- Do you wanna be friends?
- No. No interest, whatsoever. (Sam laughing)
- Okay.
That's me, Sam.
You're probably wondering how I got here.
Well, it started with a question.
Have you ever noticed that the older you get
the harder and scarier it is to make new friends?
I decided I wanted to challenge myself
to make 100 new friends
and then get everyone to meet up in person.
So, I pitched my idea to Jason at Jubilee, and he said,
- If you can pull it off,
maybe we'll put it on the channel.
- This got me so excited (Facebook messenger ringing)
that I called my mom.
- You don't go up to random people,
"Wanna be my friend?"
You're like a creep-o.
- [Sam] Thanks mom.
But, I was still determined to make 100 new friends.
You guys wanna join our picnic?
- [Man] Sure dude.
- No way. Yeah.
- That made me so happy.
♪ Easy come ♪
♪ Easy go ♪
- You're not my friend.
- You're not gonna get 100 people.
- I was having nightmares about people rejecting me.
Who should I talk to first?
(dramatic music)
Excuse me?
Do you wanna be friends?
- No. Sorry I have a meeting.
- Oh, no sweat, no sweat (laughs).
(melancholy orchestral music)
Okay. First no.
Hey!
Wanna be friends?
- Sure. Jelani.
- Jelani, Sam.
Nice to meet you, man. - Nice to meet you.
- Do you wanna come with me to talk to another person?
- Sure. - Let's go Jelani.
Hello.
Do you wanna be friends?
- Sorry I'm kinda busy right now.
- Are you in class?
Okay.
Hey man! Wanna be friends?
- Sure. - Sure.
- Hell yeah!
New friends! (group cheering)
Let's go!
Hey, do you guys wanna be friends?
- What do you mean?
- What do you mean what do I mean? Friends! Friendship!
- Sure. - Wanna walk together?
- Walk together? - Where do you wanna go?
- Wherever you guys are going! (Sarah laughing)
- I'm Sarah, what's your name?
- Sarah, nice to meet you. Sam.
- Malik.
- So a little backstory on what I'm doing.
I pitched a show to this company called Jubilee,
that does empathy-driven content.
- I love Jubilee.
- Oh, you love Jubilee? - So much!
- Okay, sick!
Basically the show is called "100 New Friends."
I ask people, "Wanna be friends?"
Do that 100 times,
and add them all to a group chat.
And on Friday, invite everyone to a little picnic
in the park to watch the sunset.
Would you guys be down?
- Yeah! I'm so down. - Yeah, that'd be cool!
- Okay, but first I have questions!
- Okay.
- Are you guys friends?
- Yup. - Yeah.
- Why? - So, school gets stressful.
I was just in my head thinking about a lot of stuff,
and Sarah just came up and checked on me one day.
- Oh! (Sarah laughing)
(indistinct chatter) - Sarah!
When you're most stressed,
that's when you see the quality of your friendships.
Point to the person I should talk to next.
There we go!
Hello! Do you guys wanna be friends?
(Dina laughing) - What's up?
- Do you guys wanna join this group chat?
- I'm okay. - No?
- This is great. No, this is great. I need "no"s.
- Because I think it's gonna rain Friday.
- There's nothing wrong
with wanting to keep your social circles small.
Because sometimes, you need to focus
on the friends you do have to maintain those relationships.
So do you wanna join the group chat?
- I would love to.
- Sure!
- Sure.
- Yeah, you can put me in the group chat.
- Okay. Take you on an adventure with me?
- Okay! - If you want to. Can you?
Actually, can you?
- Yeah! I got time.
- Do you wanna be friends?
- Sure.
- Go! Let's go, Malik.
Bam! - Wait, no way!
- What? Do you know someone in there?
- A guy I went on a Tinder date with.
- No way! (Sam laughing)
Did it not go well?
(message sending)
- Not unwell... (Georgia laughs)
- Hi! Do you wanna be friends?
- No thanks.
- That's okay. That's okay.
It happens. I literally got rejected,
like, five times. - Trust me. I'm used to it.
Trust me. I'm used to auditions.
Do you want to be friends?
- Sure!
- [Sam] Really? Okay!
- I don't know very many people who go here.
It's nice to meet people.
- New friends, Mya!
That's what it's about!
Malik, we're on a hugging basis now.
- Friday? - Yes, I'll see you Friday!
That's been 11 interviews so far.
Man, it's tiring.
Now I am in The Hill,
which is where all the dorms are.
Hey, do you guys wanna be friends?
- What? - What?
- Do you wanna be friends? - Sure!
- Sure! - What about me?
- We just went up to you guys and knocked on your door
and was like, "Hey, let's be friends!"
Like, the first day of college.
- Just like this! - Yeah, just like this!
Can I come in? - Yeah, of course!
We went into this bar and we faked a proposal
so that they would all buy free drinks.
- What?
Do you guys wanna be friends?
- I'm a Gryffindor.
- I'm a Gryffindor, too.
- I'm a Gryffindor, too!
- No way!
- Hey, you guys wanna be friends?
- Aren't we already friends?
- That's what I like to hear!
- She's one of my best friends!
- You know you guys are best friends
when Jane just lights up
and is like, "I'm so excited to answer this question!"
Yeah, so it's called Jubilee.
- Oh, okay.
(Jane gasps) - Yeah.
Hey, do you wanna be friends?
- No.
- Sure.
- Sure! - No?
(buzzard beeping) Okay.
- Sure.
- I think we're good. (buzzard beeping)
- Well, I'm not gonna be here.
- Sunset? - Oh, I'll be out of town.
- Aw, damn.
Hey, do you guys wanna be friends?
- Right in this moment?
- Would you mind doing an interview?
- I would mind. (woman laughing)
Unfortunately.
- Okay. - I'll have to pass.
- No sweat. - Have a good one!
- Have a good one!
I think I'm gonna call it a day on this one.
I'm super tired.
The last couple of interviews have been rough.
At this point, I felt defeated.
I got almost as many no's as I got yes's,
and even some of those yes's I wasn't so sure about.
- I wonder if it's, like, people are tired.
It's dark. - Yeah.
- And so if I was being approached at night,
I would probably feel a little more uncomfortable with it.
- Yeah. I want people to come.
I just don't want to get a pizza, set up a slackline,
wait for people, and then just have no one show up.
But why should they show up?
Maybe they don't want a random guy saying,
"Do you wanna be friends?"
And like am I actually creating connection
in these five minute conversations?
Or is each person just a number to get to 100?
The thought of going back to this ridiculous challenge,
(Sam exhaling)
it was anxiety inducing.
I was having nightmares last night
about people rejecting me.
But, I said I was going to do this.
So, I started day two.
(dramatic music)
Hey, do you wanna be friends? - Sup, man? How are you doing?
- Hello! I'm Sam. (Andrew laughing)
- Food is the way to the soul.
- Ah, food!
- Yeah. (Sam laughs)
- It was my best friend's birthday-
- Yeah. - And he had COVID.
- Oh no!
- So I literally was like, "Oh, that sucks!"
So I picked him up some food and sat outside
and we ate through a screen door together.
- That's amazing! - Yeah, it was fun.
We were both in choir together.
- You got some pipes?
- Yeah!
♪ I'm just a poor boy ♪
♪ I need no sympathy ♪
♪ Easy come, easy go ♪
(both laughing)
- Friday at 5:00 PM at Janss Steps.
- I should be good!
I think so!
- Andrew! I appreciate you, bro!
The biggest hump to get over
is always that first interaction.
It's so hard but then you get over it,
and then someone reciprocates and it's fine!
It's like. I'm like, okay.
Wanna be friends?
- Sure! - Yes!
- Sure.
- Yeah, let's be friends. - Bro, I'm friends with him
because he's one of the best dudes I know.
- Oh, I got... I have to go.
- Sure, dude! - Hell yeah! What's your name?
- Matt. - Sure!
(Sam laughing)
- Yeah (Sam laughing)
- They called me "Dr. Phil." I love to listen.
Like, do you want a hug?
I'd rather have that type of person.
- Rather than prescribing.
Malik!
Straight for the hug!
Who do we wanna talk to first?
How about this person?
Hello!
Do you wanna be friends?
- I don't know. We have talk a little bit more.
- [Sam] Okay. My name's Sam!
- Nice to meet you. - Hello.
This is Malik.
- Hi, I'm Malik. - Hi.
- What's your name? - Elena.
- Do you mind if we sit?
- Sure.
- Elena, okay.
So, I'm doing a documentary on friendship.
- That's super cool. - Thank you!
- I'm nicer with my friends.
- Fair. And not strangers that ask you,
"Do you wanna be friends?"
- Yeah.
I don't understand what the show is.
Like what the-
- So, great question.
After COVID, I feel like connection
has been really hard to come by.
- Yeah.
- I just wanted to show that you could put effort in,
and then people will show up.
And there exists friendship out of nothing.
- Interesting.
"Friendship" and "friendship out of nothing"
are different themes for a documentary.
- It's friendship out of nothing, initially, right?
Initially, when I approach you,
I don't know who you are.
But the minimum, I guess,
is can you be friendly back?
And I actually don't think
that there's anything needed for friendship,
other than a willingness to be open and vulnerable.
- That makes sense.
The people I saw many times,
I would consider to be friends.
Like, sorry, you're not my friend.
We're connecting right now, that's cool!
You're giving me new ideas
about how to move through the world.
I'm maybe doing the same for you
but that's connection, not friendship.
- But the potential for friendship is there.
- Potential is totally there
but that takes repeated times- - And that's the goal.
- Of proving it to each other.
- Right. - Yeah.
- And so what I'm asking
is in this potential moment of connection to reconnect.
- I see.
- The people that come, like Malik came yesterday.
Maybe we're not close friends right now,
but the potential is there.
It's "100 New Friends" not because of this.
- Yeah.
- It's because "100 New Friends" because I'm gonna
hopefully see you at the picnic, right?
- Yeah. I understand your vision now more.
- So, do you wanna join the group chat?
- Sure.
- Just, like, thank you.
Thank you for challenging me on that,
I really appreciate it.
- She asked questions that were definitely needed.
I understand what you're going for more
with inspiring people to have the courage enough
to go out and try to talk to someone.
- Do you wanna be friends?
- I'm okay. (buzzard beeping)
- Sure.
- I really have to go. (buzzard beeps)
- Questions on friendship?
- I'm not to be filmed, I'm sorry.
- No sweat.
I had a streak of 10,
and now it's been four "no"s in a row.
Do you wanna be friends?
- Hi? - Do you wanna be friends?
- Sure! My name's Angela,
but you can call me Angie. - Angela?
- I absolutely adore my roommate.
Seeing the change that she actively makes
in her life every day makes me wanna be better.
- Yeah, and I think that's rare.
I think of my friends in high school.
It was like a, I think, toxic group
where it was just continually just shitting on each other.
- Yeah.
- Since then, I've found that group of friends
that actually encourages the eccentricities
and the idiosyncrasies - Yeah.
- That make you you and the best parts of you.
Do you want to come make some friends with me?
- Sure!
- Right now? - Yeah, sure!
- Let's do it! (Sam laughing)
- Hi! - Hello!
- Hi!
- Mohamad.
- Hi, my name's Angela. You can call me Angie.
- New friend! - We made a friend!
- Bam, bam.
- Hi.
(Angie laughing) (Sam laughing)
That made me so happy!
Would you like to be friends? - Sure!
- Do you wanna be friends?
- Yeah. In Italy, if I don't know you,
there is more hate. (Angie laughing)
- Yeah - I hate you.
- Yeah, yeah, yeah. - Wow.
(Angie laughing) (Sam laughing)
Friends?
- Sure, yeah!
- We're both Geminis.
- I love Geminis!
- Okay!
- Some of my best friends are Geminis.
- Aw. - See? Exactly.
- You just have that energy
that people wanna be around.
Thank you for coming. - It was so amazing.
I really loved it.
I will definitely see you tomorrow.
- See you tomorrow! - 5 PM.
Let me know if you want somebody
to go get the food with you!
- Yeah, I'll text you. - Okay, yeah. Let me know!
- Cool! All right, see you soon.
I am so tired.
I'm gonna just take a nap.
Excuse me, do you wanna be friends?
- Sure.
- Do you wanna be friends?
- No. No interest, whatsoever.
(Sam laughing)
- Okay. I'm still going this way,
but we will walk this far apart.
I'll see you tomorrow at 5:00? - Yes!
- Okay, nice meeting you. - Later!
- I have work tomorrow. (buzzard beeps)
- What's your name? - Rob West.
- Rob West? Samuel Donner.
- Stoked to be part of that if you're inviting me.
- I am inviting you! That's exactly what I'm doing!
That guy was instantly friendly.
I feel like it's much easier
to make friends with guys than girls.
The sub-context when I approach a girl is more like,
"Oh, this guy's trying to hit on me."
And that was removed,
I think when I was approaching with Angie.
Hello! - How many people are you at?
- I think we're at 40-something.
- Okay.
- But 100, dude, it's so tough.
I'm, like-
I'm beat. (Sam laughing)
- Yeah, especially to keep up that energy all the time.
- I'll see you tomorrow. - Yes!
- Hey, wanna be friends?
- Sure!
- No thank you.
- Wait, Jubilee the YouTube?
- Yeah!
Why are you friends with these people?
- We suffer together.
- What are you suffering through?
- Opera.
- Oh, wait. Do you know Andrew?
- Yeah. - Okay, yeah!
- I think he's doing-
- Yeah, he said he was performing later today.
I just met all of your opera friends.
- Yeah?
- All right, dude. I'll maybe see you tomorrow!
- Yeah, you take care, bro!
- Hey, do you guys wanna be friends?
- Yes! We're from Russia.
- What's your favorite phrase in Russian?
- I can show- - A tattoo?
- So it's like, "Don't let your light turn off."
- I like that.
All right, later! Have a good one, guys.
So, day two definitely felt friendlier than day one
but I was barely halfway to my goal of 100 people.
And I think I just kind of accepted
that I would fail the challenge.
That this video wouldn't come out as I hoped.
So, (phone ringing)
I called my mom to get some encouragement.
So, today's the day, Mom.
(Mom laughing)
- Oh, 50? You're not gonna get 100 people.
- I have to try.
(Sam exhaling) (Mom exhaling)
(upbeat music)
Excuse me, do you want to be friends?
- All right.
- Yeah? I'm Sam.
- What up? I'm Leo.
- Okay, first new friend of the day.
I have to do a new friend every three minutes.
Do you wanna be friends?
- Yeah.
- Hell yeah! - Yes!
- Yeah. - Hopefully I can come.
- I'll see if I can make it, okay?
- Actually, I'm good. No.
- Nah, because I definitely have something.
- Do you want to be friends?
- Oh, is this like a YouTube thing?
(buzzard beeps) - Damn.
- Honestly, on any other day, I would.
- I know. We have one cloud. - Yeah. Yeah, exactly.
- But I think it's actually gonna clear up around 4:00.
- Yeah.
- So it should be a spectacular sunset!
- Hey! - Oh, hello!
Guess who we ran into!
- Hi! - It's Angie.
Or, no, it's "Angela, but you can call me Angie."
- Yes! (Sam laughs)
- You got this!
- [Sam] Do you guys wanna be friends?
- Sure. - Yeah, I might come by!
- Do you wanna be friends?
- Oh, what's up?
- 70 friends in the group chat.
Maybe I will make it! - I'd love to be friends.
- Do you want to be friends? - Absolutely!
- Sure!
- I'm good, man.
- Excuse me, do you want to be friends?
(buzzard beeps)
- I don't know.
I have an exam in a few minutes.
(buzzard beeps)
- Maybe. Okay, it depends how much homework I get done.
- I might be able to come. - Sure!
- No, thank you.
- Okay, later.
- I'm okay. (buzzard beeping)
- We're all good, thank you. - Okay.
- Alright. No sweat.
- [Man] It sounds great, enjoy.
- Sweet. Later, y'all.
(upbeat music)
Hi, Jessica!
Thank you for helping me!
- Yeah, of course!
- [Sam] Pineapple? Cantaloupe? - How much do you wanna get?
- Like not 100 people's worth. - Yeah.
- But, maybe 10-ish peoples worth?
Do you wanna be friends?
- Sure.
- Where are you from? - Germany.
- [Sam] Germany!
- That's nice, yeah!
- All right, I'll see you over there!
We've got all of our supplies
and we're gonna go to the park!
Let's go!
I'm around the corner from the flag pole.
What we have to do,
is we have to move all this stuff over there.
- This doesn't stress you out?
This stresses me out! - We got it, we got it!
It's gonna be fine!
So Reed and Katelyn were just setting up a picnic here
and now we're merging picnics.
This is Lorenzo.
- Hi, new friend!
- Javon, nice to meet you.
- Our group name? - Yeah.
- Crafty Bitches!
- Crafty Bitches.
So we've just invited the Crafty Bitches to our picnic!
(ladies laughing) They might teach us how to knit.
- Yes!
- Oh, let's go, baby!
We got our first couple of people.
We're setting up the slackline right now.
- There we go! You got it!
- Oh, hello! Ariana, come on in!
Yo, do you guys wanna join our picnic?
Those are all people we've met our last three days.
So, wanna be friends?
- Sure! Why not? - Sure.
- Sick! All right, dude, let's do it!
This is a big group!
Do you guys wanna join our picnic?
- We're in the middle of a meeting right now.
- Yeah, this is like a business-
- It's like, a social. - That's okay!
- No way! - No way.
- Oh, Sam! - No way!
- Dude, Matt! Thanks for coming, man!
What made you actually wanna come out?
- Just meet more people. It's a nice day.
- Mohamad! My guy!
Come join, we have food!
That's Matt. That's the Crafty Bitches.
This is the art squad and that's the slacklining people.
Oh my God.
- What's up?
- Malik is day one. Day one new friend.
And I met Jadin, what? Was it day one?
Thanks for coming!
- Thanks for having me.
Thanks for throwing this event!
- Yo, Kenny!
My man!
- What's up? Are you good?
Dude, I'm so good!
Everyone has to take a carrot.
Leo, dude, thanks for coming!
My guy! How's it going?
This is Andrew, the opera singer.
- Hi guys. - Hi Andrew!
- He has amazing pipes. (Sam laughs)
What made you wanna come out out?
- Well, because I've been actually
having a really shitty week.
I had to put down one of my pets on Monday.
So, just having a rough one,
and I needed to get a little out of my comfort zone.
Meet some new people. - Yeah.
That's what this is for.
- I'll be honest, I'm surprised by the turnout.
- COVID, it's been hard.
- Oh, yeah. - A lot of people.
- I found that I got way too comfortable
with how things were.
Like, during COVID times.
I used to be super outgoing, talk to anybody
and then COVID happened.
And you kinda just lose the will to go out and make friends
but hopefully we're heading back towards
a semblance of normalcy. - Yeah.
All right, you ready?
- I don't know. - Okay, here.
Take my hand, and then put it up.
You got it. You got it. You got it! Three, two, one!
(woman wailing)
- You need leg strength for this, don't you?
- There we go! There we go! One, thanks for showing up,
but also thanks for opening up.
I appreciate that. - Yeah!
We need a little bit more of that.
- Are you happy?
- I'm so happy.
- Yeah. Is it all working out how you wanted it to?
- [Sam] I think so. It's like-
It feels special.
- Yeah. I'm so glad!
(indistinct chatter)
Aw, I'm so happy I met you!
- I'm so happy I met you, too. - You make me so happy!
- What's your name? - Jyrhed.
- Jyrhed, nice to meet you!
Jyrhed said yes!
(mouse clicks)
(upbeat music)
- Engineers! - I know, bro!
- We got extra canvases if you want to paint too.
- Dude, actually, so down!
Jyrhed, I appreciate you!
All right, and then Angie, as soon as you get in!
(indistinct chatter)
Three, two, one!
- [Everyone] 100 New Friends!
(friends cheering)
- [Sam] So, was this whole experiment a success?
Part of me says, "Sam, you asked 162 people
to come to a picnic, 52 people said no,
only 11 came and you cheated
and grabbed 20 at the last second, you failed."
But, the other part of me says, "Wow!
110 people said yes to being friends
and joining a group chat."
Better than that,
there were 11 people who completely changed
the course of their day to come to a random picnic.
All these people saw the possibility of friendship
in a brief interaction and took the first steps
towards creating a relationship of substance.
Looking back on this experiment,
it wasn't really about making 100 new friends,
it was about trying 100 times, knowing that I'd fail.
But, if I tried hard enough,
a few real friendships could blossom.
This was hard, but, I loved it.
And I think that's what makes life beautiful.
And I'm really excited to explore this more.
(Sam laughing)
This was really cool.
All right.