I have been
making a list of all the Documentaries and Biographies/Biographical movies that
I have been watching. I started watching these because I really did not want to
come out of lockdown having wasted all this time on mindless tv. Not that I
have been avoiding the vapid and the pointless, I just don’t want too much of
it. Also, I can feed my brain a few facts or understand someone’s motivation or
their justification. And as we are experiencing a worldwide crisis it might be
useful to draw on the life experience of another.
I have made
use of Netflix, Apple Tv, Amazon Prime, YouTube and trawled the internet for all
the documentaries and bios.
Love, Scott
Scott is a
Canadian musician and one night after performing he was assaulted outside the
nightclub for being gay. Scott was left paralysed. This bio is about his journey
towards acceptance of himself and his new life and those who accompany him, his
mother and sister. While I felt terrible for what had happened to him, I did
not really take much out of the experience other than he is loved and
supported.
Stuffed
Now here
was a documentary that I thought I was going to make me sad and have me foot
stomping angry. From the get-go, the eccentric characters made it clear that
what they did was not about death, but about life. From the burlesque looking
ladies who painstakingly worked on recreating the animal to almost lifelike splendor,
to the Dutch artists who preferred to use their animals as art exhibitions
rather than clinical dioramas at a natural history museum. How they come by
their subjects remains a mystery, and if seen as a sensitive gesture, this film
is worth watching.
Hitler’s
Steel Beast
While he
may need no introduction, this is a fascinating look at the train the Hitler
used as a travelling headquarters, almost like Airforce One on rails, only
grander and for its time far better equipped. Did I mention that this steel
beast was called America? I watched this purely because my history knowledge is
lacking, and I appreciate that I could supplement it with something
interesting.
Suffragette
The kind of
movie you would probably find on the art circuit. It at no point claims to be
based entirely on fact, however the central characters and the movement are
true to history. I watched this because, although I was aware of the
suffragette movement, I had no idea of when it started and the lengths each
side would go to achieve their goal. I also learnt that strength of spirit
rises above any abuse one is forced to endure.
There’s Something
in the Water
I mentioned
watching this in an earlier post. It is a story that has been told repeatedly,
only with different characters and locations. The thought that one life is more
valuable than another is how those that are guilty of stealing land, poisoning
the earth and water, and causing death and suffering amongst indigenous people,
justify their actions to themselves and the world. I found it a fitting
documentary, considering our current situation and my belief that we owe the earth
an apology. An apology that is validated through a change in behavior.
Bombshell –
Hedy Lamar
As
beautiful as she was intelligent, this actress of Austrian descent, born in
1914, found herself in movies from an early age. Not at all highbrow stuff and in
instances quite risqué for the time. She was instrumental in the design of a
secure method of communication, the basics of which were later used in the development
of blue-tooth technology and gps functionality. She was however only recognized
for her contribution shortly before her death in 2000. A beautiful woman, an interesting
tale.
Skid Row Marathon
On his daily
run through Skid Row in Los Angeles a judge is joined by people from a local
mission and some who have passed through his court. This tale is about their
struggle to sort their lives out, the direction and commitment they gain from
training and ultimately joining the judge in a marathon abroad. Loved this
doccie and its message.
The Triumph
– Medjugorje
I am not
Catholic and do not subscribe to religious ritual, but I was fascinated by the
utter faith with which pilgrims complete their pilgrimage. Medjugorje is a town
in what was communist Yugoslavia. I think it now forms part of Croatia; I will
have to check. It is also the town where, on 25 June 1981, Mary, the Mother of
God appeared to six children and continues to appear to them on this day every
year. The focus is on a young American man who was sent to Medjugorje by his
parents in the hope that he would sort out his life, and on one of the six
children who is escorted up the hill to a cross where Mary appears to her. Communist rule saw these children persecuted
and there is little mention of them. An interesting journey into faith.
Franca:
Creation and Chaos
This one was recommended by a friend, and I was a bit sceptical about a fashion bio. But then I would not be true to myself or my mission if I didn't at least take a peak. I watched it all in one go! The editor
of Italian Vogue until her death from lung cancer in 2016. I took an instant
liking to this woman who spends the duration being interviewed by her son. Her
pragmatic outlook on life is at once unexpected and refreshing.
Infamous
Another ‘movie’
based on actual events. I have not read any of his books, but it is evident
that Truman Capote was more than just the camp persona he displayed. Witty and
insightful, this is his journey to both an understanding of the facts and his
own vulnerability. This movie was released about a year after Capote starring
Philip Seymour-Hoffman, in both movies the catalyst was his research for his
novel In Cold Blood.
This is
such a long post, so it’s probably a good thing that I didn’t save my list till
last. Although somewhat erratic, my selection is not random, I have chosen
topics that may interest me, people who may trigger thoughts and at all times
kept me interested. Am I going to remember everything? No, but the changes in thinking and the new ideas have settled in.
