I went to see three short documentaries on the big screen that have been nominated for Academy Awards. All three were intensely emotional. The first one (can't remember the name) was about an American soldier in Iraq who was radically changed by a single incident that he witnessed. An American Apache helicopter shot some men on a street (the video is included), and when the bodies of the men were carried to a van to transport them to a hospital, the Apache blew up the van which was carrying a family. The soldier, who entered the destroyed van and saved two badly-injured children, did not realize that the carnage had been caused by "the good guys" until afterwards. It is a wrenching story.
The second documentary was titled "Saving Face," and was even harder to watch. It dealt with women in Pakistan who have had battery acid thrown on their faces by abusive husbands and about a Pakistani plastic surgeon from England who tries to re-build their faces. The film captures both the heart and horror of humanity.
The third documentary was titled "The Tsunami and the Cherry Tree," and it was also highly emotional. One of the most existential scenes (there are many) is that of a man describing what happened to his dearest friend as the tsunami swept through his town. His friend had bought a new car, and rather than run to high ground, he stayed one minute too long in an effort to save his car. He was swept away in front of his friend who was unable to reach him. The man said, "I don't want a house; I don't want clothes; I don't want anything; I only want my friend's life back." It's too bad that it often takes tragedy to put things into a larger perspective. Someone once wrote that if we could see death looming behind each person we meet, we would never encounter an enemy.
I can recommend all three movies, but if you go to see them, remember to take along some kleenex.
The second documentary was titled "Saving Face," and was even harder to watch. It dealt with women in Pakistan who have had battery acid thrown on their faces by abusive husbands and about a Pakistani plastic surgeon from England who tries to re-build their faces. The film captures both the heart and horror of humanity.
The third documentary was titled "The Tsunami and the Cherry Tree," and it was also highly emotional. One of the most existential scenes (there are many) is that of a man describing what happened to his dearest friend as the tsunami swept through his town. His friend had bought a new car, and rather than run to high ground, he stayed one minute too long in an effort to save his car. He was swept away in front of his friend who was unable to reach him. The man said, "I don't want a house; I don't want clothes; I don't want anything; I only want my friend's life back." It's too bad that it often takes tragedy to put things into a larger perspective. Someone once wrote that if we could see death looming behind each person we meet, we would never encounter an enemy.
I can recommend all three movies, but if you go to see them, remember to take along some kleenex.
