The 11th hour

2007 by Leila and Nadia Conners - Documentary in English

I was a very happy man before I sat down for this one. Leo Messi was declared the European player of the year by UEFA. Well that was expected, but what was the icing on the cake was the margin of votes, by which he went ahead. Leo got 38, Xavi 11 and Christiano just 3!!! Those three who voted for Christiano - a journalist from Portugal, a woman journalist from San Marino (for obvious reasons) and then another journalist from Armania. Well, his newspaper is called Armanian Soccer, may be the only one to call Football as soccer in Europe. So its all an easy guess. Even Leo and Xavi might not have guessed such a huge margin. Anyway, it is only a question of months, before little Leo will be declared the FIFA world player, the first player to win the most prestigious individual honour in Football, consecutively for 3 years.

Also, the Champions League draw for the season was done and my beloved Barca only will have AC Milan as a major partner in our group. Watching AC Milan now, I think it will not be a tough job for Barca to go to the round of 16. Every prospects for a rematch with Arsenal and Chelsea is ahead though.

Within a few minutes from the beginning of the documentary, I forgot completely about Football and started to worry about our nature.

The 11th hour is yet another documentary on climate change. 

It is created, produced and narrated by Leonardo De Caprio, which is quite interesting. No words to appreciate a star like De Caprio coming out to make such a documentary.

Though it talks about Climate change and the horros awaiting human kind, it is still looking at the whole issue from a kind of American perspective. Also, it bombards us with information, quite important and scary ones, in a consistently fast pace. Even before we have realised one issue, the next personality is telling us an even scarier thought. Sure, this is all serious and it is really an excellent effort, but I thought the pace could have been a bit slow to allow the viewer to digest what he is told. It rather is a documentary with the pace of a Hollywood thriller.

But whatever, it is an excellent documentary warning us about the problems we are looking at, because of all what we did to our nature in the last 100 or 200 years. One scientist tell us that 99.9% of species in the Universe will get extinct one day and human beings are digging its own grave.

Home is way ahead as a brilliant documentary in all its aspects, but 11th Hour definitely manages to convey its message. And it is heartening that it comes from a Hollywood star. 

Deliver Us from Evil

2006 by Amy J Berg - Documentary in English

Mostly people look at film makers as heroes. In fact it is the documentary film makers and thousands of social workers who should be called the real life heroes. I am finding it quite perplexing that these minority never get their real due from the normal public. How many ordinary people get to see the great documentaries which speak shocking truths. It is a real pity. Here is yet another documentary with an in your face honesty that I can only salute the brilliance and boldness of its crew.

This docu is about a priest, Oliver O 'Grady who sexually abused, molested or raped so many number of children while in America, between the 70's and 90's. He was Irish, and after serving a 7 year term in jail, he was deported to his home land where he still works with the church. Still amongst children.

What a work this is. The church authorities knew that O'Grady had a problem, but instead of acting upon him, they just transferred him to a different Parish, where he could continue with his activities. And finally when he was really reported and send to jail, after serving his term, he was deported to Ireland where he continues to be a priest. He continues to work with church and most people with whom he works now, may it be the church or even the fellow followers of Christianity, are completely unaware of his past and problems. He still works constantly with children. What the hell is wrong with the church.

The most stunning aspect of this docu is that, O'Grady himselves appears before the camera and clearly agrees he does have a problem with children, which he recognises but is unable to control, given an opportunity. And this he says, after his jail term.

There are some interviews with some of those children, grown ups now, and their parents and that is really touching. Most of those parents had completely trusted this man and let him be free with their children, girl or boy. And almost in all cases, the children were afraid to report it to their parents.

Some of the striking facts given by this docu is simply shocking. Just a few which I can recollect are here:

* There were more than 100000 victims of sexual abuse (Church's clergy involved) from the USA alone and a good percent of the cases are never reported.
* 10% of graduates from the biggest seminary in US West coast are Pedophiles !!!
* And even the present Pope was involved in the cover up of these abuses in US. He even got Mr. Obama to rule against the prosecution of his office!!!!

Simply BOLD and Brilliant. That is all what I can say. It is also nice to know that the makers of this movie are still alive (considering the infamous acts of the Church in the past centuries)

I wonder how this movie was accepted by the general followers of Christianity in the West. I am curious how the ordinary Christians in India will react. Fortunately for the church, docu's are not watched by a big majority.

Man on Wire

2008 by James Marsh - British Documentary

I first heard about Philippe Petit, I think, during a school quiz competition. I was supposed to answer what that photograph - a man walking on a rope between two towers - was about and I didnt know. But later I was horrified to know about the passion of these world famous French man, walk on a wire between any tall structures. This is something which is scaringly beautiful, but impossible, for ordinary humans. I would not do that even in my dreams as I have a problem with heights, depending on who I am with. If the person who is near me is really afraid at that height, I will look brave probably, but alone I am scared of heights. Well, not for Petit, the man who doesnt just walk on wires, but dance on wires.

Philippe was quite into wire walking, but he stunned France when he walked the towers of the Notradame church, one fine morning. Then he did the same at Sydney, walking between the two pylons of the Sydney Harbour bridge. But Philippe's dream was to walk the Twin Towers of the WTC, which was then the tallest in the world. 

Man on Wire is a documentary, but for me it felt nearly like a movie. A beautiful experience. We hear directly from Philippe and his close friends, who all had to take so much of effort to sneak into the two towers, rigging the wire between and then finally walk, a walk of 61 metres at a height of 417 metres. Philippe was nervous about the walk in the beginning but soon his friends saw him smiling and he did all on the wire, for what he is famous for, sitting, lying down, saluting everything in a spell binding performance of about 45 minutes and then was arrested by the Police, like always.

But it was his walk (on 7 Aug, '74), according to many, which brought world wide fame to the WTC. Till then they were finding it difficult to even rent out office spaces in the building, which many in America thought were ugly. It is interesting and gives a lot of insight to American thoughts, when Philippe says after such an incredible feat, the only question the American system/people/media had to ask him was Why - why did you do this. And the police took him to a Psychiatrist after the arrest - this was the most funny part of this movie.

While there were breath taking videos of Philippe's walks at the Notredame and Sydney, only photographs were available for his twin tower walk, is the only negative for this stunning documentary. Not the fault of the movie actually. The person who was supposed to shoot, had completely forgotten his job as he was exhausted already.

The sad part of the movie was that immediately after the walk Annie, his girl friend, who had a real passion in following and supporting Philippe from his teenage days, walked out of his life. Out of the police station, on that day, Philippe chose to seek some pleasure with a female fan who was waiting for him to get out of the police station. When Annie talks about Philippe, through out this movie, I always felt she must be with him even now as we could see her love and affection for the man. Well it is not and we realise this only towards the end.

A beautiful documentary for sure. All the more because of the charming talks by Phillippe himself with all his French accents and mannerisms. The man who says, 'if I fail, what a beautiful death it would be, dying while trying my passion'. Beautiful. Actually it is more of a heist movie than a documentary. 

Capitalism A Love Story

2009 by Michael Moore

Yet another wonderful documentary from Mr. Moore.

This time he takes on Capitalism - the system that is the heart of America, by its own horns. He starts off from the deregulation prompted by the reign of Ronald Regan to that of Obama, how it has all benefitted only the rich. It has funny moments, sad moments, shocking moments and even moments of hope.

I really wonder how Americans, especially the ones who normally simply swallow all their media propaganda, found this docu. The most unexpected info for me was the comments by some priests against Capitalism. That was a surprise. I was shocked about the companies insurance scheme for the employees, benefiting themselves and the judge who sentenced every child to a private shelter home and to be frank almost everything actually.

And how peaceful life is Mr. Moore having, in America? I really would like to know that.

Whatever, this man is brilliant and he deserves an universal award. 

Home

2009 by Yann Arthus - Bertrand

I have always been worried about poverty and the destruction of nature in the name of development. But to be very frank, I dont know what I ever did from my part. Nothing actually, other than forwarding some emails or posting some news on my Google Buzz about matters touching on poverty and nature issues. 99%, I am sure, those posts have not even set started a meaningful discussion. My wife would tell me, it is no use my husband, no body cares. And it is true that there were only a couple of occassions, in all my history of acquaintance with Internet since 1997/98, when some people ever responded with meaningful comments or discussions on the topics of poverty or nature. I just posted a buzz with links to the documentary HOME, and for the first time truly, sincerely I wish, please my friends, take this seriously, watch it and also make your friends and family watch it. Home is such an incredibly moving experience that each and every human being in Earth should watch it.

Home talks about life, how everything in nature is connected, countries have borders but not for nature, and how human beings who are only a later species in the process of life have endangered the very existence of our mother Earth through our own actions. All in the name of material welfare.

Home is a gripping documentary. At first we are amazed by the beautiful camera work, completely aerial shots, only once - when it captures the tallest structure in Earth in Dubai - will it have an eye level shot, which captures images from all across the world. However slowly we are shocked by the information we are told by the narrator even while watching wonderful frames.

There is no limit to the applause and respects Mr. Bertrand and his team should receive for this wonderful movie.

I simply wish, this movie is shown in each and every schools, colleges, offices, villages, towns, police station everywhere in India. I am surprised nobody spoke about this documentary yet, until my friend, Father. Jijo suggested it. I think he saw it in Italy, not in India.  Thank you Father. 

Inside Job

2010 by Charles Ferguson

A documentary on the 2008 Recession.

It is heartening to see, very rarely though, these kind of attempts from America. I havent seen many documentaries. But this is definitely the most brilliant and shocking docu after Fahrenheit 9/11.

It brings out the deregulation in the Financial industry, brought out after lot of campaigning and lobbying, how that helped the top players in the industry, and how the industry was warned by a few, and how they kept on with their vested plans and when the recession finally did happen, how they further managed to earn huge bail outs from the Government, which simply increased the wallet size of the top executives. It also goes into how this industry has penetrated into the Academic tables and the State and inspite of all promises to make change, how some of the same players who could be called responsible, are still playing active roles in the industry.

Even if it is a documentary, it is told in way as to how a story unfolds and its really impressive and shocking. All credit to the director to make it this way. Brilliant. I would say, this movie is the best 'fast food' for any lay man - on financial affairs, like me - to understand recession.

At the same time, it is quite disappointing that it does not give us any hope at all. Those who  should have learnt some lessons, have ignored those lessons. The world and its system is tuned for the rich and it will continue so, come what may, recession or Tsunami's.

The narration by Matt Damon is excellent. It is gratifying that somebody from the higher end of life's spectrum agreed to do this.