Resolutions run rampant at the start of the year. For 2009, make one of yours the commitment to make a difference by taking action on something that's been bugging you. It might be pollution, waste of resources, child abuse or any other pressing issue that's impacting your neighborhood or the world at large. This list of documentaries will help you to prioritize.
An Inconvenient Truth's message is loud and clear: unless we take action on global warming, our planet will become uninhabitable for future generations. Millions of people have been awakened to the dangers as a result of seeing this film. Watch this Academy Award-winning documentary for your call to action, and to learn what you can do to protect the environment during 2009 and into the future.More »
It's true that Don Cheadle and George Clooney used their celebrity status to garner publicity for their cause, and to gain access to influential officials who could help to put an end to genocide in Darfur, but their efforts were--and are--supported by ordinary folk who join action groups, raise funds and spread the word about devastating political situations that need intervention. You may decide to commit to this cause, or to another that addresses an equally heinous situation.More »
Ricki Stern and Anne Sundberg present author Naomi Wolfe's ten-point blueprint for the establishment of a dictatorship, and show how close current American political policy is to fitting the plan. This cautionary analysis will convince you to become proactive politically, joining and/or supporting watchdog groups that focus on safeguarding the American Consitution and Bill of Rights, and warning of freedom-limiting encroachments.More »
Irena Salinas' documentary shows the global crisis we face as Earth's fresh water supply--more essential to life and more valuable than oil--is constantly being diminished by pollution and wastefulness, and made less accessible through privitzation by six major corporations of all natural water sources. Take an interest now, and take a stand to help prevent further abuse of the natural resource we've taken for granted--but no longer can or should.More »
This documentary, in which experts quote chapter and verse of the Bible to debunk claims that scripture and homosexuality are mutually exclusive, is a great primer about tolerance, and a clarion call to action for people who believe personal freedoms and equal rights should be upheld for all, regardless of race, religion or sexual preference--especially in light of the reactionary forces that would put an end to the lawful marriage of same sex partners in California.More »
If you want or need inspiration to control your budget, personal spending and dependence on credit, this film's for you. Filmmaker Patrick Creadon gives us the low down on America’s national debt, a sum that's topping the 11-trillion mark and is rising at an alarmingly rapid rate. Hopefully your personal finances aren't that out of control, but you can easily see how heavy credit consumption will lead you down the road to disaster--just as it has the American and global economies.More »
This inspiring adventure will awaken you to the benefits of expanding your horizons. After seeing two ordinary guys from Queens, NY, head out to trace the route followed by the great 13th Century Venetian explorer who trekked as far as China in search of knowledge and treasures that he brought home. Travel is an enlightening experience, and if you have any urge to get up and go, this entertaining--no, thrilling--film will send you packing.More »
You'll be shocked to find out just how much of your diet is actually corn or corn-based product--made from genetically engineered corn, at that. After seeing this film, you'll resolve to pay a great deal more attention to your diet, and to reading labels listing the contents of the processed foods you buy for consumption.More »
This grim and very shocking chronicle of the torture of prisoners held by American military personnel will lead you to resolve to pay more attention to news headlines and photos, and track those that seem to indicate official wrongdoing. Filmmaker Errol Morris uses the infamous still photos taken of prisoners being humiliated, treated inhumanely and tortured by American soldiers at Abu Ghraib and, by interviewing the soldiers themselves, looks outside the photos' borders to see what caused the soldiers' abhorrent behavior. Let this documentary inspire you to take a stand against illegal detention, inhumane conditions and the torture of suspects in American military prisons around the globe.More »
If you're passionately curious about something, resolve to make a documentary about it. Katrina Browne did that when she discovered her forebears--the DeWolfs of Rhode Island--were colonial America's largest slave traders. Wanting to understand what responsibility she'd inherited, Browne asked several relatives to join her in traveling the slaver's triangle that made their ancestors rich and powerful. She documented their journey, filming meetings and discussions along the way. The result is a fascinating, honest and deeply personal chronicle of Browne's family's search for reconciliation with its past. Browne isn't a professional filmmaker. This is her first and only film. It'll inspire you to fulfill your documantary dreams.More »
