Netflix Documentary Binge (Plus One From HBO) Part One

     This week, I went on a documentary binge and found that Netflix sort of knows what its doing by offering documentaries one might not see otherwise. I found all of these fascinating and really well done. I learned something new from each one and was disturbed in some way by each one. Aren't those all the characteristics of a good or great documentary? (All were made in the last 4-5 years.)

        First up was Descendant, about the identification and discovery of the last known slave ship to bring Africans to America, illegally, in 1860. The Clotilda brought  110 kidnapped people from the Dahomey Empire to Mobile Alabama. The importation of Africans to the American slave market had been illegal since 1808, but a Mobile businessman and planter named Timothy Meaher made a bet that could import enslaved people by evading Federal authorities, and the British Navy which had made capturing slave ships a priority in the previous few decades. The Clotilda, he wagered, was one of the fastest ships of its day. Meaher won his bet. The enslaved people were landed at a plantation near Mobile for hiding, and then the ship was taken upriver, set afire, and scuttled to destroy evidence and hamper prosecution. Although prosecution couldn't have been a huge worry, since the ship's arrival was announced in newspapers. The enslaved were distributed amongst several local plantations where they remained until emancipation. After the Civil War, these most recent arrivals, bound together by their shared experience and the fact that they were so new, worked, saved, and bought land to form their own community, Africatown. Many descendants remain in the area, and their story of remembrance of their ancestors and a desire to know their history is the focus of the film, which documents the work that has gone into the successful location of the ship.  

    Rumble: The Indians who Rocked the World is also about forgotten history, that of American Indian musicians who shaped rock and roll music. Mostly, these were people who were known to other musicians and people who were really dedicated fans, but they may not have been as well known to the general public, even though their contributions were major. Most of us know names like Jimi Hendrix (black, white, and American Indian), Buffy Ste. Marie, and Robbie Robertson - maybe even the American Indian band Redbone, with its hit "Come and Get Your Love," whose members dressed in tribal regalia and included traditional dancers in their concerts. However, there are so many more names like Link Wray, Mildred Bailey, Stevie Salas, Jesse Ed Davis, Randy Castillo, Charley Patton, and many others, who were either pioneers in music or members of more current bands who made a real impact on rock and roll. 

    

    Then, it was off to an HBO documentary series to be angered and disturbed. Unveiled: Surviving La Luz Del Mundo is the story of a 100 year old megachurch founded in Guadalajara Mexico in the 1920s. Today, La Luz Del Mundo, aka LLDM or The Light of the World Church, has multiple churches throughout the Americas and claims between 1 and 5 million members. Unfortunately, the grandfather, father, and grandson who have ruled the church since its founding, calling themselves divinely appointed and infallible "Servants of God," or the "Apostles," have all allegedly used their power to commit acts of sexual assault, rape, and pedophilia against girls and boys. Finally, victims are beginning to speak out despite being shunned by family members who still believe and even being physically attacked, and the latest Servant of God recently took a plea deal offered by incompetent California prosecutors and is serving a short prison sentence currently. Victims continue to work for further justice, and church officials and members continue to make pronouncements of innocence and loyalty to their Apostle. The church continues to make plans to expand. 

More doc recommendations next week....