Glamorous Hollywood typically reigns supreme at the Academy Awards. Each year the box office hits and the occasional independent film gone blockbuster get the majority of the representation. Less noted, yet just as noteworthy, are the documentaries. Shooting these films often requires the filmmakers to put their lives in danger in order to tell a story the world needs to hear. Here is a rundown of the films, in case you missed them:
The Cove by Louie Psihoyos and Fisher Stevens (winner)
The moving and unsettling thriller exposes the small town of Taiji, Japan, for trapping dolphins and selling the meat as “whale” meat. Despite being extremely high in mercury, dolphin meat has even been secretly served to Japanese schoolchildren for lunch. The atrocities are hidden from the people of Japan, and the rest of the world. The filmmakers used hidden cameras and secretive tactics to document what’s really happening, even after facing extreme opposition from those who want them in jail.
Burma VJ by Anders Østergaard and Lise Lense-Møller
This documentary tells the story of the video journalists who risk their lives to shoot undercover video of what happens in the oppressive regime in Burma, and the anti-government protests hidden from the rest of the world. The footage is smuggled out of Burma and broadcast back into the country via satellite and is also offered to international news media.
Food, Inc. by Robert Kenner and Elise Pearlstein
The disturbing truth about factory farming in America is exposed in this incredibly eye-opening tale. The story addresses the issues in this country’s industrialized food system and the ill-effects on our health, environment, and the industry workers. Food companies are extremely powerful and the filmmakers wanted to expose the truth to Americans in order to empower them to make wise decisions when it comes to what they feed themselves and their families.
The Most Dangerous Man in America: Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers by Judith Ehrlich and Rick Goldsmith
Daniel Ellsberg, during the Vietnam era, was the top policy analyst for the State Defense Department. The film documents how he leaked classified documents to The New York Times in order to expose government lies hidden from the American public.
Which Way Home by Rebecca Cammisa
Many children from Mexico and Central America flee to America in order to re-unite with family or search for a better life. This documentary tells the story of these kids who ride on top of freight trains or put themselves in the hands of smugglers in attempts to migrate. They face danger and some are even killed before they make it across the border.
China’s Unnatural Disaster: The Tears of Sichuan Province by Jon Alpert and Matthew O’Neill
The film tells the story of the disastrous earthquake in Sichuan province in 2008. Most of the deaths were those of children due to poorly built school buildings. Parents of thousands of children were devastated and quickly turned angry as it became apparent that the schools were not up to safety standards. Parents began marching to demonstrate their anger to the government, who in turn, only offered them a bit of money in order to keep quiet.
The Last Campaign of Governor Booth Gardner by Daniel Junge and Henry Ansbacher
This is the story of former Governor of Washington, Booth Gardner. Gardner was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease upon leaving office. In the light of his own demise, he strongly advocated for assisted suicide to become legal.
The Last Truck: Closing of a GM Plant by Steven Bognar and Julia Reichert
This film documents the closing of a General Motors plant in Moraine, Ohio. Hitting all too close to home for so many people put out of work by the economic downturn, the workers tell their stories as they face their last day at the plant.
Music by Prudence by Roger Ross Williams and Elinor Burkett (winner)
The documentary follows Prudence Mabhena, 21, from Zimbabwe. She suffers from a condition called arthrogryposis, which has left her with twisted, useless arms and legs. Scorned, neglected, and abused by her family because of her “curse,” she attempted suicide twice. Eventually she won a scholarship to study at King George VI School & Centre for Children with Physical Disabilities. There she started singing with a band, Liyana, made up of other deformed members. She know lives an employed, successful life, unlike most of her countrymen.
Rabbit à la Berlin by Bartek Konopka and Anna Wydra
The film offers an interesting take on the effect of the fall of the Berlin Wall. It tells the story of the rabbits that peacefully and happily occupied the safe zone between the walls separating East and West Berlin. Though the wall was good for the rabbits, when it came down, they too had to adjust to their new found freedom, as did the people of Eastern Europe.
Photo by jeffk42 via Flickr, photo courtesy of Music by Prudence.