On Good Documentaries

Last week Trev and I saw two excellent documentaries. I am sure you would enjoy them as well.

Born into Brothels is the story of children born to prostitutes in the redlight district of Calcutta, India. These children live in the brothels with their mothers, and are mostly destined to follow in their footsteps. Zana Briski is a photographer who went to India to photograph different Indian women and their lives. During one of her trips she ended up in the redlight district wanting to photograph the prostitute women. Realizing that she needed to gain their trust before they would allow her to photograph them, she moved into the brothel. She quickly became attached to the children of the women, and decided to teach them how to take pictures. The documentary won an Academy Award for best documentary in 2005.

The second documentary we saw was Control Room. This documentary portrays the different stories that arise from the war in Iraq depending on what side of the globe you live on. It is fascinating to see the severe criticism Al Jazeera has taken due to their reporting practices. Unlike many American networks, Al Jazeera has focused on the Middle East and presenting the realities of war for the Iraqi people. The documentary also shows the desire of the managers and producers to present both sides of the story with as much accuracy and openness as they can. It is definitely and eye opener.

Hope you have fun watching these documentaries!