"Frozen Planet" - Discovery

"Frozen Planet" is another interesting and wonderful documentary featured on the Discovery Channel. What I really liked about this documentary is how it doesn't just focus on one subject alone but many different ones. There's a great variety of animals, from little polar bear cubs to caterpillars with anti-freeze in their veins. Also other things such as the birth and formation of an iceberg and never before seen footage of a saltwater icicle being formed. It makes you realize how many different occurrences and types of species there are in the Arctic, something that I, myself, was not entirely aware of. It really captures nature's majestic power as well as its fragility, showing us such things as the clever hunting techniques killer whales use to knock seals into the sea. "Frozen Planet" is just an overall astounding documentary to watch. It really makes you aware of what goes on and makes you appreciate the kind of world that the Arctic is. Animals have it rough, trying to compete against the unpredictable climate and not to mention all the predictors lurking around. What's really impressed me about this documentary however, is all the stunning footage they've been able to get. 

When you start to think about how they must have filmed everything, the mind just boggles. These animals are obviously not trained, there is no set up prepared. They literally have to wait for the opportune moment, and when they do, they are able to capture some of the most beautiful shots of these animals imaginable. I continue to be amazed with Discovery's documentaries, they definitely know what they're doing. "Frozen Planet" is very much worth the watch, it will amaze you!

This is just one example of how they've wonderfully captured Killer Whales:

"The Choir" - National Geographic

Michael Davie delivers a compelling and inspirational film shot within a 4 year time period. It's moving, shocking, joyous and wonderful and brings forth the notion that prison life isn't all terrible. "The Choir"(2007) centres around an angry and rebellious teenager, Jabulani Shabangu, and a group of fellow inmates in Leeukwop Prison, South Africa's largest. He is recruited to the prison choir where everything slowly starts to change for Jabulani, he succeeds and leads the choir to victory at the National Prisoner Choir Competition. But its message lies much deeper than just that. With the help of the inmates, Jabulani overcomes his anger and transforms his life entirely. He knows what he needs to do in order to survive prison as well as when he's released out into the world once more.

 I thought that this was a very nicely done documentary, not to mention that it took 4 years to shoot. That shows the type of commitment involved in documentaries such as these. We are introduced to the horrors in Leeukwop Prison and we can see that it is definitely not a place you would ever want to be in. But it was brilliant at how the choir is depicted as this little hidden oasis of humanity among all the chaos. It's a great story of hope and one of the best documentaries I've seen. It lets us in on this world and we get to see what kind of pain these young people go through as well as the great opportunities that are given to them. In the end, we can see that these young individuals are talented human beings that are capable of such growth and change. This is definitely a must see. 

Still from "The Choir"

"Encounters at the End of the World" - Discovery

What a beautiful film. "Encounters at the End of the World", has such a wonderful story being told and it is told through the eyes of director, Werner Herzog, who is also known for his work on "March of the Penguins". It begins with stunning footage of beneath the Antarctic's waters, accompanied by a lovely music score. The narration is in first person which isn't very rare when looking at Discovery's past feature length documentaries, so that adds that extra bit of uniqueness to it. I also really love how the narration is written. It's neither formal nor informal, it is almost like reading pages out of Herzog's journal - very personal. He makes it more enjoyable to listen to, as if he is taking us, as the viewer, on of one of his adventures. You can see the kind of deep connection he has to what he talks about and the passion behind his words. 

Most of us would think that Antarctica was just a giant and empty frozen wasteland when it really isn't, and we see that throughout this documentary. We are shown the McMurdo Research Station where we are introduced to the workers there as they give us a look at their work. They are also interviewed, which in my opinion, are some of the best interviews I've heard. They don't just talk facts with us, they tell us what their job and what their life means to them and why they do the things they do - very inspirational. This film is well worth the watch for anyone. It gives us beautiful visuals as well as the personal stories through the interviews and narration. Another great film by Werner Herzog!

"Encounters at the End of the World" can be viewed here:

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Part 5

Part 6

2210: The Collapse? - National Geographic

I would have to say that "2210: The Collapse?" is a very different kind of documentary than what I'm usually used to seeing. This is a documentary completely based on assumptions and ideas, not really having anything solid to stand on alone. It's a great concept, imagining our fallen civilization and what would happen next. But I think that it may have gone a little far in terms of portraying our world. Right off the bat, it starts off by showing us our planet in all of it's wasteland glory. I have to admit however, it's kind of cool and surreal to see it presented like that. One of the interviews with Jared Diamond, the author of "Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed", are especially insightful as he goes on to discuss the reasons why past civilizations such as Greek and Roman had crumbled. From this knowledge, we can then begin to understand and map out how our very own civilization would fall as well. What I have a hard time grasping however, are these "descendants" or these supposed "survivors". Who's to say there would be any survivors? Who's to even say that our planet would even make it through such a catastrophe? It's an interesting way of looking at it but again, that's all it really is, just one way of looking at it. In my opinion, it's excellent visually and it's also written well. The interviews are too, interesting to listen to as well. I would definitely recommend this documentary to others, it keeps you interested all the way to the end and sparks question and thought, just what you'd want from a documentary!

Sugar is Toxic? My Life is Now Over

This episode of "60 Minutes: Is Sugar Toxic?" has left me stunned. I almost didn't want to believe Dr. Robert Lustig as he sat in that chair telling me how I'm poisoning myself every time I want to have a bite of that chocolate bar. Considering my family owns a bakery, I remember all the whipped cream, candy and different cakes that I would have...literally a dream come true for a kid.  Kidding aside though, I had no idea how serious our sugar consumption has gotten. Not only that, but at the amount of sugar that is found in most foods, foods that don't even taste sweet! We are told that too much sugar can cause heart disease and hypertension, not to mention the number one problem being obesity. And who's at high risk? Children are. 
This episode examines the risks of having too much sugar in your diet and what the result of it is. Dr. Lustic contributed to a 2 week study done on a group of young adults which were divided in half, both consuming the same healthy diet but one half had low sugar and the other had high sugar. They discovered that the group with the diet high in sugar had a higher blood pressure than the half consuming the low sugar. That's a little worrying considering this was only a 2 week study. They also found that when the liver is overloaded with fructose, it converts the rest into fat which can lodge into blood vessels contributing to the risk of stroke. Even with the bittersweet news about sugar, I still very much liked watching "60 Minutes". Who doesn't love that classic opener of the ticking? It makes me feel 

like I know what I'm about to watch will be good. And it usually always is. I really like the interviews and how it transitions through to the end seamlessly. I would recommend "60 Minutes" to anyone who wants to hear a good news story.

"Kidnapped" - CBC's The Fifth Estate

Before watching this episode of "The Fifth Estate: Kidnapped", I thought, "seriously? People still kidnap others for ransom? Who does that anymore?". So I was a little more than just shocked that kidnapping still happens on this grand of a scale. It's not that I think that it never happens, I just don't understand how kidnappers especially, are under the impression that they can get away with it in today's world. This story focuses on 23 year old Graham McMynn, who was kidnapped and held for ransom in 2006. 

You'd think that this was just a basic retelling of events, but I have to say, I don't like the way that the CBC have chosen to execute this story. It almost feels as if they are using crime as entertainment. I can see the potential story behind it and it is in fact a good one at that, although it takes these events, in this case, Graham being kidnapped and taken away, and treats it in a bogus manner rather than having us grasp the gravity of it. In my opinion, it's just not as serious as it should be. There is a rather large emphasis put on the interactive aspect of the show, where the viewers are encouraged to get onto the website and let each other know what they would do if they were in the same situation as Graham. 

I think incorporating interactiveness is a great thing, but it really does not belong in "The Fifth Estate". Despite all of this, it's still a good watch to those who can look past the corny narration and poor taste. There are dramatic reenactments and interviews as well as the interactive portion as mentioned before. I don't want to generalize the entirety of this program but if every other segment is like "Kidnapped", then I think I'll pass on "The Fifth Estate". 

"Age of Anxiety" - CBC's Doc Zone

"Age of Anxiety", is a very interesting and compelling documentary that raises many questions and concerns. I could hardly believe what I was hearing for the most part, it's just so crazy that we live in a world where almost everyone can be diagnosed with some kind of disorder. There are 12 year old children behaving like 42 year old adults which is just astounding to me. This documentary was done very nicely, I really liked the interviews with various authors and doctors such as, author Patricia Pearson and Psychiatrist, Daniel Carlat. There were also many interesting visuals such as statistics and busy streets overwhelmed with hundreds of busy people. The documentary goes on to bring up the interesting point that anxiety is not all bad, which seems a little odd as thousands of people perceive anxiety as a negative thing. For example, if you look at someone's fear and anxiety to fly, and give them a reason to do it, such as seeing a close friend, the desire to see this friend is enough for them to look past the anxiety and become alright with flying. This proves that people will do something unbelievable or scary when the motivation is strong enough.

 There were also a few things in this documentary that I found very intriguing such as how so many people are afraid of the world and anxious because life is dangerous, and people fear things like losing a job or getting sick, even crime and terrorism contribute. For that, I believe we can blame the media for shoving all these things down our throats. But at some point we have to draw the line, how can a child be treated with anxiety? It's ridiculous that it's come to such an extreme. A good point that was brought up was, if you've got a problem that can be solved with a new boyfriend/girlfriend or even a cheque for a million dollars, then you probably don't have a disorder at all. I very much believe in that. I think that people these days are so caught up in their lives that they back themselves up into a corner and make themselves believe that there's no way out, that they must have some sort of disorder. Almost as if they just need something or someone to blame for all of their misfortune. All in all, I enjoyed this documentary very much and am now much more interested in this topic of anxiety in today's world.

For more information on anxiety and how it can be treated, visit Anxiety Disorders Association of Canada (ADAC)

"Titanic:The Final Word With James Cameron" - National Geographic

Who can forget that tragic day on April 14th, 1912. Titanic, deemed to be "unsinkable", sank to the bottom of the Atlantic ocean, thousands losing their lives. But why and how did this happen? James Cameron and his group of Titanic experts team up to unveil this long awaited mystery in "Titanic: The Final Word With James Cameron". James Cameron is well known for the success of his feature film, "Titanic", which won 11 Oscars and made millions. But as we see in this documentary, the Titanic means a lot more to Cameron, almost obsessed with the incident having made over 30 dives to the wreckage site. What I really enjoyed about this documentary is how we get to see some really interesting discussions happen between all the experts. They debate and bring forth new ideas and explanations as to what happened on the night of the Titanic's sinking, as well as some one-on-one interviews with them which lets us in on their personal connection to Titanic.

James Cameron on Titanic dive

With the use of technology, Cameron maps out the wreck on the ocean floor, setting up the locations of where debris had fallen. This raises the question of, "how did they get there?" and through careful examination they finally reach to a conclusion. This documentary is also very interesting visually as it takes us on one of Cameron's dives, giving us a look at where Titanic lies. We are also as mentioned before, able to see the debates between the experts and we also get a look at the technology used to create the reenactment of the sinking. It really is a great new look into the events that happened that night of the sinking and to some, it answers a lot of their questions. As far as Titanic documentaries go, this is well worth the watch.

Meet the team of Experts here: Who's Who?

Discovery's "Daily Planet"

Discovery's, Daily Planet continues to be the dynamic, educational, and informational show it's always been. I think it's great that Discovery has a show like this as it brings us, as viewers, close to the many different things that our world has to offer. This show follows a very simple format, we start off with a short introduction of what's to come during the segment, packed full of interesting b-roll, then we are introduced to the hosts, Dan Risken and Ziya Tong.

Hosts, Dan Risken and Ziya Tong

Watching this show, I'm very much aware of the overwhelming amount of information I'm receiving. Not to say that it's a bad thing, because it really keeps me interested and wanting to hear more. The episode that I was fortunate to watch, (May 02, 2012), which can be viewed here, was really fun to see.  From fire fighting robots to walls that change wallpaper according to one's preference, it all sounds pretty amazing. My favourite segment of this show is "Future Tech", which is a fairly new segment that has been added to the show. It discusses the future technological advances that are on their way into consumers hands and it's extremely good at dropping our jaws and does so with the help of  Lucas Cochran, "Daily Planet's" Tech Correspondent. 

Lucas Cochran on "Daily Planet's", "Future Tech"

This show does it day after day, giving us new and exciting things to see and think about. it takes us on adventures and opens our eyes to the amazing things that surround us. The hosts are entertaining and pleasant to watch, which is always good, and overall, helps us stay in touch with what's to come in the future.

"March of the Penguins" National Geographic's Best!

National Geographic's "March of the Penguins"

Who doesn't love penguins? Their little feet, little wings, their little beady eyes? "March of the Penguins"(2005), directed by Luc Jacquet, has to be what popularized all these close-encounter animal documentaries out there, it was surely the first one I had ever seen. And National Geographic must have done something right because to this day, I think of this documentary every time someone even mentions penguins. In other words, it's rememberable. 

I think it's an amazing thing that even with as little commentary as this has and zero interviews, this documentary is able to take us through and make us understand that there's a story being told here, it's more than just a group of penguins being penguins. It's a deep and thoughtful story taking us step by step through a penguins life journey. We see their determination through survival and how they live and take care of each other. 

The visuals themselves are breathtakingly beautiful, we get to see some really nice shots of Antarctica and stunning close-ups of penguins. There was also a lot of emphasis on the soundtrack, containing beautiful pieces of music which all create the ambiance and feel for what is being shown on screen. All that aside, the most impressive thing to me about this documentary is its writing. Luc Jacquet does a brilliant job as writer, adding a sentimental feel as well as showcasing the similarities of these penguins to how humans interact with each other, he does this in a very effective way, which to me, pulls with my heartstrings. 

Lastly, this is one of my all-time favourite documentaries, it makes me remember what marvelous animals these are and how hard life can really be. There are many things that people take for granted these days and watching something like this really puts you in your place. This isn't a world run by humans. Sure, some of us probably wish it was, but nothing compares to the type of survival and herculean triumph that goes on in the wild.

Trailer for "March of the Penguins":

"The Cove" Japan: Mum's the Word

"The Cove"

"The Cove" (2009), is a feature length documentary directed by Louie Psihoyos, who is known for his photography and contributions to National Geographic. The documentary, starring Ric O'Barry, an activist, unveils Japan's secretive dolphin hunting culture and questions their methods. The film is shot in Taiji, Japan, where dolphin fishing practices have been at a high for many years now. Ric, along with his team, have been diving for over 35 years and are extremely passionate about oceanic preservation, having been arrested over 3 times for rescuing dolphins in captivity. 
This documentary is wonderfully done, raising questions and awareness and being very moving at the same time. We are first taken to Taiji to get a feel of the area. As mentioned in the film, we see a place that would seem to love dolphins and whales. They've got boats that look like whales, they have statues and monuments of dolphins, their images are plastered almost everywhere in the city from store posters to mosaics in town squares. That is why it is so alarming to see how dolphins are captured and slaughtered by the hundreds, fishermen not giving a care in the world. It is such an enlightening documentary which spends a great deal of time telling us about these extraordinary creatures, how they think, how they communicate with each other and about Ric and his love for them. On the other hand, it is also the brutal truth of what dolphin fishing really is. There is no sugar coating, there is only the real and extremely sad truth which is what I think that makes this film so moving. It brings out the animal rights activist in you and makes you feel so deeply for these dolphins. Given my love for dolphins, this documentary touched a nerve and has opened up my eyes to this tragic case. You can find more information about "The Cove" here, and help make a donation to the Oceanic Preservation Society (OPS). Help Ric O'Barry and help stop these fishing practices once and for all.

Ric O' Barry with a Bottlenose Dolphin in "The Cove"

Ancient Worlds - Return of the King

Richard Miles in "Ancient Worlds"

"Return of the King" is part 4 of 6 of the television series, "Ancient Worlds". It is jam-packed full of exciting facts, stories, myths and reenactments which help in the retelling of the birth of what we know today as civilization. This episode in particular is about the battle-scarred career of Alexander the Great. 

What I love about this documentary is that it throws you back in time 2,300 years, and it does so in the first 30 seconds of watching it. It does this through its use of visuals, taking us straight to Greece, Egypt and Pakistan. We see the beauty of their rich culture and elegant scenery, both ancient and modern. It starts weaving its way through Alexander's life and upbringing, touches upon his mentor - interestingly being the one and only Aristotle. Along with the use of a large array of visuals, the many different interviews of various historians, writers, and professors keep the documentary subjective and to the point, which I really liked. The interviews included Robin Waterfield, Prof. Guy Rogers, and Prof. Ian Worthington, just to name a few. 

Another appealing aspect of this documentary is how they decided to break it down into 6 separate segments, each being an hour long. This means that every segment has the ability to be very in-depth and analytical, and also being able to get into great detail about certain events and people, an example being the very important role that Aristotle played in the shaping of Alexander's life. This episode also touched upon the obstacles Alexander faced, whether it being the physical strain that came with travelling across Europe and Asia, or his own men's plot to kill him for adopting foreign customs.

All in all, it was interesting to watch from beginning to end and was able to keep that interest throughout the entire episode. I would definitely say that "Ancient Worlds" is well worth watching and I would recommend anyone who's interested in history and the shaping of today's world to watch this. Catch "Ancient Worlds" on TVO on Monday's at 8:00pm!

This episode is also available on Youtube:

Ancient Worlds: Return of the King