Documentary Films

[BruceH]

I also recently rediscovered that Peter Watkins "You Are There"-style documentary about what would happen in England if a nuclear war broke out, The War Game. They actually showed this to us in high school, and ironically at that time it couldn't be seen in England. It was made for the BBC in the 60's and then the BBC refused to air it. For 30 years.

Remember seeing that on TV the first time they broadcast it in UK around 1985-ish (although I'd seen it at a private viewing years earlier). Banned for many years for fear that it would provoke mass panic. The same film-maker also did a TV docu-drama version of 'Culloden' which was broadcast at time it was made and was similarly controversial over here for its sense of realism. Re-broadcasted recently by the BBC.

Always remember that scene in 'The War Game' where the police are shooting the looters lined up against a wall and the mass burials using quick-lime are being carried out. Too close to the truth if you ask me.. Apparently much of the detail was drawn from real experience from the Hamburg firestorms of WW2.

Ah, so they only refused to show it for roughly 20 years. I saw it in either '76 or '77... Two scenes that stayed with me through the decades are when the firestorm rages, and the shots of traumatized children at the end, shaking and staring vacantly. The shooting of looters and mass-burials I must have suppressed, although when I recently viewed a tape of it, the whole thing was VERY familiar. Both The War Game and Culloden are being brought out on a single DVD soon. (It was Glenn Erickson's review of same on DVD Savant that made me search it out recently.) I'm looking forward (if that's the term) to getting it.

[Late]

American Masters put out a 6-DVD box set titled "The Artists: Portraits of Creativity" — a (somewhat arbitrary) selection of artists of the 20th century. The artists are:

1. Richard Avedon

2. Alexander Calder

3. Robert Rauschenberg

4. Man Ray

5. Norman Rockwell

6. Alfred Stieglitz

So far, I've only seen the first two. The Avedon was well-made, but I guess I'm just not the biggest fan of Avedon. The Calder, however, was excellent. I really liked it — but, again, that's probably because I like Calder.

This set is worth checking out. I'm guessing most libraries would have it.

[RonF]

For you art appreciators - Environmental/nature artist Andy Goldsworthy's Rivers and Tides is highly recommended.

Edited September 10, 2006 by RonF

[kinuta]

Why has nobody mentioned 'When The Levees Broke'?

Vietnam The 10,000 Day War

The Fog Of War

BBC Global Dimming / The Power Of Nightmares

[BruceH]

Why has nobody mentioned 'When The Levees Broke'?

Vietnam The 10,000 Day War

The Fog Of War

BBC Global Dimming / The Power Of Nightmares

The 13-part "Vietnam: A Television History" is also very good.

[sidewinder]

'World at War' is still an absolute classic. First saw this back in about 1972 when it was first broadcast and it made a massive impression, at a time when these things were still 'relatively' recent (shocks me even thinking of it).

[etherbored]

i'm a huge fan of kon ichikawa's "tokyo olympiad". it takes its subject matter of the 1964 summer olympic games and presents it in such beautiful fluidity. this is a narrator-less film, but completely engrossing nonetheless. if you're in the mood to sit and surrender to the sheer aesthetic of a film, this is one to check out.

-e-

[Late]

Just saw Why We Fight last night, thanks to recommendations here. A grim, sobering film — and likely more full of truth than fancy.

[patricia]

WAR PHOTOGRAPHER by Christian Frei. Almost all the war documentaries, at least for me, pale when compared with this film, which I recommend everyone find and view.

It's centred around the war photographer, JAMES NACHTWEY, one of the finest war-zone photographers working today. He has been at every war zone recording their effects on the ordinary citizen for over twenty years.

YOU are behind his camera, seeing the horrible effects of political and idealogical disputes, solved by the killing of ordinary people, or destroying the lives of those they don't kill.

Nachtwey is the quintessential peace activist, but one who actually is attempting to make a difference, by showing us the results of de-humanizing people to make political gain.

He, because he is not glorifying war, has earned the respect of the people he photographs and from his fellow war-chroniclers. Not a bad legacy.

A must-see, IMO.

Edited September 27, 2006 by patricia

[birdanddizzy]

I agree completely with you Patricia, War Photographer IS a must-see.

[king ubu]

Most of my favourites have been mentioned, so let me just add another hearty recommendation for some:

- Fog of War

- The War Game

- War Photographer (tough viewing, but very, very good)

Then, since I only saw it mentioned once, special recommendation for Dr. Death.

Also I saw a very good documentary about Nixon recently, but I can't recall how it was called. It was shown in a theatre here, last week.

Then, another one I enjoyed, Weather Underground, about the Weather Men - totally fascinating documentary about post-WWII US society and history. Many utterly disgusting facts in there, and some of those ex-Weathermen and ladies are very fascinating and very thoughtful individuals today. Maybe I wrote about this one in the film corner, maybe I just wrote about it in personal emails, can't recall. Anyway, most highly recommended to all you who were disgusted with the Reaganization of the USA (I hope there's plenty!).

[king ubu]

Oh, and there's a fairly recent documentary about Henri Cartier-Bresson, the german title is "Biographie eines Blicks" (roughly biography of an eye - not the eye as bodypart, but the eye as in "view", "perspective").

Highly recommended, if you ever get a chance to see it!

I saw other documentaries about photographers that I enjoyed, Bischof, Burri, other less known swiss photographers that I can't recall... I always enjoy these, if they include historical footage and are done in a traditional and old-fashioned way... there's no way you can hurry up a documentary about a photographer and make it a successful film.

[BruceH]

Oh, and there's a fairly recent documentary about Henri Cartier-Bresson, the german title is "Biographie eines Blicks" (roughly biography of an eye - not the eye as bodypart, but the eye as in "view", "perspective").

Highly recommended, if you ever get a chance to see it!

I'd love to see this. Cartier-Bresson is one of my favorite photographers.

[king ubu]

Oh, and there's a fairly recent documentary about Henri Cartier-Bresson, the german title is "Biographie eines Blicks" (roughly biography of an eye - not the eye as bodypart, but the eye as in "view", "perspective").

Highly recommended, if you ever get a chance to see it!

I'd love to see this. Cartier-Bresson is one of my favorite photographers.

It really is great! You get to see a lot of photos, he comments them himself, thinks aloud about the "decisive moment" and all that crap, plus you get interviews with Isabelle Huppert, Elliot Erwitt, Arthur Miller and others, and best of all, I just found out googling there is a DVD of it, even an english version, available from Amazon:

Amazon via Big-O link

[ghost of miles]

DA Pennebaker - Don't Look Back and The War Room.

Still hoping to eventually see Pennebaker's DON'T LOOK BACK sequel, EAT THE DOCUMENT (Dylan on tour in '66). I know that Scorsese got some of his footage for the recent Dylan documentary from what Pennebaker shot... but that film seems to be all but buried, for some reason.

A big thumbs up for THE WORLD AT WAR as well. Be forewarned--Ken Burns is about to coffeetable WWII next year with his own series, though it concentrates primarily on the American homefront, from what I've heard.

[Adam]

Did I recommend THE GROUND TRUTH yet? It's out now in theatres, and I think a must see.

I also just watched American Experience: Jonestown. Very interesting, great archival work, and lots that I didn't know. The end doesn't quite work as emotionally as I thought it could have, but well worth seeing.

Koyaanisqatsi is magnificent, especially on the big screen. Powaquatsi good but not as great; Naqoqatsi not so good. Baraka is also rather nice, especially on the big screen

Here are three other History Channel shows that I wrote and produced:

History's Mysteries: The True Story of Braveheart

History's Mysteries: Essex: the True Story of Moby-Dick

The True Story of Hannibal

No, I don't pick the titles; I don't think I could be that creative.

I agree with the previous recommendations of RIVERS AND TIDES and WAR PHOTOGRAPHER.

Also recommended are STEP ACROSS THE BORDER, about Fred Frith, and MIDDLE OF THE MOMENT, about Tourag nomads. I think both are available on DVD editions from Winter & Winter.

[Adam]

There's another really good Peter Watkins film that you probably won't be able to see. Basically it's a "documentary" of the Paris Commune of 1870 as if it were being filmed by TV crews at the time it was happening, done on a large soundstage. It's called LA COMMUNE and is 4+ hours long. We screened it at Los Angeles Filmforum last year. Highly recommended, but definitely not your average film - boundary crossing & experimental & thought-provoking.

At the Flaherty Seminar last year I saw several good films. Don't know which of these might be available.

EL ABUELO CHENO Y OTRAS HISTORIAS (GRANDFATHER CHENO AND OTHER STORIES)

(Mexico, 1995)

By Juan Carlos Rulfo, 30 min, 35mm

Really magnificent. Rulfo won some award at Sundance this year for a new film, but I haven't seen it yet.

SALVADOR ALLENDE (Chile/France, 2003)

By Patricio Guzman, 100 min, Betacam Sp

INTO THE ARMS OF STRANGERS: STORIES OF THE KINDERTRANSPORT (USA, 2000)

By Mark Harris, 122 min, 35mm

Well, this won the Oscar back in 2000, so it's no secret, but it is quite good, as a straightforward documentary.

AFRIQUE, JE TE PLUMERAI (AFRICA, I FLEECE YOU) (Cameroon/France, 1992)

By Jean-Marie Teno, 88 min, Betacam

Just a brilliant film mixing genres to tell, well, the story of Cameroon.

THE COLONIAL MISUNDERSTANDING (Cameroon/France, 2004)

By Jean-Marie Teno, 75 min, 35mm

Another good one from Teno, although more conventional.

EL PERRO NEGRO – STORIES FROM THE SPANISH CIVIL WAR (THE BLACK DOG –STORIES FROM THE SPANISH CIVIL WAR) (Hungary, 2005)

By Peter Forgacs, 84 min, Betacam Sp PAL

REPATRIATION (Korea, 2003)

By Kim Dong-Won, 149 min, Digibeta

A little long, but heartbreaking

[Dave Garrett]

Still hoping to eventually see Pennebaker's DON'T LOOK BACK sequel, EAT THE DOCUMENT (Dylan on tour in '66). I know that Scorsese got some of his footage for the recent Dylan documentary from what Pennebaker shot... but that film seems to be all but buried, for some reason.

EAT THE DOCUMENT isn't as compelling as DON'T LOOK BACK, IMO. I think its notoriety largely stems from its continuing unavailability, but it is certainly worth seeking out for the dedicated Dylan (or Pennebaker) fan. DVD-Rs aren't too hard to come by on eBay, and there was also a bootleg pressing of several hundred copies released in Germany several years ago - more details here.

[Dave Garrett]

There's another really good Peter Watkins film that you probably won't be able to see. Basically it's a "documentary" of the Paris Commune of 1870 as if it were being filmed by TV crews at the time it was happening, done on a large soundstage. It's called LA COMMUNE and is 4+ hours long. We screened it at Los Angeles Filmforum last year. Highly recommended, but definitely not your average film - boundary crossing & experimental & thought-provoking.

LA COMMUNE is due out on DVD in the US on October 24.

[Elissa]

Also, Peter Davis' Hearts and Minds

and

Gillo Pontecorvo’s The Battle of Algiers

and looking forward to Barbara Kopple's new film about the Dixie Chicks, Shut up and Scream

Edited September 19, 2006 by Elis

[jlhoots]

I like the new documentary on Leonard Cohen, I'm Your Man.

[Adam]

There's another really good Peter Watkins film that you probably won't be able to see. Basically it's a "documentary" of the Paris Commune of 1870 as if it were being filmed by TV crews at the time it was happening, done on a large soundstage. It's called LA COMMUNE and is 4+ hours long. We screened it at Los Angeles Filmforum last year. Highly recommended, but definitely not your average film - boundary crossing & experimental & thought-provoking.

LA COMMUNE is due out on DVD in the US on October 24.

Wow, that's remarkable news. I never expected to see that.

[BruceH]

I just bought the new DVD that has The War Game and Culloden on one disc. Both films are pretty damn amazing, and haven't aged much as far as I'm concerned.

[brownie]

Next on my DVD to purchase list is this just released item:

a double DVD set (looks like it is available in France - and probably in Europe - only for the time being) that gathers the short films that the great photographer filmed during the Spanish civil war, at the end of WWII and in the USA plus several films that dealt with HCB's photographies.

Saw some of the films HCB made at a Paris Cinematheque retrospective quite a number of years ago and never has a chance for a second look. Looking very much forward for a fresh view of them!