Moving Movies/Documentaries to watch next
Perhaps it was the Golden Globes that kicked off awards seasons that got me in the mood for a good movie to watch. Or perhaps it’s the doom and gloom of January in Washington that did the trick. Either way… a good flick is always on my watch list. I’m a major audio visual lover. I’ve always been fascinated with the movie industry. Behind the scenes, commentaries, epic costumes and visual effects. I’m here for it. I particularly love historical dramas, documentaries and movies based on true events. So here are a few I’ve enjoyed over the past few years for your next movie night:
The Swimmers Directed by Sally El Hosaini (Netflix): This movie stuck with me. I watched it last year with my husband and I still think about the impact this movie has had on me. The power of the human spirit, and the dream to live a life free of conflict, and the desire and purpose an athlete has to train and win. When I saw that Matthias Schweighöfer was in the film I was intrigued. He is one of my favorite German actors that usually stars in German language comedies but has made his way into American films in the last few years. The premise of the film is the true story of two Syrian sisters who flee their home in Damascus and make their way as refugees through Greece to Germany where they train and compete in the Rio Olympic Games. When I saw the trailer, I thought the film was going to primarily focus on their training in Germany and what it took for them as refugees to compete in an Olympics as swimmers. However, I was wrong. It spends majority of the movie detailing their decision to leave Syria, and the grueling, and incredibly risky journey they have to make in order to escape their war-torn home. I think it is rare that you get a glimpse into what it would feel like to be a refugee. Particularly as two females traveling as young adults. Leaving all you know behind, hoping for something better, only to find out that the final destination can take years of waiting for paperwork, and uncertainty to actually be able to function in society again. It truly left me at the edge of my seat for most of the film, with a gut wrenching anxiety lingering throughout. The director does an incredible job keeping you hooked while the characters deal with crossing the inlet from Turkey to Greece (where they have to swim majority of it after a motor failure), being put in refugee camps, the fear of being turned back home, imprisoned, being treated like outsiders, taken advantage of, or worse killed. But after you’ve been riddled with fear during the journey portion of the film, it’s amazing to watch the two sisters train in Germany and get to the Olympics. It only gives you that much more respect for their talent knowing what they went through to achieve their goals. It leaves you in tears. So do yourself a favor and give it a go… it’s well worth your time!
American Symphony Directed by Matthew Heinman (Netflix): Please. Watch. This. Documentary. If you have any interest in music and the creative process, just watch. This documentary follows musician Jon Batiste and his partner Suleika Jaouad as his career is taking off and he’s setting out to create his American Symphony. It gives you a look into his past; he’s from New Orleans then goes to Juliard, where he makes is way into the music industry via a myriad of opportunities that present themselves while living in New York. He meets his life partner while at school (they vaguely dive into how they met and how they got to where they are today) but what’s clear is the two have bonded over their passion for the arts. The parallel paths that create the majority of this documentary follow Jon as he is preparing and writing his symphony, while simultaneously following his, now wife, as she finds out that her Leukemia has returned and has to go through a bone marrow transplant. It’s rare that you get the chance to see behind the scenes into someone’s life like this. You would never be able to understand the anxiety he would have while traveling around working, knowing your wife is stuck in a hospital for a month or more at home. It just goes to show how powerful music can be, and how much of an outlet it can become to channel all of your life’s emotions. Batiste is truly a one of a kind talent. He lives and breathes music. You can tell that it just pours out of him. I also loved how you got to see so many facets of his talents from live music, performance, symphony, and even his work on Pixar’s Soul. He just genuinely seems like a kind individual. Plus, his music is so good! It’s relatively short, I watched it while flying down to California. In any case it’s well worth a watch IMO. Plus, he’s on tour this year and he’s performing at the Paramount in Seattle in February. If anyone has tickets they’d like to pass along I’d love to be a recipient!
Unorthodox Directed by Anna Winger & Alexa Karoinski (Netflix): This is a mini-series based on the memoir by Deborah Feldman “Unorthodox: The Scandalous Rejection of My Hasidic Roots” and it is amazing. The actress that played the main character actually had to shave her head on the first day of filming. SO STRESSFUL! But she does an incredible job portraying Esty, and gives you a glimpse into this Satmar Hasidic Jewish community in Williamsburg, New York. It truly is fascinating and tragic tangled into one. It’s another plotline that gives you a feel for the human spirit, and the ability to be incredibly brave and break free from everything you know to live a life of happiness. For Esty, that took her outside of her community in Williamsburg where she flees to Berlin, Germany just to escape the confines of an arranged marriage gone wrong. The directors did an extensive amount of research about this community prior to filming, and it really shows. You can tell how authentic the costumes and sets are, and the fact that majority of the show’s dialog is in Yiddish. There is so much to take in from this mini-series that I feel like it deserves a rewatch! I’m not saying this is ‘light watching’ content, but it is a powerful depiction of what it means to find your own voice in a sea of oppression. Plus, bonus content! There is a great 20 minute ‘The Making of Unorthodox’ clip that gives all sorts of detail about how they went about making this masterpiece. Enjoy!
