In 1922, cinema was barely born and a good part of the genres that made up the industry were inherited from theater or literature. So the premiere of the film that investigated real events Nanuk, the Eskimoaroused surprise. Director Robert J. Flaherty not only dedicated months to filming the life of the Inuk people, but also focused on a single character. Nanuk, a fisherman from the frozen lands, was the protagonist of his own story. With barely any dialogue and a script that focused much more on allowing reality to be shown than on narrating fiction, it became an important historical document. At the same time, he was one of the first to try to use cinema to understand the world through visual chronicles.
Since then, the documentary has become a means to express complex ideas that concern the real world. Every year, hundreds of works of the genre explore various situations that receive visibility and analysis, thanks to the format. Much more so, as it has become ideal for allowing debate about all kinds of controversial perspectives. From investigations related to the political systems of various countries, to the harshest experiences of controversial figures. The truth is that the format allows for a complete investigation that also uses the resources of cinema to become relevant and with cultural impact.
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We leave you five controversial documentaries, which you can watch right now on Star+. From a terrifying story that ends up having a background beyond the supernatural, to the protagonist of a forceful cultural change. The selection shows the importance of the genre as an expression of the virtues of cinema as a means of dissemination. Its main impact.
The real house of terror
Supernatural themes have always been of character or controversy. In particular, when its verisimilitude is subject to debate or, in the best of cases, to collective disbelief. Therefore, this documentary dedicates special interest and work to analyzing what causes a property to be considered possessed by inexplicable entities. Or, in any case, what makes the public believe in such an event.
Russ McKamey, a former Marine who owns an attraction that uses horror as part of its content, decided to approach the matter differently. So he built the so-called McKamey Manor, which is considered the haunted house with the most brutal and extreme methods to terrorize the visiting public. For the creator, it is a way to investigate the reason why, Feeling fear has become a dangerous game in the country.
Director Andrew Renzi analyzes the premise in the documentary The real house of terror. In addition to showing everything related to the construction of the attraction, the filmmaker focuses on how he has brought the town of Summertown (Tennessee) considerable fame. The production also addresses the fact that the experience is considered almost violent, due to its methods of provoking fear. A controversial topic that is still discussed in various forums and spaces that analyze North American mental health.
SOS American women
Every year, millions of North Americans suffer due to direct failures of the health system and other competent organizations linked to the medical field. Much more so if they are related to gynecological and obstetrics health. However, the figure reaches an alarming point if it is disaggregated by skin color. Every year in the country, an increasing number of black women, They suffer physical damage caused by malpractice and poorly performed procedures.
SOS American women by Paula Eiselt and Tonya Lewis Lee, investigates the situation. Furthermore, it considers how the demographic index of neglected black women increased over the decades, when the opposite was expected. Through the real cases of Shamony Gibson and Amber Rose Isaac, two young pregnant women who died in unclear situations, the plot shows a disturbing reality. The severe crisis of violence through inadequate medical practices and neglect suffered by a large part of the country’s population.
The argument includes everything from figures to close monitoring of the impact that the victims’ deaths had on their family. Little by little, what seems like specific cases, transforms into a fearful crisis, increasingly difficult to overcome. What the documentary highlights and brings to light of the social debate.
The alpinist
Sports and extreme practices are a growing trend in recent years. Much more so, if the risk of death for those who practice them is real. Something that El Alpinista shows in all its controversial dimension. The film, by directors Peter Mortimer and Nick Rosen, shows Canadian Marc-André Leclerc and his journey around the world to attempt the most complicated climbs. From monuments hundreds of meters high, to the most complicated and rugged landscapes. All with nothing but bare hands and wearing rubber shoes.
However, the feature film focuses on the athlete’s expedition to Patagonia. Once, he had to face, in addition to increasingly difficult climatic conditions, the fact that the rugged topography is a challenge for his knowledge. The documentary shows the physical and mental preparation that the climber carried out to achieve his goal.
But, also, the reason that drives him to continue in a type of sports practice that could lead to death. Beyond inspired ideas about overcoming bodily limits, for Marc-André Leclerc it is about demonstrating the power of will. A topic that the film analyzes from complicated points of view such as unnecessary recklessness and in the end, the pressure of fame.
AKA Jane Roe
Director Nick Sweeney spent months of research, filming and conversations to get to know Norma McCorvey. She is the woman who filed the lawsuit in the Supreme Court of the United States, which would ultimately lead to establishing the universal right to abortion. But the protagonist, to understand a fundamental history of the 20th century, is much more than her fight in court. It is also the look of a strong person at his future and legacy.
The documentary follows the months before McCorvey’s death, which occurred in 2017. Through long reflections out loud, the woman who fought in the shadows for female reproductive rights in the US, gives a complete version unknown of his case. From the fear he felt when facing a judge for a matter that he describes as moral, to his satisfaction with the final resolution.
The film covers almost an entire year of its protagonist’s life and at the same time, pays tribute to his bravery, serenity and, in the end, generosity. With a neutral tone that distances itself from any of the discussions that her decision entailed, she manages to move. However, the controversy lies at the heart of the premise: in the end the message is clear. Almost without knowing it, Norma McCorvey changed the history of her country. It is, without a doubt, one of the best documentaries on the platform.
OJ: Made in America
In 1994, the American athlete OJ Simpson was one of the most beloved figures in his country’s pop culture. At the same time, an emblem of the triumph of the black community and also, of the conclusion of the so-called American dream. All summed up in an idyllic life and a promising future. For that year, the celebrity was chosen among the ten most popular among the American public.
All that came crashing down when he was accused of the murder of his ex-wife and her friend, both of whom were stabbed to death. For more than eight months, a media circus followed step by step, not only one of the most controversial trials in recent history. In turn, the idol’s fall from grace and finally, his disputed release.
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The filmmaker Ezra Edelman tells the twisted story through five episodes, but also investigates the impact it caused in the country. Little by little, the figure of Simpson is discovered as the most controversial dimension of violence, racism and influence, in the midst of an increasingly flawed and strange collective debate. Of all the documentaries on the list, perhaps one of the best known and best executed.