Documentaries I've Watched (1-5)

54 Watch 100 Documentaries

001. My Fake Baby (2008)
60 min (including comercials)
Creator: Victoria Silver

This documentary explores the lives of women who spend hundreds, and sometimes thousands, of pounds on life-like baby dolls. Known as "reborns", some of the dolls have beating hearts, others have tiny veins and even milk spots. Loved like real babies, they're taken for walks, cuddled and even have their nappies changed.

Doll designer Jaime - a mother of four - now fulfils the dreams of other women by engineering babies to their specifications in her front room. Adoptive "mums" include women with grown-up children, grandmothers living away from their grandchildren, and women who have left it too late to have their own babies.

It was interesting... but it ended up giving me nightmares. All those fake babies.

002. First Cut: Time Warp Wives (2008)
23 min
Creator: Sally Hewitt

The lives of four women who have rejected the trappings of modern life in favour of something a bit more old school.

And we're not just talking about clothing and decor - these women have vintage values to match. Having rejected the independence that comes with being a modern working woman, Joanne, Debbie, Diane and Sammi are desperate to be old-fashioned housewives.

The four women have found men who share their vintage obsession, and have turned their homes into vintage shrines, wilfully ignoring most aspects of modern life.

This was just really weird. These women living in the past. it would be a hard thing to do.

003. Young at Heart (2007)
107 min
Creator: Stephen Walker

Documents the true story of the final weeks of rehearsal for the Young at Heart Chorus in Northampton, MA, whose average age is 81, and many of whom must overcome health adversities to participate. Their music is unexpected, going against the stereotype of their age group, performing songs, for example, by James Brown, and Sonic Youth. Although they have toured Europe and sang for royalty, this account focuses on preparing new songs, not an easy endeavor, for a concert in their home town, which succeeds in spite of several real heart breaking events.

This was a great show. I really enjoyed the Young at Heart singers. Made me laugh and cry. Everyone should see!

004. Trembling Before G-d (2001)
84 min
Creator: Sandi Simcha Dubowski

Built around intimately-told personal stories of Hasidic and Orthodox Jews who are gay or lesbian, the film portrays a group of people who face a profound dilemma - how to reconcile their passionate love of Judaism and the Divine with the drastic Biblical prohibitions that forbids homosexuality.

Struggle between doing right by your God, and the laws of the church, and what you feel and who you are is very interesting. I was just fascinated by this show.

005. Ask Not (2008)
73 min
Director/Writers: Johnny Symons
http://www.sf360.org/features/sfiff51-johnny-symons-and-ask-not

A film that reveals the personal stories of Americans willing to risk their lives for a country that criminalizes the act of coming out. Current and veteran gay soldiers reveal how "don't ask don't tell" affects them during their tours of duty, as they struggle to maintain a double life. The film also follows gay veterans and young organizers turning to forms of personal activism to overturn the policy

So much information about gays in the military that I never knew. 13% of the military wouldn't be bothered about gays in the military when Don't Ask Don't Tell was put into effect in 1993. Today that number has gone up to 70%. I hope that ALL those who would like to enlist will some day soon be able to.