Are Finally Finding the Bigger Audience

The last decade has seen a drastic rise in the number of documentary films receiving large cinematic releases and being taken in by the social conscience. Box office analysts have noted that this film genre has become increasingly successful in theatrical release with films such as Bowling for Columbine, Super Size Me, Fahrenheit 9/11, March of the Penguins and An Inconvenient Truth being among the most prominent examples.

Compared to dramatic narrative films, documentaries typically have far lower budgets. This makes them attractive to film companies because even a limited theatrical release can be highly profitable. An Inconvenient Truth took more than $40 million in the box office and the Planet Earth DVD sold over 3 million copies in the USA alone.

There are a number of factors attributing to this. The technology that is now being used is breathtaking. One only has to watch an episode of Blue Planet to be left in awe of the images that are being presented. This surge in technology does not only relate to camera equipment but also allowing man to explore places that have not been reachable before. Documentaries are now consistently showing its audience images that they have never seen before.

Another possible reason is the public’s preconception of the documentary medium. A movement of documentary filmmaking surfaced out of the UK in the past twenty years that mixes propaganda and information in an attempt to present a topic in its most simplified and aesthetically pleasing manner. Many suggest this is a result of the surge in reality TV and the public fascination with fly-on-the-wall styled content.
Below are a number of documentaries that were released over the last couple of years which should find a solid position in any DVD collection.

An Inconvenient Truth

From director Davis Guggenheim, An Inconvenient Truth is a passionate and inspirational look at former Vice President Al Gore’s fervent crusade to halt global warming’s deadly progress by exposing the myths and misconceptions that surround it. In this intimate portrait of Gore and his “travelling global warming show,” Gore comes across as never before in the media – funny, engaging, open and intent on alerting citizens to this “planetary emergency” before it’s too late.

Food Inc.

In Food, Inc., filmmaker Robert Kenner lifts the veil on our nation’s food industry, exposing the highly mechanized underbelly that has been hidden from the American consumer with the consent of our government’s regulatory agencies, USDA and FDA. Our nation’s food supply is now controlled by a handful of corporations that often put profit ahead of consumer health, the livelihood of the American farmer, the safety of workers and our own environment. We have bigger-breasted chickens, the perfect pork chop, herbicide-resistant soybean seeds, even tomatoes that won’t go bad. But we also have new strains of E. coli-the harmful bacteria that causes illness for an estimated 73,000 Americans annually. We are riddled with widespread obesity, particularly among children, and an epidemic level of diabetes among adults.

Man on Wire

On August 7, 1974, just a few days shy of his 25th birthday, Philippe Petit, a French wire walker, juggler, and street performer, spent 45 minutes walking, dancing, kneeling, and lying on a wire he and friends strung between the rooftops of the Twin Towers. The documentary uses contemporary interviews, archival footage, and recreations to tell the story of his previous walks between the towers of Notre Dame and of the Sydney Harbour Bridge, his passions and friendships. It also provides interesting details about the night before the walk; getting cable into the towers, hiding from guards, and mounting the wire. It ends with observations of the profound changes the walk’s success brought to Philippe and those closest to him.

March of the Penguins

March of the Penguins is the incredible story of the Emperor Penguin that every March since the beginning of time, quests to find the perfect mate and start a family. This courtship will begin with a long journey – a journey that will take them hundreds of miles across the Antarctic continent by foot, in freezing cold temperatures, in brittle, icy winds and through deep, treacherous waters. They will risk starvation and attack by dangerous predators, under the harshest conditions on earth, all to find true love.

Fahrenheit 9/11

Following up on Bowling for Columbine, film-maker Michael Moore provides deep and thought-provoking insights on the American security system. He describes the level of paranoia, fear, uncertainty, false values and patriotism, which all combined together to set a stage for George W. Bush to launch a war on Iraq instead of focusing on getting the real culprit(s) behind the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. This documentary also focuses on how some Saudis were safely and secretly flown out of America while planes were ostensibly grounded after the attacks. Using archived film footage and candid interviews with politicians, the message is clear: there was an overall waste of public funds for a war that was initiated on false pretensions. The weapon of mass destruction was used to take the focus away from the real enemy and ensure that Americans were glued to their TV sets to watch the killing of innocent Iraqis and Afghans. It was a war that would eventually alienate the U.S.A. and its citizens from almost every country on Earth.

And watch out for these in the cinema!

Babies, Countdown to Zero, 8:The Mormon Proposition and Great Directors…..

- Jonathan Healy