The DVD collection at Mead is fascinating. It honestly doesn’t matter what we add to the shelf, it tends to circulate like crazy. I replaced a copy of Harry and the Hendersons last year because the one we had in the catalog circulated OVER THREE HUNDRED TIMES and had been in the collection since 2008, which is bonkers that it played at all by that point (typically a disc is evaluated for condition after 100 circulations, we weren’t born in a barn over here). What I’m getting at, is that this collection doesn’t require a lot of promotion to maintain good circulation numbers. The exception being the non-fiction DVD portion of this collection. It’s arranged by Dewey Decimal, just like the print non-fiction, which makes browsing more difficult. There are comedy specials, nature shows, history lessons, musicals and concerts, you name it, to be found among the non-fiction DVDs. This is also where the documentaries live.
I wanted to give the documentaries a little more visibility apart from the wall of difficult-to-parse spine labels. The discerning Mead Library patron will notice a two-sided display adjacent to where the DVD collection is shelved on our first floor. On one side is a dazzling array of BluRay discs, another collection area that I wanted to highlight, and on the opposite side I have placed a rotating selection of non-fiction DVDs for your browsing convenience and delight. Below, I listed several docs that are total bangers. You’ll laugh, you’ll learn, and in the case of Dear Zachary, you’ll curl into the fetal position and cry a lot. Titles are linked to the Monarch catalog listing. Descriptions provided by publisher:
Paris is Burning (1991) directed by Jennie Livingston
Where does voguing come from, and what, exactly, is throwing shade?
This landmark documentary provides a vibrant snapshot of the 1980s through the eyes of New York City’s African American and Latinx Harlem drag-ball scene. Made over seven years, it offers an intimate portrait of rival fashion ‘houses,’ from fierce contests for trophies to house mothers offering sustenance in a world rampant with homophobia, transphobia, racism, AIDS, and poverty. PS: Mead owns the Criterion Collection version of this documentary so it will be extra fabulous.
Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son About His Father (2008) directed by Kurt Kuenne
I am not providing the publisher description here because it’s better to be devastated in real time while watching. Bring kleenex and prozac, and hug your loved ones close. Suffice to say, this particular documentary is excellent as well as devastating.
Gates of Heaven (1978) directed by Errol Morris
Errol Morris changed the face of documentary filmmaking in the US, and his career began with a remarkable tale of American eccentricity. He uses two Southern California pet cemeteries as the basis for a profound and funny rumination on love, loss, and industry.
Summer of Soul (2021) directed by Questlove
In his acclaimed debut as a filmmaker, Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson presents a powerful and transporting documentary, part music film, part historical record, created around an epic event that celebrated Black history, culture, and fashion.
Over the course of six weeks in the summer of 1969, just one hundred miles south of Woodstock, The Harlem Cultural Festival was filmed in Mount Morris Park (now Marcus Garvey Park). The footage was largely forgotten, until now. This documentary shines a light on the importance of history to our spiritual well-being and stands as a testament to the healing power of music during times of unrest, both past, and present. The feature includes concert performances by Stevie Wonder, Nina Simone, Sly & the Family Stone, Gladys Knight and the Pips, Mahalia Jackson, B.B. King, The 5th Dimension, and more.
Koyaanisqatsi (1982) directed by Godfrey Reggio
This first work of The Qatsi Trilogy wordlessly surveys the rapidly changing environments of the Northern Hemisphere, in an astonishing collage created by the director, cinematographer Ron Fricke, and composer Philip Glass. It shuttles viewers from one jaw-dropping vision to the next, moving from images of untouched nature to others depicting human beings’ increasing dependence on technology.
The Wonderful, Horrible Life of Leni Riefenstahl (1994) directed by Ray Müller
At the heart of this film is the question of whether Leni Riefenstahl was a Nazi, as her detractors claim, or whether she was the victim of society – a naïve, young woman who made Triumph des Willens on assignment, and simply did a very good job. This film does not judge, and Riefenstahl (a feisty 90 during production) is genuine in her protest. Or has the passage of 50-plus years simply rewritten history in her mind? Viewers must judge for themselves.
Additional totally awesome, informative, and entertaining documentaries:
Crumb (1994) directed by Terry Zwigoff
The Decline of Western Civilization (1981) directed by Penelope Spheeris (we also have Vol. 2 and 3)
Encounters at the End of the World (2008) directed by Werner Herzog
Grey Gardens (1976) directed by Albert Maysles et al
Hitchcock/Truffaut (1966) directed by François Truffaut
Jiro Dreams of Sushi (2011) directed by David Gelb
Life Itself (2014) directed by Steve James
Man on Wire (2008) directed by James Marsh
Not so keen on reality? Check out these mockumentaries:
Best in Show (2001) directed by Christopher Guest
Borat (2007) directed by Larry Charles
CB4 (1993) directed by Tamra Davis
Room 237 (2012) directed by Rodney Ascher; note, this was filmed as a straight documentary, but the contents cannot be taken seriously despite my best efforts.
This is Spinal Tap (1984) directed by Rob Reiner
What We Do in the Shadows (2014) directed by Taika Waititi
The above selections are a mere sliver of what riches await you within the non-fiction DVD collection. If none of the listed documentaries are appealing, allow me to direct your attention to our exclusive movie recommendation tool, Your Next Five Movies. Not a fan of the celluloid medium? Consider using Mead’s Your Next Five Books tool. We anxiously await your DVD requests. Any questions can be directed to us via telephone at 920-459-3400 option 4, or email us at publicservices@meadpl.org.
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