My picks- 9/11 by the Naudet brothers, and The Fog of War. Seeing McNamara actually say “We knew what we were doing made us war criminals and did it anyway” chilled me to my core.
Oh, and Ken Burns’ Baseball.
Rize
The Boys of Baraka -
*On September 12, 2002 twenty “at risk” 12-year-old boys from the tough streets of inner-city Baltimore left home to attend the 7th and 8th grade at Baraka, an experimental boarding school located in Kenya, East Africa. Here, faced with a strict academic and disciplinary program as well as the freedom to be normal teenage boys, these brave kids began the daunting journey towards putting their lives on a fresh path.
“The Boys of Baraka” focuses on four boys: Devon, Montrey, Richard and his brother Romesh. Their humor and explicit truthfulness give intimate insight into their optimistic plans, despite the tremendous obstacles they face both at home and in school. Through extensive time with the boys in Baltimore and in Africa, the film captures the kids’ amazing journey and how they fare when they are forced to return the difficult realities of their city.
“The Boys of Baraka” zeros in on kids that society has given up on - - boys with every disadvantage, but who refuse to be cast off as “throw-aways.”
*
Born into Brothels -
*British-born photojournalist Zana Briski overcame barriers of language, culture, and ethnicity when she immersed herself into an impoverished and illegal neighborhood in the Third World metropolis of Calcutta, India. An award-winning photographer, Briski befriended the children of Sonagachi (the city’s red light district), starting a photography workshop for them and equipping them each with their own camera. The transformative power of this simple object is remarkable; within weeks, the children show new spirit and several have discovered a talent for the art. Briski and her co-director, Ross Kaufman, follow the children as they filter their marginalized, forgotten world through the camera lens. Over the course of the film, a central narrative unfolds–the children’s quest, fueled by their newfound hope and strength, to leave the brothels for a better life.
The directors frame the children in extreme close-ups, caressing their features and capturing each subtle change of expression. By intercutting their own images with those taken by the children, the directors establish the distinct personality and voice of their subjects. Among them are Avijit, a rotund, serious 11-year-old of immense talent, whose mother is murdered by her pimp during the filming; Kochi, a quiet slip of a girl, destined to follow the family line of prostitution; and Puja, a feisty tomboy whose tenacity allows her to photograph the district’s most dangerous areas. Though the beauty of the story is marred by tragedy and heartbreak, this fine documentary is ultimately a testament to the immense power of art, even in the bleakest of environments.*
My vote is for Little Dieter Needs to Fly, a Werner Herzog documentary about a German who came to America to become a pilot after WWII. He was shot down in Vietnam and was a POW for some time. There’s a scene that made me break down and cry, for some inexplicable reason: Dieter shows the camera his food cellar, where he has a year’s worth of food. He doesn’t really need it or use it; it just makes him feel better having it. That really got to me, for some reason.
Also, I’ll have to mention Farenheit 9/11, if only for the scene of the Iraqi woman screaming and crying about the death of her family. That one elicited tears as well.
Finally got to see Darwin’s Nightmare. Excellent film.
Grey Gardens was recently turned into a musical play, by the way.
I’ll second the Civil War by Ken Burns.
I’ve been watching this again recently and not only has it deeply affected me with the cost, strangly it’s given me more pride in being an American then anything in years. Despite our flaws(of which we have many), it’s just inspirational.
I also feel that McClellen was a major tool and kept wonder why the hell Lincoln didn’t fire him when he refused to obey his orders.
I just finished Hoop Dreams, and loved it.