Documentaries find their niche
Documentary films, once relegated to public television and small repertory movie houses, have recently found their niche and have taken their place as viable commercial enterprises.
This recent surge may largely be attributed to the success of Michael Moore's comedic, yet cutting, films, which hold four of the top 10 spots on the list of highest grossing documentaries, including the top-ranked Fahrenheit 9/11. Generating boffo box office receipts outside the conventional Hollywood studio system has paved the way for likeminded filmmakers to secure a spot on the Hot New Release wall of local video stores and to elevate public interest in the documentary genre.
Well-crafted documentaries possess the means to influence public opinion in significant ways. Supersize Me (2004), Morgan Spurlock's provocative one-man exposé on the fast food industry, is credited by many with providing the impetus behind McDonald's decision to discontinue the supersize option in their restaurants, as well as to prompt their foray into healthy menu choices. Al Gore's An Inconvenient Truth (2006) brought the serious issue of climate change to everyday water-cooler conversation and has brought pressure to bear on the business-as-usual political system. While many will differ in their judgments on the issues presented, they are, at least, on the table for discussion.
Undoubtedly, the current crude oil debacle in the Gulf of Mexico will eventually be the focus of one, or several, documentary projects. One news photographer recently observed that without the visual testimony of such occurrences, the public's response would typically be muted. The power of an image to shape public opinion is well documented; one need only think of such iconic photographs as the U.S. Marines' flag raising on Iwo Jima or that of the naked girl fleeing a napalm strike in Vietnam. Documentary films provide an extension of that power.
One recently-released DVD documentary that has captured the attention of critics and casual viewers alike is The Cove (2009). The film is compelling on a number of levels as it examines a Japanese industry that not only captures dolphins in order to sell them to Seaworld-type entertainment parks, but also ensnares them for more disturbing purposes.
The personality and passion of Richard O'Barry, a famous dolphin-trainer-turned-activist, drives the film as he pursues every possible avenue to expose the shameful secrets of Taiji, Japan where the industry is based. Louis Psihoyos, The Cove's director, merits extra credit for capturing the sensibilities of a heist flick as specialized personnel are recruited, high-tech gear is designed and late night covert ops are enacted in the effort to document the truth about what goes on in a strictly guarded cove. Night vision imagery and thermal photography create a preternatural feel to this film. The ultimate revelation, while not easy to watch, challenges all of us to consider our stewardship of this planet.
Paper Clips (2004) also gets a nod as a thought provoking doc rental. Middle school students in Whitewell, Tennessee studying the Holocaust as a lesson on intolerance begin collecting paper clips as a concrete analogy of lives lost in the Holocaust. Their project captures the imagination of many and snowballs into a very moving memorial that makes a poignant statement about genocide and tolerance.
Coping with the reality of genocide is the subject matter of As We Forgive (2008). Filmmaker Laura Waters Hinson traveled to Rwanda to capture footage of the country's efforts to bring about reconciliation between the perpetrators and their victims of the 1994 genocide. We are introduced to two women who lost family in the massacre and who are offered the opportunity to meet with the men who wielded the machetes against their loved ones.
Though the footage lacks something in cinematic sophistication, there is no contrivance here; interestingly, the camera not only reveals the pain of the victims, it also uncovers the corresponding pain of the perpetrators. In such a context, the imperative to forgive is put to the ultimate test. A soul-gripping drama that avoids trite conclusions and demonstrates firsthand the power of forgiveness is the result. To date, this film has not received wide distribution, but has been featured on PBS.
Film is a powerful medium for truth; the documentary may be one of the greatest tools through which it can be channeled.
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