Documentaries Part Two

More documentaries! You can find these documentaries on Netflix, Amazon Prime Instant Video, Vimeo, and YouTube. And all of these can also be found on my new documentary website!

Decoding Neanderthals
Definitely a "laundry documentary," but there was some really interesting info here. The more and more we research early humans, the more clear it is that they were more advanced than we thought. It seems that early man was capable of language much earlier than we originally thought, and created and used much more advanced tools.

Nature: The Gathering Swarms
Nature is weird and awesome. This would be another "laundry documentary," except it really does need to be watched to be fully appreciated. This covers everything from swarms of bees to schools of fish to flocks of birds. Together, animals create a unique intelligence that's greater than the sum of their parts. It makes me think of the human brain...how there are all these connections between individual parts that create a whole.

Everything Or Nothing: The Untold Story of 007
This was a cool documentary because it covered EVERYTHING about James Bond, from the books to the movies...an overview of the whole franchise. Here's something cool--it's really been a family affair. The current producer is the daughter of the man who produced the original films. They talked about the different phases James Bond has gone through and how each film was received, and it's place in film history.

Breastmilk
Totally fascinating. This covered the cultural and medical ideas behind breastfeeding and focused on the journeys of several different women in different situations. One of my favorite mythic/poetic ideas they covered is that in some ways, breasts are phallic. They give this life-sustaining liquid. The woman who made this point said it might be more fun to just say that penises are breastly. :)
WARNING: FEMALE NUDITY (BREASTFEEDING)

Frontline: Secret State of North Korea
North Korea is so crazy, but I think things are slowly moving towards change. I think it's going to be in the next few decades that change will come to North Korea. More and more outside influences are moving into the country (movies, music), and more and more people are openly resisting the regime. Government officials are turning a blind eye to free market business more and more often. The little infrastructure that remained in the country is crumbling, and the current leader doesn't hold the same religious fervor over the people that his father or grandfather did. Time will tell.

E-mail Order Bride
Laundry documentary all the way. This focuses on the international marriage broker business, mostly in bringing together men from the U.S. and women from Russia. It focuses on several different stories and covers the challenges and benefits of a brokered marriage. Here's what I think--I think there are a handful of men who do simply struggle to connect with women, and for them, this could be a helpful service. And there are also men who are jerks--who choose Russian women because they "haven't had feminism over there" and those women "just want to stay home and take care of their men." And there are the rare cases in which creeps who are unhappy with their brokered bride get crazy and murder them. But it seems that nowadays, it's a little safer.

To Be Takei
Oh I love this man. I love love love George Takei. That voice. That sense of social justice. That sense of humor. This documentary was charming and enlightening and made me adore the man even more. It covers his early years in a Japanese internment camp, his choice to remain closeted for much of his life, his relationship with his now-husband Brad, his career path, his Facebook presence, and much more. Awesome.
WARNING: LANGUAGE, SOME DISCUSSION OF SEXUALITY

Reel Injun
AWESOME documentary chronicling the history of how Native Americans have been portrayed in film. One of the very first motion pictures EVER was of a tribal dance--there are many people who believed that a main purpose of film was to capture native peoples before they disappeared (ominous). Native Americans have filled a gamut of archetypal roles since then, and it's only the last few decades that film has been truly representative, instead of just stereotypical.
WARNING: SOME NUDITY

Secrets of the Dead: The Lost Diary of Dr Livingstone
Laundry documentary, but with some decent cheesy reenactments. One of the coolest parts of this documentary was how they deciphered Livingstone's old journals. He didn't have access to plain writing paper, so he recorded his notes on the pages of old books, on newspapers, etc, using ink made from berry juice. Which meant that his words are incredibly difficult to read. They did a whole series of experiments to try to read the diaries--what they came up with was pretty darn awesome.

Jesus Camp
I'm not even sure if I'm ready to talk about this. I found it incredibly upsetting. But to discuss it is to tread a fine line...I can't criticize other religious groups if I'm not willing to let my own be criticized. And that's difficult. But the disregard of science among evangelical Christians makes me furious. I sense so much fear and anger among fundamentalist religious groups, and I don't think it's making the world a better place. I recognize that there are sects of Mormonism--break off groups that are the same way. And I don't like them either. And in some cases, well-intentioned orthodox Mormons can create a culture of fear and anger and fundamentalism, and I don't like that either. It distresses me to realize that a whole generation of the world's children are growing up in a world of fear, and disregard for science. And I don't know what to do about it. Shut churches down? Nope. Because I believe in the First Amendment. Ugh.

Bound By Flesh
Interesting documentary about conjoined twins who grew up at a time when Vaudeville and sideshows and circuses made a fortune in "freaks." This focuses a lot on their story, but also covers the history of the entertainment industry in general. There are some strange complications in the world of conjoined twins...things I hadn't thought about until I saw this documentary.

History Channel: Albert Einstein Documentary 
(I'm having trouble finding the actual title of this documentary, but I found it on youtube here.) 
Here's something crazy. Sooooo while Albert Einstein was brilliant at physics, he was not so brilliant at marriage. But here's how things went down. In 1905, Einstein publishes the general theory of relativity, which totally disregards Newton's explanation of gravity. Newton said that objects pull things towards them--and the larger the object, the stronger the pull. Einstein said that gravity was caused by the mass of an object bending the fabric of space, kind of like if you put a bowling ball on a piece of fabric. But it's an almost unprovable theory. There's no way to test it. So Einstein finally gets the idea to prove it by photographing a solar eclipse. If he's right, the stars around a solar eclipse will appear to shift slightly. So it's four months before THE solar eclipse that will either prove him right or wrong. He and his wife are on the rocks. Finally, he tells her that if she divorces him, he will give her all of the Nobel Prize money. She will take their two sons and move back to Zurich, and their support will all depend on that money. Which is a total gamble, because he doesn't know if he's going to win the Nobel Prize. It all came down to whatever the eclipse reveals. But here's the other snag. Einstein is German. The eclipse is only visible from Russia. And it's 1914. (Google World War I history...)

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Documentaries Part Two

Netflix/Provo Library DVD Section Binge

You guys, I'm so far behind on documentary reviews. This list comprises the last, like, six months. I'm not kidding--I've had this list going since July. Whew. Okay. Here we go.

ALSO, all of these will also soon be listed on my NEW DOCUMENTARY WEBSITE! And stay tuned for part two of this list. It was obnoxious posting all of them at once.

Pageant
I watched this years and years ago, and I'm so glad I rediscovered it. I love drag. I have such a special place in my heart for drag, which is funny because I have virtually NO experience in or with it, aside from a friend in Seattle who does it (Harlotte O'Scara...is that not the most BRILLIANT drag name you've ever heard?!) and a past co-worker at Broulims who did shows. Anyway, this is an awesome story about working hard and being yourself. And it also re-awoke in me my love for musical theatre. I really really really love musical theatre. I just forget sometimes...I don't do it a whole lot. But man, it's awesome. To close, here are my two favorite quotes from this documentary:
"These eyelashes are giving me the f***ing blues."
"It's the art that's important to me. It's the makeup, the hair, it's everything that gives you va-VOOM. Va-VOOM is painted out of your mind, with your wig jacked to Jesus and loving it."
WARNING: LANGUAGE

Secrets of the Dead: Blackbeard's Lost Ship
This is a laundry movie that had some cool info. Wanna know where Blackbeard worked? On the east coast of the United States! Weird, right? I always think of Blackbeard as running his ship along the Spanish Main or something. But the reality is that he basically was a naval commander of six ships that terrorized the colonies.

Shipwreck! Captain Kidd
I was on a little bit of a pirate kick apparently. This one told the story of Captain Kidd, which is actually kind of sad. He was sort of an accidental pirate, due to a bizarre misunderstanding of what he was supposed to be doing on the high seas. Apparently there's a fine line between privateering (government sponsored piracy) and just straight up piracy.

Journey to Mecca
This was a short, educational film about one of the pillars of Islam--the pilgrimage to Mecca. The cool thing about it was that it drew a lot of parallels between the oldest Muslim traditions and current practices. The rituals that take place at Mecca take place on a massive scale nowadays, but is still deeply rooted in what people were doing hundreds of years ago. Also, this DVD boasted narration by Ben Kingsley, but he doesn't seem to have narrated the whole thing.

Life In A Day
I watched this one twice--once by myself and once with Jacob. I found it deeply moving, and fell in love with the human race. Despite all of our weaknesses and shortcomings and our capacity for evil, the human experience is still beautiful. The concept behind this film was simple: it's a user-generated film, where thousands of people from all over the world recorded their experiences on one day: July 24, 2010. The submitted footage was edited to create a glimpse into daily life on earth in the 21st century. It covers everything from breakfast to breakups, childhood, cancer, storms, mobs, religion, and music. It's visually stunning, and so well-done.

Voyage of the Courtesans
Australia is awesome. And kind of weird, historically. It was famously a kind of "dumping ground" for the criminals of England back when England was like, "We're gonna take over the world!" But check this out. Back in England at the time, there was a pretty rigid social structure, and not much social mobility. But in Australia, people who would be stuck in the gutters in England could move upward, because there was no established elite to stop them.

This Reporter
Edward R. Murrow was awesome! This brief documentary profiled the reporter and his work, and talked about how much he changed journalism. The entire world of television journalism owes it's life to Edward R. Murrow. He was a man of integrity who valued the human experience, and I love him for it.

Secrets of Underground London
Here's something I always forget. London has ancient Roman history. Those Romans sure did build an empire, didn't they? This documentary also talked about the construction of the Tube system, which was kind of a human rights nightmare. People would work until they passed out from lack of oxygen, and then they were carried out on gurneys and replaced by someone else, until THEY passed out. So as a PR move, they held a big fancy fundraising dinner for the elite down in the tunnel, making the dinner short enough and ventilated enough that no one passed out. Of course, sitting and eating dinner is very different from digging a tunnel.

Young Dr. Freud
While Freud got a lot of things wrong when it comes to psychology, he also got a lot of things right, and he is STRAIGHT UP the founding father of modern psychology. The entire idea of a "subconscious" is still a driving factor in today's view of the mind. In a time when it was believed that childhood masturbation would cause "hysteria," this man changed everything.

I Know That Voice
I want to do voice over! This was an awesome look at the world of voice acting. Everyone in the industry has their own methods--some people need to see an illustration of the character, and others just experiment. The most valuable thing I learned from this documentary is the power of learning to do impressions. Impressions are just a gimmick, and aren't enough alone to get you into voice acting. BUT learning to do impressions is valuable because it forces you to break down a voice--to understand it's tone and rhythm and cadence and placement and sound. And those are the tools you will use in CREATING a voice.

Tiny
This follows the story of one man and his journey to build his own tiny home. Jacob and I have been interested in the "Tiny House" movement for a few years now, and while we don't live "tiny" nowadays, we are inspired to live "smaller." My favorite quote from this documentary was that "small spaces force you to confront your excess." Jacob and I have moved around a lot this last year, and with every move, we take boxes of stuff to the thrift store. And we find that we don't miss any of it. I think that we only have stuff because we have room for it. So if you get rid of the room for it, you'll get rid of the stuff.

The Source Family
This was reminiscent of the documentary "Commune," which talked about several groups in the 60s who experimented with communal living. The Source Family was founded by James Edward Baker, or "YaHoWha" in California in the late 60s, and the community of 150 people he built lived off the earnings of the Source Restaurant. My favorite story from this documentary is about a man who had heard of YaHoWha and wanted to meet him. He wasn't sure how one was to act in meeting a mystic, so when he met YaHoWha, he kissed his feet. YaHoWha looked down at him and said, "Far f***king out, man."
WARNING: LANGUAGE, NUDITY

Mortified Nation
So awesome! I love the idea of embracing our embarrassments. This is a documentary about a live show in which people read out loud from their childhood journals. It is funny, heart-warming, and inspiring. The human experience is absurd and emotional and beautiful and embarrassing, and I love that. I dug out my own journals after watching this, and reveled in the awesome silliness of youth.
WARNING: LANGUAGE, SOME DISCUSSION OF SEXUALITY

Terms and Conditions May Apply
Gaaaaahhhh the government is Big Brother and they watch everything we do and I hate it! I spent a few days being pretty paranoid after watching this. I always shake my fist at the NSA when I drive past it near Thanksgiving Point. (You hear that, NSA?) This documentary covers the fact that all those "Terms and Conditions" we agree to whenever we sign up for something actually just gives governments the right to keep track of everything we do. Which is terrifying. When I bring this up, people have said, "Well, I have nothing to hide, so why should that bother me?" That's not the point. The point is that NO ONE IS WATCHING THE WATCHERS. And that's a problem. This is George Orwell 1984. This is a panopticon. I've also heard "Well, if you don't want to be watched, don't sign up for things." First of all, if I never signed up for anything, I couldn't talk about important ideas on the internet. This very blog wouldn't exist. I couldn't Skype with my family. I couldn't apply for jobs using LinkedIn. I couldn't complete online classes. I couldn't answer work emails. Etc. But even more than that, I shouldn't have to opt out. It's the principle of the thing.

Betty Page Reveals All
As an anti-pornography feminist, I've always been fascinated by Betty Page. On the one hand, pornography. On the other hand, freedom of sexual expression? And women's liberation? And not listening to someone else telling you what your sexuality should be? I don't know. Either way, I found this documentary fascinating. I'm still kind of on the fence about pin-up modeling, but this documentary helped humanize Betty Page's world for me, and for the most part, I think I dig a lot of the things she did.
WARNING: SEXUALITY AND NUDITY

Burt's Buzz
Ah, Burt. This documentary chronicles the story and personality of Burt's Bees founder Burt Shavitz, and his journey from selling honey from the back of his truck to being bought out by Clorox. It's kind of a dramatic story, actually. Burt is somehow charming, though.

Advanced Style
I loved this! All about New York City women over the age of 55, with fabulous fashion sense. This profiles several different women, and I was completely charmed by all of them. And the message is an inspiring one--that you can choose to feel glamorous and elegant no matter what stage of life you're in, and that fashion is an amazing medium of creativity and self-expression.

American Masters: Johnny Carson: King of Late Night 
I've heard the name Johnny Carson bandied about for years and years, but didn't really know much about his legacy until now. And NOW, I feel like a fool for taking so long to learn about him. He created the entire foundation of late-night television. Jay Leno, David Letterman, Jimmy Kimmel, Jimmy Fallon, Craig Ferguson...all of these folks owe their world to Johnny Carson. The most moving bit of the documentary was watching Drew Carey tearfully and emotionally recall the time he performed on Johnny Carson's show.

Mona Lisa is Missing
I'd call this a bit of a "laundry documentary"; doesn't quite need your full attention, but is pretty interesting. This chronicles the story of Vincenzo Peruggia, the Italian immigrant who stole the Mona Lisa back in 1911. He held on to her for several years, before attempting to sell her (or "return her," as he thought) to the Uffizi in 1913. The most interesting thing I learned is that this theft is what made the Mona Lisa the icon that it is. Before that, it was just a painting, but after the theft, her image was plastered everywhere, in a "face on the milk carton" way. And that made her famous.

Park Avenue: Money, Power, and the American Dream
It's lucky that I don't live in the age of McCarthyism, because I'd be hauled away for questioning. Because I'm not a fan of capitalism sometimes. I recognize that it can create great wealth, but it also creates great disparity. Also, there should be way more regulation regarding political action committees. Because without that regulation, we don't live in a democracy. We live in an oligarchy. A corporatocracy. And that's lame.

The Loving Story
First of all, the name of this documentary is so perfect. This tells the story of an interracial couple from Virginia in the late 1950s. Interracial marriage was straight up ILLEGAL back then, and this chronicles the Lovings fight to stay together. There is a TON of footage from the couple, so this is a great glimpse into Civil Rights era America. I'm astonished (and a little ashamed) that this was so recent.

Alexandria
The fate of this library makes me weep. I can't even really talk about it. You'll have to google it. But one cool thing I learned about in this documentary was the female philosopher Hypatia. (What's that? A female philosopher in a time and place when women weren't in the public sphere?!) In fact, she was the HEAD of the Platonist philosophy school in Alexandria. Of course, she was eventually murdered by an angry mob, but ya win some, ya lose some. Anyway.

The Turin Shroud
I was a little wary of this one, but it was actually FASCINATING. The Turin Shroud is the cloth that supposedly covered the body of Christ in the tomb before he was resurrected. There's an imprint of a face and body in it, and no one is exactly sure how it got there or what it's from. Was it a hoax, painted by Medieval folks? Was it the first ever photograph? Was it really the result of some metaphysical forces?

My Penis and Everyone Else's
This is the sequel to a documentary I watched a while ago, called "My Penis and I." A man in England with an unusually small penis tries to get conversations going with others about penis size and what it means. His experiences point out the sex-obsessed aspects of our culture, and how much of that sex obsession is male-centered. Some men even get penis enhancement surgeries in order to prevent their girlfriends from cheating on them, not realizing that sexual fulfillment is about much much much more than the size of your equipment. And infidelity is about much more than sex.
WARNING: NUDITY, LANGUAGE, DISCUSSIONS OF SEXUALITY

Teenage
I never really realized this, but the entire idea of a "teenager" is a 20th century concept. Before that, you were either a child, or an adult. The roaring twenties, two world wars, and an economic boom in the 1950s all combined to create an entire teenage culture. The world "teenager" didn't appear very often before 1945, when it was popularized by an article published in the New York Times, called "The Teenage Bill of Rights."

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Netflix/Provo Library DVD Section Binge

Netflix University

I haven't updated this list for months and months, so I've got a LOT of recommendations/reviews for you! Happy learning!



Titanic's Final Mystery
Netflix
I've already watched and recommended Titanic's Achilles Heel, which focuses on how exactly the Titanic sunk (which was NOT how Kate Winslet and Leo DiCaprio would have you believe). But this documentary focuses on why the heck Titanic's lookouts could have FAILED to notice a gigantic iceberg until they were 30 seconds away from it. It also debunks some of the myths surrounding the Titanic--whether or not the captain was drunk, whether or not a nearby ship even knew what was going on. The sinking of the Titanic really was a freak accident, in so many ways. So many elements came together to create a disaster.

Pope Joan
Netflix
Not quite long enough to go as in depth as I would have liked, but a nice little intro to the story. (Granted., there's not a whole lot to the story--resources are limited.) Legend has it that a woman made her way to the papacy in the Middle Ages, and wasn't found out until she collapsed during a procession. BECAUSE SHE WAS GIVING BIRTH.

Beyond Survival With Les Stroud (series)
Netflix
This was one of those things that I enjoyed at the time, but it ended up having a much more profound effect on me as time went on. When you live in the first world, it gets easy to complain, or to have high standards for your living conditions. It sounds cheesy, but you take your four walls and roof for granted, especially if it's not painted perfectly, or is old, or isn't decorated well. But you freaking have WALLS. And there are THOUSANDS of people, around the world RIGHT NOW, who don't have that. And while this means danger and pain for some, there are lots that are just fine. That are okay. For whom that's normal. They are still able to make their lives good. That was a good lesson for me. When I want a new...well, ANYTHING, thinking of my life in comparison to others around the world helps me remember that what I have is JUST FINE.

Escape to Chimp Eden (series)
Netflix
I actually didn't finish this series, and I watch it, oh...two years ago? But I've never posted about it. It's painful at times, but important, and also enjoyable at other times. I got sucked into the drama of it all. It's about a man who runs a chimp sanctuary. Most of the chimpanzees he works with have been taken out of really abusive situations--the entertainment industry, where they were forced to drink/smoke, or from private homes, where people got an exotic pet that they eventually couldn't handle. The most striking thing from this television series that I learned is that chimpanzees can develop the same psychological and physiological disorders that people can--from OCD to alcoholism to schizophrenia to PTSD. That knowledge has deepened my feelings that for the most part, people should let nature be.

Into the Pride (series)
Netflix
Pretty interesting series. A wildlife reserve in Namibia gets a pride of 16 lions, but the lions are so aggressive that they'll either have to be "rehabilitated" or put down. Big cat trainer Dave Salmoni spends six months trying to help the pride balance their natural "wild side" with being calm enough to deal with inevitable human interaction. It was a fascinating look at lion "culture" (as in, the rules and norms of life as a lion), and of all of the issues facing wildlife in Africa right now. And the series has everything you could wish for in a wildlife documentary: thrilling suspense, cute baby animals, family dynamics, etc.

Nazi Temple of Doom
Netflix
This is a "laundry documentary." My friend Carrie has what she calls "laundry movies"...something interesting enough to occupy you, but not so fascinating that you have to give it your full attention. It's a "multi-tasking movie," or something that you could fold laundry to. There was a decent bit of Nazi occult history...man, German politics got WEIRD during that whole WWII era. An interesting, short watch to put on while you're cleaning the house or making dinner or doing a craft or something.

The Elephant in the Living Room
Netflix
I've been really interested lately in the world of exotic pet ownership...somehow, it's just come up fairly often in the last few months, whether on Netflix or National Geographic. It's a bizarrely unregulated world--there are no national laws about exotic pet ownership, and laws vary from state to state. 9 states don't require any kind of permit, and 2 states have no laws at all. It's estimated that there are as many as 20 million exotic pets in the United States--there are more Bengal tigers living in Texas than there are in the wild in India. This documentary follows several exotic pet owners, and does some investigation into the world of the exotic pet trade. There are times when it's emotionally difficult to watch. There was one scene towards the end with a man who owned lions that tore me up for days afterwards. If you are an animal lover, this will probably be a difficult documentary to watch. But it feels like an important one.

One Lucky Elephant
Netflix

Another one with a theme of wild pet ownership, this documentary follows the story of an elephant raised in a circus, and her owner's decision to find her a new home. He'd known her for so long, having raised her since babyhood, and that makes parting ways a difficult and complicated choice. There's also an uncomfortable reality that animals, especially elephants, are much more emotionally developed creatures than we've given them credit for in the past--rehabilitating an elephant who's grown up in the circus reveals some illuminating truths about what captivity does to undomesticated species. 

Fame High
Netflix
A pretty interesting look at the whole "I'm a teenager and I'm going to be famous" world, and the "show-parents"/supportive parents that raise them. That's a pretty generalized summary, but to be honest, I don't think about this documentary very often. I watched it months ago, and found it enlightening at the time, but it didn't quite grab me the way other documentaries do. Perhaps consider it a "laundry documentary."

Surviving Katrina
Netflix
In August of 2005, I was living with dear friends, working a fun job at Walmart, and getting ready for another semester of school to begin. I remember that the night Hurricane Katrina hit, Annie and I were over at Tim and Rosa's house, and Rosa was dying my hair. We had the television on, and the news kept giving updates, but we weren't really paying too much attention. This was one of those things that somehow didn't seem part of my world at the time...I was a little too young and selfish to connect with what happened. But I'm guilty of the same thing so many were--abandoning those I didn't feel connected to. There were so many factors that made this disaster so bad. There was a lack of infrastructure to deal with floodwaters that high, there wasn't enough communication, there were no supplies being sent in, and people were not getting the help they needed. There was one awful story about a doctor who kept requesting ambulances and medical assistance. And for almost a week, nothing came. Finally, he discovered that there was a line of ambulances waiting miles away, and they had been waiting for three days, and when he asked them what they were doing, they replied "We're waiting for patients." No one understood how bad things were, and what was needed. And towards the end, it was so hopeless that the streets became dangerous not because of floodwaters, but because of gunshots. I heard some horrible ideas during Hurricane Katrina, about New Orleans being a "sinful city" that "deserved destruction." I've heard people say that the descent into lawlessness that happened is proof of the depravity of the city. But I would say that what the history of Katrina illustrates far more clearly is that human beings will become how you treat them. If you abandon and dismiss an entire city's people, you cannot expect them to react submissively and calmly. Human beings are far more spirited, and I think their anger and upset was justified. It still is.

Sound City
Amazon Prime
Jacob and I want to be friends with Dave Grohl. So bad. And we love rock music. This is such an inspiring documentary--I hardly ever write music nowadays, but I picked up the guitar before I had even finished watching. I just had this incredible urge to CREATE. The story of the documentary is...well, here's the official blurb: "the film was conceived by Grohl after purchasing the legendary custom-built Neve 8028 recording console from Sound City Studios last year. The board, built in 1972, is considered by many to be the crown jewel of analog recording equipment, having recorded such artists as Neil Young, Fleetwood Mac, Tom Petty, Johnny Cash, Guns and Roses, Metallica, NIN, Rage Against The Machine and countless other musical legends over the past 40 years." It started as the story of the sound board, but became much bigger. So awesome.

Chasing Beauty
Netflix
An honest and interesting look at the labyrinth of the modeling industry. Contrary to popular belief, modeling is much MUCH more than being "pretty"...you have to look INTERESTING. And furthermore, you have to be able to open up on camera and be photogenic. And be personable and friendly. I have a few friends who model professionally, and it's a lot of work. Fun work, but WORK. This documentary follows several people at different stages of modeling careers, and does interviews with industry professionals.

The Antics Roadshow
Netflix
All right, warning. This documentary is made by British graffiti artist Banksy, and as such, it's somewhat rude and rather irreverent. It will very likely offend you if you consider yourself a more conservative type. But if you're willing to look past all that, it's a fun summary of the people who have made shocking artistic projects, streaked publicly, snuck into Buckingham Palace, and generally created chaos and counterculture. Which is fun.

The Pixar Story
Netflix
When you learn the history of Pixar, it's really a miracle that any of it got off the ground at all. But their success has come from the fact that every single person who works there LOVES what they're doing. They care about stories, they're honest with each other, and they work their BUTTS off. John Lasseter spent his entire life wanting to work as an animator, and his passion for the art form is what drove him to create such amazing stories. There's some awesome footage and awesome interviews, and it's all incredibly inspiring to any creative person ever.

The Woman Who Wasn't There
Netflix
This one kept popping up on my "recommended" list on Netflix, and I finally watched it. It's about a woman who basically conned the world into believing that she was in the World Trade Center during the 9/11 attacks. And she wasn't. It's a powerful story of deceit, and how and why people do these things, and how it affects those around them.

Becoming Chaz
Netflix
This is a great and very personal look into the transgender experience. I've been trying to learn more about the transgender community during the last few years, and learning about Chaz Bono's transition from female to male helped me gain a lot of perspective. His transition was so public, and happened at a time when the entire concept of being transgender was still so incredibly understood...I'm really glad he chose to share his story. I think the world has a looooong way to go before gender dysphoria and transgenderism is seen with complete understanding, but stories like this help bring that day a little bit closer.

(A)Sexual
Netflix
It seems like a lot of people are dismissive of asexuality--there's this attitude that it "doesn't exist." It's true that it's not a very common sexual orientation, partly because sexuality traits seem to be genetic, and asexual people tend to not reproduce as often. But it's a completely legitimate sexual orientation, and this documentary does a great job of shedding some light on it, highlighting a handful of individuals who experience it.

Dark Girls
Netflix
This fascinating documentary goes beyond the concepts of "racism" to discuss "colorism"--attitudes about people based on their relative darkness or lightness. Colorism exists within the black community and outside of it. One of the most powerful ideas in the documentary is a point that an educator made. She pointed out that slavery existed in the United States before the United States even existed...black people were treated as animals in the 1600's. Then there was Emancipation without a plan. Slavery ended in 1863, but there was nothing in place to transition society into a non-slavery world. Freed slaves suddenly found themselves facing the same prejudice they had as slaves, except now they had to navigate housing, food, and work on their own as well. The Civil Rights Act was so recent that anyone over the age of 50 today lived during a time when black people had no rights or protections under the law. So in over 400 years of North American history, black people have only been given the right to VOTE, have only been treated legally as PEOPLE for 50 years. And you don't overcome 350 years of psychological damage, of racial "training," in one generation.

Unhung Hero
Netflix
When Patrick Moote's girlfriend rejected his very public proposal, one of the reasons she gave for not wanting to marry him was that his penis was too small. So Patrick sets out on a journey to answer the question "Does size matter?" He travels the world in search of enlightenment and enlargement, and interviews a lot of people along the way. We as a society often point to the pressure that women feel to meet some sort of ideal body standard, but men have similar pressures, and in our oversexualized society, we should talk about how ridiculous those pressures are. (Warning: You probably already guessed this, but there is some nudity and discussion of sexuality. There is also a point when Patrick attends a pornography expo in search of answers.)

Indie Game
Netflix
So beautiful. It actually made me cry. I'm so inspired by people who do what they love...who pursue their passions, no matter what. The video game industry often gets this false reputation--that video games are time-wasting activities played by only young children, or by the psychologically disturbed and violent, or by 35-year-old losers who live in their mom's basements. But it's so false. Video games have grown into a powerful art form that's often LITERARY and symbolic and meaningful. and that's especially true of games that are independently produced. This documentary celebrates that world, and follows the creation of two games: Super Meat Boy and Fez. It's an emotional journey, and whether you care about video games or not, if you're not inspired by this, you're probably a robot.

The Science of Babies
Netflix
A good "laundry documentary." Babies are fascinating and bizarre creatures, and this is a cool look at some of the understanding we've gained about how their brains work, how and why their bodies develop the way they do, and the evolution behind it all. It's also occasionally super-stressful, because several times throughout the program, they explain some aspect of babyhood, and then say, "But there are times when it can all go WRONG" and then do some case study. Spoiler alert: everyone always ends up okay, but it's stressful to watch.

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Netflix University

I have watched over 100 documentaries in the last ten years.

And I've decided that's an accomplishment.

Despite the length of this list, I actually slowed down on documentaries a little bit for a while there, partly because I was busy watching every single episode of "Chopped" ever. (I go on TV show binges...last semester, it was "Ancient Aliens.") But here are a handful of recommendations! Most of them are on Netflix. Happy learning!

Inside North Korea
Netflix
I've recently discovered that North Korea is this terrifying real-life dystopia and it scares the crap outta me. This is an interesting look at life in North Korea--as accurately as can be portrayed by an illegal undercover journalist posing as part of an eye surgeon's crew. BECAUSE REAL JOURNALISTS AREN'T ALLOWED INTO NORTH KOREA. For a good basic intro to the whole North Korea situation, check out this blog. (Warning: Language.)

The September Issue
Netflix
A glimpse into the world of Vogue magazine and the biggest issue of the year. I love the world of fashion. For some, it's materialistic and stupid, but I can't ignore the creativity and theatricalism of it all. This is also a great glimpse at the personalities of Anna Wintour, Editor in Chief, and Grace Coddington, creative director.

Greenwich Village: Music That Defined a Generation
Netflix
I'm in love with the 1960s. Especially in US History. Man, everything turned upside down. This is an awesome look at how one small artistic neighborhood in New York City helped shape an entire generation. So awesome.

Vanishing of the Bees
Netflix
This got a little preachy/propaganda-y towards the end, but it's a really good overview of the current bee situation. Bee colonies are dying all over the world, but especially in the United States. This documentary goes over the causes, the people trying to solve things, and what's really at stake. It also reiterated to me the sad truth that Europe errs on the side of caution, and America errs on the side of "Oh crap I won't make a ton of money."

When We Left Earth (series)
Netflix
I LOVED THIS SO MUCH!!! Here's something new I didn't really think about. A lot of those folks who pioneered space exploration--at least the ones who actually went into space--weren't scientists. They were Air Force guys. They were familiar with operating complicated machinery and could stay cool under pressure. Which was a really good thing because there were dozens and dozens of times when things created a lot of pressure. For example, did you know that when the Hubble first started sending pictures back to earth, they were BLURRY? The lens hadn't been sanded quite right. Then, once they fixed that, the solar panel wings on the Hubble didn't work. So the folks out in space had to radio back to earth what was wrong, and what they had with them to fix it. Then mission control had to mess around and engineer some sort of solution and then radio instructions back to space. All without video or email or anything--just radio voice communication. Oh, and it all had to be done right away because there wasn't enough oxygen to prolong the repair mission.

Jane's Journey
Netflix
I didn't know much about Jane Goodall until this documentary. All I knew is that she worked with chimpanzees and was a humanitarian. This gives a good overview of who she is and how she got to be who she is. I didn't know this--when Jane first began her work with apes, she had no degree. She was a 19-year-old high school graduate who was just passionate about studying wildlife in Africa and found an opportunity to do so. Pretty cool, huh?

Echo of the Elephants
Watch it here
I have a deep and spiritual love for elephants. They're so intelligent, and live such vivid emotional lives. For example, when they come upon the bones of an elephant, they become quiet and wary. They spend hours running their trunks over the bones, and often attempt to carry them away, hiding or burying them. They don't do this with the remains or bones of any other creature. They live in matriarchal societies, with extremely close family ties, and have the same lifespan as humans. This documentary follows a short time in the family of a matriarch named Echo, and she and her family deal with loss, hunger, new beginnings, and everything else that comes with family life. (Also, 29:00 = CUTEST THING EVER!)

Dolphins: The Ultimate Guide
Netflix
Cheeeesy, but informative and fun. I'm a little suspicious of some of their claims after having watched "Blackfish," but there's some great info here.

Ken Burns: Prohibition (series)
Netflix
Ken Burns is the classic historical documentary film-maker, and this series is awesome. The thing I love about Ken Burns is that he realizes that history doesn't happen in a vacuum--everything is the result of what came before it. The story of Prohibition doesn't start with the 18th Amendment in 1920. It starts way back in the 1800s, with Temperance Societies. Having context for Prohibition rounds out your understanding of it. This documentary starts with Temperance and ends with the the 21st Amendment, which repealed Prohibition.

Ken Burns: Jazz (series)
Netflix
Another great example of Ken Burns' understanding of history. If ever you want an understanding of jazz--its theory, its history, its traditions, its conventions--watch this documentary. It covers everything from old slave spirituals to the tightly orchestrated dance music of Glenn Miller. The history of jazz is also a history of race issues--there's no way around it, and this documentary does a great job of addressing that.

Al Capone: Biography of a Mob Boss
Watch it here
How to Control the Press: Lessons from Al Capone
If a newspaper reporter is printing disparaging things about you, wait until he's walking home alone. Then get six guys to beat him up. Then pay his hospital bill. Then buy the newspaper.
But seriously guys, Al Capone. He's such an interesting figure because nowadays, the image we have of him is split down the middle--generous gangster with a heart of gold, or selfish and ruthless murderer. And both are based in truth. On the one hand, Capone WAS generous, and he was willing to provide employment to hundreds of people during the Great Depression. He also had refused to deal in narcotics, so that's cool. On the other hand, he was doing a lot of things that were wrong, both legally and morally. He also was a murderer, and a ruthless one. So watch the documentary...I'll let you come to your own conclusions.

Bronies
Netflix
Oh my gosh. If you only watch one documentary on this list, WATCH THIS ONE. So awesome. I actually cried at the beauty of humanity while watching this. This documentary is about how a TV show for little girls (My Little Pony) transcended its own genre, and created a community of people (many of them men) devoted to messages of friendship and kindness. As Lauren Faust, the creator of the show said, "To people who feel that an adult man watching a show that's meant for little girls, if they think that's wrong or that that's strange, I would say this. I would ask them 'Why do you think that's strange? What about that makes you uncomfortable?' As a society I think our first reaction is to jump to the conclusion that there's something wrong with that. But I think that that's what needs to be changed. We need to allow men to be gentle, and to be sensitive, and to care about one another, and not call them weak for caring."

King Tut Unwrapped
Netflix

First of all, the name of this documentary is undeniably hilarious, so let's just acknowledge that for a moment. Okay, now that that's out of the way, this is a pretty cool documentary. If you're fairly familiar with ancient Egypt and King Tut, this documentary doesn't offer a whole lot of new information. But it does present it all clearly and interestingly. "Forensics and archeology come together to solve mysteries neither of them could do on their own." Also features Zahi Hawass, whom I find delightful. (Even though, in light of the recent upheaval in Egypt, he MIGHT have been in Mubarak's pocket?)

Smithsonian's Secrets: Richard III
Netflix
So remember a few years ago, when British newspapers announced that the remains of Richard III had been found under a parking lot in Leichester. Well, the whole story is SO MUCH MORE EXCITING. Phillipa Langley, of the Looking for Richard Project, compared antique maps with current maps to make an educated guess about where the site of an old church might be, where Richard III might be buried. It was a parking lot, and when she walked onto the site, she said she got an eerie feeling that it was the right place. It took years and a lot of convincing of a lot of different people to even start digging, but they finally did. It was a needle-in-a-haystack, no-one-really-knows-what-we'll-find situation, so on the first day of the dig, they asked Phillipa, "Where should we start?" She looked around, and saw a parking spot marked with a letter "R." She told them to start there. AND THEY FOUND BONES.

Smithsonian's Secrets: The Sphinx
Netflix
Not the most riveting documentary, but a decent glimpse into the history of the Sphinx. There are a lot of different theories about the age and purpose and creation of the Sphinx, and this documentary goes through all of them, finally focusing on the most accepted.

Smithsonian's The Real Story: Escape From Alcatraz
Netflix
I kinda like these "The Real Story" documentaries that Smithsonian's been putting on Netflix. Most people are familiar with the story of Frank Morris and Charles and John Anglin, who escaped Alcatraz in 1962, using dummy heads and a life raft made of raincoats. The jury's still out on what happened to them, and it's generally believed that they drowned. The story was solidified in the cultural mind with the Clint Eastwood film, but as always, Hollywood's version is the story-telling version--not the true version. The true version is that a guy named Allen West seemed to have been the mastermind behind the plan. He didn't make it out with the others, but it seems that he had every intention to. (This documentary also has wonderful re-enactments, with stand right on the border between legitimate film and cheesy low-budget work.)

Smithsonian's The Real Story: The Untouchables
Netflix
A bit more Al Capone history. This is another case of popular culture highjacking the truth. William Ness often gets credit for "bringing down Capone." He was seen as this incorruptible force for good. (Which he actually was--at one point, Capone's men came to him and said that if he left Capone alone, he'd find $2000 on his desk every Monday morning for the rest of his career. Which is the equivalent of around $25,000 in today's money. $25,000. EVERY MONDAY. William Ness declined the offer.) But the reality is that for all of Ness' work making arrests and destroying distilleries, it didn't make much of a legal dent in putting Capone away. His part in Capone's arrest was almost non-existent--his work was never used in any trial against Capone. Ness' role was glorified in a book written by Oscar Fraley in the 1950s, who knew what would sell and wrote according to that, as opposed to writing according to the truth. The truth is that Capone was jailed for tax evasion. And the man who found enough evidence to bring Capone to trial was an unassuming accountant named Frank Wilson. (Also, the actor they got to play William Ness really looks like William Ness.) 

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I have watched over 100 documentaries in the last ten years.

DOCUMENTARY OVERDOSE!!!

A Chapman Family Newsletter is forthcoming, but in the meantime, let's talk about documentaries.

We got Netflix. And I have an addiction.

In my defense, it's an addiction to learning, so I could be a lot worse off. I also still watch stuff on Topdocumentaryfilms.com and youtube, but most of the docs on this list are on Netflix (hence the lack of links). (I've also been on a body image/gender issues kick, you'll notice.)

I'm also at around 90 documentaries on the ongoing list of recommendations, so I'm in the process of organizing them by topic. In the meantime, that beast of an unorganized list is available by clicking on the "documentaries" tab at the top.

Elizabeth I: Killer Queen
Because we share the same name, I always liked to think that Queen Elizabeth was a kind, wise and noble ruler. The jury's still out on whether or not she actually killed anyone, but either way, she was mean. She once stabbed the back of one of her ladies in waiting's hands. She did write lovely poetry, though, so there's that.

The Last Days of Anne Boleyn
A bit more Tudor history. Anne Boleyn is such a set of contradictions to me that she's becoming more and more fascinating. I don't know whether to applaud her or dislike her. Either way, she was influential. One of my favorite things about this documentary is that it shows LOTS of different perspectives. They interview lots of authors and historians, and none of them really agree on certain aspects of Anne Boleyn's history.

The Great Inca Rebellion
Not quite as fascinating, but a nice glimpse into Inca history. Some interesting stuff about how myth and history get tangled up together, and how sometimes one informs the other and vice versa. History is written by the conquerors, but even they don't have perfect memories. Graves tell their own story.

Scatter My Ashes at Bergdorf's
Step into the glamorous world of fashion! This doc tells the tale of New York's snazziest department store, the rich and famous clientele who frequent it, and the place it holds in the hearts and minds of designers everywhere. And how about those windows?

Born Into Brothels
I actually watched this one years and years ago, but it's one I think about often, and it deserves to be on this list. A photographer visited Calcutta to photograph the women in the red light district and in addition, began to teach photography lessons to the children of the women she was photographing. This film examines the reality of growing up in the red light district, with a hopeful emphasis on the power of art to change lives.

My Penis and I
The reality is that women don't have penis envy. Men have penis envy. But why? What's the social focus on penis size? Does it really matter? Does it affect confidence? One "non-well-endowed" British man seeks to find the answers.
(WARNING: Full male and female nudity. There's also a point at which the narrator visits the set of a pornographic film for his research.)

Mansome
Another documentary about male body image. This one is lighthearted but fascinating. It's also interspersed with candid scenes of Will Arnett and Jason Bateman discussing what it means to be a man while they receive spa treatments, so that's amazing. Everything from facial hair to identity is covered.

Busting Out
One about women! This one examines America's obsession with breasts, both cosmetically and clinically. It's an interesting documentary because it covers breasts (ha) in the context of body image and in the context of disease--how women with breast cancer deal with the experience of losing a breast.

America the Beautiful
About halfway through this documentary, I realized that I'd seen it before, but was happy to rediscover it. I think about it often, but had no idea what it was called. It follows one man's journey to understand America's body image issues (and we have a lot). He discusses Dove's "Real Beauty" campaign, the modeling world, an obsession with plastic surgery, and how to help the rising generation deal with the confusing messages surrounding appearance.

How the Universe Works (series)
So much awesome science!!! The first episode covers the Big Bang, and then the series discusses everything from black holes to supernovas. To space enthusiasts, there's a nice balance of common knowledge and new info. I was most fascinated by the episode on alien solar systems. There are so many billions of stars out there, and many of them have planets orbiting them, just like we do our sun. But sometimes they're so crazy! And it illustrates how AMAZING our own solar system is. Did you know that if Jupiter didn't exist in its current state, the earth would probably have been destroyed a long time ago? The gravity of the huge planet pulls in anything hurtling towards earth. Thanks, Jupiter!

Tales From the Script
A great and inspiring documentary that writers and film enthusiasts will especially enjoy. Screenwriters discuss their experiences in Hollywood...the huge challenges to writing films, and the times when things go amazingly well. It's a nice sort of disillusionment in a way. You watch this documentary and realize that Hollywood can be this soulless pit and that you probably won't ever actually make money writing for the screen. But you also realize that if you've really got talent, and have a strong center, and have important stories to tell and know how to tell them, you can pour some soul back into Hollywood.
(WARNING: LANGUAGE.)

Cave of Forgotten Dreams
THIS DOCUMENTARY BLEW MY MIND!!!! There's a cave in France called "Chauvet Cave" and it houses the oldest known cave paintings on the earth--as in 30,000 years old. They can date them by dating the layers of [insert geological material that I can't remember the name of here] that's grown over the initial layers of paint. There was a rock slide that sealed the caves off for thousands and thousands of years, so when the cave was discovered in the 90's, lots of people thought it was a hoax because the paintings looked so fresh. And they are BEAUTIFUL paintings...full of motion and life. I actually cried.

Out Late
This documentary tells the story of 5 people--two women, two men, and one MTF transsexual--who all came out to their friends and family after the age of 50. Each of their stories are totally different, and some of them lived "straight" lives for many years before choosing to embrace their identity as lesbian or gay. It's heartwarming and honest, and if you're seeking to understand more about the LGBT experience, this is a pretty beautiful set of stories.

Kumare
Jacob discovered this one and watched almost the entire thing, and then right at the climax of the film, he stopped it and insisted that we watch the whole thing together. It's incredibly difficult to explain this film clearly, but it follows one man's attempt to understand religion. He creates a fake identity as a guru and begins a religion as an experiment--to see if he can gain followers and how far their devotion will go. But he begins to have transformative experiences of his own along the way, and the end result is pretty uplifting.

Blackfish
This one has been recommended to me a few times, and it's currently a pretty popular film on Netflix, which is pretty important. It's almost an expose. It tells the story of humans' complicated relationship with killer whales, focusing on how we use them in the entertainment industry. And you'll probably never want to visit SeaWorld again. Did you know that whales have structures in the emotional centers of their brains that humans don't have? So killer whales live incredibly rich emotional lives that we can't even conceive of--we don't even have the equipment in our brains to understand it. And their family units are so tight that orcas from different families speak different dialects--they can't even communicate with each other. This documentary was very difficult to watch, but I felt a moral imperative to watch it, and I'm glad I did.

Urbanized
This was especially interesting after watching the film "District 9," actually. This focuses on how cities are designed, how slums are created and good ways to address them, and ways that changes in cities can change societies as a whole. There was a weird bit at the end that focused disproportionately on Germany and one controversial remodeling project, but as a whole, it was a cool look at city design.

Page One: Inside the New York Times
Will the New York Times survive into the digital age?! Newspapers have it tough in the age of instant information, and many a newspaper has ended up on the chopping block. This documentary gives an inside look at the workings of the Times, and what journalism means today. They interview several reporters, talk about the legal traps and the social responsibility of journalism, and how newspapers have succeeded and failed.

Nova: Mystery of a Masterpiece
In 2007, an art collector paid $20,000 for a particularly striking Renaissance portrait. But somewhere along the way, someone said, "This looks a heck of a lot like the work of Leonardo da Vinci." (Which would make the portrait worth close to $100 million.) So, blending forensic science and art history, they set out to figure out who painted the portrait.

Series: Prophets of Science Fiction
I'm in the middle of this right now, and I'm enjoying it SO MUCH! This series starts with Mary Shelley as the true founder of science fiction and covers Phillip K. Dick, H.G. Wells, Arthur C. Clark, Isaac Asimov, Jules Verne, Robert Heinlein, and George Lucas. It covers the authors' lives, how they influenced the world of science fiction, and how their predictions have since come true. Any avid reader or film enthusiast or history buff will enjoy this series. (Oh! And it's hosted by Ridley Scott! And Michio Kaku makes appearances in every episode!) 

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DOCUMENTARY OVERDOSE!!!

Documentaries You Have to Go to Netflix to Find

Most of the time I get my documentary fix on youtube. But during the periods of my life when I've had access to Netflix, I've found some incredible documentaries that I couldn't always find elsewhere. If you've got a Netflix account, add a few of these titles. (Some may be available to stream, some you may need to get the DVD.)

The Meaning of Food
Chef Marcus Samuelsson discusses the cultural role food plays all over the world. From India to Samoa, there are rituals involving food and eating. Meals can be used to honor or insult each other, to other groups of people, or create a community. Lots of great interviews and insights.

The Wonder of It All
So so so so good. America's moon landing was a huge event in both science and politics, but this is a look at the more human experience of it. Astronauts Buzz Aldrin, Alan Bean, Edgar Mitchell, John Young, Charles Duke, Eugene Cernan and Harrison Schmitt all share their experiences in interviews and archive footage. One of the things they said was that there was SO MUCH research to do that they hardly had time to take in the fact that they were ON THE MOON. Surprisingly moving documentary.

Herb and Dorothy
I liked this one so much that I bought it. It tells the story of a couple from New York...he was a postal clerk, she was a librarian. On their middle class income, they slowly built one of the largest and most important collections of modern art in America. They had 2 rules for their purchases: it had to be affordable, and it had to fit in their modest one-bedroom apartment. After decades of collecting, they owned thousands of works by minimalist, modern painters and sculptors, and their collection has since been donated to museums throughout the United States. Herb and Dorothy Vogel redefined what it means to be an art collector.

American Experience: Earth Days
Awesome look at the series of events that led to the first National Earth Day celebration, and the people who pioneered the "green movement." From Rachel Carson's book "Silent Spring," to the first oil crises in the 60's and 70's, this is an awesome look at what led to the first Earth Day, and what still needs to be done to make our existence on this planet sustainable.

Objectified
I call this documentary "designers porn," because it's full of great design and inspiring artists. An interesting look at the balance that must be found between aesthetics and functionality. Most people don't really think about how a thing is designed unless it has some major flaw--at least I don't. I look at objects differently now. Did you know the first "hand-friendly" potato peeler was created by someone putting a bicycle handle on a regular peeler? Cool, huh?

Helvetica
Another bit of "designers porn," this documentary focuses on typeface design. As I've been learning graphic design, I've fallen more and more in love with typeface design and font websites. This documentary is interesting because it talks about how typeface reflects the aesthetics of a time period.

Nature: Koko
The gorilla who speaks sign language and loves kittens! This documentary threw me for a loop when I first saw it...I was totally overwhelmed by the humanity of an animal and it confused my sense of order for a while. But I've since been introduced to a lot of insights that have helped me figure things out, and I still think this is a fantastic documentary.

Commune
So awesome. During the sixties, there was a huge movement to get out of the cities and into nature, and communal living was a big part of that. This documentary follows the people of one particular commune (that's still a commune today), the challenges and benefits of communal living, and how things changed over the years. Warning: Lots of nudity. None of it is explicitly sexual, but it's full frontal male and female nudity. 

Jonestown
Powerful, terrifying, heart-breaking, and IMPORTANT. This tells the story of Jim Jones and the "People's Temple," the cult that ended with cyanide-laced Kool-Aid in the jungles of Guyana. That horrific event had few survivors, but those that did manage to escape Jones' grasp give detailed interviews and share their experiences. A voice of warning and a tribute to tragedy.

Sound and Fury
Iconic documentary about the controversy of cochlear implants. There are lots of members of the deaf community who feel that cochlear implants destroy their community, while others (both within and without the deaf community) who see cochlear implants as a miracle you'd be crazy to pass up. It's a very personal story, focusing on one family and their decision about whether or not to give their young daughter an implant.

New York in the Fifties
New York was in the 1950s what Paris was in the 1920s...this center of art and poetry and literature and performance and ideas. From the beat poets to Andy Warhol, it all started in New York. The entire revolution of the 1960s and 70s truly started in New York in the 1950s.

Girl 27
A disturbing and important story of a girl who was raped at an MGM party in the 1930s and refused to stay silent about it. Sexual abuse was far more common in Hollywood, especially in the 1930s, than anyone wants to admit. The courage of "Girl 27" and her David-and-Goliath story is a powerful one. 

Pururambo
I went through this strange phase of about a week when I was really fascinated with Papua New Guinea...I still kind of am. But it's hard to find good documentaries about it because so few people have visited the isolated tribes that live there. I loved this documentary because it felt so genuine. (You know, parts where the camera crew is dodging arrows.) But it was also respectful. And I was made so aware of the incredible wealth I live in, even under the poverty line, compared to people who live hand to mouth. 

Art of the Steal
This documentary INFURIATED me. A man named Dr. Albert Barnes created an impressive collection of post-impressionist paintings (including dozens of Renoirs, Cezannes, Matisses, and Picassos) with the express purpose of making them available to the public and to art students as a free resource. He specified that the collection should always be used this way in his will, but when he died in 1951, all hell broke loose.  

Stolen

Ever heard of the 1990 Boston art heist? Yeah, I hadn't either. But somehow, thieves broke into the Isabella Stewart Gardner museum and made off with 13 MASTERPIECES, including a Rembrandt and Vermeer's famous "The Concert." The Gardner will stated that nothing could be removed or changed about the gallery, so for years the frames simply remained empty. Are the paintings ever found? You'll have to watch to find out.

The Imposter
A totally alarming and completely fascinating true story. In 1994, 13-year-old Nicholas Barclay disappeared from his hometown in San Antonio, Texas. When "he" was found in Spain three years later, he had an accent and looked completely different. Frederic Bourdin, a 23-year-old Frenchman, managed to convince the family that he was their son. When he was finally found out,  he added even more mystery to the disappearance of Nicholas all those years before. 

It Might Get Loud
Jimmy Page, The Edge, and Jack White all get together and talk about music and guitars and then play each other's songs? So awesome. I learned things about music and creativity from this documentary that I still reference to this day. 

Pageant
Did you know there's an annual Miss Gay America competition? I have a special place in my heart for drag queens. Maybe I was one in another life or something, but this movie was a great celebration of drag shows and drag queens, but also a great look at what it's like to be gay in America today.

Miss Representation
A great documentary about the glaring absence of women in leadership positions and the boxes we constantly put women and girls in, whether it be regarding their appearance or their gender role or what it is they're "supposed" to do. Great interviews with everyone from Gloria Steinem to Katie Couric.

Small Town Gay Bar
You know, things are getting better for the LGBT community in a lot of ways. But we've still got a long ways to go. This documentary focuses on two or three gay bars located in the Deep South. It's not easy growing up gay in the heart of Bible Belt Mississippi, so gay bars provide a community and a haven for those who are otherwise stuck in the closet. 

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Documentaries You Have to Go to Netflix to Find

Another list of...

...documentaries. Of course. During the summer at the Playmill, I didn't watch many, but now I'm back in Rexburg, and in my post-Playmill depression, I've been watching lots. Especially about ancient aliens. Here are a few to add to the list.

Ancient Egypt: The Mystery of the Rosetta Stone
A historical documentary with strong cinematography and great acting? Awesome. And an exciting and interesting documentary about history and language.

Real Ninjas
So awesome! This talked about the tools and weapons that real ninjas used, many of which gave rise to the myths surrounding their abilities (e.g. scaling walls, catching swords with their bare hands, walking through walls, etc). Ninjutsu is actually a pretty cool practice...it combines the skill of the samurai with the discipline and philosophy of Buddhism. Cool, huh?

There is a whole plethora of documentaries about how aliens visited/created ancient civilizations, and I love almost all of them. I've been on a big ancient alien kick, so I'll just link the handful of episodes I've been watching. (My opinion? I'm open to the possibility of aliens visiting earth, but I'm even more open to the idea that human civilization goes through cycles of knowledge and ignorance, light and darkness, and that we're insulting our own humanity by saying those who came before couldn't have done what we do. But there's still some pretty amazing stuff in the ancient world. Underground cities! Magnetic earth lines! Peru!) Anyway, have fun watching these.
Ancient Aliens - Proof They Set Up Our Civilizations!
Ancient Aliens - Mysterious Places!
Ancient Aliens - Underwater Worlds! 
Ancient Aliens - A Secret Code!
Ancient Aliens - Tombs! 
Ancient Aliens - Puma Punku!
Ancient Aliens - Power Plants! 

And I really debated about posting these last two, but I decided to because they were so interesting and it was totally possible for me to watch them appropriately. They talks about ancient traditions and beliefs about sexuality, the culture surrounding sex, and some of the laws involved. Fascinating. There's actually a whole series, but I've only watched the Egypt and Rome ones. Reader/Viewer discretion advised.
Sex in the Ancient World: Egypt
Sex in the Ancient World: Rome

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Another list of...

Why go to college when you can watch these all day?

I feel like I don't spend THAT much time watching documentaries, but then I make these lists and discover otherwise. In my defense, they're educational, and I usually watch them while doing something else as well and...

Who am I kidding? I love watching documentaries and I will continue to devote hours of my life to it. Should you care to join me, here are a few recommendations.

The Machine That Made Us

Stephen Fry hosts this documentary about Johannes Gutenberg and the invention of the printing press. It's pretty incredible to think how the entire course of human history was changed by this one invention. This very blog entry might have taken me months or years to write before Gutenberg...and he laid the path for typewriters, which laid the path for word processing. Now, Gutenberg, my words can be sent into the ENTIRE world in a matter of SECONDS.

The Lost World of Lake Vostok
So AWESOME! There's this lake in Antarctica, that's covered in over 4 km of ice, and it seems that it's been sealed off from the rest of the world for MILLIONS of years. Could life exist there? Even without light? It does in sealed caves in Romania...the life there produces energy through chemothynthesis (chemical reactions), instead of photosynthesis. And if life exists in Lake Vostok, then it could exist elsewhere, LIKE JUPITER'S MOON EUROPA. Because Europa is similarly coated with ice several kilometers thick, and its patterns indicate liquid water beneath the surface. The universe is awesome.

The Ancient Maya: Tools of Astronomy
Sometimes the host of this documentary irritated me a little bit. But that's okay because the Maya are awesome. I've often thought over the last few years how unaware most of us are of the stars. It seems that their movements, and the movements of the planets, was a big part of life for many ancient cultures, and nowadays, most of us couldn't point out more than two constellations. Because of light pollution, lack of knowledge, or both. I somehow took this as a reminder to look up when I'm outside more often.

Fry and Laurie Reunited
Remember how awesome Hugh Laurie and Stephen Fry both are? Remember how they worked together for YEARS on Jeeves and Wooster and A Bit of Fry and Laurie? Well, their careers have taken them on separate paths, and they meet up again in this documentary, face to face for the first time in 15 years. It's a fun introduction to the two of them as individuals, and as a comedic duo. Hugh Laurie can make Stephen Fry laugh harder than anyone. And there's a great story about Hugh Laurie's firstborn son's TV debut. This is also a great watch if you're interested in comedy writing or sketch comedy.

PBS Life on Fire: Icelandic Volcanoes

This doc is part of a series about volcanoes that my mom recommended. This one happens to be narrated by Jeremy Irons, so that's a plus. It's also really cool. Volcanoes are so epic. And Iceland is such a hip place.

The Pyramid Code
I watched this one about a year and a half ago, but I think about it a lot still. It's changed the way that I see history. A lot of this documentary is pretty out there, from conspiracy theories to New Age philosophy, but having my own views challenged has helped me become a better critical thinker when it comes to history. There's something exhilarating about having everything you thought about history turned on its head. And I think there's something to seeing ancient cultures in a different light. 

Koko: A Talking Gorilla
I watched this wondering if it was the documentary I watched years ago that sent me into a species identity crisis, but it's not. (The one I watched years ago was called "Nature: Koko.") I really love that signing gorilla. After that initial freakout that the human species was not so separate from nature, I've come to embrace the idea, and I'm fascinated by the way apes obtain language. This is a fun documentary because at least 70% of it is just footage of Koko. Koko is still around, and even has her own youtube channel! Which is fun. And Penny Patterson is still Koko's "mom." =) It's really fun to watch the documentary and then the recent videos...it's fun to see the way Koko and Penny have grown together. 

Beautiful Minds: The Psychology of the Savant

Okay, the soundtrack/sound design for this documentary is all kinds of annoying, but the info it attempts to mask is fascinating. There are several parts to the documentary, and here they are. 

Memory Masters - This actually made me wonder if there's a relationship between ADD and savantism. People with ADD have a hard time filtering out sensory information to focus in on certain things, and savants don't filter out what normal brains consider "unimportant" memories. (And Prof. Allan Snyder is the hippest scientist ever. You'll know him when you see him.)

The Einstein Effect - Some interesting stuff in this one about mindsets. Some people believe that savants are so incredible because they see the world as it really is, without preconceived mindsets or ideas. Also includes some interesting theories on the correlation between Autism and creativity.

A Little Matter of Gender - Okay, so there were parts of this that struck me as downright sexist. But those sexist statements were made by the people being interviewed, and the writers did a decent job of counteracting the assumptions being made. (Not great, but decent.) But despite all that, there was lots of intriguing stuff...apparently there's a connection between high testosterone levels in fetal development and autism. That's why so many more autistic people are male.

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Why go to college when you can watch these all day?

Feed your mind

It occurred to me the other day that I think being a documentary host would be one of my dream jobs. (The others involving acting, teaching, and writing.) Think about it...I'd get to sort of act (at least follow a script), travel, learn, and then share that knowledge. What more could I ask for?! But as I'm not sure how to go about becoming a documentary host, I'll settle for watching documentaries until the opportunity arises.

Alien Cities Underground
The earth's core is hollow, and home to alien races! I have a soft spot in my heart for these conspiracy-esque documentaries. There is some pretty cool stuff in here, like the discovery of an underground city that could house 20,000 people in Turkey. Also, if you're Mormon, this is a really cool documentary--Ecuadorian Indians are guardians of a cave of treasures that parallel artifacts from ancient Egypt and other Middle Eastern cultures. How could they have possibly gotten them?! This documentary postulates aliens, but I've got another theory. =) If you're not Mormon, read this book and you'll see how cool this is.

Lost Science of the Bible
I actually watched this one hoping it would be the same one I watched years ago with a similar subject, but it wasn't. Fairly entertaining, though. They made an ark of the covenant replica levitate. They talked about how water can be used to initiate a chemical reaction that creates fire (think Elijah). God is the greatest scientist.

The Antikythera Machine
Ancient civilizations are awesome. The modern concept of ancient peoples is that they were developmentally behind us, but they were still the same species, and to say they weren't capable of incredible engineering and technological feats is a bit of an insult. Take the ancient Greeks, for example. Or the Romans. They invented cuckoo clocks. Did you know that? Also, this documentary talks about the Ancient Library of Alexandria a lot, and I actually get teary-eyed thinking about how much knowledge was lost in its destruction. War is stupid! Libraries are awesome! We'd probably know how to build Egyptian pyramids today if Caesar hadn't gotten all battle-happy and burned everything.

The Real Bonnie and Clyde
I actually watched this one a while ago, but forgot to recommend it here. The classic Warren Beatty/Faye Dunaway film is pretty fantastic, but the truth is even stranger than fiction in this case. Clyde Barrow is an especially tragic figure, and this documentary both moved and fascinated me. It was because of the Barrow Gang that the US Government created ways to coordinate federal searches of criminals--before Bonnie and Clyde, catching criminals was a haphazard county-to-county affair.

Nefertiti Resurrected
This is a two-part documentary focusing on the famous queen/possibly pharaoh Nefertiti. I'm kind of obsessed with her husband Akhenaten, and Egypt's history during their reign. This documentary covers a lot of it, although I tend to give Akhenaten more of the benefit of the doubt. There's all kinds of awesome stuff in this documentary, including appearances by the delightful Zahi Hawass and semi-silly reenactments. The focus is on three mummies found in KV-35...is one of them Nefertiti herself?! You'll have to watch this to find out.

BBC's How to Grow a Planet Series

I have separate blurbs for each part of this series listed below, but just as a whole, this documentary is INCREDIBLE. All the HD glory of Discovery Channel's "Planet Earth," but with the added element of a story spanning billions of years. From the very first bacteria all the way to our own species of humanity, our planet's story is a pretty incredible one. There were times when this series actually made me weep at the beauty of the earth. (Note: This documentary sort of skips over the exact details of how evolution works, saying things like "Flowers developed seeds." For the exceptionally curious, I'd recommend brushing up on natural selection and sexual selection to get those details.)

How to Grow a Planet: Life From Light
This is an awesome overview of the beginnings of life on earth. Did you know that millenia ago, the oceans were purple? How incredible would that have been to see? This documentary has some stunning footage, and goes from the very first photosynthesizing bacteria to dinosaurs in the evolution of life on earth.

How to Grow a Planet: The Power of Flowers
Maybe we take them for granted, but life as we know it would be COMPLETELY different if it weren't for flowers. Did you know that there are some flowers who only release their pollen to honeybees, and ONLY when the honeybees beat their wings at a frequency of middle C? Did you know that some flowering trees in rain forests release 5 tons of water vapor into the air PER DAY?

How to Grow a Planet: The Challenger
Have you ever really thought about how much grass is on our planet? It's so humble, it seems like it would have been one of the first plants on earth, but scientists believe grasses came AFTER trees and flowers. This documentary is also fun because it gets into human history. Part of the reason our ancestors might have become bipedal is because they had to stand to see over the tall grasses. CRAZY. Grass has played a major role in human history--who knew?

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Feed your mind

Brain food

Hello everyone!

Need something to watch while you fold laundry/organize your filing cabinet/cross-stitch your favorite saying? Here are some enlightening and entertaining documentary recommendations for your viewing pleasure!

Note: I haven't done a documentary update in a while, so I hope I don't accidentally mix them up in my reviews somehow. I might also be forgetting some key thoughts, but whatever. Just watch.

How Does Your Memory Work? 
I think we all know by now how much I love the human brain, and this documentary was a good fix for my brain-junkie cravings. You don't realize how extraordinary your ability to remember things is until it's taken away from you, or until you meet someone who can't remember things. From the challenges of short-term memory loss to the possibility of "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" becoming a reality, this documentary covers a whole range of awesome.

Battle of the Brains
So, the IQ test has been controversial for a long time. This documentary seeks to test different kinds of intelligence--mathematical, creative, emotional, etc.--by bringing together six extraordinary minds. A musical prodigy, a quantum physicist, an artist, a dramatist, an RAF fighter pilot, a chess grandmaster and a Wall Street trader all complete various tasks from a standard vocab test to a painting to solving puzzles. It seems intelligence comes in all shapes and sizes. =)

Why Do We Talk? 
So so so so so so awesome! Linguistics is so fascinating. Did you know that in experiments with making up languages, people will naturally begin to create linguistic rules? This documentary also talks about "the forbidden experiment"...raising a child from birth with no verbal or written communication, to see what happens. Will they develop language? How much of language is inherent? Of course, the ethical implications of this experiment are what make it "forbidden," so the way around it is studying feral children--children who were raised in the wild by animals. Which really happens. Very very rarely, and most reports are hoaxes, but it does happen, and it scares me so much I start to cry just thinking about it. This documentary contains a few seconds of video footage of a girl named Oxana Malaya, who was raised by dogs in the Ukraine until the age of 8. And it gave me nightmares for about two weeks. But the documentary is fascinating.

BBC: Modern Spies, Part 1 and Part 2
So awesome. And I walked around for a few days fairly certain that everyone around me was a spy. This documentary focuses on MI6 and British spying, although it does get in to American spy stuff. I partly watched it because I wasn't sure how they were going to do this documentary without endangering civilian safety, but I learned a lot of general info...just nothing specific enough to make me an insider. =) They talked about how real spying is different from the movies, about the risk of "entrapment," about whether or not spies ever have a "license to kill." Oh, and about the Russian spy Anna Chapman! She was arrested in 2010, along with NINE OTHER AGENTS who were part of a Russian sleeper cell in New Jersey, which had been working on gathering intelligence for like, TEN YEARS. (Is it getting "cold" in here?) So, the next time someone tells you you're being paranoid about something, tell them about this. Because the truth is stranger than fiction.

BBC: Nature's Weirdest Events, Part 1 and Part 2
This is more on the daytime-TV boring-ish side, but there was some crazy stuff, and I was entertained. And mouse plagues are the grossest, most terrifying things ever.

Tales From the Hive
BEES ARE AWESOME. I love them. They're so industrious and brave and smart. And they dance! And they do little trumpet-y noises while they dance. It's called a "wiggle dance." Did you know that? If you didn't, you should. This documentary has some INCREDIBLE footage. I mean, you could just mute the documentary, put on some Beethoven and just watch. But, don't mute it, because there's some amazing stuff here to learn about.

What Are Animals Thinking? 
Okay, the host of this documentary is kind of annoying. But that aside, this is a super-awesome documentary about animal behavior, and by extension, what it means to be human. For instance, do dogs really know what we're thinking? Is empathy a strictly human trait? The natural world is pretty incredible. And homing pigeons are awesome.

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Brain food

D-d-d-d-d-documentaries!

Guys, I never realize how many documentaries I really watch until I do these blogs.

Here are a few educational gems to indulge in, if you've got an hour or so to spare, or want something running in the background while you fold laundry. Happy viewing!

Atlantis: The Evidence
I've watched a lot of documentaries about Atlantis, but this one was the most comprehensive. It took all the historical theories about Atlantis and covered each of them. It's based on the idea that Plato wrote about Atlantis as a cautionary tale against wealth, creating this world from snippets of surrounding cultures. Fun documentary, and a great introduction into the legend.

The Beauty of Maps
There are several parts to this documentary, but I've only watched the first bit about Medieval maps. (I'm not sure if the other bits are available online...one of these days, I'll find 'em and watch 'em.) This first documentary focuses on the Hereford Mappa Mundi, which is one of the oldest complete maps in the world. I hadn't thought about this before, but this documentary caused me to realize that maps don't just give us a location...they give us a world-view. That line "here be dragons" was actually used on a real map. Maps also had a role in "othering" peoples...they could be portrayed as lower class in a map.

Cracking the Maya Code
Okay, first of all, this documentary features this screenshot:

 so, that's fun. Also, linguistics is fascinating. So are the Mayans.

Do We Really Need the Moon? 
Okay, EVERYTHING about our entire existence is tied to the moon. Not just the tides. Heck, if it wasn't for the moon, life on earth might not even exist. You might find yourself looking up every time you go outside at night for a while after watching this. Or wishing you had a telescope. Or both.

Greeks: Crucible of Civilization 
Favorite parts about this? Story of the marathon, and learning more about Socrates. Greece really was the crucible of civilization. Can you imagine how incredible it is that democracy was born? No one had EVER done that in the world the Greeks knew about at the time! Seriously...without a handful of black and white stones on some steps in Athens, the U.S. as we know it probably wouldn't exist. Man, the Greeks were awesome. (Okay, so they didn't treat their women very well, but...you know.) 

Revelation of the Pyramids
You guys. Aliens totally built the pyramids. This documentary PROVES it.
Okay, so it's a little heavy-handed on the conspiracy angle. Interviews are interspersed with these intense image/music sequences. But the math behind this whole pyramid thing is pretty crazy awesome. And I like the parallels with other cultures that it draws.

The Science of Dogs
Okay, besides being fascinating, this documentary also features, for about two minutes, the expertise of a guy named Dr. Morten Kringelbach, which should be reason enough to watch. If that isn't enough for you, you can be drawn in by the interesting history of domestication and how/why dogs seem to communicate so well with human beings.

The Secret Life of a Manic Depressive
This is a slightly heavier documentary than those I usually recommend, but it is EXCELLENT. Stephen Fry, that gem of a British entertainer, has suffered from manic depression for most of his life, but has chosen not to be medicated. In this 2-hour documentary, he shares his story and interviews handfuls of others about their experiences with this often misunderstood condition. There are a lot of brave people who deal with the challenges of manic depression, and they are each even more courageous for sharing their stories. I feel that I learned a great deal both about the medicine and the humanity of manic depression.

We the Tiny House People
Have you heard of the Tiny House movement? People moving away from space-wasting/spacious living and finding joy in 400 square feet? There's also a blog about the phenomenon, and I am totally enchanted by it. Jacob and I's current apartment is only about 700 square feet...probably a little less. But I was totally inspired by the simplicity with which the "Tiny House People" live. One aspect of tiny house living that I especially love is its eco-friendly nature. Less space = less stuff, fewer emissions, less electricity, and more alternative energy. Even if you're not inspired to give up all your worldly goods and move into a shed, you may be inspired to go through your home, get rid of a few things and make some changes to smaller living. (Oh, and there's a charming hippie lady who lives on a delightfully colorful houseboat, and there is a part of me that wants her life. And her houseboat.)

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D-d-d-d-d-documentaries!