It’s no secret that a documentary can stir up a flurry of conversation. “Blackfish” and “An Inconvenient Truth” are perfect examples.
A simple Google search can bring you the top-rated documentaries of 2017, but the best documentaries withstand the test of time. Here are five documentaries that have been covering topics and starting conversations for years.
“Miss Representation” (2011): If you’re interested in exploring how media representation, particularly of women, has shaped our culture, this is the film for you. While “Miss Representation” came out in 2011, it still covers potent topics and even has a bit of political foreshadowing. With interviews with social psychologists, women who work in media, politicians, directors and even high school students, the film is a thorough and holistic glimpse into how the misrepresentation of women has hurt both genders.
“Louder Than a Bomb” (2010): Love writing? Hate writing? It really doesn’t matter when it comes to “Louder Than a Bomb,” a 2010 production that follows spoken word poets and high school students competing in a Chicago poetry competition. While the film is centered around the contest and writing, it seamlessly tells the story of very different students from very different backgrounds who come and work together in one event. Since then, “Louder Than a Bomb” competitions have spread to other parts of the country, including South Florida. Give this documentary a try to explore the power that lies behind sharing your story.
“After Tiller” (2013): Dr. George Tiller was assassinated in 2009, leaving only four doctors in the U.S. qualified to perform third-trimester abortions. “After Tiller” follows the lives of these four physicians, who continue their practice despite the multiple threats they face. Whether pro-choice or pro-life, this film is bound to get you thinking and provoke some intense emotions, as it really doesn’t present a solution or suggestion as to what is right and what is wrong.
“Into the Abyss” (2011): “Into the Abyss” also covers a controversial topic: the death penalty. While director Werner Herzog doesn’t try to hide the fact that he doesn’t believe in the death penalty, he doesn’t filter out any opposing views when he tells the story of Michael Perry and Jason Burkett. Perry and Burkett, as teenagers, were convicted of the triple murder of a suburban mother, her son and his friend. While the murders were gruesome and, overall, committed for no reason, Perry was sentenced to death, while Burkett was not. Herzog speaks to both inmates, their families, the families of the victims and the police to provide a whole picture.
“The Wolf Pack” (2015): Sometimes society thinks about isolation as an obscure reality that happens far away from everyday life. “The Wolf Pack” challenges that idea with its portrayal of the Angulo family, telling the story of six brothers and their sister who were locked inside their apartment in the Lower East side for most of their lives. While you may not get the entire story from why these kids were locked away in the first place, a large portion of the blame is assigned to the father and his paranoia surrounding society and the government. The film explores the family’s evolution after one of the brothers chooses to defy his father and leave the apartment. There’s no vocal narration in the film and yet there is still plenty said about human nature, resilience and family.
Most of these documentaries are available to stream on Netflix, except for “Louder Than a Bomb” and “After Tiller.” The former is available to check out from the Alvin Sherman Library and the latter is available on YouTube at youtube.com/watch?v=cMVYq_th724.
