We’ve had a gorgeous long fall, but the weather seems to be changing and that can mean more time inside. The library has lots of feature films, but we also have a pretty good collection of documentaries. So if you are going to spend time inside why not spend it learning about something that interests you, or maybe something you’ve never even thought about.
Here are a handful of new documentaries that have been added to the Vigilance collection. These movies are thought provoking and definitely helped me think about new ideas and ponder my role in the world. See if we have a documentary on your favorite subject.
“Waterlife” explores the extraordinary beauty and complex toxicity of the Great Lakes. A fascinating look at the variety of agencies and individuals concerned about the quality of water in the Great Lakes and the complex variety of issues affecting that quality.
“Gashole,” “Dirty Business” and “Bag It” all look at different kinds of pollution. “Gashole” focuses on ‘what the oil companies don’t want you to know.’” Dirty Business” looks at ‘clean coal’ and the battle for future energy resources. And Bag It examines the use of plastic in our daily lives and one man’s attempt to go one day without using plastic.
“Raging Grannies: The Action League” profiles a group of California women who protest with a ‘sense of humor, a sense of outrage and a commitment to non-violence.’ These women aren’t willing to be quiet about anything they see that they don’t agree with. They are loud, vocal and want everyone to know things need to change.
“Human Terrain” was probably the scariest movie for me. The movie looks at the United States military initiative called ‘human terrain systems.’ These programs imbed social scientists with combat troops. These scientists seek to make cultural awareness part of the counterinsurgency strategy. The subtitle of the movie is ‘war becomes academic’ and looks at what happens when academics go to war and the personal tragically merges with the political.
“Sun Come Up” is the story of the world’s first climate change refugees. The Carteret Islanders live on a remote island chain off the coast of Papua New Guinea. Rising seas threaten their survival and they must leave their beloved land to find a new place to call home.
“Forgiveness” explores the act of forgiveness through a wide range of stories. The film produced by Helen Whitney studies the psychological impetus and impacts of forgiveness both by individuals and among communities and even nations. This is a moving chronicle of reconciliation through recent history.
A couple of new books in the Vigilance collection worth borrowing include BeeKeeping: a seasonal guide by Ron Brown. This is a new edition of a standard work but contains lots of useful information.
Ending on a lighter note is a new book that encourages fun while saving money and the planet. Serious Fun by Carolyn North is ‘ingenious improvisations on money, food, waste, water and home.’
