Musician, Ruben Blades, once said “I think we risk becoming the best informed society that has ever died of ignorance.” If you are anything like me, you may think that this man is on to something. Over 61% of us carry around smart phones in our pockets that grant us access to more information than Einstein had availability to in his entire life, and yet we use them as social networking devices. Nearly 1/4 of Americans don’t know which country we gained our independence from. Almost half of all Americans think that Christianity existed before Judaism. Rather than fading into the uneducated herd of sheeple we are slowly becoming, I suggest you kick back, smoke a bowl, and pop in an eye opening documentary or two. Am I suggesting that these movies will make you smarter? Absolutely not. Am I suggesting that they will inspire you to try to become smarter? Absolutely.
15. The Century of the Self
Edward Bernay taught advertisers how to use Freudian psychology to mold the minds of consumers in the late 20’s and it has held strong ever since. Bernay is quoted as saying
“The conscious and intelligent manipulation of the organized habits and opinions of the masses is an important element in democratic society. Those who manipulate this unseen mechanism of society constitute an invisible government which is the true ruling power of our country. …We are governed, our minds are molded, our tastes formed, our ideas suggested, largely by men we have never heard of. This is a logical result of the way in which our democratic society is organized. Vast numbers of human beings must cooperate in this manner if they are to live together as a smoothly functioning society. …In almost every act of our daily lives, whether in the sphere of politics or business, in our social conduct or our ethical thinking, we are dominated by the relatively small number of persons…who understand the mental processes and social patterns of the masses. It is they who pull the wires which control the public mind.”
The Century of the Self is a 4 part documentary series that sets out to expose the tactics used by Bernays legions of advertisers on a daily basis. Hell, you might have even clicked on an ad to find this very article.
14. Neurons to Nirvana
It is no secret that our society is addicted to pharmaceutical drugs, but why? Think about it for just a second; I am willing to bet you know a few people who either take anti depressants, anti psychotics, anti anxiety medications, sleeping medications, or something to deal with stress. None of these are used to treat any physical ailment and yet so many Americans have to use them every day just to get by. Neurons to Nirvana makes the case that there may be a better way to deal with some of our nations issues. Using MDMA to treat PTSD is just one example of the amazing benefits psychedelic medicine can offer us, and the film illustrates several more that will truly blow your mind.
13. The Yes Men Fix The World
The Yes Men Fix The World would be hilarious if some of its implications weren’t so damn terrifying. The Yes Men are two pranksters who, armed with just their wit and suits, manage to work their way into several big time corporate events, posing as top executives for said companies! The film does a great job of making you laugh while, at the same time, exposing different ways in which corporate greed is ruining the world. Some of the things the rich are okay with in this movie are shocking to say the least, and lets just say letting people die to make extra cash is not above the wealthy elite of this country. Since I last watched the movie the creators have apparently been sued by the United States Chamber of Commerce, but the film is still available to watch on Youtube.
12. Our Secret Universe: The Hidden Life of the Cell
If you have ever felt insignificant in your life….don’t. This breath taking look at the society of biological machines that exist within you to show you that, not only are you a living universe, but so is every single one of the nearly 37.2 trillion cells that make you up…..whoa….
11. Food, Inc.
I don’t know about you, but I love food. However, this movie did force me to think about the steps it took to put that food on my plate. The film takes an honest look at corporate farming and makes the case that the methods businesses are using for large scale food production are not only inhumane but also terribly unhealthy and bad for our environment. I promise you, you will want to turn Food, Inc. off, but I sincerely doubt you will be able to.
10. Casino Jack and the United States of Money
What does it take to attain true power in the United States? If Jack Abramoff is any kind of example, the answer seems to be money and nothing else. Jack was, at one time, the most powerful lobbyist in the United States and had nearly everyone who mattered in his pocket. From owning restaurants, to owning sweatshops complete with indentured servants, possible involvement in a mob style shooting, and stealing money from Indian casinos, if there was money to be made, Jack was in…and that money was used to shower politicians with gifts and trips in exchange for political favors. Watch this film for a sobering look at the United States political process, and what true power in our country involves.
9. Queen of the Sun
Do you hate bees? If you said yes, maybe you should rethink your answer. Bees may very well be one of the most important organisms on our entire planet, and their existence is more necessary for society to operate than some of us care to admit. Simply put, bees are major pollinators, and pollination is how plants reproduce….we eat plants, and so do the animals that we eat….and now, bees are disappearing at an alarming rate ….can you see the problem here? In Queen of the Sun, the audience is given an intimate look into the struggles that beekeepers face in trying to keep their colonies alive as well as possible reasons that colonies are dying out. Philosophers, scientists, beekeepers and more are interviewed in an attempt to figure out the problem and offer possible solutions.
8. Outfoxed: Rupert Murdoch’s War on Journalism
Fox News is one of the United States most popular mainstream news sources, due in part to the interesting way in which it is set up. If you have ever watched the channel you may have noticed the following formula play out: The ratio of republicans to democrats is kept around 2:1, the republicans will agree with each other and team up to make the democrat look stupid, the coverage itself will be highly opinionated and geared towards the right, and all the while there will be a ton of moving colorful objects and other news stories rolling across the screen to remain visually appealing. The content and overall tone of the programs stem from the channels owner, Rupert Murdoch. Outfoxed boldly takes a look at Murdochs version of “news” and the effect that its popularity has on other mainstream news sources that are popular in the US.
7. Wonders of the Universe with Brian Cox
I will let Brian explain this one for us in this quote from the four part series.
“Why are we here? Where do we come from? These are the most enduring of questions. And it’s an essential part of human nature to want to find the answers.
We can trace our ancestry back hundreds of thousands of years to the dawn of humankind. But in reality, our story extends far, further back in time. Our story starts with the beginning of the universe. It began 13.7 billion years ago, and today, it’s filled with over a hundred billion galaxies, each containing hundreds of billions of stars.
In this series, I want to tell that story, because ultimately, we are part of the universe, so its story is our story.”
6. The Perverts Guide to Ideology
Ideology is defined as “a system of ideas and ideals, especially one that forms the basis of economic or political theory and policy.” In this film, philosopher, Slavoj Zizek dissects prevailing ideologies throughout history and examines popular movies of the time and ways in which they reinforce prevailing ideologies. Zizek also takes the conversation outside of the realm of cinema to further blow your mind. Lets take Starbucks for example; often times the company will often claim that if you buy a drink from them, you are in some way supporting a cause (maybe they say that a portion of what you spend will help fight aids, or the cup is a certain color to show solidarity for some cause, etc.) In doing this, they make the consumer feel slightly more okay with buying the unnecessary drink, because they are now part of something much bigger than themselves, something important….when in reality, they are just buying coffee. (Watch Starbucks Clip)
5. The Corporation
Believe it or not, legally, corporations are people. So if they are people, can they suffer from mental disorders like people? The Corporation sets out to answer that question in a way that is both humorous and scary. Using The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Mark Achbar and Jennifer Abbott set out to prove that the modern day corporation suffers from psychopathy. I wont spoil it for you, but the results won’t surprise you.
4. Baraka / Samsara
Without a single word, these movies will take you across the planet and back. Trying to put such a beautiful movie into words when it uses no words itself is kind of hard, so I think it may be best to let the film’s synopsis do the explaining for us.
“Expanding on the themes they developed in Baraka (1992) and Chronos (1985), Samsara explores the wonders of our world from the mundane to the miraculous, looking into the unfathomable reaches of humanity’s spirituality and the human experience. Neither a traditional documentary nor a travelogue, Samsara takes the form of a nonverbal, guided meditation.”
3. Cosmos with Carl Sagan / Neil Degrasse Tyson
Cosmos is arguably one of the most important television series to have ever existed. The show was originally hosted by the late great Carl Sagan who brought his love for science to American living rooms week after week with such passion that you could not help but be absorbed. His passion ignited the love for science in Seth Mcfarlene (Family Guy, American Dad, The Cleveland Show) who later funded the remake of the series, starring Neil Degrasse Tyson. If you love science, or if you believe that you could, Cosmos was made just for you.
2. The Lottery of Birth
The Lottery of Birth is the first part in a three part documentary series that explores the concept of freedom, the other two have yet to be produced. In this film the very essence of freedom is dissected and you are taken on a journey from birth onward to observe the different forces that shape and mold what you become.
“From birth onwards our minds are a battleground of competing forces. The outcome of this battle determines the society we create. ‘The Lottery of Birth’ looks at the cultural, educational and commercial forces that shape our identities, often in ways that limit both our personal and political freedom.”
-Taken from www.creatingfreedom.info
1. The Zeitgeist Trilogy
When I began writing this list, I knew that the Zeitgeist trilogy deserved the number one spot. The three films (Zeitgeist, Zeitgeist: Addendum, and Zeitgeist: Moving Forward) weave a tapestry of deception and inequality that will make you hungry for change in a big way. The first movie begins by disputing claims that Jesus Christ was a real person and sheds light on how religion is used as a force for control, it then moves onto the 9/11 attacks and our governments role in them, and finally turns its attention to the Federal Reserve System. The second begins with the Federal Reserve again, followed by an interview with an “economic hitman,” another interview with the futurist Jacque Fresco, and ends with what the films creator believes we should be doing to illicit change. The final film begins with an examination of human nature, part 2 debunks the myth that private property and consumption are essential to economics, part 3 introduces the idea of a “resource based economy,” and then the series is finished off with another call to action. THESE MOVIES WILL CHANGE YOUR LIFE.
