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.

Black History

I've been catching some great docs this week in celebration of Black History Month.

HBO is airing Elvis Mitchell and Timothy Greenfield-Sanders' The Black List: Volume 3, the third annual installment of this provocative first-person documentary series, featuring intimate portraits and candid insights from some of today's most fascinating African-American icons. The cinematography in particular is terrific - the subjects are shot beautifully against a plain blackdrop, which makes their stirring perspectives stand out even more.

The fine folks at VH1 Rock Docs have assembled a fun history of the legendary, influential television dance series, Soul Train in Soul Train: The Hippest Trip in America. The documentary celebrates the 40th anniversary of this landmark show, which was steered by charismatic host and executive producer Don Cornelius, and was the longest-running, first-run syndicated series in history. It was also the arbiter of African-American music and culture through the eras of soul, disco and hip-hop, before ending its successful run in 2006. After watching the film, I feel like standing up for the Soul Train dance line - who's with me?!

I also want to see PBS Independent Lens' upcoming documentary, Behind the Rainbow, which chronicles the changes in South Africa's post-apartheid political landscape. Looks to be a compelling film about that nation's struggles with equality.

Check these out for cool reflections and inspiring voices in the history of the African diaspora.

Art

I am an unabashed, lifelong art fan, lucky enough to have lived in and visited many of the greatest cities in the world celebrating this amazing medium.

The PBS series, Independent Lens, is kicking off its 2009-2010 season tonight with one of my favorite documentaries of the year. Herb and Dorothy chronicles the adventures of Herb and Dorothy Vogel, who have spent their married life of over 40 years together quietly amassing one of the world's most important and richest private contemporary art collections. Not so extraordinary until you consider that they are a now-retired postal worker and librarian living in a tiny, one-bedroom NYC apartment.

Since the 1960s, the couple has lived on Dorothy's paycheck and spent Herb's collecting the works of unknown artists (many now masters), primarily focusing on Minimalist and Conceptual art that was largely ignored in the early days. They eventually managed to acquire several thousand works of art, all stored in their apartment from floor to ceiling. And they have never sold a single piece! It's a fantastic and almost poignant tale captured by first-time filmmaker, Megumi Sasaki.

An incredible true story about finding one's passion in life and defying stereotypes. Definitely check it out - the Vogels had me smiling for days. :)