After a long awaited return, this series is back! Woo!
For those of you who are new or have not read the previous articles, "Documentaries to Make You Think" is a monthly series of articles in which I suggest articles that may be of interest to the vp community. The point of this series is to introduce you all to various documentaries that induce more intensive thoughts and questions. Since I know a lot of you love documentaries, I'm startingthe series back up, again.
Don't worry. I still have promised to watch the documentaries that have been suggested to me and will give feedback on my thoughts about them in future articles. For now, please enjoy the 2 following documentary recommendations.
Credit to Ronella for suggesting First Position!
A huge thank you goes to NaturalBeauty for the layout!
White Like Me is a documentary that discusses the issues of racism, white privilege, and racial colorblindness that are currently found in the United States. It is explained that although individual Americans may not be racist, the social system in America is racist inmany regards. The documentary starts off by explaining the history of racism in the United States and how the nation has grown to become a less racist society; this history is then related to racial problems that the American society is facing today. Specifically, the documentary focuses on how white privilege was prevalent in the past, yet is still prevalent in the present day through housing, career wages and various social systems. Lastly, the idea of racial colorblindness (the idea that if we ignore race completely, problems related to race will diminish) in America is discussed. In multiple regards, racial inequality is due to a combination of white privilege and colorblindness. The truth is that although America has worked towards being an equal country, there are numerous racial inequalities that still occur currently within it's social system.
Will racial colorblindness lead to the downfall of racial issues or will it cause more issues involving race?
First Position follows the lives of 6 ballet dancers from around the world who are practicing for one of the most prestigious ballet competitions of the year. Through the annual Youth American Grand Prix Competition, only a select few of the 5,000 plus participants that enter will receive awards, scholarships to prestigious ballet schools, or career positions. This competition is one of the most important within the dance world because it can possibly turn a hobby turn into a career. By entering this competition, hopefuls have the chance of making their dream of working as a professional ballet dancer become a reality. Throughout the documentary, the dancers practicing for the competition face various challenges that will test their drive to pursue their love for ballet. The amount of money, stress on the body, and time spent to achieve goals can cause ballet to be a restrictive sport in terms of social life. Although there are a lot of challenges involved in ballet, the 6 dancers are able to push through them to work towards their dream, knowing that they must change aspects of their life to pursue what they love.
Is pursing a dream worth the challenges that go along with it, even if there's a slim chance that the dream can be achieved?
Check out this documentary yourself via Netflix. Watch the trailer here.