Senin, 21 April 2014

My month in documentaries.


So the inevitable happened : I was finally introduced to Netflix.
It took me a while to get to it but I finally did.
Also I kind of pride myself on how late I catch on to things that become a "hype".
Another example of a hype that I've skipped is Breaking Bad.
Never seen an episode.
Not a single one.
Whenever I tell people that their response is usually just a gasp!
Anyways Netflix has a pretty great documentary section and below are some of my favourites.



"Girl Model"


This documentary follows two people : Ashley, an American model scout, and Nadya, a 13-year old Siberian girl who gets signed.
Ashley is seeking out the next big thing to send to Japan and their market is for a per-pubescent girl with a tiny body and angelic features.
 Nadya gets selected to go and thinks it will be the trip of a lifetime.


This documentary is unsettling for many reasons.
Ashley, who used to model herself, knows how tough the industry can be and that the girl she selects doesn't necessarily have a bright future.
 You get the impression that she will experience more negatives than positives in her quest for money and stardom.
The Russian girls (and I use the term girls because most of them are under the age of 14) that attend the castings are just so desperate for a way out of their current situation and country.
 They just want to make money to help their families and really have no clue of the danger that could potentially lay ahead of them.


Nadya comes across as being quite quiet yet incredibly sweet.
She leaves her family whom she adores and embarks on an unsupervised journey all the way to Japan which is pure insanity.
The camera crew follow her as she tries to find her way in a city she doesn't know and try to communicate through a language she doesn't speak.
Overall I found it very sad that girls as young as 13 are being shipped across the world alone in the hope of making a quick buck which inevitably never comes.



"Vegucated"


I strongly urge everyone to watch this documentary as it explores the benefits and the.....well more benefits of converting to a Vegetarian/Vegan diet.
It follows three Americans who take up the challenge to obey a strict Vegan diet and lifestyle for a number of weeks as well as getting educated on the food industry.
Like any good documentary, this one had some very hard hitting and upsetting moments.
The worst was when you caught a glimpse of the goings on inside the slaughter houses.
 You see secret footage of the appalling and utterly inhumane ways in which the animals are treated leading up to their slaughter.
 It sure gives you some food for thought.
I really learnt alot from it and would give it five stars.

"If slaughterhouses had glass walls, we would all be Vegetarians".
Paul McCartney.



"Miss Representation"


This one had a pretty profound effect on me for many reasons.
It explores how women are negatively represented specifically in American society and in the Media.
It spotlights the pressure that lies on females as young as five to conform to an unattainable image that's been created by Advertisers and forced down our throats.
Forget the image you've been given of what a Feminist is and looks like : a butch man-hater that doesn't shave her armpits and instead swap it with women who are in a position of power (Politicians, CEOs etc) that are fighting to have their voice heard.


The statistics highlighted in "Miss Representation" are pure insanity like:
 
-53% of girls aged 12 are unhappy with their bodies.

-Rates of depression in girls and women has doubled in the last 10 years.

-Women respond to advertisers’ messages of never being good enough: American women spend more money on the pursuit of beauty than on their own education.

-Only 16% of protagonists in film are female. Only 7% of film directors and 10% of writers are female.

 
I couldn't possibly recommend this one enough and it will truly open your eyes to how women are Miss Represented.



"Dreams of a Life"


This one is a bit of heart-breaker as it follows the life of Joyce Carol Vincent who was found dead in her apartment after being there undiscovered for three years.
It speaks with her friends and colleagues attempting to put the pieces of what happened to her together and why she was left undiscovered for so long.
It's an interesting watch but it's a tearjerker.



"Katy Perry : Part of Me"


This one came up in one of the sections and I'll be completely honest with you. 
I'd just watched a documentary called "The Bridge" (which is actually too sad for me to write about) and I was feeling a bit vulnerable until then I saw this.
What could be happier and more colourful than Katy Perry?
So I clicked, I watched, I laughed, I sang, I awed and at parts I wanted to hug her so bad.


"Part of Me" follows Katy on her biggest and longest tour to date which was a huge undertaking for her and her entire crew.
In the midst of it all, her marriage with Russell Brand fell apart and you get a glimpse on how much that affected her.
There's one scene where she's about to do a huge show in Brazil, it's two hours until the show is supposed to start and she's lying on a recliner crying her eyes out.
It's such a sad moment because you really feel for her and for the situation she's been put in.
The crew don't know what to do and keep asking her if she wants to cancel the show.
Whilst still crying, she turns to her Makeup Artist and tells him to start getting her ready for the show.
I'm not gonna lie I had tears in my eyes and rolling down my cheeks!


I have alot of respect for her as an Artist/Performer and "Part of Me" is definitely one to watch.


C.


My month in documentaries. Rating: 4.5 Diposkan Oleh: Unknown

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