movie talk--relevant to urban nature
Feb. 10th, 2006 10:19 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
urbpanI realized today, after watching Okie Noodling, a documentary about the dying art of catching catfish by letting them bite your hand, that there's a certain subgenre of film I'm interested in. I would have told you before that what I like are nature documentaries for example Microcosmos and Winged Migration are two that I actually own. But what really excites me are documentaries about the human/animal interface.
As much as I love animals, I happen to be a human, and live in human society. I tend to be more interested in non-human animals than human society, but human society does hold some fascination for me as well. Documentaries that address the effect that animals have on humans and on society--this is the subgenre I've discovered. Rather than continue to gibber on, I'll list some movies in this new subgenre that I just thought of: (these are taken from my Netflix "movies you've seen" list--they include television docs on dvd)
Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill. I recently posted a review of this. It's not really that great a movie, but it spoke to me so perfectly. I watched it twice in one week and was moved to tears several times during both viewings. I can't say that it would have the same effect on other people, unless they also had trouble finding meaning in their lives, and found meaning in nature (especially urban nature) and among animals.
Dogs and More Dogs. This is a Nova documentary, basically bringing the best current theories of dog evolution (wolves that ate human garbage evolved into dogs) to a mass audience.
Cane Toads: An Unnatural History. An Australian short film about the varied human responses to an invasive species (the giant American toad Bufo marinus. Made with wit.
Nanook of the North. A 1922 film showing how an Inuit man survives in his harsh environment, depending on his dogs for transportation and consuming an entirely animal-based diet.
Off the Chain. This unflinching look at dogfighting tells it like it is, and while it dispels the media myths, it isn't always easy to watch.
Natural History of the Chicken. This is not about natural history, unfortunately. I would love to see a documentary about how a wild ground bird in India became sacred, then profane, and then ubiquitous, but this is not it. It is about various American eccentrics and their beloved chickens, and is definitely quite interesting and entertaining. See the fancy Japanese chicken wearing a diaper!
Falkens öga. A pair of European kestrels live high in the wall of a busy church. Read my mini-review.
Coming Soon to my Netflix Queue:
Grizzly Man -- I haven't seen it so I can't comment beyond what is public knowledge: A man who loves animals but may not fully respect them, and his tragic demise.
Animals Gone Wild
Program 1: Animals Behaving Badly - Searching for shelter, food and water, untamed animals are in our cars, our yards, and our homes. This program explores the escalating battle for space between animals and humans. Program 2: The Good, the Bad, and the Grizzly - America's greatest predator struggles on a modern frontier and homeowners find themselves under siege from foraging grizzlies while wildlife managers try to keep the peace.
Do you know of any others?
As much as I love animals, I happen to be a human, and live in human society. I tend to be more interested in non-human animals than human society, but human society does hold some fascination for me as well. Documentaries that address the effect that animals have on humans and on society--this is the subgenre I've discovered. Rather than continue to gibber on, I'll list some movies in this new subgenre that I just thought of: (these are taken from my Netflix "movies you've seen" list--they include television docs on dvd)
Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill. I recently posted a review of this. It's not really that great a movie, but it spoke to me so perfectly. I watched it twice in one week and was moved to tears several times during both viewings. I can't say that it would have the same effect on other people, unless they also had trouble finding meaning in their lives, and found meaning in nature (especially urban nature) and among animals.
Dogs and More Dogs. This is a Nova documentary, basically bringing the best current theories of dog evolution (wolves that ate human garbage evolved into dogs) to a mass audience.
Cane Toads: An Unnatural History. An Australian short film about the varied human responses to an invasive species (the giant American toad Bufo marinus. Made with wit.
Nanook of the North. A 1922 film showing how an Inuit man survives in his harsh environment, depending on his dogs for transportation and consuming an entirely animal-based diet.
Off the Chain. This unflinching look at dogfighting tells it like it is, and while it dispels the media myths, it isn't always easy to watch.
Natural History of the Chicken. This is not about natural history, unfortunately. I would love to see a documentary about how a wild ground bird in India became sacred, then profane, and then ubiquitous, but this is not it. It is about various American eccentrics and their beloved chickens, and is definitely quite interesting and entertaining. See the fancy Japanese chicken wearing a diaper!
Falkens öga. A pair of European kestrels live high in the wall of a busy church. Read my mini-review.
Coming Soon to my Netflix Queue:
Grizzly Man -- I haven't seen it so I can't comment beyond what is public knowledge: A man who loves animals but may not fully respect them, and his tragic demise.
Animals Gone Wild
Program 1: Animals Behaving Badly - Searching for shelter, food and water, untamed animals are in our cars, our yards, and our homes. This program explores the escalating battle for space between animals and humans. Program 2: The Good, the Bad, and the Grizzly - America's greatest predator struggles on a modern frontier and homeowners find themselves under siege from foraging grizzlies while wildlife managers try to keep the peace.
Do you know of any others?
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