Why Not Watch?
To documentary filmmakers and enthusiasts, perhaps it seems obvious.
Documentaries provide an opportunity to understand and connect with the world around us. By focusing on the stories of real people, a character-based documentary gives a human face to a global issue that might otherwise seem distant or unrelatable. By bringing important topics to the table in a captivating way, documentaries engage us in the issues of our time.
So far, so good. But that’s only the beginning.
After watching a good documentary, we often want to share it, talk about it, find out if others knew about the topic, ask more questions, learn more, even support a cause or campaign. All this leads us to more interactions, not only by searching for more information, but (and here is the key) by engaging with other people.
So how do we take it to the next level? How do we become more engaged, feel a greater connection or kinship through the power of documentaries?
The answer: through face-to-face conversations sparked by these films.
It’s no secret that our social-media-obsessed world lacks quality face-to-face conversations. Yet these conversations are important. They force us to remember the real person on the opposite side of an issue, the complexity and nuances of the different conditions in which we live, and the importance of honest and earnest discussions.
Each time we watch a documentary together, we share our impressions. We discuss a new perspective or question an old one. Each time, we are given the chance to form a new, and sometimes unexpected, connection. And we never know in advance just where that connection might lead us.
In the spirit of bringing more meaning and inspiration to your lives, we offer a documentary recommendation related to each month’s Holstee theme. We begin with a film that helps explore the theme of Kinship, and encourage you to gather a group of friends, family, co-workers, or a mix of all the above to watch Sweet Dreams. With the unlikely, but powerful combination of drumming and ice cream, the remarkable group of Rwandan women in this film inspires us to reflect on life’s potential when we forgive, embrace, and build new connections with those around us.
Written by Nicole Smith