Although this article is largely about a historical sporting event, I'm leaning towards the idea that the purpose of documentaries are to inform and be discussed even among people who might not...
Although this article is largely about a historical sporting event, I'm leaning towards the idea that the purpose of documentaries are to inform and be discussed even among people who might not identify (or especially those who don't identify) with the topic of the documentary itself. So I'm looking forward to some discussion about other documentaries people have come across that piqued their interest out of left field or gave them a cool history lesson that left an imprint in some way. But I'm okay if it's moved, too. :)
Incidentally, until 2018 there wasn't even a Wikipedia page about this unsanctioned World Cup, and even then that page looked like this. Here's what it looks like today, thanks to people raising awareness and doing some research.
A few that I've stumbled on over the years: The Search for General Tso - Really interesting documentary that starts off as a search for the origin of the General Tso's Chicken dish, but ends up...
I'm looking forward to some discussion about other documentaries people have come across that piqued their interest out of left field
A few that I've stumbled on over the years:
The Search for General Tso - Really interesting documentary that starts off as a search for the origin of the General Tso's Chicken dish, but ends up being about so much more than that, delving into all sorts of fascinating history about China, and the Chinese American immigrant experience.
Man on Wire - About Philippe Petit's illegal high-wire routine between NYC's infamous Twin Towers in 1974. It's been a long time since I last watched this, but I remember it turning out to be so much more interesting than it sounds like it would be.
The King of Kong - About the Donkey Kong arcade game World record holder, Billy Mitchell, and several other people competing for the title. When this first came out, I remember one of the main criticisms of it was people saying it was really unfair to Billy Mitchell, since it portrayed him as such a villain.... but given all the recent bullshit he's been caught doing (lying about absolutely everything, cheating on records, suing everyone who dared to reveal him as the total fraud he is, and even fabricating evidence in court), I would say the documentary was quite prescient, and actually undersold how villainous he truly is.
Murderball - Pretty straightforward documentary about quadriplegics who play full-contact rugby in wheelchairs. I'm not a huge sports person, so didn't think I would end up being as fascinated by this documentary as I was. But it was a great documentary, with lots of really intimate human moments.
Edit: A few more:
Jiro Dreams of Sushi - An intimate portrait of a Japanese sushi master absolutely obsessed with pursuing perfection in his craft. So obsessed, in fact, that he neglects practically everything else in his life, including his family. Interesting, but also kinda sad.
Nerdcore Rising - About the origins of the Nerdcore hip-hop genre, and the various artists behind its creation, but mostly focused on the "Godfather of Nerdcore", MC Frontalot. Nothing incredible or groundbreaking but still a really fun documentary about nerds being totally unashamed about being nerds and making super nerdy music.
Although this article is largely about a historical sporting event, I'm leaning towards the idea that the purpose of documentaries are to inform and be discussed even among people who might not identify (or especially those who don't identify) with the topic of the documentary itself. So I'm looking forward to some discussion about other documentaries people have come across that piqued their interest out of left field or gave them a cool history lesson that left an imprint in some way. But I'm okay if it's moved, too. :)
Incidentally, until 2018 there wasn't even a Wikipedia page about this unsanctioned World Cup, and even then that page looked like this. Here's what it looks like today, thanks to people raising awareness and doing some research.
A few that I've stumbled on over the years:
The Search for General Tso - Really interesting documentary that starts off as a search for the origin of the General Tso's Chicken dish, but ends up being about so much more than that, delving into all sorts of fascinating history about China, and the Chinese American immigrant experience.
Man on Wire - About Philippe Petit's illegal high-wire routine between NYC's infamous Twin Towers in 1974. It's been a long time since I last watched this, but I remember it turning out to be so much more interesting than it sounds like it would be.
The King of Kong - About the Donkey Kong arcade game World record holder, Billy Mitchell, and several other people competing for the title. When this first came out, I remember one of the main criticisms of it was people saying it was really unfair to Billy Mitchell, since it portrayed him as such a villain.... but given all the recent bullshit he's been caught doing (lying about absolutely everything, cheating on records, suing everyone who dared to reveal him as the total fraud he is, and even fabricating evidence in court), I would say the documentary was quite prescient, and actually undersold how villainous he truly is.
Murderball - Pretty straightforward documentary about quadriplegics who play full-contact rugby in wheelchairs. I'm not a huge sports person, so didn't think I would end up being as fascinated by this documentary as I was. But it was a great documentary, with lots of really intimate human moments.
Edit: A few more:
Jiro Dreams of Sushi - An intimate portrait of a Japanese sushi master absolutely obsessed with pursuing perfection in his craft. So obsessed, in fact, that he neglects practically everything else in his life, including his family. Interesting, but also kinda sad.
Nerdcore Rising - About the origins of the Nerdcore hip-hop genre, and the various artists behind its creation, but mostly focused on the "Godfather of Nerdcore", MC Frontalot. Nothing incredible or groundbreaking but still a really fun documentary about nerds being totally unashamed about being nerds and making super nerdy music.