisco, CA
    United States
    Audience Choice Award
  • Ojai Film Festival
    Ojai, CA
    United States
  • Santa Cruz Film Festival
    Santa Cruz, CA
    United States
  • Woods Hole Film Festival
    Woods Hole, MA
    United States
    April 14, 2022
  • NH DOCS New Haven Doc Fest
    New Haven, CT
    United States
  • Malibu Film Festival
    Malibu, CA
    United States
  • Brave Maker Film Festival
  • International Brightlights Film Festival
Director Biography - Kate Schermerhorn

Kate Schermerhorn is an Emmy-winning filmmaker and photographer. Of her work, The New Yorker says, “nothing seems wasted, nothing’s excessive” and the Evening Standard says “there’s a mesmerizing quality to (Kate’s) work”.

Kate’s first film (KQED co-production), ‘Seeking 1906’ followed writer Simon Winchester up and down the San Andreas fault, and her second, ‘After Happily Ever After’, explored modern marriage. Kate is currently completing a third long form documentary, ‘Do I Need This?’, about consumerism, excess, and the stuff from which happiness is made.

Kate’s photographic work often looks at the relationship between the natural and the artificial in everyday life. She is the author of a book of photographs, ‘America’s Idea of a Good Time’, about Americans at play at the turn of the 20th century.

Kate has directed 100s of videos, won 1 Emmy, been nominated for 1 more, lived in 4 countries, jumped out a plane 27 times and is the mother of 2.

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Director Statement

I am a photographer turned filmmaker. In both mediums, I see my job as the equivalent of a human sign spinner, dressed as a shiny Statue of Liberty, standing on the street corner and pointing a giant arrow at things that need attention.