I’d describe myself as quite a big media consumer. I listen to stacks of music - new and old, read quite a lot of blogs, newspapers and magazines, and I watch a lot of movies. Of them all, I probably enjoy watching documentaries moreso than anything fictional, and they tend to stick in my mind for a lot longer. It uses up a lot of my time and maybe that’s why I’m not as productive as I was a few years ago I guess, but I’m not sure that entirely matters.
Nature documentaries are great - I’m a huge fan especially of the Blue Planet series which has to contain some of the the finest pieces of motion picture in existence But more than anything I enjoy documentaries that expose important political or social events. ‘The Second World War in Colour’ is a must-see collection of footage that will make you reevaluate any preconceived images of wartime Europe. I must also have watched most of Louis Theroux’s shows, with particular highlights including his ‘Weird Weekends’ series, aired on BBC 2, especially ‘Thai Brides’ (Series 3, 2000) and ‘Born Again Christians’ (Series 1, 1998).
Three feature length documentaries really stick in my mind though, and they’re all great exposés of right wing groups or the effect of dirty politics in recent world history. If you get a few spare hours at some point, I really recommend checking them out - but just be warned that none of them are really meant for the feint of heart or easily shocked!
Waco - The Rules of Engagement
This is a 1997 documentary looking at the ‘Waco Seige’ - David Koresh’s Branch Davidian fatal conflict with ATF and FBI agents in 1993 in the small town of Waco, Texas. The production is particularly effective thanks to the FBI providing a hand held camera to members of the group during the seige, meaning that some really powerful footage was recorded including testimony from David Koresh himself - giving the viewer a really unique opportunity to assess the man’s character at first hand. This also includes a lot of film from the court proceedings after the event analysing the responsibility and catastrophic failure of the ATF and FBI in the event. I won’t reveal too much about the events of the incident because it really is an onslaught of shock after shock from start to finish.
A documentary made in 2006 (follow up to ‘The Leader, His Driver and the Driver’s Wife’) presented by Nick Broomfield (absolute legend) focusing on the South African far-right Afrikaner Weerstandsbeweging, led by recently murdered Eugene Terre’Blanche. It contains some truly fantastic interviews with Eugene himself and JP Meyer (former party member and ex-driver for Eugene), uncovering how much (and how little) for some life in South Africa has changed since the fall of Apartheid in 1994. The documentary also contains some very shocking footage of the Kempton Park World Trade Centre being stormed by far-right groups, and rioting in Ventersdorp in which AWB members open fire on police and civilians culminating in a much publicised execution of several injured AWB members by an army solider.
The Revolution Will Not Be Televised
Filmed in 2003 by a group of Irish filmmakers who initially intended to document the state of post-revolution Venezuela and interview the new President Hugo Chavez, but instead became caught in the middle of, and captured first hand, the events of a savage coup d’état led by army generals sympathising with right-wing and middle class opposition parties and at least partly instigated by the CIA and White House under President Bush. I don’t think you could ask for more revealing footage of every key moment in the entire affair, interspersed with the distorted reality presented by private TV stations at the time.
Enjoy!
