The Kind Life


New York

I just finished the 7-part, 14.5-hour documentary series New York by PBS home video, directed by Ric Burns. I started watching it with my husband when I was in New York doing a play. We found it in January, and watched a little at a time.
 
I took kind of a long break after watching the first four DVDs in January, and watched four more just now. Anywho, I just finished the series, and it was so great! I learned so much, and I think it’s a very important series to see.
 
It starts by showing how New York was “discovered” by Henry Hudson, an Englishman employed by the Dutch. Back then, it was all hills and wild & beautiful countryside. The series shows how it was gradually flattened into the grid you see in New York today.
 
There were really inspiring moments throughout, as well as some that made me so mad…all the way up to the world trade center coming down, which made me cry.
 
The draft riots in the 1800s were disgusting and very upsetting, as was the tragedy of the women who threw themselves out of the triangle building in 1911. The women who then fought and went on strike were so brave to stand up against an unjust labor system.
 
The redlining of buildings in the 1930s was deplorable and segregated the city, providing no opportunities for Blacks or Jews to grow or strive for economic parity. Interestingly, rap was born out of the Brooklyn slums that were created by the practice of redlining.
 
New York also covered the great accomplishments of President Abraham Lincoln and the politician Al Smith who seemed like such a caring mayor! The builder Robert Moses was an extraordinary engineer, but the way he planned and created New York's highways, bridges and tunnels ruined neighborhoods and separated communities.
 
An amazing event that happened in 1974 was Phillippe Petit’s tightrope walk between the two world trade towers (there is an incredible documentary about this called Man On Wire). It was amazing and insane – New York covers this and so many other incredible events that have shaped the city and American culture.
 
I highly recommend this film to anyone interested in America, the story of Americans, and history in general. It is very powerful and inspiring! You can find out more about the series here and it is also available on Netflix.

Have you seen any great documentaries lately?

  • Share
  • Categories: travel , films , new york

I highly recommend a movie called "Catfish" though it is not a documentary in the strictest sense. It's about a NYC photographer who is befriended on Facebook by a young girl from the midwest who is a painter. She's a fan of his work and asks permission to paint some of the images he's had published in newspapers. Their relationship grows and he also becomes friends with her mom and older sister, later becoming romantically involved with the sister. Everything is long distance, based only on Facebook and phone conversations. He decides to make a surprise visit to the family and finds that he has been very, very misled. This is a true story and is captured in real-time by the photographer's brother, who is a filmmaker. It is funny, heartwrenching and strange, I couldn't stop thinking about it for weeks after I'd seen it! Check it out if it's playing in your city! Such a unique film.

the botany of desire- very interesting how potatoes, tulips, apples &marijuana have shaped economies and how we think about food. it also talks about genetically modifed food, and how we have reacted to it.

Thank you so much for all of your reccomendations on films to watch.  I just filled up my Netflix cue!

One documentary that I find fascinating, that no one else has mentioned here, is The Elegant Universe. It is made by Nova, and is a 3 part series about String Theory, one of physics answers to what the universe is made of.  I love that, according to string theory, there are multiple dimentions and alternate universes.  And this is shown thru actual science!

Check out the videos at http://www.meat.org/ 

Food Matters.  Everyone should watch this documentary.  EVERYONE!  

There is a documentary called Echo, the queen of elephants.  There is also a follow up documentary about Echo, but I don't know what it is called.  It has to do with the legacy that she has left behind.  Elephants are my favorite animal and it is really amazing what we can learn from them.  I also love anything about Jane Goodall.

This sounds wonderful, Alicia, shall definitely have to put it high on my list - as a resident of the Second City, I am always fascinated by the First! :)  Something in the energy coming up through the pavement there or something I dunno WHAT it is... :)

Got distinct chill and sadness reading about the wire walk between the two Towers - in a way the world's still pre and post 9/11 in my head sometimes.

I'm REALLY riveted by the new documentary Circus - about the Big Apple Circus (speaking of NYC), it is so cool!!  I learned SO much from Food Inc., of course, and a film called Eleventh Hour. And a dear, amazing friend was featured in a wonderful documentary called Twisted about a neurological disease called Dystonia. Unfortunately the world lost her not too long ago due to an accident, but was sure lucky to have her for the time it did!

Thanks as always!! :D <3

 

 

 

I highly recommend "King Corn" about the over-consumption of corn in our society and about the poor farmers forced to grow and produce so much more than what even seems possible to feed our corn syrup addicitons, livestock feed, and not much else.  It's fantastic!

What do you think? Click here to join the discussion
  • Read earlier discussion
  • View all
  • 28 Responses