Do you guys know what I love watching more than anything else?
If you guessed hot, sweaty men playing soccer, you’d be right on the money. However, I doubt very many of you would be interested in reading a post about the four soccer players I think are hottest, so instead I will give you a post containing four documentaries based on children that I think will be worth your while to watch.
First up is War Dance. I have to admit, this is my very favorite documentary ever. It is well done and beautiful. I promise you will fall in love with the children and wish you could bring them all home. The story takes place in war-torn Northern Uganda and follows three children living in a displacement camp. As you can imagine, their lives are anything but stable. Every day the children face the possibility of being abducted and forced to fight in the rebel army. The stories the children tell about their experiences are sobering. However, the main focus of the film is a little more light-hearted. A national music and dance festival is going to take place in Kampala, Uganda’s capital, and the children’s school will be competing. This film makes me cry every time I watch it, but I also have to laugh at the kids. Their spirits are so joyful and unexpectedly childlike given what they are going through. Children are so very resilient, and I think this documentary does a good job of showing that.
My next recommendation is completely depressing. Seriously, do not watch this unless you need a good cry or unless you are in a stable mental place. I watched it late one night not knowing entirely what to expect and was up for hours after cursing humans and their wicked ways. The Dancing Boys of Afghanistan is actually an episode of Frontline by PBS. Bacha bazi (“boy play”) is an ancient practice that has been secretly revived by Afghan warlords. Poor and orphaned boys, some as young as 11, are sold into sexual slavery by pimps who pick them up off the street. The boys are dressed in women’s clothing and taught how to sing and dance by a bacha bazi master. When the boys have been sufficiently trained, they are made to perform in rooms full of wealthy men who usually end up bidding on the dancing boy. The highest bidder gets to take the boy home. Fucked up, right? The documentary reveals even more disgusting practices within this illegal industry. If it doesn’t make your stomach turn, I’m going to need proof you have a human heart.
Let’s talk about something that will make you feel good inside, alright? Think back to when you were in middle school. Do you think you could have adequately grasped how large a number 6 million actually is? Do you even think you can today, as an adult? Realizing there was very little diversity in her small, rural town in Tennessee, the principal of Whitwell Middle School decided the students needed to learn about other cultures to help get rid of prejudices. Paper Clips shows how with the help of her staff, the middle school students began learning about the Holocaust. They read books, watched clips, and saw pictures of the damage the Nazis had done. The teachers realized the students weren’t able to understand how many people actually died. So, the school began collecting paper clips with the goal of reaching 6 million. Each paper clip would represent a Jew who had perished. The stories that came along with the donated paper clips are incredible, and watching the children take on the task of collecting the paper clips is pretty awesome. It’s pretty neat to watch a group of adults care enough about future generations to try and break the cycle of prejudice and open the minds of their students.
Last up is my favorite documentary when I need a good laugh. I know there was some mild controversy surrounding Babies and child labor laws, but who cares because have you guys seen this? It is beyond adorable. There really isn’t much to the film, but it is fun to watch the babies’ first year go by. Bayarjargal from Mongolia and his older brother are my favorites because you can tell they are truly mischievous little shits. It’s also interesting to observe the similarities and differences amongst the four cultures (San Francisco, Japan, Mongolia, and Namibia) when it comes to raising children.
Which documentaries dealing with children are your favorites? Have you seen any of these? Will you be seeing any of these?
