541–550 of 568 posts
"The Civil War" by Ken Burns https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Civil_War_(miniseries) Detailed. Unagitated text. No reenactment. Based on contemporary documents only (almost). Competent experts, some quite characters. Reserved but impressive music.
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Any of Ken Burns' documentaries are good, The Civil War and Vietnam being two of the best. Even his take on Prohibition and Baseball are very watchable.
I loved the Civil War, and I think the quality of Vietnam was great too, but it made me so angry I had to stop watching it. I am not of an age where I was in danger of going, but I had siblings that were. They luckily did not go. I liked his Jazz one too.
I'm just curious - what particularly made you angry about it?
My father served in the military, but was posted as a medical orderly to West Germany rather than Vietnam at the time, this was in the early 70's. He tended to some of the wounded guys getting repatriated after getting physical therapy, and said the experience had destroyed far more lives than just KIAs on the battlefield.
I really enjoyed The Endurance (2000), which is about the famed Shackleton expedition. Really shows how a man's steadfast leadership, experience, and fortitude can save even the most dire of circumstances. Great narration by Liam Neeson too.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Searching_for_Sugar_Man
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2125608/
Searching for Sugar Man is a 2012 documentary film about a South African cultural phenomenon, written and directed by Malik Bendjelloul, which details the efforts in the late 1990s of two Cape Town fans, Stephen "Sugar" Segerman and Craig Bartholomew Strydom, to find out whether the rumoured death of American musician Sixto Rodriguez was true and, if not, to discover what had become of him. Rodriguez's music, which had never achieved success in the United States, had become very popular in South Africa, although little was known about him in that country.
It's very well done and engaging. The filming is wonderful, and it almost seems like a fiction film. The story is also unusual.
and the movie "The Russian Woodpecker" https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_russian_woodpecker
The approach to the subject matter is very creative.
After seeing both movies several years ago both have stayed with me and I think about each often.
Genghis Blues I don't think has been mentioned yet.
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That moment when he stands in front of the remnants of Auschwitz, kneels down, reaches into the sludge of ashes and says, “We need to touch people”. It would be an Ask HN in and of itself to ask: What broadcaster today, YouTube or otherwise, comes even close in education, trust in the intelligence of their audience, and sheer balls?
I'd love contribute to that thread. I'd suggest ~10am PST on a Tuesday, as that seems to be the best time for threads to get going. I'd love to have some more heroes to put up on the wall for kiddos. As for the question: I'd say Hodan Nalayeh who was killed by Al-Shabab in 2019. Her work in Jubaland is sorely missed these days. She was more of a journalist/influencer/founder though, so I'm not sure if it totally fits…
I love documentaries, and these are my favourites. All very worth a watch. - The Crash Reel - McConkey - Buck - Apollo 11 - Carts of Darkness - The Wild and Wonderful Whites of West Virginia - Samsara - Baraka - Brooklyn Castle - Spellbound - Drew: The Man Behind the Poster - Crumb - The Jinx - The Art of Flight - King of Kong - Indie Game: The Movie - Capturing the Friedmans - OJ: Made in America - The Barkley Marat…
Appreciate the list very much. Do you think you could share the ones to start with and why you liked them?
The Crash Reel - an amazing tale of a person preparing for the olympics, with an unexpected turn and just a very heartwarming/impressive journey - very very highly recommended.
The Cove - follows a whaling event that happens every year, and exposes the savagery of it. However, it's filmed almost like a thriller, in how the team set up to expose the event. Very eye opening, if a little sad, but very very good.
Drew: The Man Behind the Poster - just an amazing documentary about a man who makes amazing film posters - incredible, you'll see that he's responsible for so many recognisable posters from your childhood.
Being Elmo - lovely film about the puppeteer behind Elmo - really heartwarming
13th - very good film about racial injustice in the legal system.