docs
In a conscious effort to be less naive and hypocritical (does saying that totally discount the effort?), I've been using half of my netflix account to get documentaries. here's the thing about that. i think documentaries are one of the best ways to inform a society... if you can get people to watch them. even though i'm an aspiring documentary photographer, reading the news and learning the ills of society sickens me so much that i tend to choose fiction. well now i've made a deal with myself that for every movie/tv dvd i get, i'll get one documentary. so last week i watched f"ailure to launch" (actually not terrible) and "born into brothels." this week, it was "motorcycle diaries" and "wal-mart: the high cost of low price." born into brothels was amazing. and from what i can tell, probably had a fair amount more funding than the wal-mart film. i'm not gonna go into detail on that one, other than to say, you should really watch it.
as far as the wal-mart film, though, i wish i could afford to buy a copy for everyone i know. as it is, i've already bought a copy online. i've read many articles on various wal-mart issues, namely concerning their refusal to pay fair wages or let employees unionize. the filming of the documentary itself tends toward the crude. i doubt it was shot with an expensive digital video and once or twice they used music that almost drowned out the speaking, but the sheer magnitude of information and interviews is phenomenal. i was amazed at how many elderly people were interviewed, though it does make sense. they all owned businesses for 40+ years that were forced to close when wal-mart moved into their small towns. i won't take up your time with the details. if you want to borrow it, let me know. as soon as i've lent it to my mom, who told me on the phone a few months ago that wal-mart was her favorite store in the world, it'll be free.
as far as the wal-mart film, though, i wish i could afford to buy a copy for everyone i know. as it is, i've already bought a copy online. i've read many articles on various wal-mart issues, namely concerning their refusal to pay fair wages or let employees unionize. the filming of the documentary itself tends toward the crude. i doubt it was shot with an expensive digital video and once or twice they used music that almost drowned out the speaking, but the sheer magnitude of information and interviews is phenomenal. i was amazed at how many elderly people were interviewed, though it does make sense. they all owned businesses for 40+ years that were forced to close when wal-mart moved into their small towns. i won't take up your time with the details. if you want to borrow it, let me know. as soon as i've lent it to my mom, who told me on the phone a few months ago that wal-mart was her favorite store in the world, it'll be free.