1) No Impact Man - interesting story of a year in the life of an NYC-based couple with one child who attempt to go one year leaving no carbon footprint. There are definite little steps you can take from this that are very doable: biking or walking instead of driving or taking public transport, shopping at your local farmers market, cutting down on trash by curbing buying things, etc. Now, the going without electricity and toilet paper....not so sure about that.
2) Food, Inc. - Fascinating story of how very few large corporations actually own most of the food produced in this country. Be prepared to see animals mistreated and find out how sneaky some of these corporations can be. Now, I don't know if all of this is the God's-honest truth, but it certainly made me glad I've made the switch to veganism. Buy organic!
3) The Business of Being Born - Mostly an advocacy film for midwifery and natural childbirth. It seems like a good way to go. I was astonished to learn of all these "designer births" with moms choosing induction dates and scheduling c-sections. I definitely understand that sometimes a c-section is necessary, and thank goodness we have qualified surgeons who can help in those scary times, but for the most part, I think women should be able to trust their own bodies and have a natural birth. It's what we're made to do!
4) National Geographic: China's Lost Girls - This one was made even more interesting to me because I know a couple who just adopted a little girl from China last December. China's one-child policy coupled with a traditional desire for boy children has left thousands of little girls abandoned, hidden, or even killed. Lisa Ling follows a group of American couples going to China to adopt little girls. Tearjerker, people.
5) A State of Mind - Follows two young gymnasts in North Korea as they prepare to participate in the Mass Games, an enormous dance/gymnastics extravaganza designed to show the people's dedication to their country, their leader and communism. And boy, do they hate America. Quite interesting. I found out I know nothing at all about North Korea. And I'm sure that's just the way they want it.
6) Exit Through the Gift Shop - This one's pretty kooky! It follows a French "filmmaker" named Thierry as he delves into the world of street art. He's a nut, so it's pretty entertaining.
7) Every Little Step - Follows the audition process (all 8 months of it!) for the revival of A Chorus Line on Broadway in 2006. It was even cooler to watch because I saw that production with the original cast when I lived in NYC. Fascinating portrait.
8) Paper Clips - The story of a middle school in rural Tennessee that does an in-depth Holocaust study by collecting 6 million paper clips for each Jew killed. Everyone learns about tolerance and evil and injustice. Watch with tissues. The Holocaust survivor stories are so touching.
9) Ballerina - A couple years in the lives of 5 Russian ballerinas at the Kirov ballet. It's like Black Swan without all the crazy, which is why I prefer this one. The dancing is amazing, and seeing their process of choosing girls from age 10 is fascinating.Seen any good documentaries lately?
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