Favourite documentaries

[skalpel]

Just watched it. It was pretty good, quite depressing and sometimes infuriating which is obviously the intention. Music was saccharine and irritating but it was definitely well made and worth a watch if you don't have a problem with the concept. Seems a bit weird that the film maker didn't do more to try stop them though, some were up there for ages before jumping.

[jpg]

Just watched it. It was pretty good, quite depressing and sometimes infuriating which is obviously the intention. Music was saccharine and irritating but it was definitely well made and worth a watch if you don't have a problem with the concept. Seems a bit weird that the film maker didn't do more to try stop them though, some were up there for ages before jumping.

The concept definitely makes it a very strange film- you're seeing the last moments of multiple people's lives. I can't remember how I felt after I watched it- certainly a little depressed but didn't know whether to feel happy or sad for some of them. IIRC some struggled with mental illness and needed to escape. Felt sorry for the guy who actually survived the fall- when he was talking about the day before/morning leading up to when he tried to jump, sounds like he was in a horrible place and you start to see why some people see no other option but to take their own lives. How he survived that drop is an absolute mystery, but I definitely don't blame him for perceiving as 'fate'- I sure as hell would.

The film makers weren't actually given permission to film people commit suicide. They told the authorities they were simply 'filming' the bridge not there to document people jumping off it- they never would have got permission to do so. Apparently they did call 911 every time they saw someone acting suspicious which saved 4 lives (apparently..). You could argue that this film does more to prevent people jumping in the future because it's raising awareness on the amount who actually take their lives there.

Strangely, I sort of enjoyed the the ending jump. You could tell this was the only thing this guy wanted by what he had been telling his friends and the manner in which he jumped. The final quote from his friend sums up people's motives for suicide pretty well in that sometimes we'll never find out what drives people to taking their own lives:

"Why he chose the bridge, I don't know. Maybe there is a certain amount of, release, from pain, by pain. Maybe he just wanted to fly one time.”

[Seagull]

Has anyone seen The Two Escobars? It's a documentary focusing on both Pablo Escobar and the Colombian footballer Andres Escobar (no relation), who was murdered after his own goal in the 1994 World Cup. It's on Netflix, I'm about 20 minutes in and will probably watch the rest tomorrow.

Tragic, but very interesting so far.

More information: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1493943/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[The Situation]

Just watched a documentary on Ted Bundy, not good before you have to walk back from the library at 1 in the morning.....

[jpg]

Has anyone seen The Two Escobars? It's a documentary focusing on both Pablo Escobar and the Colombian footballer Andres Escobar (no relation), who was murdered after his own goal in the 1994 World Cup. It's on Netflix, I'm about 20 minutes in and will probably watch the rest tomorrow.

Tragic, but very interesting so far.

More information: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1493943/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Yeah I've definitely seen the cover whilst flicking through netflix. Will give it a watch sometime

[skalpel]

Just watched it. It was pretty good, quite depressing and sometimes infuriating which is obviously the intention. Music was saccharine and irritating but it was definitely well made and worth a watch if you don't have a problem with the concept. Seems a bit weird that the film maker didn't do more to try stop them though, some were up there for ages before jumping.

The concept definitely makes it a very strange film- you're seeing the last moments of multiple people's lives. I can't remember how I felt after I watched it- certainly a little depressed but didn't know whether to feel happy or sad for some of them. IIRC some struggled with mental illness and needed to escape. Felt sorry for the guy who actually survived the fall- when he was talking about the day before/morning leading up to when he tried to jump, sounds like he was in a horrible place and you start to see why some people see no other option but to take their own lives. How he survived that drop is an absolute mystery, but I definitely don't blame him for perceiving as 'fate'- I sure as hell would.

The film makers weren't actually given permission to film people commit suicide. They told the authorities they were simply 'filming' the bridge not there to document people jumping off it- they never would have got permission to do so. Apparently they did call 911 every time they saw someone acting suspicious which saved 4 lives (apparently..). You could argue that this film does more to prevent people jumping in the future because it's raising awareness on the amount who actually take their lives there.

Strangely, I sort of enjoyed the the ending jump. You could tell this was the only thing this guy wanted by what he had been telling his friends and the manner in which he jumped. The final quote from his friend sums up people's motives for suicide pretty well in that sometimes we'll never find out what drives people to taking their own lives:

"Why he chose the bridge, I don't know. Maybe there is a certain amount of, release, from pain, by pain. Maybe he just wanted to fly one time.”

Ah that's good to hear that they intervened those cases.

To me it seems like there may be two main reasons than somebody might choose the bridge to kill themselves.

Firstly, it's spectacular which could convince them that they can make something memorable of themselves in death. For instance, some people shout Hollywood-esque last words to passers by before doing it, some people do unusual or crazy jumps, then the 500th suicide actually went over with a sandwich board round him saying "500" . Some people even repeatedly return to it despite being stopped several times already.

And secondly, it's possible they just aren't quite 100% convinced they want to do it. Even if you live in central San Francisco, it takes a little time to get to the middle of the bridge. The tram rides to the edge of the bridge, then the walk all the way to the right spot and so on, lots of time to think and hope for a reason to stop yourself. It's often in broad daylight, with plenty of people walking by who they sometimes interact with. A lot of them seem to take their time before doing it, in fact that kid who survived said he was hanging around there (which seems a typical action) and only jumped off when he figured that nobody cared. I saw another story about a guy who said he jumped off and on the way down realised that every single problem in his life could now easily be fixed - except for having just jumped off the bridge.

If you were honestly convinced that there was nothing worth living for, you wouldn't be taken by the romantic concept of diving from one of the world's greatest bridges with a spectacular view, you wouldn't take a long time making your way over there in the hope that something might change your mind, &c. There are plenty of easier and more private ways to do it, but these guys didn't take them. That's what made it even more sad, I think.

[Cal]

Since The International 2014's main event started today, figured I'd post this.

[Mifune]

Jiro Dreams of Sushi is really really good.

[Colback's Orange Tufts]

Adding to those said already:

Good Hair - Chris Rock looks into African American hairstyle and dangerous straightener chemicals after his daughter asks why she doesn't have "good hair like the white girls". Pretty depressing in parts but Chris Rock plays it with disbelief and humour.
This Film Is Not Yet Rated - Looking into the hidden world of American film rating, done by an undemocratic, old fashioned secretive group of twelve.
The Up series - Checking in with the same interview subjects every seven years since '64
America Unchained - More of a travelogue, Dave Gorman tries to go coast to coast in the US without using any chain. Not petrol station, hotels or restaurants. It proves difficult.
Man on Wire - a egotistical French tightrope walker broke into the world trade centre in new york to tightrope between the two of them in 1974

[Captain Obvious]

[Livin' Ra Mento Loco]

Super Size Me

[Seagull]

Super Size Me

Made me hungry. Actually it's making me hungry just thinking about it now.

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Super Size Me

Made me hungry. Actually it's making me hungry just thinking about it now.

Could demolish a Big Mac and milkshake right now

[Albert's Chip Shop]

World At War.

The greatest documentary series ever.

[skalpel]

It really is fantastic. There's also a comparable series on the First World War by the BBC called The Great War. It was made about a decade earlier than World at War and goes into pretty surprising depths for a documentary series. The two series are good watching for comprehensive outlines of the two world wars.

[Speedo]

World at War was about 80% of my revision for my A-Level module on the 2nd world war. Such great documentaries.

[Chappy]

Hate United but Class of '92 was good.

[overseasTOON]

It really is fantastic. There's also a comparable series on the First World War by the BBC called The Great War. It was made about a decade earlier than World at War and goes into pretty surprising depths for a documentary series. The two series are good watching for comprehensive outlines of the two world wars.

I bought both series on DVD about 10 years ago and I still like to watch them occasionally.

[bodacious benny]

Hate United but Class of '92 was good.

Which United <wenger>

[Seagull]

The Death of Yugoslavia (6 part series).

The BBC's highly detailed chronological account of the disintegration of the state, from the Slovenian and Croatian declarations of independence through to the Dayton Accords. Clearly a tragic story, but one that needs to be told. Includes interviews with a number of key individuals in the story, including Milosevic and Tudjman. Potentially some issues in regards to bias, brought up in the comments sections on YT, but for anyone interested in this subject I can't recommend enough. IMDB link.

Full series below, but the individual parts are on youtube too.