Remember when you were young and your teacher made the dreaded announcement, “Class, today we’ll be watching a documentary!” Audible groans echoed in the classroom, eyes rolled, shoulders slumped.
Documentaries have not always been engaging or cool, but something has shifted and we, my friends, are in the midst of a documentary heyday.
For generations those who have important things to say about history, human rights, or life, have used documentaries as their platform. Not until recently though has the documentary film style drawn a captive, mainstream audience. What is it about the present day documentaries that capture people?
Perhaps it’s an increase in funding. There’s no doubt that increased funding leads to higher quality content. Netflix for example announced $3 billion in funding in 2015 alone with the intent to focus on issue-driven docs.
Maybe it’s the rapid evolution of the internet and people’s instant access to information. More people have the ability to learn about causes they are passionate about and research how to support them. Documentaries now often release a website in conjunction with the film, making it easy for people to follow through on whatever the ‘call to action’ is.
With so many compelling options available, there are three documentaries that stand out from the others. Currently streaming on Netflix, I nominate these films as my top 3 Oscar winners, not only for their ability to move you, but also because they inspire you to change some aspect of your life almost immediately.