Tag: Documentary
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Seaspiracy. Dir. Ali Tabrizi. Netflix. 2021.
‘Seaspiracy: A shocking Indictment of the commercial fishing industry.’ The Independent, March 2021 Seaspiracy is a Netflix Original documentary following filmmaker Ali Tabrizi as he examines the methods of the worldwide commercial sea fishing industry. Through uncovering corrupt and damaging practices, from dolphin slaughter to species endangerment, the environmental impact of human activities in our…
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Surf’s Up. Dir. Ash Brannon & Chris Buck. Columbia Pictures. 2007.
Released in 2007, during the surge of penguin movies, Surf’s Up is a unique animated mockumentary exploring how penguins are the ‘real’ inventors of the worldwide sport, surfing. A documentary crew (ironically, Brannon and Buck cast themselves) follow the journey of Cody Maverick (Shia LaBeouf), a Rockhopper penguin from Antarctica who dreams of becoming a…
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Waltz with Bashir. Dir. Ari Folman, Sony Pictures Classics. 2008.
Anonymous soldier: What to do? What to do? Why don’t you tell us what to do? Ari Folman: Shoot. Anonymous soldier: On who? Ari Folman: How should I know on who? Just shoot. Anonymous soldier: Isn’t it better to pray? Ari Folman: Pray and shoot. [1] In 2008 a new style of documentary filmmaking was…
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Carnage. Dir. Simon Amstell. BBC. 2017.
What would the world be like if everybody was vegan? According to Simon Amstell’s vision of the future in Carnage, it’s a peaceful utopia in which the young vegans of tomorrow frolic in fields and enjoy food much more, knowing that nothing was taken from an animal, albeit one in which the older generations of ex-meat-eaters…
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They Shall Not Grow Old. Dir. Peter Jackson. Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.. 2018.
Not often is a film’s purpose so clearly stated in its title, yet Peter Jackson’s They Shall Not Grow Old1(TSNGO) is a documentary with meticulous dedication to preserving the stories of those who fought in World War One. Framed by black and white footage of pre-war conscription and the return home from combat, the documentary’s centre is…
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Grizzly Man. Dir. Werner Herzog. Lions Gate Films. 2005.
A fascinating aspect about Werner Herzog’s exploration of the life of Timothy Treadwell and his relationships with the wild grizzly bears of Alaska is his investigation of the way Treadwell interpreted the animal world, and the extent to which this reveals aspects to his character. A scene which exemplifies this interpretation is when we’re shown…
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Baraka. Dir. Ron Frike. The Samuel Goldwyn Company. 1992.
Ron Fricke’s 1992 documentary film Baraka highlights the darker side of human-animal relations through a sequence comparing two very similar visual images. One scene depicts a crowded subway while another shows new-born chicks on a conveyor belt, presumably being sexed and arranged for meat or egg production.
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IRIS. Dir. Albert Maysles. Magnolia Pictures. 2014.
There are few people who wouldn’t be intrigued by Iris Apfel. The nonagenarian fashion icon with statement eyewear, accessories hanging like Christmas decorations, and a unique outlook on life. It is no wonder then why legendary documentarian Albert Maylses focuses on her as subject of his penultimate documentary film, IRIS (2014). Plunging us deep into her creative…
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IRIS. Dir. Albert Maysles. Magnolia Pictures. 2014.
Albert Maysles’ 2015 documentary film IRIS provides a portrait of the nonagenarian fashion icon, Iris Apfel. Filming inside Iris’s apartment, Maysles presents us with many images of animal representations. The animals are artificial reproductions of the ‘real’ thing. They are aesthteic objects concerned only with style; carriers of pleasure rather than carriers of meaning. Taking Whitney Rugg’s…