Fest Pt. 1 (Earth)

I try to catch as many docs as I can at film festivals throughout the year but most slip through the cracks. Luckily, there are still premier broadcast outlets who devote key programming hours to the documentary form. In commemoration of Earth Day this past week, I am highlighting a few earth-friendly docs of note.

I enjoyed a leisurely trip down to Newport Beach yesterday for their annual festival, where I checked out Miranda Bailey's humorous Greenlit, a new documentary about the noble attempts of one film crew to go green. Attempt is the key word, as the film industry - despite its reputation as being liberal and environmentally friendly - is actually one of the chief polluters around and green doesn't seem to fit into any production budget line item yet. Despite the presence of an environmental consultant on set to oversee the greening, struggles ensue between idealism and the reality of Hollywood (oxymoron alert).

I also missed a few other docs in the past several months despite multiple attempts to catch them around town. Fortunately, my fav series PBS Independent Lens is featuring them this month. Dirt! The Movie explores the Earth's living, breathing skin and how we need to build a more sustainable relationship with this critical natural resource. It's a cool look at an unlikely subject. My favorite segment is a discussion with Harvard researchers about microbial fuel cells in dirt which can be used to power ground lighting in developing countries.

I am also excited to finally see Garbage Dreams, which is premiering tomorrow evening. It chronicles the remarkable story of a village in Cairo, Egypt which manages to recycle 80% of its waste, and the children who are born into the trade of collecting trash. The introduction of corporate trash collection service threatens their way of life and the efficiencies of the recycling system as a whole.

It's not so easy being green, but give it a try this month in honor of Mother Earth.

Dog

I am a dog lover - fiercely protective and dedicated to my awesome dog who gives me so much joy and love. So, imagine how excited I was to hear about an upcoming PBS doc and catch a few other ones recently on the wonderful waggies who enrich our lives. Pretty darn excited.

Tomorrow night, PBS is airing Through the Eyes of a Dog, about service dogs for people with special needs. Based on the book with the same name, the film takes a look at the incredible bonds that form between canines and humans, and the work of an exemplary national service dog organization. If you don't feel anything after this one, you may want to check your pulse.

I also recently watched Mine, about the animals that were left behind in New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina. At times both heartbreaking and heartwarming, the film chronicles the stories of several frantic owners who are trying to track down the dogs and other pets they abandoned in the wake of the storm - either out of necessity, understandable thinking that they would quickly return, or due to possible negligence. The number of animals that ultimately perished from the disaster are too large to think about. Many other animals were heroically rescued by dedicated volunteers and adopted out to new owners. This sets up some complex and compelling custody battles for people still trying to rebuild their lives from the storm - leading to the inevitable ethical and legal questions of what constitutes pet ownership. Love is not always enough. Check it out on PBS Independent Lens.

Finally, I watched War Dogs of the Pacific on the Military Channel in preparation for watching The Pacific miniseries on HBO. The documentary tells the true story of the brave dog soldiers that faithfully served alongside U.S. Marine platoons in WWII. This one tugs at the heartstrings too, as it documents the stories of the bonds between these amazing dogs and their handlers in the fury of combat.

Now go hug a dog today.

Life

It has been a while since I've stopped by the ol' blog - I have been consumed by the Discovery Channel's Life documentary series. It's AWESOME!

This 11-part nature series from the networks that brought us Planet Earth (you know how I loved that one, too) captures the various life forms that inhabit the planet. It's narrated by Oprah Winfrey (my main, if petty complaint about the project; her voice doesn't quite seem to fit and I'm a bit distracted by the fact that it's Ms. Winfrey) and explores how the various species survive, interact with each other, and procreate.

Last night, I watched the episode on insects, and the filmmakers somehow captured grass-cutter ant colonies chew apart grass, carry it back to their ant hills and use it to fertizlize the fungus that is their food supply. It's like the real Antz or A Bug's Life without Hollywood recasting. Crazy! There is more where that came from: hunting chase sequences that are more nail-biting than any big budget thriller, delicate mating rituals and emotional family moments, all enveloped in bar-raising cinematography. I got my new HD tv just in time.

Check it out - I am sure Discovery will play it many times over as it has garnered its best debut ratings in a decade with this series; this weekend features the final installments and a "making of" episode, where I hope to learn more about the production of this incredible doc series.