Documentaries

What's the best documentary you've ever seen?
I'm looking for some to watch. Basically anything about warfare, poverty, corruption, conspiracy interests me.
I'm recently becoming more and more interested in the Balkans and all the troubles in Bosnia/Serbia so any on this subject would be great.

 

On you tube look up vice.coms videos, the vice guide to Liberia really messed up * going on in that country.

They also have pieces on north korea, Congo etc real eye opening stuff.

The Liberia one though takes the biscuit with soldiers admitting to killing babies and eating their hearts before going to battle.

 

I'm downloading one now called Restrepo

Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-DjqR6OucBc

 

Best I have seen recently is Man on Wire - about a tightrope walker called Philippe Petit.

Roger and me by Michael Moore is very good - about the closing of a GM plant in Michigan. Everything else he has done is entertaining enough but he replaces actual truth for hyperbole. This one was his first and also his best.

Another good one was Fog of War - a film about the US Secretary of Defence during Vietnam. It is pretty much an interview with Robert McNamara so is it pretty loaded but what he doesnt say is almost as interesting as what he does say.

 

OK, lads, I am Serbian and I live in Bosnia and Herzegovina. This is one documentary made by Norwegian journalists. After all those BBC and CNN anti -Serbian propaganda, I would like someone to see this and to see the other side of medal too.
Do not get me wrong, but I am sick of biased anti-Serbian western journalism. Huge thanks to Norwegian journalists who made this, we know how many troubles they had!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RUuhSGnLvv8

 

Watched a couple of good documentaries recently -

The Mark Of Cain - The Mark of Cain documents the fading art form and language of Russian criminal tattoos, formerly a forbidden topic in Russia. The now vanishing practice is seen as reflecting the transition of the broader Russian society. Filmed in some of Russia;s most notorious prisons, including the fabled White Swan, the interviews with prisoners, guards, and criminologists reveal the secret language of The Zone and The Code of Thieve.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s9JDJdaMs-Y&list=FLzTNbsZ35bIjIGqd-aighkw&index=6&feature=plpp_video

The Last Aztec - Booker Prize winner DBC Pierre returns to the Mexico of his youth to explore the downfall of one of the world's greatest civilisations -- the Aztecs ruled by the emperor Moctezuma II who were defeated by a small force of Spaniards under Hernán Cortés.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=njAtwfIcuFQ

 

Million thanks for this one about Aztecs. I always loved civilizations that used to flourish in Latin America before European colonization.

 

No bother The guy who presents it is pretty funny too, think he's smoking weed all along the trip!

 

I'd recommend anything from John Pilger if that's what you're looking for, most of his stuff is top class.

Some of the ESPN '30 for 30' docos aren't bad, I'd highly recommend a tale of two Escobars, which fits three of those categories.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zwl-Pa_QT0M

 

The New American Century. Fantastic documentary about the real reasons the Americans invade countries etc. Done by an Italian film maker it certainly puts some interesting perspectives on things.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Fk6qkHs0oM

 

Loose Change absolutely no doubt! Its on youtube, 80 minutes long.

About 9/11 and the conspiracy, mind blowing and will totally change your view!

 

Pretty much anything from Michael Moore is good to watch, Sicko, in particular. A great documentary for the Israel/Palestinian situation is Occupation 101. It's well worth a watch if you aren't too familiar with the history of the region.

http://www.documentarywire.com/occupation-101

 

This documentary is excellent, well worth seeing.



The Two Escobars

Pablo Escobar was the richest, most powerful drug kingpin in the world, ruling the Medellín Cartel with an iron fist. Andres Escobar was the biggest soccer star in Colombia. The two were not related, but their fates were inextricably-and fatally-intertwined. Pablo's drug money had turned Andres' national team into South American champions, favored to win the 1994 World Cup in Los Angeles. It was there, in a game against the U.S., that Andres committed one of the most shocking mistakes in soccer history, scoring an "own goal" that eliminated his team from the competition and ultimately cost him his life. The Two Escobars is a riveting examination of the intersection of sports, crime, and politics. For Colombians, soccer was far more than a game: their entire national identity rode on the success or failure of their team. Jeff and Michael Zimbalist's fast and furious documentary plays out on an ever-expanding canvas, painting a fascinating portrait of Pablo, Andres, and a country in the grips of a violent, escalating civil war. Written by David Ansen, Los Angeles Film Festival

 

Check this one out. "Kursk, A Submarine In Troubled Waters"

http://www.documentary-film.net/search/watch.php?&ref=187

Nice thread, got some nice links to some interesting documentaries on here!

 

Have seen that before, really troubling to watch.

This documentary deals with the same topic, it's really graphic so be prepared if you're going to watch it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tgG3kxnFTjU&feature=related

Well worth it, if you can stomach it, fascinating insights from people who deal with intervention and the like, and the aftermath.

The wee girl is just so hard to listen too though, I was struggling to hold back the tears.

Really good doco, I'd highly recommend Robert Moore's book 'A Time To Die' to anyone interested in the Kursk incident.

 

I highly recommend The Two Escobars aswell.

This website is brilliant for documentaries, http://documentaryheaven.com/

 

Someone named "Restrepo" above. The one below "Armadillo" follows a few guys from Denmark on their first deployment to Afganistan.

Found this one better than the "Restrepo" one. Brilliantly filmed too. Give this one a try






Below's a review from some blog i found that pretty much sums it up for me.

Armadillo follows four startlingly young soldiers – Mads, Daniel, Rasmus and Kim – on their first six-month deployment to Afghanistan. Since the USA-led removal of the Taliban from Kabul in 2001, the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) has occupied the area. 170 Danish and British servicemen and women based out of Forward Operating Base Armadillo in Helmand province, Southern Afghanistan, observe and patrol the surrounding area, attempting to build relationships with the local populations and push Taliban fighters northward.

After saying a tearful goodbye to their families, the four rookies arrive at Armadillo seeking camaraderie and adventure, and looking forward to the thrill of combat. With little-to-no on-screen interaction between the subjects and filmmakers, the men of Armadillo speak candidly about their experiences – from their * for action, to their * for women, to picking up the strewn body parts of former friends, it’s shocking to see how quickly these young men adapt to their new reality.

They are, of course, hardened soldiers – unflinching and unapologetic. They recognize the harsh reality they face and are undisturbed by discussions of death and dismemberment. For a documentary about the realities of war, however, there is very little visible bloodshed. While conflicts between ISAF forces and the Taliban are captured on film – including distant footage of wounded civilians and close-up images of deceased Taliban fighters – Armadillo is tame enough for more sensitive viewers, yet still conveys the raw brutality of war.

With an evocative score and impressive cinematography, Armadillo is not your typical war documentary. The film doesn’t attempt to influence viewers to approve or disapprove of the action in Afghanistan. Instead, it merely conveys the reality of the solders’ circumstances – the boredom, routine, violence and loss that comes from being entrenched. If anything, Armadillo runs the risk of angering viewers as the young soldiers share their uncensored opinions of ‘the enemy’.

Armadillo goes further than most other documentaries on the topic – interactions with civilian farmers give voice to the local population who reside in the ‘green zone’ between Armadillo and the Taliban forces. The film depicts the dialogue that the ISAF attempt with local civilians, answering questions, and offering apologies and compensation for damaged goods and livestock. It’s left to the audience to determine if these steps are taken for purely diplomatic purposes, or if the ISAF are genuinely concerned with minimizing their impact on civilian livelihood.

Amidst the proliferation of films, interviews, media attention, documentaries and debate surrounding the ongoing conflict in Afghanistan, Armadillo is a unique glimpse into the reality of soldiers’ lives. The film is engaging precisely because it doesn’t attempt to direct the views of the audience; it simply shows what is.

 

Just seen this one tonight on Belgian TV. It's about Bareknuckle fights between Irish/English Travelling families. Absolutely amazing! It follows these families for 12 years and their bareknuckle fights (on parkinglots/backroads etc.) between them. Lots of blood and very big-* angry men beating the * out of eachother.

The longest fight in this docu lasts about two hours without a break.

Brilliant stuff!




Big Joe Joyce

 

If you`re into sporting documentaries, the ESPN 30 for 30 series is very good with The Two Escobars probably the most interesting one out of them. I know Pablo Escobar is seen as a scumbag by a lot of people but he did do a lot of good for the poor of Colombia

Another 30 for 30 episode that details two best friends who were torn apart by the wars in the Balkans is Once Brothers. Very sad story about two basketball stars and how the war affected them and their nations