Dear helleia,

You’re welcome!

It’s harder for me to give you a list of documentaries. I’ve seen a lot of good ones, and it’s difficult to narrow them down to ones that fit squarely into the category of “inspiring.” Nonetheless, here are a few that you might like:

Waste Land (2010) – This is a film about people who live on the outskirts of Rio de Janeiro, who make a living by scavenging the largest trash dump (landfill) in the world, ironically called Jardim Gramacho, “Gramacho Garden.” (The landfill closed in 2012.) Imagine how differently people would perceive their world, what kind of hopes they would have for their lives and futures (or the hopes that they would not even be able to consider), if the best option for them to support themselves was scavenging the discarded trash of society.

Zeitgeist (2007), Zeitgeist: Addendum (2008), Zeitgeist: Moving Forward (2011) – This a documentary film series by Peter Joseph that takes an epistemologically skeptical look at some of the established beliefs of western society, and also examines ways in which western society, and the world on the whole, could be a better place. He also has two or three other documentaries out as well.

In a similar vein to the Zeitgeist series:

Who Killed the Electric Car? (2006) – Now, with the ready availability of electric cars, this documentary may seem a bit dated, but the behaviors of the auto manufacturers and the oil companies to forestall the availability of the electric car are still relevant.

Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room (2005) – Again, it’s a bit dated, but considering that human nature hasn’t changed in the relatively few years since then, particularly considering what happened to facilitate the economic downturn, this is still relevant.

Inside Job (2010) – This film examines what facilitated the economic downturn. It’s a real eye-opener about how far people and companies will go to find and exploit ways to cheat the system, regardless of how devastating those things may be to society. It also shows just how weak government regulations and laws were—and probably still are—when it comes to closing loop-holes and prosecuting wrong-doers.

Regarding favorite directors, my list may seem trite, but I have to go with what I have experienced. In the order in which I learned about them, and/or in which they became one of my favorites, the directors with whose films I have been the most impressed (beyond just entertainment value) are:

– Stanley Kubrick (U.S.)
– Akira Kurosawa (Japan)
– Fritz Lang (Austria-Germany)
– Yimou Zhang (China)
– Ingmar Bergman (Sweden)
– Victor Sjöström (Sweden)
– Satyajit Ray (India)

Just because a director is on my list doesn’t mean that I like all of his films. It does mean, however, that he has made several films that I think are excellent in one way or another, or in many ways, and that his films have helped me to understand humanity, and/or life, a little better.

However, you may not like any of them. Favorites are subjective.

There are also other directors about whom I am still learning, who have made films that have either inspired me or helped me to think more broadly about the human condition. They are:

– Henri-Georges Clouzot (France) – Le salaire de la peur, a.k.a. “The Wages of Fear” (1953); Les diaboliques, a.k.a. “Diabolique” (1943); Le corbeau, a.k.a. “The Raven” (1943)
– Federico Fellini (Italy) — Le notti di Cabiria, a.k.a. “Nights of Cabiria” (1957); La Strada (1954)
– Mikhail Kalatozov (U.S.S.R.) – Letyat zhuravli, a.k.a. “The Cranes are Flying” (1957); Neotpravlennoe pismo, a.k.a. “Letter Never Sent” (1960)
– Larisa Shepitko (U.S.S.R.) – Krylya, a.k.a. “Wings” (1966); Voskhozhdenie, a.k.a.”The Ascent” (1977)
– Jean Renoir (France) – La Grande Illusion (1937); La Bête Humaine (1938)
– Marcel Carné (France) — Le Jour se Lève (1939);
– François Truffaut (France) — Les quatre cents coups, a.k.a. “The 400 Blows” (1959)

For general entertainment value and an extremely high level of moviemaking, I am also very fond of Martin Scorsese. I’m also very fond of Woody Allen.

An honorable mention, particularly for The Grapes of Wrath (1940), is John Ford. Yes, he was an extremely influential director, but many of the stories he told were too fluffy for me.

Of course, there are many, many films and directors I like that I am leaving out. You’ve already suggested a penny for my thoughts, and I’ve probably already bored you to death by putting far more than my two-cents worth in.

Generally speaking, though, I also highly recommend the The Criterion Collection to you. Many, if not all, of the films I have mentioned are part of this collection. I suggest that anyone who would like to have an ever-growing and comprehensive list of films, directors, cinematographers, score composers, editors, etc., with which to learn more about the art of film, need look no further than this collection.

As my lists suggest, and as The Criterion Collection will demonstrate, I think you will find that exploring world cinema is absolutely essential (particularly if you do not have the luxury of being able to travel and experience many other cultures for yourself) to having a better, broader, and more in-depth understanding of humanity. I contend that the same holds true for world music.

I am interested to know the name of the YouTube site you mentioned. I’d like to check it out!

What are some of your favorite directors and films, particularly the ones who/that have inspired you?

CMI