(Lest you think I have already cheated on my promise to post daily... here is a post at 11:39 pm.)
For some reason - I’m sick of reading, I’m sick of network TV, I am so enamored with my new toy/MacBook that I want to stare at it for hours on end - I’ve been watching (and, okay, torrent-ing) a bunch of documentaries lately. My fascination with all things non-fiction has found a new outlet in film; which is cool, ‘specially because one of my classes (more on them later) focuses a lot on film - HST 388, Vietnam Through Film & Memoir. But, anyway, quick recaps/impressions/opinions of my recent viewings:
Jesus Camp - OK, this documentary got all Sundanced up in, like, 2006, a year in which I was still struggling to find my way around high school and gave nary a thought to Pentecostal children’s summer camps. But it’s still very relevant, although I understand this minister (Becky Fischer) has since closed her camp. I don’t live in an area of the country where evangelical and Pentecostal churches have a lot of influence, but I can understand how strongly they shape the moral - and thus political - character of an area. It’s disturbing to see children indoctrinated at a young age into a fierce evangelism they can hardly understand; it’s difficult to see them issue blanket statements about “wrong” religions and “dead churches.” Being a Gender Studiez type, I was hoping to hear a little more about the strict gender roles the come about with this kind of training; they were briefly touched upon, but both a recent Jezebel post and Jessica Valenti’s excellent, if sometimes briefly hysterical (as in hysteria) The Purity Myth explore this in more detail.
Bye - This was a short documentary produced as part of the PBS series POV series. It follows a toddler boy named Jayden through his first few months of a specialized pre-preschool program for autistic children in the Bronx. It’s under ten minutes long, so it doesn’t delve into the whole vaccination debate or anything. It’s an honest look at the very real struggles the parents and teachers of autistic children face. It’s well balanced between the emotional and the clinical. I did find myself wishing that, if the subject were to be explored further, the issues around access to diagnosis and treatment were addressed. For example - largely, I’m assuming, because Jayden’s particular area of the Bronx was more Hispanic/Latino/a, the teachers, aides and students in the film were largely minority. While race is not necessarily associated with class, a more privileged family would have the resources to pursue further treatment - the major “question” of the film’s conclusion is what Jayden will do after he ages out of the program, since he hasn’t made appropriate progress to go to conventional preschool.
12th & Delaware - I think I’m going to devote a whole post to this. Suffice to say, it was wonderful and thought-provoking, especially for someone who plans on a career/hobby of feminist activism.
34x25x36 - another short from POV; this one is a look inside a mannequin factory. For a short piece, it contains a lot of wisdom about the body-image crisis in America. The factory’s owner hits the nail on the head when he explains that a mannequin - and the clothes it wears - sell a “fantasy.” An unattainable standard of perfection that, ironically, changes with the season - the mannequins’ features, poses and figures change with the trends, but continue to promote an “ideal” body.
Devil’s Playground - This was a fascinating look at the Amish custom of rumspringa, in which adolescents are allowed access to the “English” world before making the final decision whether or not to join the Amish church. I think the filmmakers got a little more drama than they expected when one of the teens became a drug dealer and was nearly killed after other dealers ended up in jail while he was “let off.” This overindulgence - heavy drug use, constant partying, enormous amounts of alcohol - has parallels in the “English” world as well, as seen in the debate over lowering the drinking age. The Amish teens, beside normal conflicts with their parents and angst over dating, face a major decision that will dictate the rest of their lives. They face the “English” world and decide if its offerings are a temptation they will deny themselves - or a way of life.
The Devil and Daniel Johnston - This was recommended by Andrew Rose Gregory on one of his covers of a song by Johnston based on the infamous “A Walk To Remember” passage from First Corinthians. I found the song incredibly moving so decided to check out the film. I didn’t have any background knowledge of Johnston’s music or his life story, particularly the intersection of his overwhelming talent and overpowering mental illness, so this inevitably put a damper on my experience of the film. Nonetheless, I found the use of primary sources - Johnston’s own cassette and film recordings - incredible. To a fan of Johnston’s music, I’m sure this would be an interesting insight. Me, I’ll stick to Sylvia Plath.
Anyway... has anyone seen any of these films? Any others you'd like to recommend?
-- Julia
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