Every documentary I’ve ever seen, or wanted to see, has been about some of the world’s strangest people. The most oddly gifted, persecuted, or hated outliers that society has to offer. People who, by most standards, you would feel averse to interacting with… And yet, documentary films have grown widely in popularity. In some cases, such as Michael Moore’s, they have even entered mainstream culture.
The truth is, if ever given the opportunity, most of us would never want to spend time with the people who we find so fascinating in these films. What would we have to say to them? How do you relate to someone who spends 6 hours a day studying the dictionary? Or another who’s views on the world are almost the complete polar opposite of yours? You can’t. But that is the beauty of the documentary, we don’t have to interact with these people. Someone else has done the leg work for us. You don’t have to endure that painfully long silence, or the 20 minute discussion on silent letters, they all get lost on the cutting room floor.
The documentary allows us to interact with these people by proxy through the film maker. They are helping us to understand these people, who in many cases can’t find anyone in their own lives to appreciate them. They are creating this sort of voyeuristic love for humanity. We love all these weirdos and crazies, and won’t talk as bad about them any more, as long as we don’t have to interact with them ourselves.
Documentaries, more than anything else, are delivering us an appreciation for humanity… by proxy.
Here are a few of my favorite examples of successful documentaries made about some seriously out there people that might help make more sense of what I am trying to say.
Spell Bound- This is an amazing documentary following several children in the months leading up to the 1999 national spelling bee. These are the kids that got their lunch money stolen everyday. They are the type of kids that annoy you no matter how hard you try to be nice to them. They were the ones who were already stressing about college in 7th grade. Yet you are absolutely engrossed by the fact that, as eccentric as they are, they are regular people who have parents way crazier than yours.
Jesus Camp- An absolutely terrifying documentary about a camp where children are taught to be evangelical zealots. A film that sheds light and helps you understand how some people never ever have a choice in figuring things out for themselves. I still can’t relate to these people, but I can at least understand. Here is a trailer to the film. Honestly, not for the faint of heart.
The Devil and Daniel Johnston- Daniel Johnston is one of the most tormented souls you will find. He is a man who has quietly had a major influence on some of the the most influential bands of our generations. People like Beck, Kurt Kobain, and bands like Sonic Youth to name a few. He is in many ways the modern equivalent to Van Gogh, both in his torment and his prolific production of art. Shows you that not all blessings come without a curse.
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