Turtle: The Incredible Journey
A documentary that follows a female loggerhead sea turtle from a tiny turtle hatchling to a grown turtle mama. The baby turtle faces every obstacle imaginable, from hungry crabs to environmental dangers. Of the hundreds of eggs that each turtle lays, only few survive into adulthood. Equally amazing is their internal GPS. These turtles are able to swim from the Caribbean to Canada to Europe and then back to the Caribbean to lay eggs on the same beach where they were born.
Watch: Netflix (Instant)
Babies
I was under the impression this film’s main focus was babies getting into things and it lacked a strong narrative. I was wrong. This documentary focuses on cultural differences and similarities between four cultures. One infant may spend its time alone in a hut while another spends its day supervised behind a baby gate. Yet they both experience the same emotions, get into mischief and make small discoveries everyday. The message in this documentary is similar to the feeling you get when you visit new cultures. There are differences that may shock us but the structure of our cultures is remarkably similar than what we see at first glance.
Watch: Netflix (DVD) | iTunes
The Vice Guide to Travel: Liberia
The Vice Guide crew navigates through this dangerous, war-torn country where Liberian leaders defecate on the same beach where citizens fetch their water. The most fascinating part of this series includes an interesting man by the name of General Butt Naked. He got his name from the belief that as long as him and his soldier fought naked they would be invincible. When they catch up with him they find that he has become a preacher, preaching to the families of the victims that he killed.
Watch: Free Online
The Vice Guide to Travel: North Korea
An interesting contrast to Liberia. In Liberia, we saw corruption + chaos. In North Korea we see how corruption + control has destroyed their nation. The Vice Guide crew has to bribe their way into North Korea via China. Once they arrive they are assigned handlers which control their every movement and set up elaborate dinners, performances and lies in order to prove how great their country is. If you’re still interested in the inner workings of North Korea after seeing this documentary, be sure to read Nothing to Envy: Ordinary Lives in North Korea.
Watch: Free Online