Documentary review: The Story of the Jews, by Simon Schama

I bought this 5-part BBC documentary (made in 2013) thinking it was called "The History of the Jews" and I watched it through to the end thinking as such. It was only when I started typing this Blog post that I realised it was called "The Story of the Jews"! And now the content of the documentary makes a lot more sense. Its title is pretty apt but a better one-line summary is probably: "The Case for Israel, written and presented by Simon Schama". Don't get me wrong though: this is a good documentary and definitely worth the watch. If you want to understand why the existence of present-day Israel is so important to many Jewish people, then this is definitely a good documentary to watch. There are a couple of things to bear in mind however: Firstly, you'll find that modern history is given way more mention than the origins of Judaism; secondly, you'll have to overlook some strange comments like "Judaism was the first monotheistic religion" and "Judaism invented the abstract God". At the end of the day, it's all good food for thought.

Documentary Review: Bin Laden – Shoot to kill

Been forcing myself to complete this US-administration-produced propaganda piece (Bin Laden: Shoot to kill) which aired on Channel 4 and which featured President Obama and a number of US officials, insiders and commandos presenting (what they wish was) a conclusive narration of events leading up to and following the raid. Been watching it in small chunks over the past few weeks (and completed it this morning; hate leaving things uncompleted!) and I try not to be a conspiracy theorist but this one leaves me unconvinced. Lots of questions but lots more important things to do in life so we'll leave it at that.

Film Review: Persepolis

On my way home from Cambridge last night I came across this quote in 'emel' magazine: "It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it." (Attributed to Aristotle) And it was with that that I put on Persepolis which aired on Channel 4 a couple weeks back and which I had saved on my digital box. Whilst it very bluntly portrays the Islamic leadership of Iran, its followers and religionists in general as backward, culture-less beings, and whilst I sat there remembering the unquestionable negative Western coverage of the Iranian elections a year or so back, I couldn't help think a trip to Iran in the near future should be scheduled! I'm not so sure how welcome I would be but the only way to verify the state of a country is to visit it 🙌 Anyway, putting those negatives aside if you can, it was a good movie from an artistic perspective and a nice coming-of-age story following a girl growing from childhood, innocence & ambition on to adolescence, mistakes & despair and finally on to adulthood & maturity.

Documentary Review: The Life of Muhammad, by Rageh Omar

Just finished watching Rageh Omar's three-part series on the Life of Muhammad (peace and blessings of God be upon him) which was aired on the BBC. Not breathtaking but not bad I thought and quite liked the final minute of the third part – Rageh Omar's closing remarks on the legacy of the Prophet Muhammad.

Documentary Review: Iraq – Deadly Legacy

Watched a related documentary ('Iraq: Deadly Legacy', 20 minutes, Journeyman Pictures) following the previous post about how babies are being born in Iraq (in and around Baghdad) with severe deformities and how, as a result, couples are scared to have children. As though Hiroshima was not enough of a sickening crime. Heartless the people responsible and the people who cover it up.

Documentary Review: Taliban – Behind the Masks

Just came across and watched this documentary ('Taliban: Behind the Masks', Journeyman Pictures) by Paul Refsdal which, similar to the Channel4 Dispatches documentary a few months back, sets out to show "the human face of public enemy number one" and like that documentary does so with (rare) honest spin/propaganda-free reporting. 25 minute well spent!

Documentary Review: Pride Decade

Title: Pride Decade
Language: English
Format: Documentary, Martial Arts
Running time: 2 hours
Release date: 2009

Compulsory viewing for mixed martial arts fans. Excellent presentation of Pride Fighting Championships' ten-year lifespan (1997-2007), from inception to sale. Good mixture of narrative, interviews and fight footage (not to forget the dramatic music!).

Film Review: The Battle of Algiers

Title: The Battle of Algiers

Language: French

Release date: 1966

This classic, shot in a quasi-documentary style and commissioned by the Algerian government, covers the violent struggle in the late 1950s for Algerian independence from France. It shows the clash between the French foreign legion and Muslim nationalists from both sides. The torture used by the French is contrasted with the Algerian's use of bombs in public outlets.

The film was banned in France, and the torture scenes were cut in the US and UK. With the advent of the "war against terror" in recent years, the film's relevance has only intensified. In 2003, the New York Times reported that the Pentagon screened this film for officers and civilian experts who were discussing the challenges faced by the US military forces in Iraq. The flier inviting guests to the screening read: "How to win a battle against terrorism and lose the war of ideas".

Sources: imdb.com, amazon.co.uk