Social Documentary

Several docs at SXSW 2012 charmed me for their portrayal of artistic processes. "Wonder Women," at a crisp 62 minutes, was a delicious journey through decades of popular culture. Kristy Guevara-Flanagan interweaves the evolution of women superheroes, from the original Wonder Woman comic through Charlie’s Angels, Buffy, Riot Grrrls and beyond, and the history of modern feminism. Read more...

Some of my faves at this year’s South by Southwest (SXSW) festival were documentaries that track the evolution of a culture from the inside.

Two of them focused on the emergent practice of public data-hacking/dumping. Both Patrick Forbes’ "Wikileaks: Secrets and Lies" and Brian Knappenberger’s "We Are Legion" take on their subjects with journalistic curiosity and an eye for the oddball. Both are mostly B-roll with interviews, but they provide rich insight into processes.
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“WBCN brought humanity to the airwaves; a new rhythm to life; a cast of characters we loved and identified with (Charles, Sam, Tommy, Jim, Bill, JJ, Mississippi, Al...); music which evolved as the world changed; real news reflecting real happenings, without the taint of corporate America (thanks to Danny Schechter); and a sense of community that brought several generations together. We lived and loved well, and through it all was WBCN. I think we all need to reconnect with those values and realize how important WBCN was to us, and to the community.”

– Dan Beach (kickstarter supporter and WBCN listener)Read more...