It must sound totally crazy that while my previous day job involved copious amounts of TV-watching, now I don’t own a TV. The shift was due in part to our RTW trip disconnecting us and also because I get too easily distracted and need to instead focus on making my freelance career pay the bills here in San Diego.
Apart from the frivolous joys of channel surfing and using the Food Network as background noise, I don’t actually miss having a TV that much. Anything I really want to see? There’s a computer for that. Enter: Netflix. We recently finished all of Friday Night Lights (I’m utterly distraught that it’s over), but now we’ve turned to documentaries. Did you know there are some awesome docs on Netflix? Here are five to add to your cue:
Marley. I worked in a smoothie shop in Honolulu for 3 months and not a day went by without hearing one (or five) Bob Marley tracks on the cafe playlist. It was then that I became curious about the singer. I mean, you can’t really live in Hawaii without embracing the reggae master. This movie is totally riveting — sad, thoughtful, melodious and nostalgic all at once. You better believe our Pandora stations have been set to Marley ever since.
5 Broken Cameras. This personal film, the first Oscar nominee from Palestine, made by a local man documents oppression inflicted by Israeli forces and the ways his Palestinian village battles injustice with nonviolent actions. Each of his 5 cameras breaks along the way — demolished by…well, you take a guess — but I think what he captures is less about suffering and more about resilience.
Kumare. In this part-mocking, part-philosophical journey, a young Indian born and raised in America asks the question: Can anyone become a spiritual leader? He assumes the role of Kumare, a yoga-practicing, orange robe-wearing, Indian accent-speaking guru of sorts and convinces members in an Arizona community to follow his ways. Some of it is hilarious (i.e. seeing the new followers do the obviously made-up yoga moves) and some of it drags at the end, but most of it really makes you question whether we need a leader or can handle life’s big questions ourselves.
Whores’ Glory. The name may be misleading, but this one is actually a fascinating and raw look at prostitution businesses in Thailand, Bangladesh and Mexico. It’s shot very much like a day-in-the-life series with a few interviews and zero interference on the filmmakers’ part. Each is sobering in different ways, but the Bangladesh story is particularly depressing. This documentary isn’t much of a mood-lifter, but it is an eye-opener.
National Geographic: Science of Dogs. Seeing as how my life, blog posts and everyday dialogue has taken a four-legged turn, it only makes sense that we also watched a documentary about dogs. Let me tell you, it’s really interesting. In this installment of Nat Geo’s “Explorer” series, we learn a little about their ancestors (wolves), a little about their behavior and a lot about the crazy genetic mix-and-match game people employed to create new breeds.
As for now, we’re in the middle of 180 Degrees South about a man and his adventurous expedition to Patagonia. What are you watching?
Nice, I’m always looking for new documentaries – thanks for the recs! My bf and I have a TV, but only for movies. I thought I’d miss cable too, but have lived happily without commercials for over a year now :)
Isn’t it amazing how little you can miss cable? I really didn’t expect the transition to be this easy. Glad you like the recs!