Documentaries

Nick and I love to watch movies.  We don't always agree on the same films, but at least that means we will always see a wide range of films.  Even if we don't really want to watch them.  We both enjoy a really good documentary though.  So much so, that I have seen at least 25 documentaries since we've been together and the list keeps going.  We currently have 10+ on our Netflix queue.

SO, I want to share with you some of my FAVORITE documentaries that I believe will change your life or at least make you think.  You don't have to change your life.

*These are in no particular order and I'll be creating more of these lists throughout my movie watching career*

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Waste Land
This documentary is amazing.  If you haven't heard about it, it's about a modern artist, Vik Muniz, and how he visits one of the world's largest landfills Jardim Gramacho in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and the pickers that work there, to create art.  The landfill doesn't have any recycling system so there are people, called pickers, that dig through the landfill finding recyclables to help lessen the impact on the environment.
I won't say anything else about the art he creates or the people he helps/meets along the way, but it is truly an amazing documentary.  Nick even teared up at the end!

And, you know what, even Rotten Tomatoes gives it 100%.  That's saying something.

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Endless Summer
This documentary we weren't too sure about at first.  It's from the 60's and it's about two surfers who set out to chase summer and surf around the world.  It doesn't sound too great, but it's actually quite funny and we found ourselves watching the whole thing.  The thing that makes it all is the hilarious commentary during the whole thing.

It's not my all-time favorite documentary (come one, who can beat Planet Earth), but it's definitely worth a watch.  Especially if you like beaches, good-looking men from the 60's, surfing, and 60's humor.

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Reel Injun
You might not have heard of this film, but you have now.  It brings to light the stereotype people have put on Native Americans, mostly in films.  It may not sound that interesting, but it really is.  You learn things about so many films and actors that you had no idea were going on.  The whole "cowboys and Indians" game you played growing up will just seem inappropriate now.   Plus, there are some great interviews by current celebrities.

It was incredibly insightful and kind of gave me a kick in the pants for ever wanting to dress like a stereotypical Indian or play "cowboys and Indians".

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Food Inc.
This is the first documentary about food that I ever watched with/without Nick.  It will make you want to become a vegetarian or at least eat natural, grass-fed, free-range chicken, beef, etc etc.  It is a disturbing film that shows what major corporations are doing to the mass-produced food we are eating.   It will make you think, or at least I hope it does, about what these major companies are doing to the animals and food we eat.  You don't have to go vegetarian after eating this either, just be aware.  That's all.

It is a great film and really opened my eyes to some of the disheartening things going on in the nation.

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Planet Earth
Of course I have to include this on my list.  It was my amazing study buddy throughout most of college.  Seriously.  It was the perfect companion to have on when you have long boring textbooks to read, homework to do, or papers to write.  I could work on whatever it was that I was doing and if I got annoyed or bored, I could just take a quick break and watch polar bear cubs slide across a glacier or a million flamingos fly across Africa.
If you haven't heard of it, which I hope you have, it is an amazing film documenting the awesome planet that we live on.  It can make a gigantic cave filled with bats and guano (bat poop) seem as incredible as a great white shark jumping to catch a seal... in slow motion.

I have seen it at least five times all the way through, even the behind-the-scenes videos, and I still learn things that I missed the first five times.  You must go watch it.  It's for your own good.



Like I said before, these aren't in any order and I have at least 10 more to add to this list, including more food documentaries, baby documentaries, obscure documentaries, etc. (expect at least two more of these lists).

What documentary is on your MUST watch list?