Essential viewing
Today I want to tell you about some of my favorite documentaries that I’ve seen over the years that have significantly changed my perspective on life and the world around me. For the most part they are about socio-political issues, although one of them is biographical and had a huge impact on me personally. These are films that I wish everyone could see; A heightened awareness of the world – and ourselves – should always be something that we strive for as human beings, and I think that good documentaries are a great way of going about that.
The first documentary I want to mention is called The Corporation. It – along with Zeitgeist Addendum, featured later in this post – forever changed my view on the monetary system that we use for our economy, and how corporations as institutions can function on their own independently of the people working within it. To quote from the movie’s website:
Provoking, witty, stylish and sweepingly informative, The Corporation explores the nature and spectacular rise of the dominant institution of our time. [...] Taking its status as a legal “person” to the logical conclusion, the film puts the corporation on the psychiatrist’s couch to ask “What kind of person is it?”.
It’s a bit heavy because it involves a lot of focus on the laws surrounding corporations, but if you can follow the lingo, you will never look at a corporation in the same way again.
Dear Zachary: A Letter To A Boy About His Father was a documentary I first heard about via the amazing Totally Rad Show. I watched it without any previous knowledge of the premise, and I recommend that you do the same. Every single person I know who has watched this has been deeply moved and influenced by it. And if you’re going to watch it, please don’t forget tissues. You’ll know why once you’ve seen it.
Next up is The Cove. This is principally a film about whaling, more specifically the captivity and slaughter of dolphins. It’s an exposure of a certain cove on the coastline of Japan where dolphins are herded in and killed by the hundreds.
A very powerful movie about a sentient species of mammal that we definitely should not be eating, or keeping in captivity. Nominated for an Oscar for best documentary of 2009.
Last but not least, there is the internet phenomenon known as the Zeitgeist series. I wish to highlight the second movie though, Zeitgeist Addendum. There is a lot of controversy surrounding these films, and rightly so; They are very propaganda-esque and conspiratory in their tone, especially the first one, and the evidence presented are very vague and hard to believe. Every statement should be taken with a grain of salt, even in Addendum, but despite all this I think the movie has a strong philosophical message about where we humans are headed as a species if we continue to allow institutions like religion, government and money to control our lives and our society.
The bottom line is that I principally agree with the films, though I don’t necessarily believe everything they say or agree about how they go about making their point.
As an addendum to Addendum (hurr hurr), one should watch this lecture by the films’ creator, Peter Joseph, called “Where Are We Going?”. The man has some very strong ideas and philosophies that most of us should listen to and contemplate.
If any of you out there have seen any of these – or have recommendations for similar documentaries that you have enjoyed – I’d love to hear your thoughts about them in the comments. Thanks. 
