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A great documentary can take you inside a different world that you didn’t even know about, and documentaries on different cultures are the ones that will always remind you that despite the language barriers and cultural differences, we are all the same.
Many inspiring films document the important, wonderful, and tragic things that are happening all around the world, and these kinds of films are necessary for many students as the video format is becoming easier in gaining new knowledge. Students are constantly assigned to write ethnography essays for university based on different documentaries that impacted or shocked the world. Most of these essays usually go around ethnography research, which involves examining the behaviour of the participants in a specific social situation and at the same time understanding their interpretation of such behaviour.
We often think that documentaries are being watched only by students as everyone else is not interested in this genre. It’s not the case. The documentary movie is an amazing genre that can inspire anyone to look at the world from a different perspective. With that being said, let’s see which are the best documentaries about different cultures, that help us learn more about what is happening outside of our own circles and give us a chance to support our global neighbourhoods.
God Grew Tired Of UsÂ
This film is about three guys from Sudan who attempt to move to the US. They are some of the survivors of the 20,000 lost boys who fled the second civil war in Sudan that began in 1983. Some of them spent many years wandering around Africa, searching for safety. This documentary shows how the refugees were forgotten and represents how they managed to maintain their traditional ways of life, even when they were going through displacement. God Grew Tired of Us was directed by Christopher Quinn and released in 2006.
Daughters Of DestinyÂ
In India, the kids that were impacted by generational poverty were forbidden from getting an education. But in this film directed by the award-winning filmmaker Vanessa Roth the Shanti Bhavan Children’s project was set to make a change. This film follows five girls and their journey for survival and a better future at a Boarding school. Daughter of Destiny was released in 2017, and the whole story is told in four episodes.
The SquareÂ
This documentary about culture tells the story of the Egyptian Revolution that began in 2011. It was directed and produced by Jehane Noujaim and released in 2013. By watching this film, you will definitely get a deeper understanding of Egypt’s recent history and the conflict between the Muslim Brotherhood and Egyptian Activists.
Village At The End Of The WorldÂ
This documentary was released in 2013, and directed by David Katznelson and Sarah Gavron. It will definitely make you put isolation into perspective. They spent one year filming it in a village in northern Greenland. That village has only 59 people living in it, and these people have to fish and hunt for their food because most of the time, they can only be reached by helicopter. This may look like paradise for some people, but for the people living there, it’s a way of life.
BarakaÂ
Baraka is one of the most acclaimed and successful documentaries that explores the lives of people from all around the world. It was directed by Ron Fricke, released in 1992, and shot in 25 countries over six continents. The best thing about it is that the traditional narrative or voiceover is eschewed, and it looks more like a guided meditation on humanity. So basically, it lets the visual speak, and in that way gains a more intimate depiction of the cultures it presents.
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