Documentaries and chill

By Carmen Frias
March 22, 2018

Documentaries

With the phenomenon of Netflix, I have gained a rapid interest in documentaries. I can openly say I am a fan of documentaries. But there once was a time when documentaries were classified as “boring,” which probably translated as “too educational.”

The tables have now turned.

Documentaries are a sudden go-to for “Netflix and chill” and overall watching. The sudden change may be because being “woke” has now become everyone’s goal. Or because filmmakers are creating documentaries that interest more people.

Here is a list of documentaries I’ve seen on Netflix:

“Netflix and Chill” Photo from Flickr: @MethodShop.

“Resistance”

“Audrie & Daisy”

“Amanda Knox”

“Gaga: Five Foot Two

“What Happened Miss Simone?”

“Maya Angelou And Still I Rise”

“The Death ans Life of Marsh P. Johnson”

“9/11 Truth, Lies and Conspiracies

“Super Size Me”

“Making a Murderer

The topics of the documentaries on this lift include the history of antibiotics, sexual violence, the LGBTQ+ community, health, the life of public figures and more. That is a pretty broad list.

Documentaries are now being created to reach a bigger audience, for those who are multifaceted and for those who are obsessed one with topic. This generation asks a lot of questions and with Google, almost all the questions are answered. But for those who want to read less and learn more, documentaries have been the visual version of Google.

According to the Harmony Institute, a media analysis nonprofit group, documentary films have become more popular, increasing from being less than 5 percent of all movie releases to 18 percent as of 2012.

“The series can’t replace the teacher or the classroom, but in conjunction with what you as the teacher do, it can make the era come alive in a way never before possible. In many ways, the series asks as many questions as it answers and should serve as a starting point for active learning and classroom discussion,” said American filmmaker Ken Burns in his introduction to the PBS site on educational film.

The documentary “Resistance” was introduced to me in my health and the human body course. Not only did my classmates and I learn about the benefits and drawbacks of antibiotics, we were able to converse with new and improved observations, concerns and questions on a topic that was quite foreign to us.

For those who are more intrigued by pop culture, documentaries on the life of public figures such as Nina Simone, Maya Angelou, Lady Gaga, Chris Brown, Justin Bieber and Jimi Hendrix have been created.

Documentaries allow people to experience other people’s lives. Photo from Flickr: @ Rymer Bruining.

Although we are able to use Google to know details as specific as a public figure’s favorite snack, we always want to see and know more. It is even better do learn from the source themselves.

Documentaries allow us to travel with public figures, past and present, and witness with them their lives.

In a generation where receiving and providing others with facts or opinions is almost constant, documentaries have become a starting point for or evidence in a conversation or debate.

Although documentaries are an educational resource, it is safe to stay that being educated on a topic or event may start with a documentary but does not certainly end with a documentary.

The continuation of research is essential in the process of being “woke.”

 

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Carmen Frias

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