Your Favorite Documentaries

[Hollylane]

What documentaries have you watched recently, or which documentaries are your favorites that you have found to be fascinating/informative/exciting/thought provoking/anger provoking/action provoking?



A recent find for me were the few episodes on Hulu of : Off The Map (2010)

Episode 1: 99 Days On The Ice
Jean Gabriel and Bettina cross the Arctic Ocean on skis on the longest and most difficult polar expedition imaginable. The 2,000 kilometer trek pushes them to their physical and mental limits and exposes the dangers of global warming.

Episode 2: Path to The Stone Age
Trek into the mountain forests of West Papua in search of the Korowai, an indigenous tribe living in near total isolation since the Stone Age. Jean Gabriel and Bettina plunge deep into the jungle to find a truly incredible people.

Episode 3: Inside the Volcano
It's dangerous enough descending into an active volcano; it’s worse when that volcano is located in a war zone. Bettina and Jean-Gabriel head to Rift Valley to conquer two mountains of fire and reach the shores of a 300-meter wide lava lake.

[Novelafemme]

I love documentaries. I try to remember that the narrative is always very biased and subsequently parsed out to the public as such; especially political documentaries. Nonetheless, here are a few I have watched recently:

The Cost of a Coke: Coca Cola has actually been cooperating with paramilitaries in Colombia to execute workers in their own bottling plants that are trying to form unions and trying to demand better working conditions. In the world of the Coca-Cola Company, whenever there’s a union there’s always a bust, whenever there’s corruption there’s always the real thing. Justice Productions second release, The Cost of a Coke: 2nd Edition is the updated version to Matt Beard’s first documentary, The Cost of a Coke. The Cost of a Coke: 2nd Edition explores the corruption and moral bankruptcy of the world’s most popular soda, and what you can do to help end a gruesome cycle of murders and environmental degradation.

Jesus Camp: "Jesus Camp" follows several young children as they prepare to attend a summer camp where the kids will get their daily dose of evangelical Christianity. Through interviews with Becky Fischer, the children, and others, "Jesus Camp" illustrates the unswerving belief of the faithful. A housewife and homeschooling mother tells her son that creationism has all the answers. Footage from inside the camp shows young children weeping and wailing as they promise to stop their sinning. Child after child is driven to tears. Juxtapose these scenes with clips from a more moderate Christian radio host (who is appalled by such tactics), and Jesus Camp seems to pose a clear question: are these children being brainwashed?

The Sustainable City: Today, the way ecology is being incorporated into architecture has evolved considerably.
Sustainable architecture, or green architecture, aims to minimize the negative impact of buildings on the environment by enhancing efficiency and moderating the use of materials, energy, and space.
Spewing carbon dioxide, generating masses of waste, and consuming alarming quantities of energy and water, our cities place a heavy burden on both the global environment and the local ecosystem.
Architecture itself has a tremendous impact on the environment.

The Linguists: A hilarious and poignant chronicle of two scientists—David Harrison and Gregory Anderson—racing to document languages on the verge of extinction. In Siberia, India, and Bolivia, the linguists confront head-on the very forces silencing languages: racism, humiliation, and violent economic unrest. David and Greg's journey takes them deep into the heart of the cultures, knowledge, and communities at risk when a language dies.

[Nomad]

i just watched 'Forks Over Knives'. it's a little dry in places but the info was interesting. it's a comparison of plant based diets to meat-centered/processed food diets. i liked 'Food Inc' and 'Super Size Me' more but i dont think it was a waste of time to watch. i'd give it a 3 out of 5 stars.

[Novelafemme]

Originally Posted by Nomad

i just watched 'Forks Over Knives'. it's a little dry in places but the info was interesting. it's a comparison of plant based diets to meat-centered/processed food diets. i liked 'Food Inc' and 'Super Size Me' more but i dont think it was a waste of time to watch. i'd give it a 3 out of 5 stars.

I keep meaning to watch Forks over Knives. The other two you mentioned were fabulous! Have you seen Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead? Amazing film. One I highly recommend.

[Hollylane]

Food, Inc was amazing. I have been trying to get to Forks Over Knives, thanks for the recommendation.

I'm really quite excited to see what other people are watching, thank you to those who are posting, and those who will post...I can already see that my "documentaries to watch list" will be expanding from the favorites posted here!

[JAGG]

I love a show called " Worm Hole." Morgan Freeman hosts it. Not sure if that qualifies as a documentary.

[Kobi]

The Weight of The Nation - confronting America's obesity epidemic.

This is a lengthy HBO doc spanning about 12 hours and 3 discs. I like that it is very science based but presented in very easy to understand language and demonstrations.

It is very informative as to the way the body works or doesnt, and basic physiology I never knew i.e. fat is living tissue which produces chemicals which affect different organs in different ways.

It addresses the customary diseases associated with weight like diabetes and heart disease but also addresses some new emerging issues i.e. liver transplants for fatty liver disease etc.

I like that it looks at things from many interconnected viewpoints i.e. evolution, genetics, environment, economics, marketing etc. while refraning from judgement.

And, it is big on community based studies/programs for school age children who are showing signs and symptoms of problems at alarming ages i.e. high blood pressure, elevated cholesterol levels etc.

And, so far, there are many suggestions for weight control that seem to be doable for various types of eaters.

Good info.

[macele]

PBS does a great job of getting the word out on alzheimers disease.
an eduaction for sure. this documentary originally aired something like 6 months ago.
it will make you cry, laugh, love, ... it will give you an understanding of the disease.
you'll never forget lee gorewitz.

http://www.pbs.org/independentlens/youre-looking-at-me/

[thedivahrrrself]

Jesus Camp - dead-on accurate representation of what I have seen growing up in rural Oklahoma. Children are not soldiers for God. They really put the weight of the world on these kids and end up really screwing some of them up emotionally.

Farenheit 9/11, Bowling for Columbine, & Sicko - all for different reasons, all combined why I used to love Michael Moore (I much prefer him behind the camera!)

Planet Earth - hands-down the best nature series ever made, ever. A technical masterpiece.

The whole This American Life series. The radio shows is outstanding, but seeing it in video brought everything to life so well. I ♥ ambiguity.

Y'all who know me well know I might be a gay man/drag queen trapped in a queer girl's body, so you know I gotta mention Grey Gardens!

Invisible War - I've only had time to catch pieces of this, but based on what I've seen, every woman in America and every soldier in America should see this movie. Period.

I LOVE docs... The list goes on; this is just what I could think of. Wish I had time to watch more of them.

[Angeltoes]

Hard to say. There are so many great ones.

The Empires Series - "Within the long history of civilization are great eras of struggle, triumph, and loss. These periods are reflective of the best and worst of humanity: explosive creativity, ultimate depravity, the use and abuse of power, and war."

http://www.pbs.org/empires/

New York (7 episodes) "This exhaustively thorough documentary chronicles the evolution of the city from its time as a Dutch settlement in the early 17th century to its current status as megalopolis extraordinaire. Famous New Yorkers including Martin Scorsese, Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan, Fran Lebowitz, Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, and former mayor Ed Koch lend their colorful local perspective. In addition, there's commentary by numerous historians and writers, most notably Pulitzer Prize-winning Mike Wallace (not of 60 Minutes fame, but rather author of Gotham) and the late Brendan Gill, who notes the distinctly capitalist foundation of the city. As he succinctly states, "New York was based upon greed."

[ame="http://www.amazon.com/New-York-Episode-PBS-Boxed/dp/B00005NC51"]New York[/ame]

[Kobi]

The Ken Burns documentary called The Story of Elizabeth Cade Stanton and Susan B Anthony.

What a great movie, full of facts, figures, struggles, sacrifices, unexpected alliances, and perseverance of two very common women.

A good refresher course for folks whos memory of the history of women is a little fuzzy.

[Martina]

Pina by Wim Wenders about the late choreographer Pina Bausch.

Excellent movie.

[blush]

http://beingelmo.com/

It's about the creator of the Elmo character. There's a heartbreaking scene where the puppet meets a Make a Wish child, and the puppeteer is crying. I've never liked Elmo much until I watched this documentary.

[Hollylane]

Originally Posted by blush

http://beingelmo.com/

It's about the creator of the Elmo character. There's a heartbreaking scene where the puppet meets a Make a Wish child, and the puppeteer is crying. I've never liked Elmo much until I watched this documentary.

Well, who better than a Baltimorean to create such a well loved character! I'm partial....yes, yes I am.

I am watching this now, and am already becoming a renewed fan of Elmo.

[Fatale]

The film, I Like Killing Flies is fantastic. It's about the smallest restaurant you've ever seen and the cantankerous, philosophical chef/owner. I had the pleasure of eating there just once when I lived in NYC, before it moved to its new digs, and I have never forgotten it.

[Ginger]

OMG what a great thread idea!!!!!!

When I get settled (I'm moving Saturday), I"m definitely using this thread as a Netflix (what to order) resource!

[Gráinne]

Ken Burns' Baseball and The Civil War. Almost anything on PBS. . . The Freedom Riders, last year.

[thedivahrrrself]

Just watched The Education of Dee Dee Ricks on HBO last night - definitely worth seeing! A woman gets diagnosed with breast cancer, and it alters the course of her life forever. Very cool doc!

[Hollylane]

Originally Posted by blush

http://beingelmo.com/

It's about the creator of the Elmo character. There's a heartbreaking scene where the puppet meets a Make a Wish child, and the puppeteer is crying. I've never liked Elmo much until I watched this documentary.

Originally Posted by Hollylane

Well, who better than a Baltimorean to create such a well loved character! I'm partial....yes, yes I am.

I am watching this now, and am already becoming a renewed fan of Elmo.

Okay, now I actually have tears streaming down my face, I've been laughing and smiling, and I now absolutely Elmo/Kevin Clash and his family/puppet family...This is a wonderful documentary that I never would have encountered had it not been shared here. Thank you.

[Rockinonahigh]

I love PBS,not long ago they ran a show about when the cajuns settled in Louisiana,how the culture developed the traditions it has.The show also touched on the melting pot of folks that have made theis state what it is.Louisiana is a great state,but with the republican influance we have at the moment has dimmed the light for many hear.I know when we had a democratic base even tho it was falmboiant to say the least,we have flourished.