Documentaries

I just finished watching Mondovino, a film about wine. Wine is also one of my favorite things, but I am not in a controversial mood and its neither the time nor place. Mondovino was a film that consulted some of the biggest names in wine today and attempted to piece together the globalization of the wine trade. In my opinion I believe that they did an excellent job. Though they villianized some of the more notorious wine experts, I think that they did an excellent job of showing truth and allowing the viewer to decide for themselves. This is what I love about good documentaries, is their ability to show the truth, how good or how bad it is. Granted there are bad documentaries out there that would have you believe only one side of the facts, and base all of their conclusions on facts that support only one side. As much as America loved the whole Michael Moore thing, I found his style of bullying and coercion of the subjects to be less then flattering. I would even venture to say that his films were not of the documentary style, but rather of a propaghandaesque line. I love documentary when they leave me surprised by what I learned, and with a feeling that the 2 hours were well spent. I also like documentaries due to the fact that they usually employ a journalistic feel helped along by handheld cameras. They also include shots from inside vehicles, and panning shots to give the viewer an idea of the situation and atmosphere of the surroundings. With Mondovino, I found that I was letting myself be taught by the content, but at the same time I was enjoying the cinematography quite thoroughly. I also found myself interacting with the film since I have tried, and enjoyed, many of the wines mentioned. The film also sparked a desire to get closer to the earth, and though I have a stash of plants in my living room, I would love to be in a deeper connection with the plants that produce such delicious juice, which in turn I enjoy as wine. Something for me to think about as I think about my future. And so I suggest to you to find a documentary about a passion or yours and allow yourself to be immersed in its presentation.