Your Favorite Documentaries

[Girl_On_Fire]

Pink Ribbons, Inc. is a very eye-opening documentary about the dark side of the pink ribbon campaign for breast cancer.



Has anyone else seen it?

[Kätzchen]

My day began very early with going out shopping for groceries before the sun came up and by the time I had called for a cab to bring me home (with food in tow), I had no idea how that ride would change my plans today. My cab driver had an interesting pair of shades on and I asked him if they were late 60s Vaurnet shades and our conversation, as he drove me home, led to me finding out about a documentary that was only in town for today.

I went to see: Sugarman

It was such a great story about a lesser known man from Detroit - an indie artist, I guess one might say - who apparently was so talented that no one took notice of him. Yeah. Anyway, woven throughout the hour and a half film, I learned about how his recordings ended up in South Africa and for years, he had such a huge following - cult-like, almost.

It really opened my eyes to how the music industry is such a cut-throat business and that artists who are well-known stars by today's standards, are not even half as talented as Sixto Rodrigues (Sugarman).

The film had only three showings today and I happened to be able to walk into the late morning showing of this documentary. I have a feeling it will earn some awards this year at Sundance... it's that good.



Here's a trailer I found for the film on YouTube:



PS/ if you get the chance to see it in your town, I say go see it!
I haven't said much about what a person finds out in the film:
I don't want to spoil it for people.... But seriously, it's very good.

[Jean_TX]

There are two documentaries that I found remarkable:

The first was presented on the PBS show Nova and was entitled "Dimming The Sun". It described the effect of air clarity on global warming and, surprisingly, explained that some of our efforts to reduce air pollution have been counterproductive.

The second memorable documentary was presented on the PBS show Frontline and was entitled "The Jesus Factor". This program described the rise in political power of the evangelical movement and the manner in which George Bush used this power to attain the presidency.

[maryam]

Originally Posted by Jean_

There are two documentaries that I found remarkable:

The first was presented on the PBS show Nova and was entitled "Dimming The Sun". It described the effect of air clarity on global warming and, surprisingly, explained that some of our efforts to reduce air pollution have been counterproductive.

I haven't seen it, but I'm going to see if we can get it on the Roku via one of their services. It's interesting that you bring it up because I was talking with a group of people about where we were on 9/11. Both myself and a younger cousin (who was in kindergarten at the time) said that one of our strongest memories of that time was no planes. They had grounded planes worldwide and the atmosphere got so clear that it affected the average temperature that year. We both remember really blue skies and I remember going out to the observatory nearby with my telescope to take advantage of the incredibly clear skies that week.

Okay, in an effort to stay on topic.... I love Ken Burns but was disappointed in the Dust Bowl. I think he kinda phoned that one in. Jazz was much better! But the best one I've seen lately was the Machine that Made Us, which is about Johann Gutenberg. It was interesting to see what he went through. People were really freaked out by what he was doing and one of the biggest, scariest things about it was that parts of the ruling classes realized that more books, made cheaply would put more more information in the hands of the poorer classes. An educated populace was a scary thing!

[Hollylane]

Himalaya with Michael Palin. I watched this on PBS, but it is available in parts on Youtube:



weatherboi posted on FB today, about how this country is striving to be the first country to have organic farming practices. I love that their country values "Gross National Happiness over Gross Domestic Product".

[Kobi]

The Day Carl Sandburg Died

Fascinating movie. Fascinating man. Sandburg’s radical free verse poetry, best known in Chicago Poems, changed 20th century poetry. The two-time Pulitzer Prize winner was also a biographer, a journalist, children’s storyteller, folk song collector, novelist, and autobiographer. He was a captivating performer, entertaining audiences on stage, radio and television enjoying the kind of fame, fortune and recognition that is rarely, if ever, afforded a poet.

Yet, what interested me most was his social activism (women, children, POC) and political activism.

And, they did a wonderful job highlighting the influence of his wife and children on all that he did.

Interesting stuff.

[Jean_TX]

A new documentary that I think is very worthwhile is "MAKERS: Women Who Make America", which recently aired on PBS. I highly recommend it to anyone who was not around in the '70's and is not fully aware of the struggle for women's rights. The promo blurb:

MAKERS: Women Who Make America tells the remarkable story of the most sweeping social revolution in American history, as women have asserted their rights to a full and fair share of political power, economic opportunity, and personal autonomy. It’s a revolution that has unfolded in public and private, in courts and Congress, in the boardroom and the bedroom, changing not only what the world expects from women, but what women expect from themselves. MAKERS brings this story to life with priceless archival treasures and poignant, often funny interviews with those who led the fight, those who opposed it, and those first generations to benefit from its success. Trailblazing women like Hillary Rodham Clinton, Ellen DeGeneres and Oprah Winfrey share their memories, as do countless women who challenged the status quo in industries from coal-mining to medicine. Makers captures with music, humor, and the voices of the women who lived through these turbulent times the dizzying joy, aching frustration and ultimate triumph of a movement that turned America upside-down.

P.S. The show can be viewed online at http://video.pbs.org/program/makers-...-make-america/

[Kobi]

Originally Posted by Girl_On_Fire

Pink Ribbons, Inc. is a very eye-opening documentary about the dark side of the pink ribbon campaign for breast cancer.



Has anyone else seen it?

I ordered it after you posted this. Was an excellent movie containing much information to ponder about the treatment of cancer, the cancer/medical/corporation industry, the marketing of fund raising etc. Interesting and disturbing.

[Kobi]

Teddy Roosevelt.....an American Lion.

Another of those movies about a politician with a social conscience who saw, understood, fought for, and brought about changes in government, and redefined its purpose in the lives of the everyday person.

TR was quite a character who had no qualms taking on the captains of industry and loosening their stronghold on the American way of life. Fascinating man, fascinating philosophy, fascinating history.

[Girl_On_Fire]

Originally Posted by Kobi

I ordered it after you posted this. Was an excellent movie containing much information to ponder about the treatment of cancer, the cancer/medical/corporation industry, the marketing of fund raising etc. Interesting and disturbing.

I think eventually what it all boils down to is money. How to keep the wheel turning. It's the "sick care" industry in action. Sad, but true. A revolution is needed.

[always2late]

I just watched a short doc called "Birders: The Central Park Effect." I had no idea that so many species of birds made a stop in Central Park during their migrations! Now I'm thinking that a trip to NYC is definitely in order!

[Gaige]

Caught this on the History Channel 2 today.

[Kelt]

"Who is allowed to shape our cities, and how do they do it? And how does the design of our cities affect our lives?

By exploring a diverse range of urban design projects in dozens of cities around the world, from massive infrastructure initiatives to temporary interventions, Urbanized frames a global discussion on the future of cities."

I really enjoy getting to see how different cultures address these issues. There is much to learn from others.

Feb 2012

[Diablo]

[Ginger]

Originally Posted by always2late

I just watched a short doc called "Birders: The Central Park Effect." I had no idea that so many species of birds made a stop in Central Park during their migrations! Now I'm thinking that a trip to NYC is definitely in order!

Here's something I learned not long ago. Birds in Central Park (and presumably other urban centers, but the study was done in Central Park), are changing the frequency and other aspects of their song, in order to be heard over traffic, radios, and other forms of human racket. The male birds who are most easily heard are most likely to find mates, so there's a biologicial advantage in doing so.

[Hollylane]

Wretches & Jabberers


In 'Wretches & Jabberers and Stories from the Road', two men with autism embark on a global quest to change prevailing attitudes about disability and intelligence. With limited speech, Tracy Thresher, 42, and Larry Bissonnette, 52, both faced lives of mute isolation in mental institutions or adult disability centers. When they learned as adults to communicate by typing, their lives changed dramatically. Their world tour message is that the same possibility exists for others like themselves. At each stop, they dissect public attitudes about autism and issue a hopeful challenge to reconsider competency and the future. Along the way, they reunite with old friends from the USA, expand the isolated world of a talented young painter and make new allies in their cause.

Tracy's Blog
Larry's Blog

[Glenn]

1.Dear Zachary- Mind=Blown.
2.Lockdown-Pelican Bay State Prison-A look inside America's toughest prison.
3.Welcome To North Korea- The world's most F*****up country.
4.The Bridge- A camera set up to record goings on with suicides on the Golden Gate.
5.Inside 911-Zero Hour-Imo the best.
6.Nikola Tesla-The Genius Who Lit The World
7.Ghosts Of Rwanda-The most rapid genicide in history.
8.The House Of Rothschild-The money prophets.
9.Griseld Blanco
10.Auschwitz: The Nazi Final Solution
11.Survival Documentaries
12. WoodStock
13. America, the illuminati, the masons, etc.

[dreadgeek]

In no particular order:

Cosmos -- Dated graphics but still a classic

The Elegant Universe -- If you want to know what quantum mechanics really is, what relativity really is and what string theory really is you can do absolutely no better than this.

The Fabric of the Cosmos -- If you want to know what space-time really is and where physics is, at present, this is where to go.

Inside North Korea

Kimjongilia -- More about North Korea

The God Who Wasn't There

Becoming Human -- If you want a better understanding of how Homo sapiens became what we are, this is a great place to start.

Guns, Germs and Steel -- Fantastic overview of why some societies are rich and some are not.

The Ascent of Money -- Fascinating look at how banking was invented. Also, one gets a treatment of the Rothchilds that is blissfully absent either the conspiracy theories or anti-Semitism that usually rears its head whenever this family is mentioned.

Science of Dogs

Dogs Decoded

The Medici: Godfathers of the Renaissance

The Crash of Flight 447 -- If for no other reason than there's the coolest demonstration of a phenomena called super-cooled air. A pitot tube in a wind tunnel is hit with air where the water vapor is cooled below freezing. No ice forms on the pitot tube. Then a tiny bit of dust is introduced and ice forms *instantly*. My writing does not do justice to how insanely cool this phenomena is.

Gunner Palace -- Fascinating look at the Iraq War.

Cheers
Aj

[Hollylane]

Darfur Now (2007)

The struggles and achievements of six individuals bring to light the situation in Darfur and the need to get involved. From a UCLA graduate in Los Angeles, California, to a Darfurian woman who joins rebel forces, to the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court in The Hague, to a United Nations humanitarian on the ground in Sudan, to an internationally known actor and activist, and finally to a community leader in a West Darfur refugee camp, the film portrays the efforts of six people responding to a humanitarian tragedy unfolding before our eyes. The film explores the Darfur conflict through the first-hand experiences of Don Cheadle, Hejewa Adam, Pablo Recalde, Ahmed Mohammed Abakar, Luis Moreno-Ocampo, and Adam Sterling.

Rebuilding Hope (2009)

Three 'Lost Boys' return home to South Sudan for the first time since they fled as small children, twenty years ago. 'Rebuilding Hope' is their journey of discovery; of what happened to their families and villages after they fled, of the state of a precarious peace agreement signed in Sudan, and about how they can contribute back to the communities they left behind.

[Teddybear]

"Wish me away" the story of Chely Wright