Ask HN: What are some of your favorite documentaries? - dgr8geek
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internaut
I like documentaries where there isn't much narration/interviewing going on.
They are also short.

Primitive Technology

[https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAL3JXZSzSm8AlZyD3nQdBA](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAL3JXZSzSm8AlZyD3nQdBA)

I think this guy is most of HN's silent hero.

Two documentaries on working class skills approaching a true art form.

Ben's Mill

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l2KJbRHO76s](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l2KJbRHO76s)

Sadly only part is available unless you pay a few thousand dollars. It is
really good though. It's a guy using the raw power of water to create wooden
objects for local farmers.

Glas

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KAYh0f1CPuc](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KAYh0f1CPuc)

A Dutch documentary on glass making in the '50s.

Three made for Television documentary series are:

James Burke's Connections. This is the first episode.

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e4tLYYXDg74](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e4tLYYXDg74)

This series had an enormous influence on many of HN's older hackers. History,
Technology, Philosophy, it's all there. One of the best television series I've
seen, and I'm a millennial so it isn't just nostalgia. It is smart.

Carl Sagan's Cosmos. This is so famous I assume you've already watched it.
Carl is scientist and poet. The recent adaption is a fair effort but the
original is by far the best.

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6YgBXLUSsmg](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6YgBXLUSsmg)

Lord Kenneth Clarke's Civilization (1969!). This is the favorite documentary
of many Western conservatives and reactionaries because it doesn't constantly
caveat, qualify or diminish the history of The West. It is not shy about
showing wickedness as well as greatness but nor is it politically correct.

Before I watched this it was quite hard to fully grasp the motivations of the
right wing. After watching it I came to the view we have narrowed our view to
a chronocentric interpretation of reality. This shows the grand sweep of
history, which is admirable even if you don't agree with its worldview for
political reasons.

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TDm4Sl6CdYU&list=PLFYDyLgHrF...](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TDm4Sl6CdYU&list=PLFYDyLgHrFHC_YIf7cs9-HpCb6WIBHm1R)

~~~
sotojuan
I've never heard that about Civilization! I like it because it's just fun and
interesting to watch. Some episodes are inspiring in a way, particularly the
Renaissance and 18th century ones.

FWIW I'm not right wing and I'm a US/West minority (Hispanic). No problem with
the language or topics in the series.

~~~
internaut
Glad to hear it!

A school history class doesn't give you a sense of the spirit of the times the
way Clarke or Burke do. This may sound elitist but when I hear my own
generation (millennial) talk about the past I feel like I'm hearing an aural
caricature.

Unfortunately you'll notice all my examples of excellent documentary making
are unusually old examples of television.

I suspect that between advertisers demand and a culture uncomfortable with
bold or frankly even nuanced ideas you just cannot make good television for a
large audience.

Adam Curtis for example still makes interesting documentaries from a centrist
political perspective but he is notable precisely because he is rare. I think
"Curtis and then who?".

Many geeks I assume, have gotten rid of their televisions for that reason.

