The Saturday Paper is a quality weekly newspaper, dedicated to narrative journalism. It offers the biggest names and best writing in news, culture and analysis with a particular focus on Australia.
This month’s documentaries explore the power of imagination and creative impulses, inspiration and leadership, and education and commitment – from Winston Churchill’s war efforts to “off-gridders” in the wilds of Canada.
This month’s selection is:
I Am Not Your Negro
Raoul Peck’s 2016 documentary, based on the work of African–American civil rights activist James Baldwin, is one of the most feted of recent years. Peck curates footage of Baldwin, the personal accounts of civil rights leaders and archival material to create a mesmeric account of race relations in the United States.
David Lynch: The Art Life
As a director and the co-creator of television’s cult classic Twin Peaks, David Lynch is well known for his dark filmic exploration of the human condition. But in his youth, all he wanted to do was paint. David Lynch: The Art Life provides a glimpse into the mind of a modern auteur, his creative processes and the logic behind his discomforting works.
Winston Churchill: Walking with Destiny
Winston Churchill’s ability to inspire a country at war paved the way for the defeat of Nazism. This documentary, directed by Richard Trank and narrated by Ben Kingsley, touches on Churchill’s years in the political wilderness, then homes in on the period when, as British prime minister, he altered the course of history.
Alphabet
Alphabet opens with the statement: “Ninety-eight per cent of all children are born highly gifted. After schooling, only 2 per cent remain so.” Erwin Wagenhofer’s documentary explores how the education system shapes children, and asks whether great opportunities and talent are being eroded by poor methods and standardised systems.
Life Off Grid
Director Jonathan Taggart travels through Canada in search of people and communities who have chosen to disconnect from mainstream gas and electricity networks and turn their backs on many of the creature comforts of modern society. Two hundred “off-gridders” share their stories of self-sufficiency and explain why and how they made and maintain the change.
