Krish Parikh Week 12 - An Ode to Documentaries
Over the last week, I've been watching the new Netflix original documentary Downfall: The Case Against Boeing. The film centers around the devastating Boeing 737 Max crashes within five months of each other in 2018 and 2019—something unheard of in modern aviation for a new plane like the 737 Max, and it seeks to answer the question of what truly caused these deaths to happen. I just finished the documentary with my little brother yesterday night, and it left a lasting impression on me—inspiring this blog post on the power of documentaries on me personally and society at large.
To be completely honest, my favorite genre of television and films isn't action, comedy, adventure, or anime; it's documentary. If you were to log into my Netflix profile and browse to the "Recently Watched" section, you'd find a slew of documentaries that I've consumed over the years: The Great Hack, The Movies that Made Us, Challenger, Explained, We Steal Secrets: The Story of Wikileaks, Dirty Money, and the list goes on and on.
For as long as I can remember, I've had an insatiable thirst for tidbits of information, fun facts, puzzles, and knowledge in general. When I was younger, I had the time to consume a few nonfiction reads a week, but I no longer have that privilege. Adapting to my circumstances, I found the answer to my learning craving in documentaries. When I'm doing homework, eating food, or hanging out with my little brother, I can always open Netflix on my phone or TV and play one in the background—discovering the mysteries of the world without sacrificing my precious time.
Documentaries are highly efficient forms of information intake. Because their run length is only so long, the filmmakers must stick to only what's important and engaging for their audience—skipping the long filler material and drawn-out tangents while simplifying advanced ideas for easy viewing. As a result, with just an hour long documentary on the corporate corruption behind a well-respected industrial giant's plane crashes, one can walk away with a greater understanding of the issue than if he or she simply read the 336 page New York Times bestseller on the topic (I would know). Thanks to my family's unlimited Netflix subscription and the innumerable benefits of this genre, documentaries have become a staple of my day.
In a broader sense, however, documentaries are key to bringing much needed public attention to advanced topics which often fall flat in an age of constant distraction of infinite scrolling. An Inconvenient Truth, a film which we watched in class on climate change, is one such example of this, and it is credited with helping kick off the global mass movement against climate change. If you ever get just a few minutes of idle time, I highly recommend opening up Netflix, searching up "documentary," and playing anything which catches your fancy—you won't regret it!
Hi Krish,
ReplyDeleteI would agree that documentaries are pretty interesting, even though on the outside they seem like they may not. I grew up watching a Canadian documentary series called "How Its Made." This show was about how different everyday items or snacks were made in factories. This was one of my older brother and I's favorite shows. All it was was explaining the process of how things were produced in factories, but I always paid attention. I think its best to watch documentaries about things that interest you, because you'll find yourself paying attention the whole way through. I also believe that many people have a negative take on documentaries because we are mostly shown history or science documentaries in class that not everyone would be interested in.
Hi Krish,
ReplyDeleteI agree that documentaries are one of the most entertaining forms of television. It's nice that they're also very insightful. Although I don't devote a lot of time to documentaries, I occasionally watch true-crime documentaries or podcasts that I stumble upon on Netflix on Youtube. I found myself hooked on the documentary "American Murder: The Family Next Door," an extremely tragic story of how a man brutally murdered his wife, Shannan Watts, and their daughters, and ended up hiding them in an oil tank located in an abandoned desert.
Hi Krish,
ReplyDeleteDocumentaries are pretty cool! I watch most of my documentaries on YouTube, and some of the are on topics I would have never considered watching if it were not for the might of the infamous algorithm. My favourite one was on the history of the Disney FastPass and the reason behind its conception; I highly recommend watching it if you have an hour or two to spare. It's a great use of time when I'm not grinding my APENG homework...
Sincerely,
Sean Wang
Hi Krish,
ReplyDeleteI think that documentaries are one of the best developments of the digital age. I do spot a flaw in your reasoning, however, in that your multitasking abilities might not be as effective as you think they may be. Playing a documentary in the background while doing another activity does not allow you to do both the task and listen to the documentary well, since both activities require focus. For example, spending attention on family time allows you to create deeper bonds through conversation while listening with your full attention to the documentary allows you to grasp all the information contained in the documentary, but doing both at the same time leaves your family relationships shallow and only understanding a fraction of the documentary. Do you agree or can you multitask perfectly?
Sincerely,
Raymond Yu
A documentary is the movie to a textbook. The textbook in movie form in my recent memory is the one we watched in class, but I do remember a period of extended boredom in my life where documentaries were my primary information intake. I actually watched Al Gore’s documentary at least two times with the first time being in my geography class in ninth grade. At the time, I wasn’t inclined to pay any attention nor was the content compelling enough to lift my head above my desk. Rewatching the documentary was an experience of appreciation—appreciation for the intricacies in Al Gore’s argument and the deliberation behind his rhetoric. However, I would still have to say that it was a piece that could not actively engage me.
ReplyDeleteHi Krish,
ReplyDeleteI am so happy that someone else shares this same affinity towards documentaries as I do. However, our reasons do seem to differ a bit. As an aspiring filmmaker myself, I wish to one day make a documentary about something I am personally passionate about. I think the magic of documentaries is its ability to in a way advertise even the smallest or most niche hobbies. Personally, the Super Smash Brothers documentary and the Speedcubing documentary have both always held a special place in my heart as it is always so cool to view communities I am in displayed in media to the rest of the world. If you are a fan of documentaries, I personally recommend the Disney Fastpass documentary on youtube created by youtuber Defunctland.
Hey Krish, documentaries are indeed very interesting, but for me, the subject needs to be something that interests me if I'm going to watch it. I'm a tree hugger, history nerd and art enthusiast, so my favorite Netflix documentaries are the Our Planet series, the more recent Netflix Original on mushrooms, Fantastic Fungi, the Unearthed series on the Science channel, and Loving Vincent (a movie surrounding the conspiracy theory of how Vincent van Gogh was really killed, which was stop-motion animated with over a million oil paintings in his signature style; highly recommend). Documentaries have a way of organizing information that captures the viewer's attention and keeps them interested, which makes them that much more incredible. They are very fun to watch, and they are a great way to learn new information instead of continuing to rewatch The Office (which I am very guilty of). Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteHi Krish,
ReplyDeleteI would definitely go to Netflix and search up documentaries to watch, but I could do it if A. I have time and B. I have Netflix. I know its shocking to hear that I don't have Netflix, but that's the truth. I don't really watch movies, and even I do, its with my family and not alone. Along with that, Junior year has taken up all of my time for anything. But like you, I am really interested in just getting as much information as I can, especially when it comes to technology (you can call me a tech nerd).
Sincerely,
Vivan Waghela
Hey Krish!
ReplyDeleteThis was a super interesting take on documentaries. I personally have never been a fan of documentaries or anything non-fiction really. I have always been an enjoyer of fiction. I love immersing myself in the "what ifs" and I find comfort in the imaginary. I love the adventure and crime and exhilaration of fiction. But a part of me has always been strangely drawn to the concept of documentaries. I have always been a huge history nerd and I love watching videos on it. But a documentary seems so daunting as they are long. You have definitely piqued my interest so I might look into some this weekend!