"Life in a Day" - Feature Documentary

 “Life in a Day” is wonderful creative piece that takes us to a day July 24th, 2010. Through it we see how life is for people from all over the world and from different backgrounds. It’s impressive how much footage was acquired for this documentary alone. The variety of content in the videos is also amazing. There is footage about fear, hope, happiness, wants, dreams, horrific figures, love, etc. Just about anything under the sun. Truly a time capsule that can be shown to generations to come about a time that is just as regular as any other day, yet, it is a time to capture what makes us individuals. This is an opportunity for people to show what makes them unique and what makes them interesting to get to know for that matter. It is a celebration of people and of life lived in one day and in one movie. There are no differences in race, religion, or orientation. Everyone is the same in showing who they are. Where they live. Who they interact with. Some of these people do not think their lives are worthy of praise. Some of these people do. Some do not even think of it. Yet, this film brings them all together and helps us get a sense of unity. I was truly moved by some of these people in the film. Some of them have dreams of doing great things, others just want to take care of unfinished businesses. I felt so connected to the different individuals in this piece. I got to appreciate the various cultures and beliefs of others. This is truly a wonderful concept for a documentary. No one is regarded as a minority or a majority. Nothing is biased. Everything is captured as it is. Adults, children, and animals all are protagonists of this inventive work.

"The Silverlake Life" - Feature Documentary

In “The Silverlake Life”  two gay men’s relationship is explored in such a way that the viewer does not feel like they cannot watch through the beginning. The beginning is not biased but rather shows one of them talking about the complication. One is left wondering whether this story will take a different turn. If this is a story about other matters other than gay rights or health concerns like AIDS. It was essentially that, it was about two human beings and their love for one another. Before I treated the matter with respect. I did not interfere and neither would the topic. I just let it be. They have their life and I have mine. Indifference is what it was. But this documentary puts the subject in a way people could possibly relate to in the sense that when you get to know someone you have an appreciation for them. These men were very devoted to one another and even though it might be manifested in a way that is not to our preference that does not mean people have the right to judge one another. One cannot except for God. One cannot judge whether or not these men loved each other. They were together for many years and  such devotion proves the point. It is admirable that one of them was able to record his battle with AIDS. It is a tough thing to let the audience into such a personal issue in a person’s life and have to live through that daily. The audience is definitely taken to his journey until the very end. The scene of death was a shocking one and resembled a horrific scene that is similar to one found during the Holocaust. A man’s life can end in the most gruesome of ways, yet he died knowing that someone loved him for who he truly was as a person. Anyone can only hope to have that in their lives. 

"The Exiles" - Feature Documentary

“The Exiles” was a film that really got my attention in the way it was filmed and portrayed by the people involved on screen. The protagonist was seen in situations that somehow resembled a fiction film. Sometimes I forgot whether I was watching a documentary or a narrative film.  It was as if some of the situations were staged. It might not have been the case entirely or portion of the film was that way. However, it was certainly successful in capturing the emotions with voiceovers. Usually too many voiceovers are suggested to be one of those things to be avoided in film. Yet, it really served it’s purpose with the woman. The audience could sense her emotions even more and feel the struggle she was going through. I did not realize that a lot of Native Americans went through that… they feel like going into the cities to be “better” members of society.  That is the case that they would like to find a better future for their families, it is a similarity to the immigrant experience yet the Native American feels like a stranger in their own land. Which is an interesting thought that came to mind as I watched this. I realized about the discussion that was going on about feeling like a minority within a majority. I have felt one time or another like that, because of my background.  I`m originally from a different country and that is something I come to terms with with time and do not mind it. I can’t imagine feeling like a foreigner/outsider in my own country as some of the people felt in this movie. 

"Elgar Love" - Feature Documentary

This movie was very enjoyable. I liked the style of story-telling that this doc had. It was straightforward but I liked that it had the music in the background as it was going through the story of this man’s music composition career. It had the various pictures to go along with it. Almost like a Ken Burn’s type of approach, yet, this was more personal and centered on one man. I liked how at the beginning it did not seem like such a big deal concerning this man. If they would have said something along the lines “this is the story of the guy who composed this song that is famous” I would not have been too interested in paying too much attention to it.  I already would know the purpose for the movie and that just does not make the rest that important. There is no doubt, however, that this man’s life is one of inspiration. It is very much a story of not giving up on your dreams, as cheesy as that sounds. But I think that it is a reminder of how we should just follow what we think is right not by what others might think we should make of our lives. He had the added bonus of having his wife support him along with his character to be successful later on. It took a lot of years, too many it seems. It was all-worthwhile though. He had worked very hard on that dream and he finally accomplished it and would be heard for generations to come.

"Wet Earth and Warm People" - Feature Documentary

I thought  “Wet Earth and Warm People” was a great representation of a documentary that portrays the people of a certain society. It does have it biases in opinion; yet, it does not hold back on the happenings, like for example, what the authorities do. Even though the authorities prohibited some of the filming operations the filmmaker continued to make his documentary. The people presented in this documentary were those of Indonesia. Most of them live a simple life. The filmmaker made them seem that they were pretty content with what they had. They were overall genuinely happy people. Even if they did not have enough for their families they still seemed like the world was to be welcomed with a smile and some enthusiasm. The way they welcomed this filmmaker and his crew is impressive and makes me think of that innocence and naïve nature is still engrained in these people. This is mostly seen in a very memorable scene where the filmmaker shows a village their first film. They all stare in amazement and pure wonder at the documentary he presents about an igloo and some eskimos. It is a land far beyond their reach, yet, they see it for all that it is worth. Sometimes those little moments we take for granted. Like watching movies, eating, playing, etc. We do not really savor it sometimes. We think about what we will do tomorrow or what worries will come after. I feel like maybe I should be more like these people and enjoy the moment more.

"Valley Curtain" - Short Documentary

In “Valley Curtain” the artist works hard alongside his crew to create a work of art that at first seems quite impossible to the people around him. Throughout the process there are various complications that come along as to why this project would have to be postponed. Yet, through all the turmoil he was able to get that orange curtain up and all the valley could admire its greatness. There were scenes of people in the country club curious to see that this person they thought was not going to make it actually did go through with his vision. Just like this artist I think that a person’s ideas are always of value and should be welcomed no matter what they are. At the beginning we might not see the potential in that idea. Later on, we discover that maybe we were wrong and that what they came up with was something far better than we could imagine. It is a film that goes into following our ideas and just doing whatever we can to see them realized. With the support of people that are helping us and depositing our trust in them we can make it happen. The artist sometimes could not trust them but when he did he was able to get his work through to the masses. The crew there that helped him were very strong-willed people that did whatever they could to see this come to pass. It is such a good short that had my interest.

"Christmas Eve" - Short Documentary

In my TMA 293 class we watched a short “Christmas Eve” filmed at my professor Dean Duncan’s kitchen. This is only setting the short takes place. He is never in the shots though, if he ever is he covers up the camera. That makes the film even more interesting. The filmmaker is not to alter the picture but let everything else happen before our eyes and to trust the camera, as I said before in one of my other posts. But I think that even of the hecticness of Christmas Eve and people (other than the mom) doing nothing but stuffing themselves, it is great to see people being together as a family to share in that time. There seem to be a lot of extended family present. It fast paces through to get to the idea that the people individually do not really matter in times like Christmas Eve. It is people together. Since people remember more of times spent with others during the Holidays especially, they want to have a place they can call home at least for that time. The mom was the only one during the course that was doing most of the cooking and did not seem to whine about it. That's how moms usually are and can have that genuine desire to entertain others through the joys of food. It is such a beautiful thing.

"Salesman" - Feature Documentary

  “Salesman” was a different side of the coin you do not usually think to wonder about. Nobody really likes those annoying people that knock at your door wanting you to buy something and even if you told them a thousand times you don’t want it they still keep insisting. I mean the film did not really change that for me at least. However, it made me see the salespeople as people and not as menaces to society in a way. I could see these guys wanting to have more for their families and they just provide to that desire to help them. It’s like they placed in a situation where the have no choice but to tell people they have to buy bibles. Even if sometimes these people are in worse condition then they are, it is a situation of survival of the fittest. There is no excuse to something like this, but I learned to see the salesmen in a dire and desperate state. Neither side can provide properly for their families. It was very interesting to see all this come to play through the sale of Bibles even. I was not expecting that when I first watched it. It is a film that can definitely makes us all think of a time when we were guilty of judging someone because of who they were or what they did or did not do. These guys aren’t doing things the right way but they are doing those things for causes sometimes that are noble in nature. Some may not do it for such reasons, but there are some that do.

"Book Bargain" - Short Documentary

In this short, the printing of telephone directories is visually represented without the use of music. I think this makes the film stronger. Music would have distracted from what was being presented. The film moves through different scenes of the production of this particular process. The technique is present as there is a clear view of what is going on and the viewer is not likely to be thrown off. Some might see this process as redundant. Yet, the visuals are pleasing. There is steady camera shots and there is a good sense of what the environment in the factory is like. There are workers, machinery, and resources that are used to make these directories before our eyes. It seems very Mr.Rogers-like but it was interesting because the process itself is not only to be at the attention of the audience. I thought about different experiences and memories as I watched this. Sometimes even something that can be "dull" like this process can bring other things to our recollection. I think about how smells or tastes can also do this. It is all about making the most of our senses and experiencing the world around us in a way that we might oftentimes take for granted. Seeing the simple things can bring about great ideas. That probably was not the purpose for making this film, but somehow I found that this was another way I thought about my world as I watched it. Anything that we can take from something that is apparently not life-changing can lead to other things that can be through our thought-process.

"The Lumière Brothers' First Films" - Feature Documentary

The documentary about the Lumiere brothers’ films was entertaining to watch not necessarily to hear. I appreciated the description provided by the filmmaker commenting on it all but I would have liked to see the films how they really are. Maybe it would have not been engaging for people but I think it would be great to see these how they were originally shown. There were not much historical references mentioned but reactions. I think in that sense it was good to hear some of my thoughts be transmitted to the screen with him commenting. For the short films themselves they are truly a revolution. They are the pioneers of this beautiful thing called filmmaking. To see their films is to see the future unfold. They created things that might have seemed mundane to most people of our time but they can be appreciated for capturing people in how they are in the situations they interact with everyday. We can discover through that something about them or even something about ourselves. That is what documentary does for us all. History comes to life, whether it is history that is widely known or hardly known. Thanks to these guys we are able to see things that we wouldn’t normally see happen. There films capture people’s essence in different scenarios but their being is there for us all to see. Baby scenes like the kid walking it is adorable and makes one realize that life is to be caught on film and later on we can appreciate those clips for our kids and others to enjoy.

“Man with a Movie Camera” - Feature Documentary

“Man with a Movie Camera” is a film about a filmmaker and his world. Set in Russia, this movie captures the surroundings, doings, and ideas of a man with a camera. It is definitely one of the most experimental documentaries I have seen. This piece takes us on a journey through what life is like for a man like this one that has a movie camera as his sole companion. There are various scenes to take in of many different things. A woman is seen waking up, there is an outside view of people walking in the streets, trolley trains going by, people in shops, and creepy mannequins. Nothing seems to really correlate with one another. However, this is his life and how he wants it to be presented. With the use of music to heighten effect this can take us on a oftentimes surreal view of this man’s routine. Some of the processes involved were repetitive. Like the scenes with filming the people in the car and the children noticing the camera. The editing process is also shown for the footage gathered in this movie. It’s like a movie within a movie kind of a feeling. This piece made me realize that I am a small portion of something bigger. I live life in a way that most people would not. Everyone has their own way of seeing things. This man wanted the viewers to see life through his lens. No pun intended. I think this is a beautiful way of capturing one’s own point of view of how they see the world they live in. It might be crazy and hectic, as this was probably not for the epilepsy prone, yet, composition-wise it was amazing and content-wise it was inventive. I really enjoyed this one.

"Please Vote for Me" - Feature Documentary

“Please Vote for Me” is a great representation about competition among peers starting at an early age. Not all cultures are like this, yet, the audience can see how it can be in China where this film takes place. The three key players in the movie the two boys and one girl wanting to get votes from their classmates will do anything to get them. Whether that means relying on their talents or on exposing other people’s weaknesses. Sometimes they come up with strategies on their own and other times they come from their parents. It really did not surprise me that the parents were even telling their kids to somehow sabotage the whole process. It’s awful but I think that the parents thought that they did not want to see their child get hurt from disappointment. Any parent wants their kid to succeed. I think the methods they used are not to my agreement, yet, I can appreciate what is being presented to not do that when a similar situation happens with one of my own. I thought about this concept of competition in the film and I was trying to compare it to society here. I think that even here there is some kind of competition that starts young since there is this idea that people have to do better or know better than someone else to be marketable in the job field. It’s a sad reality that people have to face, but that seems to be the way things function here. This film made me make that connection. If kids were instructed to do otherwise, to not compete with each other and try to treat each other like equals and work to cooperate in helping each other succeed there would be an avoidance of most problems happening in our world today. This, however, does not change that I enjoyed the film. There were a variety of moments. There was comedy, realism, and moments where I got in touch with my inner child. “Oh I remember how that was like.” Kids will be kids? I think that this movie shows that innocence that is unseen by them but seen by the adults. They have the power to mold these children for better or for worse. Even though something like a class election is not the most serious of life-changing events it can be a little piece that shapes their personalities. The experience can help them or break them. I realize with this how I have been shaped because of many experiences I have dealt with especially those lived as a kid. Who knows how this experience in particular has shaped those kids, but it certainly helps others see the bigger picture of things. 

“Streetcar Motor Room” - Short Documentary

In “Streetcar Motor Room” there is much to take in a once. Machinery and workers are doing various chores as the camera shoots it all happening continuously. No edits are required to see both come together. One cannot go on without the other and this short film does well to present this idea. The camera moving above all the action with the use of crane helps create a sense of wondering through time and space through the journey through these men’s routine. I like that the filmmaker decided to go for this rather than a hand held shot of the factory or a different method to help the audience see where these people were at and what was their state. The conditions seem quite dangerous and I can’t help but be concern for the safety involved. There was a man during the filming that was at work and a piece of debris was falling on him and there was some kind of plywood that nearly missed him. I cannot complain about life now ‘cause these people definitely had it tough. It’s always nice to see how a piece can do that for us. Our problems and fears can seem small compared to those these individuals probably face. That is why documentary is powerful. Not only does it show people how they are in the environment they are familiar with, but the message that gets across usually makes us realize something about our lives that can be overlooked because of getting caught in what only concerns us. Or sometimes that message is one we haven’t heard of before or considered in the past.

"Harvest of Shame" - Feature Documentary

“Harvest of Shame” is a moving documentary that gives a depiction of how life for migrant workers is in the farms of America. I was really touched by the harsh realities that these people have to face everyday of their lives and that they really can’t do much to change it. I can feel the frustration involved with these people. They probably have to face the facts that getting out of that situation is hard. Maybe it’s not impossible but for that to happen will take a lot in so many ways. It almost seems in this piece that people in these conditions had to conform to a stereotype. The filmmaker does not make it seem that way at least not intentionally, but this is sensitive matter to these people and the unbiased take can make it seem like they are insensitive about the situation. It might not have been the manner they wanted it to be portrayed but I think that getting people to just keep talking about it is not going to solve much, I almost felt like wanting to reach out because they possibly felt so interrogated by the media. Sometimes the media wants to get their stories without considering others and their feelings, but I think sometimes it might need to be done for educational purposes like instructing others of the realities that the country is facing. People can be more aware of what others are feeling in those situations and be more sensitive themselves towards them hopefully.

"Control Room" -Feature Documentary

“Control Room” was educational and powerful. I did not think that the situation in Iraq was so dire and out of hand at times that people who did not have anything to do with it had to end up getting hurt. Yet, in all war, this is unfortunately the case. The film does well to present a point of view that had often been overlooked or seen as a darker side from common media networks seen in American television. People would probably erroneously connect Al-Jezeera network with Al-Kaida. They transmit video from them but it does not mean they agree with what they are doing. They portray things that are seen as controversial by the U.S. media networks and government, but it is because the footage they show in their network is something that the administration did not want to show at least to the American public. I really saw the tensions build up between people who supported the footage shown on the network as “as it truly is” and the people who did not want it shown because it was too much to handle. Sometimes the truth is harsh and reality can be a bitter place to be afterwards. No one likes to be reminded, but for media to remind the public of something means that hopefully it doesn’t happen again in history. This piece was very informative. It really help me get past some stereotypes that I might have been guilty of associating, like for example, that I thought a society in Iraq would not have permitted women to work and in the film there was a woman at work as a producer I believe. If I remember right. Sometimes people have to see beyond what is being presented. Films like these are not mainstream here but can inform people of different perspectives and different ways of thinking in other places. Documentaries like this one can certainly take us to these points of view when otherwise there would be no way of doing so just by mainstream alone.

“The Coronation of Edward VII” - Short Documentary

I was surprised to find when Dean Duncan said that the short “The Coronation of Edward VII” by George Melies was actually a reenactment of that event. It was pretty realistic considering the manner that it was portrayed. People reverently watching as this individual is crowned. The setting adds more to this “reality”. Everything around looks like the perfect place for all this to come together in a ceremony that requires a lot of thought just like the making of this film. Every detail seemed carefully thought of to create the scene. It is a fictional piece based on an actual event. A documentation of history with the use of actors and taking advantage of the space they are in to execute it successfully. When I saw this I thought about whether I had seen films that have shown something to be true but really isn’t the case.  I think that with documentary filmmakers can have the tendency of showing something that does not present another view or that can portray it in a way they see fit to what they think is right. No matter how true or untrue a position is there should be balance. Presenting both sides of the issue can be tricky but it can definitely be done. I appreciate the footage for what it is worth. Yet, it would have been nice to know that it was real. I think that it does well in portraying it all as if we were there witnessing that very moment. If I can picture it it would have been close to what representation Melies had.

"Cars Sliding and Crashing in Bountiful" - Short Documentary

The person filming would not be aware that their footage would reach the millionth mark on Youtube. That probably wasn’t the reason why they documented what they did. Simply they wanted to capture it ‘cause it was entertaining being in the position they were and not at the drivers seat or out in the streets. There were many close calls, but for some there were not as lucky. I seriously thought things were going to be worse than what was shown. I could totally feel the anxieties of people watching before their eyes what is happening. I felt that I was close to the action, as if I was there with the filmmaker. The filmmaker even warns people that are close to danger from getting out of the way of a car that is almost about to go into them.  This adds more to that effect.   Sure, the video is not the best of quality but the material definitely is. It is amazing to see how people try to maneuver their cars so they stay safe. Sometimes it works, but other times they can’t fight Mother Nature.  People sometimes don’t have a choice but to brave it out in a place like this.  The filmmaker had patience to be outside in the cold and just keep recording what was happening. I’m sure this person wasn’t an actual filmmaker but with the use of any kind of camera goes to show that anyone can document a piece of history from any place and nowadays that is easier to be viewed with the help of the internet and sites like Youtube.