Due to technical difficulties, we were unable to watch Boys State. However, we watched another episode of Our Planet, specifically the Jungles one. This was, like last week, enjoyable to watch and eye-opening. The close-up cameras allowed me to see things I would never have seen. For example, I learned that some birds must perform a flashy, choreographed dance for females. I thought this was funny because it almost seemed very human like where we have to really do a lot to impress other people. I also saw a live take of a worm trap a cockroach and eat it. This one was particularly strange because the worm shot some glue at it and it’s cool to see how evolution has prepared so many different creatures with specific tools to help them survive. Finally, I enjoyed learning about Eden the orangutan. It was interesting to see how the overall orangutan family had ranges of experience and responsibilities, just like a normal human family. Overall, I think I took away from this experience how we are not completely different from the animals on our planet – there are many characteristics and behaviors that we can relate to.
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Our Planet – Forests
The incredible visuals of Our Planet are what make this series stand out. This “Forests” episode was a pleasure to watch. A scene that really stood out included an eagle trying to claim a place on the river for food but failing due to not being strong enough. This forced it to have to search for another place for salmon during the very harsh and freezing winter. I thought it was interesting to see how critical competition is at the heart of survival for animals. Another scene that really stood out to me was the introduction of the fact that vegetation had grown in Chernobyl despite it being declared uninhabitable for the next 20,000 years. This consequently brought along animals to this site. I find it inspiring to see how the presence of natural life draws the attention of animals. We need to support the preservation of forests and the wilderness to continue to allow nature to thrive, otherwise this could lead to extinction of many flora and fauna at an alarming rate.
Decolonize Justice
This documentary was short but impactful. While it should be pretty obvious that racism is something that continues to persist in this country, this documentary highlights how police, prosecutors and courts have historically targeted people of color for incarceration in our country. Something I learned was that Latinos are becoming the fastest growing minority in the U.S. prison system. Documentaries like this and the recent killings of notable figures like Breonna Taylor and George Floyd speak volumes on how the criminal justice system in America not only needs to be reformed but that it needs to be dismantled and rebuilt from the bottom-up. Otherwise we will likely never live in a society without discrimination.
Chernobyl Part 3
This episode of Chernobyl did not disappoint, much like the previous ones. A key group of individuals that appear are miners who help with the ongoing works at Chernobyl, primarily to set up a heat exchange for the core. An interesting scene that is shared is one where they ask for fans to cool themselves but are denied this request – so they work bare naked. While it may sound disturbing to us nowadays, it really highlights the severity of the situation and the kinds of sacrifices that needed to be made. One of the most powerful shots I can remember watching this semester is where a man in a clean, polished suit comes to a local mine to inform the miners they are needed to help at the nuclear plant. After ultimately agreeing, each and every miner pats the man in the suit, dirtying the suit with coal dust. While this can be interpreted in many different ways, I saw it as a man being humbled from his position of Minister of Coal – he dresses clean and bright while his workers dress dark and filthy. I also saw this as a way of the miners showing the man how they are all in this together, even if he has a fancy title and an expensive suit. Thus, spreading a lot of coal dust on him showed his fall from a wealthy authority figure into a regular person, like the miners who would be sacrificing their lives at Chernobyl.
Testing Tenacity
First Man gives us a look into Neil Armstrong’s life. I believe that he has been a very private man much of his life but it was interesting to learn more about him. It was sad to see that Armstrong’s daughter passed very young with a brain tumor. He joined NASA’s Gemini program in hopes of overcoming this difficult personal struggle and in the hopes of making a fresh start. It becomes quite apparent throughout the film that Armstrong’s tenacity and resolve to reach the Moon is tested further by the death of his friend Elliot in a plane crash and his fellow astronauts in a fire during a test for the Apollo 1 mission. I never knew of this incredible amount of personal struggle that Armstrong had to deal with to reach the level of success he did. It really makes me curious whether it possibly helped to numb him from the pain of potentially losing his own life by embarking on such a dangerous mission. This film really reminded me to understand how there is so much more to a person’s success than meets the eye.
Chernobyl Part 2
After waiting a couple of weeks, I was thrilled to finally continue the Chernobyl series. Professor Legasov is a primary character of focus in this episode and after determining the seriousness of the situation, he is able to get helicopters to drop sand and boron on the core. However, a strong and powerful female scientist, lyana Khomyk, brings to his attention how the water tanks in the plant are not empty. Thus, recruitment efforts go into place to find 3 brave men who will sacrifice their lives to manually open the tanks to release the water. I thoroughly enjoyed the scene at the end especially, which I can still honestly vividly remember. The loud, obnoxious sounds of the reading device and the gloomy radioactive reactor still come to mind. The brave men who volunteered to sacrifice their lives made me consider the different types of heroic behavior that is brought upon in times like this, scientists and intellectuals like Professor Legasov and lyana Khomyk share their profound knowledge and experience while men like those who emptied the water tanks share their bravery and selflessness, all with the goal to save the lives of others.
“If you’re not paying for the product, then you are the product.”
This documentary was eye opening, to say the least. We all, through our frequent use of social media and the internet, are always being tracked, analyzed, and manipulated. I really liked the emphasis on appeal to authority, with top executives from companies like Google and Facebook sharing how this is in fact true. The most notable quote I took away (which I continue to share amongst my family and friends) is “If you’re not paying for the product, then you are the product.” This makes sense since all our data is what is fueling these companies ability to keep us hooked – but it still shocked me when I first heard it. In a time where sharing our lives and shopping online is extremely routine, it gives an easy pathway for these big tech firms and advertisers to swoop in and use us. While people may realize this and be disturbed by it, I have yet to see someone actually change their habits in any meaningful way. I think the primary reason for this is because people have accepted this is the sacrifice that needs to be made – being okay with losing any ounce of privacy – to continue to live the lives they have become accustomed to. It makes me wonder in what other ways in our lives we are being duped.
A Look into Chernobyl
I thoroughly enjoyed this realistic look into one of the most notable nuclear disasters in history. Although I have heard of it, I never had the opportunity to almost relive it in a cinematic manner and for that I am super appreciative of this series by HBO. This first episode was particularly captivating, capturing the chaos that ensued in the nuclear plant control room as well as the rushed attempt by executives and directors to sweep the disaster under the rug. One of the most powerful shots was at the end of a bird dying from radiation poisoning in the middle of a school playground. I find the way HBO decided to tell this story really captivating as well as it has kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time. I am thoroughly enjoying this series thus far and look forward to episode 2. It is nice to know that people are trying to share historical events with the modern public using the latest technology available.