I "Dare to Explore"

The Little Documentary that Could

2010-05-25T08:36:00.000-07:00

Her documentary lands at British film festival - Campus News

Another Journey to OZ was selected as part of the No Limits International Student Film Festival in Sheffield, UK!
Read the news release from Westminster College at the link above!

Here it is at last! My 15 minute documentary short ANOTHER JOURNEY TO OZ

2010-01-04T11:30:00.000-08:00

The Yellow Brick Road comes alive once again in Elizabeth, PA, where a youth theatre troupe known as "The Petite Players" prepares for their production of OZ! Along their journey through rehearsals, tech week, and performances, these 46 kids are having a blast, learning life lessons, and creating a family.

Another Journey to OZ from Dana Kerkentzes on Vimeo.

The Kid Cam Files Part II

2009-12-15T09:40:00.000-08:00

Looking Back on Another Journey to Oz

Here's the rest of The Kid Cam Files:

Abby

Joe

Amy

The Kid Cam Files

2009-12-06T17:30:00.000-08:00

Looking Back on Another Journey to Oz

Sadly, I was unable to integrate any of the Kid Cam footage the kids shot into my documentary. However, some of what they captured was simply too funny not to share.

So here they are... The Kid Cam Files...

Brianna

Kevin

OUTTAKES from OZ

2009-12-04T10:55:00.000-08:00

Looking back on Another Journey to OZ

The kids begged me for a blooper reel. So, now that my documentary is complete I went back and found all the funny moments that never made it in to my project and put them together in a cute, little montage.

So here it is...
OZ OUTTAKES

The KID CAM

2009-11-23T15:54:00.000-08:00

Looking Back on Another Journey to OZ

Technically it is a Flip Video Camcorder…but I called it the “Kid Cam” and it had three simple rules.

Rule #1: Everyone gets a turn. Share.
Rule #2: Do not disturb those rehearsing, performing, or working.
Rule #3: Return it to me by the end of the night.

All three were clearly printed and labeled right on the camera. Ten minutes after I handed the camera over to one of the kids, I was playing judge in the “Case of the Camera Hogs.” So much for sharing….

Twenty minutes later, I walked out from backstage and found all 48 kids sitting in the house, apparently because they were being too loud, for what I quickly realized was a direct result of the “Kid Cam.”

At least Rule #3 was never broken. I’m thankful for that.

So, my brilliant plan to capture youth theater from the Petite’s point of view was not working out as I had hoped. But, I promised the kids that the “Kid Cam” would reappear, but not until the cast party…not ideal for any of us, but it worked.

While I don’t have enough usable “Kid Cam” footage from rehearsals to work it into my documentary, I have more than enough of the cast party. Everything seemed to work out in the end, because I planned every since pre-production to use video from the cast party beneath the closing credits.

The video ranged from dizzying….

….to thankfully not so dizzying…

…to…well…

Waterfalls and Other Things...

2009-11-21T14:17:00.000-08:00

Looking Back on Another Journey to OZ.

Looking for a challenge? Try holding an interview with someone under the age of 15...

There are three things I learned about interviewing kids:

1.No matter how extroverted they are, no matter how many times they’ve graced the stage, or no matter how shy they are, when it comes to talking on camera I quickly found there are two kinds of kids; the kids who barely notice that little red light and the kids who stare at it like it could leap out and eat them at any moment. And even working in a theatre environment, I still found those camera shy kids. For these cases I eventually developed a strategy of sorts: I would allow the kids to choose where they wanted to talk (I also avoided the term “interview” as much as possible) so that they would be someplace they were comfortable. Sometimes, as a result of this, either my video or audio suffered mildly, but the answers I received in return from the kids were well worth a little extra editing in Premiere.

2.It does not matter how great you are at talking with kids; interviewing them is something entirely different. The younger they are the more specific your questions need to be. I fell into this trap a few times when I asked, “What is your favorite part of being in the Petite Players?” And well, let’s just say I did not always get the type of answers I expected. (Like…waterfalls…)

Um...whoops!

3.Kids cannot stand still, and they will move out of frame. And they will do it a LOT. Just ask them to sit. It’s so much easier!

Check out the Petite Player's web page!
http://www.elizabethgrand.com/Theatre_Classes.php

I Took a Journey to OZ....

2009-11-20T16:29:00.000-08:00

Looking Back on Another Journey to OZ

ATTENTION! ATTENTION!

Well, not really, but I just wanted to say that since my capstone project is nearing its completion I am shifting the focus of my blog, but only for the remainder of the semester!

I guess I should begin by explaining what my capstone project is…

Currently, I am in the post-production stages of a documentary short called Another Journey to OZ, which will be somewhere between ten to fifteen minutes in length, focusing on a Pittsburgh area youth theatre troupe out of Elizabeth, PA known as the Petite Players. The story follows the kids (from grades 3-12) from the initial stages of rehearsal to the final curtain to the cast party, as they get ready for their production of OZ! in early June 2009.

Very soon, on December 8^th to be exact, I will have the nerve-racking task of presenting the finished product to my professors and peers (and parents!).

I have learned a lot in the time I spent with the Petite’s. Some of what I learned is practical things that I can apply to future projects as I finish out my final semester in college and move on to a job after graduation. Some of the other things I have learned the Petite’s taught me without either of us realizing it.

As I edit my documentary I am flooded with memories of the two months I spent laughing and smiling with these kids. They invited me into their family…no questions asked, and every one of them will always have a place in my heart. I have been visiting the Grand Theatre every time I come home from college for some break or another, and every time I am bombarded with hugs and stories.

My next few posts will focus on everything I have learned working with the Petite Players…my second family.

"Big Guys with Bigger Hearts" Rescue Ink Unleashed

2009-10-28T12:18:00.000-07:00

Take all the generalizations you may have heard, and all the preconceived notions you have both heard and accepted about bikers over the years and chuck them out the car window. Then, while you’re at it, find yourself a Harley-Davidson and run those stereotypes into the pavement. National Geographic Channel is destroying everything you may have ever believed about bikers with their new series Rescue Ink Unleashed.

The show follows the story of “eight tattooed tough guys;” Joe Panz, Big Ant, Johnny O, Eric, G, Batso, Des, and Angel, who discovered they shared not only a love for motorcycles, but a deep love for animals, and a loathing of those who abuse them. And so Rescue Ink was born. Based in New York City, this group is dedicated to saving the lives of any and all sorts of animals—from dogs and cats, to horses and pigs, fish and even chickens—and they are not afraid of the tough cases either. “The Rescue Ink approach is in your face,” says member Johnny O, a 45 year old single father of two and trained martial artist. And he is not kidding either. The Rescue Ink guys are not shy about putting animal abusers in their place, but they are willing to educate neglectful pet owners on the proper way to care for their pet. The men of Rescue Ink come from different backgrounds and some have even had run-ins with the law, but once you get passed their tough exterior it is easy to see how caring these guys are. They’re “big guys with even bigger hearts,” says the shows tagline, and they’re out to make a difference. “Only the weak abuse animals,” says member George “G” Perry, 40, who shares his love of animals with his two children, “It makes me proud to be a voice for those who cannot speak for themselves.”

Rescue Ink Unleashed is an in your face, fast paced, show filled with plenty of drama, lots of love, and a bit of humor, that once the credits roll 30 minutes later, leaves you wanting more. The show is in your face and fast-paced, and the story lines are easy to follow. Each episode of Rescue Ink Unleashed focuses on select members of the group and only 2 or 3 cases—if even that many. Fast cuts and close-ups keep the energy high, and the use of transitional hooks keep viewers from straying during commercial breaks. At the beginning of each episode, Rescue Ink throws you right into the action. In fact, the history of the organization and its members are not even covered until the second episode. Rescue Ink Unleashed is all about the action, and it is filmed and edited in a way such as to keep viewers entertained and wondering why the credits rolled so soon.

What initially got me interested in Rescue Ink Unleashed was not even something I could have predicted; it wasn’t the cute animals, it was the bikes. True, my dad has owned a total of four motorcycles in his past, and currently two reside in our garage (one is a Harley-Davidson Road King, and the other is an American Ironhorse chopper), but I never thought motorcycles would play a role in me tuning in to watch a TV show. Though, I still was not entirely disappointed in the not-so-plentiful number of times a bike appeared on the screen. Perhaps this is a symptom of my being a writer, but I loved to watch how the Rescue Ink guys relate to each other and to see how much of their personalities really come out on camera. It’s easy to see these guys are not only amazing individuals; they are family, and that’s what keeps me watching.

My Rating:

Links for Learning More:

Official Show Webpage: http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/series/rescue-ink-unleashed/all/Overview?sicontent=0&sicreative=3973210612&siclientid=804&sitrackingid=91298458&source=banner_semgngc_112#tab-Videos/07182_00

Rescue Ink Official Website: http://www.rescueink.org/

The Men of Rescue Ink Unleashed

Watch Clips HERE!

Batso struggles to watch Ebony's surgery :

Chickens have invaded Queens:

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*all images taken from nationalgeographicchannel.com

The Story Behind the Search for the Afghan Girl

2009-10-13T10:04:00.000-07:00

Her face will never be forgotten. In June 1985 her haunting green eyes peered out from the cover of National Geographic Magazine. She was a girl of no more than 12, living in an Afghan refugee camp in Pakistan. She would soon become the face of the war within Afghanistan, just as Anne Frank became the face of the Holocaust. The world was captivated. And yet, her identity was a mystery. She came to be known simply as the “Afghan Girl,” and her picture was everywhere.

Photographer Steve McCurry spent years in Afghanistan photographing the Afghan peoples struggle. He captured the image of the “Afghan Girl” after walking by a tent, serving as a school, in a refugee camp when the young girl’s eyes caught his attention. Gaining permission from her teacher, McCurry took the “Afghan Girl’s” picture using the natural sunlight coming in the tent flap. He never knew her name. For years after that, the “Afghan Girl” haunted Steve McCurry. “I can’t get those images out of my mind,” he said. “I don’t think a day has gone by since I took that picture, I haven’t gotten a letter, a phone call asking for [her] information.” McCurry has looked for the “Afghan Girl” before, but his search had never been successful. But this time around, all that will change.

When the identity “Afghan Girl” was revealed, the story made headlines. Search for the Afghan Girl follows Steve McCurry’s journey to rediscover the young girl he met in the refugee camp so many years ago. In spite the story’s potential for a great deal of emotional content, the producers of Afghan Girl keep the show straightforward and simple. The w

riting is short and to the point. The video flows smoothly from scene to scene, no fancy cuts, no flashy editing. Search for the Afghan Girl utilizes the epic story of McCurry and the young girl to tell the bigger story of Afghanistan’s seemingly endless struggle.

Search for the Afghan Girl is highly informative, and deeply poignant. It’s a story that could easily have run as a news special, but it’s also a story that can bring tears to your eyes, the way a tale of hope and dreams almost always do.

*Images from National Geographic.com

My Rating:

WATCH SEARCH FOR THE AFGHAN GIRL AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PAGE!

"I'd like the American people to help rebuild Afghanistan. Afghanistan has been so destroyed.

The schools, the country side, have been damaged. The whole country is a mess. We need all the support we can get to rebuild my country."

- Sharbat Gula

"The Afghan Girl"

March 2003

Links for learning more:

A Life Revealed: http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2002/04/afghan-girl/index-text

Read the Original Story Published July 1985 in National Geographic: http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2002/04/afghan-girl/original-story-text

Steve McCurry Photography: http://www.stevemccurry.com/main.php

Steve McCurry's Blog: http://stevemccurry.wordpress.com/

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Watch Search for the Afghan Girl here:

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Reality TV and National Geographic may not be Worlds Apart

2009-09-30T15:21:00.000-07:00

What do you think of when you hear the words reality television? Is it the exotic locations, the off-the-wall cast? Is it the bizarre challenges, or unusual circumstances? We know, deep down, that what is happening on reality TV is not reality as it naturally happens. The show is being guided by producers, hence all the crazy challenges that occur from week to week, because honestly, reality as it really happens is dull. But what if it isn’t? Maybe that was the question National Geographic Channel producers asked themselves back in 2003 when they came up for the premise of a new series dubbed Worlds Apart.
Worlds Apart is a 13 part reality series which aired in 2003 but can still be caught online. The ingredients are easy, mix one American family with one vastly foreign culture for a week, sit back and wait for it to boil. And boil they will. Each family must travel thousands of miles to a remote village in places like Peru, Ghana, and Papua New Guinea, where they will essentially become a member of the tribe (village, etc…) and assume the role as an active member of the culture. It’s more than an eye-opening experience. For the families who take part, is it exactly how National Geographic describes, “Culture Shock 101.” In this new environment, far from the every day comforts of life in the states, emotions and tempers are naturally bound to erupt.
But, what makes Worlds Apart stand out from other reality shows is, in fact, the reality. With the exception of the interviews, nothing is staged. From learning to slaughter a chicken, to sleeping in a one room hut—the challenges are all real. Though, the show may be a little on the gimmicky side, that is what makes it stand out from National Geographic’s other productions and ties it all together. Each “character” seems to have his or her own theme music, which varies slightly depending on the mood or atmosphere of the scene, and which always fits the culture in which we, as viewers, are in; it would be a bit awkward to hear jazz music when we’re in Ghana or traditional chants in the states. Another bonus is that the lightness of the show allows it to be a great family show and a fun learning tool for kids. Because after all, amidst all the hoopla and sheer entertainment, this is still National Geographic and part of their mission is to educate. Worlds Apart is not just a show about what happens when people are thrust into a completely new situation; it’s mostly about cultural respect.

I have to say that I was greatly surprised by my enjoyment of Worlds Apart. I only briefly enjoyed reality TV when I was in junior high and watched Big Brother on a regular basis, and don’t have much respect for it as a form of entertainment. Coming into Worlds Apart, I had a mixed set of feelings towards the idea of my beloved National Geographic Channel delving into the world of reality television. But I was greatly pleased with this show, and recommend it both to fans of reality TV and to those like me who seem to tune it out. Worlds Apart is a gem, and I wish the series could have continued.

*Images from Hulu and AOL Video

My Rating:

Watch the series at these links:
The Best of National Geographic Channel: http://www.joost.com/032004g/t/Best-of-National-Geographic-Channel
National Geographic Videos: http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/channel/videos/feeds/cv-seo/Full-Episodes/All-Full-Episodes/

Series Premiere Episode: "Oakton Meets Papua New Guinea"

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National Geographic Goes Inside a Cult

2009-09-23T10:58:00.000-07:00

Today, there are over three-thousand cults in the United States alone. Only a handful has made it to the public’s attention. Maybe you can recall some of the more commonly referred to ones such as The Yearning for Zion ranch which made headlines last year when police removed 416 children from the remote Texas compound following a tip from a cult teenager who claimed she was being sexually assaulted by members of the group. In 1997 the thirty-seven members of the UFO cult known as Heaven’s Gate committed mass suicide with the belief that their souls would be transported to a waiting spaceship which coincided with the appearance of Comet Hale-Bob. Or maybe you recall some cult leaders in recent history, like the leader of the FLDS Church (Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints) Warren Jeffs, who, in 2006, appeared on the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted List, and was later found guilty of two counts of being an accomplice to rape and received a jail sentence of ten years to life. The leader of the Branch Davidian Compound in Waco, Texas, David Koresh, proclaimed himself the Son of God. In 1993, Fifty-four adults and twenty-one children were found dead after a siege by the FBI culminated in the burning of the compound. Or Jim Jones, leader of The People’s Temple, whose 909 followers, 276 of whom were children, drank a poisoned fruit punch laced with cyanide in order to, as Jones puts it “[protest] the conditions of an inhumane world.”
Michael Traveser says his group will never commit suicide.
There is a place in the remote deserts of New Mexico which calls itself Strong City, and in April 2007, National Geographic photographers were allowed inside their gates. The leader of the cult is Wayne Bent, though followers know him as Michael Traveser. Wayne Bent claims to be the Messiah. In an interview for the documentary, in which Bent is seated on, what almost appears to be, a makeshift throne and draped in white, Bent made this affirmation; “I am the embodiment of God. I am divinity and humanity combined….I swear it by the One who lives for ever and ever.” As of August 2007, Wayne Bent’s followers believed the world would come to an end at midnight, on the 31st of October 2007, and Michael Traveser is their only route to Heaven. Inside Strong City families and relationships have been dissolved; all emotional ties with anyone other than Michael are broken. There are no sexual relationships, except those in which God tells Michael he must “consummate” with one of the cult’s women; sex is sinful, and Strong City residents strive to life a life free of sin. Members do not work outside the cult. They have no personal possessions and give Michael all there money, which includes any inheritance or social security they may receive. The children of Strong City do not attend public school; Michael feels it is a bad influence, but he lets them educate themselves by surfing the internet. Though, as 15 year old Matthew explains to the cameras, he finds learning things, such as learning about the planets of our solar system, useless. Thirty-one people have left Strong City. Some had to leave their children behind and come back later to remove them from the cult, often by force.
This is where Inside a Cult begins. An Albuquerque news station, KOAT, reports that a sixteen year old girl was taken from the Strong City compound by the state. The documentary then continues slowly and eerily from there. The simple musical score is prominent beneath a softly spoken and simply written narration. The combination of the two, layered with long, compelling shots is oddly captivating, and viewers may find themselves immovable in their seats. Inside a Cult is a complex story which is simply told, and this simplicity makes it gripping. It almost seems as though the show was cut and pasted together in a hurry. Many of the interviews are raw footage, with little to no editing involved. Most of the camera work is hand-held, creating a shaky, unstable feeling throughout. However, unlike many documentary films which exist mostly to tell a unique, real-life story, Inside a Cult does not merely impart the tale. This occurrence is very subtle and unapparent, but it is there in the subtext, if you listen closely. This is an exposé. So while the residents of Strong City have let the photographers in on the pretext of spread the word of God, the producers had a different agenda, one in which uncovers the terrible reality of living Inside a Cult.

I first came across Inside a Cult after completing Carolyn Jessop’s memoir, Escape. Jessop was born into the FLDS and, at 18, forced to marry a man 32 years her senior. Jessop eventually escaped the cult, along with her eight children. Escape was a fascinating memoir and an eye-opening read. Inside a Cult, though it only briefly mentions the FLDS, created a good companion to the book. I recommend both completely.

My Rating:

Want to learn more?

-Inside a Cult Official Webpage: http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/episode/inside-a-cult-3401/Overview#tab-Overview
-Strong City's Webpage: http://strongcity.info/
-PBS Frontline: Waco-The Inside Story: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/waco/
-Introduction to the Branch Davidians: http://www.fountain.btinternet.co.uk/koresh/index.html
-FLDS Directory: http://www.flds.com/
-Lifiting the Veil of Polygamy; Video Interviews with Cult Survivors: http://livinghopeutah.org/polygamy.htm
-TIME Q&A with Polygamy Survivor Carolyn Jessop: http://www.time.com/time/arts/article/0,8599,1675126,00.html
-Heaven's Gate Official Website (left untouched after suicides): http://www.heavensgate.com/
-TruTV; Heaven's Gate: http://www.trutv.com/library/crime/notorious_murders/mass/heavens_gate/1.html?sect=8

Watch Inside a Cult Here:

Inside a Cult

Watch the Sequel Inside a Cult: Messiah on Trial to find out what happened to Wayne Bent and Strong City after the documentary aired:

Inside a Cult: Messiah on Trial | National Geographic Channel

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Not Everyone Loves a Cliff Hanger: The Mystery of The Girl Who Cries Blood

2009-09-17T07:54:00.000-07:00

When we begin there’s no fanfare, no amazing moment that rivets you to the television set, nothing to make you want to devote the next half-hour of your life to the images dancing in front of you…nothing but a teenager walking down a busy street, a sweet smile on her face, a happy bounce in her step. Her name is Twinkle, and “for the most part she is a normal Indian teenager.” But everybody has a story, right?
For those who have been introduced to the mystery of stigmata, Twinkle’s story will seem hauntingly familiar. According to National Geographic, stigmata are a “phenomenon where the victim receives wounds which mimic the injuries Christ endured during his crucifixion.” For believers the appearance of the wounds (most often on the hands, feet, forehead, and waist) is a sign of God’s presence. For others stigmata are a mystery waiting to be solved, and for some, it is simply wishful thinking on the part of believers.
However, Twinkle’s situation is a bit different. The young girl has been dubbed “the girl who cries blood” for a recurring affliction that causes Twinkle to bleed spontaneously and from no visible source. Most striking are the streams of blood which seem to flow like tears from her eyes, but the teen has reported spontaneous bleeding from her hands, feet, scalp, ears…and the list goes on…and on. Family, friends, doctors, mystics—everyone who has seen Twinkle has been baffled by this mysterious affliction. Doctors in India refuse to treat her. Mystics claim she is not ill but possessed, and a leech-like spirit is sucking her blood. Others think it may be psychological, and some claim it is merely a hoax. Even American doctors are puzzled. But Dr. George Buchanan, director of Pediatric Hematology-Oncology at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, wants to solve the riddle of “the girl who cries blood.”
And so the show goes on…following Dr. Buchanan as he attempts give Twinkle and her family a diagnosis and some piece of mind. The feel of The Girl Who Cries Blood is fast-paced and emotional. It takes a concept similar to Discovery Health’s popular series, Mystery Diagnosis, and gives it the traditional National Geographic touch—there’s no reenactments (sometimes home video is used), and no catchy gimmicks. The Girl Who Cries Blood is a show that’s all about the story, and the story is both its saving grace and its downfall. The traditional story arc is followed here to the letter; it begins with the setup, your basic introduction (characters, setting, etc.), followed by rising action, the main events that escalate until we reach…the climax (or peak of the story, where all the action was heading), and fall back down with a resolution, what happens now that the story is over. But it is in these last two, climax and resolution, where The Girl Who Cries Blood will potentially anger viewers. The problem? Well, the show seems to be missing these most important storytelling elements. Before your even ready for it, the credits begin to roll. And since there currently seems to be no publicly known plans for a sequel, The Girl Who Cries Blood only leaves you with questions and provides you no answers.

I have to be honest; I waited all summer to watch this show. After every promo that ran on National Geographic (and there were a lot of promos), my excitement grew. I loved the potential of the story and the mystery behind it. But after the show concluded I wondered, where’s the rest of the story, what happens now? Of course, I am not telling you to avoid watching this show. You should watch it. Make your own decisions. (And let me know what you think!) This is just one person’s opinion.

*Images from channel.nationalgeographic.com

My rating:

* Currently, The Girl Who Cries Blood is not available on DVD, but you can check your local listings (http://www.tvguide.com/) for the next showing!

Want to Learn More?

-The Girl Who Cries Blood official web page: http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/episode/the-girl-who-cries-blood-4450/Overview

-Catholic Encyclopedia; Stigmata: http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/14294b.htm

-Associated Content; What is Haemolacria?: http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/2139349/what_is_haemolacria.html?cat=5

Al Roker talks with Dr. George Buchanan:

Watch a clip from The Girl Who Cries Blood:

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Enter the Thrill Zone with National Geographic

2009-09-09T12:06:00.001-07:00

Summertime. A time for relaxation, fun, and adventure. A time for engineering, physics, and psychology? Summertime. A time to come screaming down to earth at insane speeds, feeling our hearts beat out of our chests, our stomachs rising to our throats. A time to push the limits of what we think our bodies can handle and shout in excitement to discover we are still alive. We survived. Summertime, the perfect time…for rollercoasters.

Ever since the roaring twenties we have loved the thrill we get from riding the perfect coaster. There’s just something about that thrill of controlled danger that keeps coaster fans coming back for more. But, rollercoasters as we knew them back in the twenties are no more. The rollercoaster has evolved so extremely since then coaster enthusiasts have given them a new name. They are a new breed, the breed called Supercoaster.

National Geographic’s original series, Thrill Zone, takes an in-depth, ninety minute, look at Supercoasters, exploring the engineering that goes into creating a new coaster, to the physics of coaster design, to the differing psychology of the enthusiasts versus the “coaster phobics.” The world of the Supercoaster is a diverse one, with engineers, physicists, designers, mechanics, and psychologists all working towards a common goal, keeping riders safe and keeping thrills up(who says we can’t all get along).

But, does Thrill Zone succeed in keeping the thrills up? For the most part the answer is yes. Music video style editing keeps the show moving, and tight, dramatic shots add anticipation and mystery. And what, other than actually riding, can be more exciting than seeing that large, initial drop gleaming in the sunrise, patiently awaiting it’s days first load of riders. What’s more, there’s a story here waiting to be told as well. And it may not be the story you would expect. Thrill Zone: Supercoasters is the story of a war—the war to build the biggest and fastest Supercoaster the world has ever seen. It’s about the adrenaline rush. In its ninety minutes, Thrill Zone introduces viewers to today’s coasters and talks to the many different people who brought these behemoths into being. Often, these people are scientists who stress that if you want to understand the workings of a rollercoaster you must first understand the universal law of gravity, and for many out there, physics is not an easily understood science. The laws of physics, the laws of coaster building, are complex and not easily broken down into easily explainable pieces for the average viewer. But whether Thrill Zone, with its use of metaphor, creative writing, and numerous computer graphics, succeeds in explaining this tough science is a decision to be made by the viewer. Where Thrill Zone does succeed, however, is in keeping viewers interested. And they do this by telling a story, starting with the birth of the Supercoaster and the history the brought it here, visiting the Supercoasters of the present (featuring a surprise coaster you won’t believe, dubbed The Blue Flash), and foreshadowing the Supercoasters of the future.

But beneath it all—all the science and all the chaos—the real theme here is a simple two words: What if? What if, in the quest to build the biggest and fastest Supercoaster, we go too far? What happens when, in our desire for an adrenaline rush, we go too big and too fast? How much are we willing to push the limits of what our bodies can handle just for the next big thrill?

My first rollercoaster is by no means a Supercoaster, but it is famous. The Racer has long been one of the most popular rides at Kennywood Park for generations, and is now a historic landmark. Ever since my first ride on The Racer I have loved coasters, and I’ve been watching shows about them just as long. But something about Thrill Zone: Supercoasters left me feeling unsatisfied. As someone who doesn’t grasp science easily I found the physics and psychology parts of the show moved a little to quickly for me to completely understand. But, I still recommend the show to viewers who love a good thrill, after all Thrill Zone does have six seasons of exciting episodes to check out.

My Rating:

Additional Links worth checking out:

Roller Coaster Database: http://www.rcdb.com/

How Stuff Works, Roller Coaster G-Forces: http://science.howstuffworks.com/roller-coaster5.htm

Sorry...but at least for now Seasons of Thrill Zone are not available for purchase but you can watch the Supercoasters episode here and more episodes are available on Hulu....

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Taking a break....

2009-05-07T08:26:00.000-07:00

Hi all!
It's finals week, which means it's almost summer time...which means a documentary to film, and summer job to keep me busy (and fill my checking account), and a Biology class to endlessly confuse me!

But I will be back on and blogging again in the fall with lots of new documentaries for you to check out!

See you then!

Dana

Tornado Intercept Goes into the Heart of Twisters and Raises Viewers’ Heart Rates

2009-04-27T16:55:00.000-07:00

Like Dorothy and Toto on their journey to Oz, prepare for a mind-whirling ride inside the center of a tornado. So, what happens when a tornado-enthusiast IMAX filmmaker and a renowned meteorologist join forces? Well, it has something to do with a one-hundred plus pound camera, a few Doppler Radars, a whole lot of adrenaline, and an armored vehicle known as the TIV.

Sean Casey needs an epic shot. He wants to go inside the center of a tornado, and he wants to take his IMAX camera with him. Sean has been filming tornados for awhile, and he used to rent mini-vans to do it. But, now, Sean is on most rental company’s “do not rent” list, and a mini-van isn’t going to keep him safe when high-speed winds and debris are flying all around. For this Sean has a solution, and it is called the TIV, or Tornado Intercept Vehicle. The TIV, basically a “bullet proof tripod on wheels,” was concocted from this filmmaker’s imagination…and money. But, Sean is not the only one on a mission; This is where meteorologist Josh Wurman comes in. It is Josh’s goal to measure the wind speeds of the bottom 30 feet of a tornado: the area where his Doppler cannot reach and where all the destruction happens.
Tornado Intercept is an action-packed thrill ride which matches nature’s fury. The show never seems to slow down, and viewers may come to the end of the hour realizing they had been holding their breath all along. The action is not fueled by the twisters, but by creative filmmaking. Perhaps to accommodate what must be cramped conditions inside the TIV, much of the camera work was handheld, which, of course, led to shaky, unstable video. And yet, it is this unsteadiness that creates so much of the apprehension for viewers as the TIV moves in to intercept. This unsteadiness both on the screen and in our nerves is only intensified by a deep underscore of music and sound effects—rain, hail, thunder and lightning, and ferocious winds—match the personality of a F5 tornado. Also, keeping minds spinning is a creative use of that old-time movie technique—split screen. In one corner we have Sean and his IMAX camera, in another Josh is on the two-way radio, then there is, of course, the TIV, and finally, the TIV’s destination, the twister. With so much chaos to focus on, viewers may not know where to turn their attention. Tornado Intercept is full of intense imagery, suspense, and some ground-breaking science. But, does Sean ever get his final epic shot inside the funnel of the storm? I’m sorry, but that’s something I just cannot tell you…

I was eight years old when the film Twister, starring Helen Hunt and Bill Paxton, came out in 1996. Twister, it is safe to say, was my favorite movie for years and sparked an obsession with tornados that has stayed with me even until today. People would say: what do you want to be when you grow up? and for years my response had been “storm chaser.” But as I grew up, I begin to realize science was not my calling, I was far more creative than logical. But the dream of chasing twisters has not entirely left me, it has only changed courses. I still want the adrenaline rush of being a storm chaser, but now, instead of filling the role of scientist, I want to be the one behind the camera.

My Rating:

Buy the DVD: http://shop.nationalgeographic.com/product/1166/3044/1074.html
Learn about the TIV: http://science.howstuffworks.com/tiv.htm
See more images of the TIV: http://stormchaser.ca/Misc/TIV/TIV.html
The Fujita Scale of Tornado Intensity: http://www.spc.noaa.gov/faq/tornado/f-scale.html

Watch a clip from Tornado Intercept:

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National Geographic Documentary is “Ice” –Breaking…Emperors of the Ice Brings Chills and Laughter

2009-04-23T10:13:00.000-07:00

It started with a march, then a pair of happy feet. What is it about those little tuxedo wearing penguins that has us so fascinated that we make movies about them? Maybe it’s how they waddle when they walk or the creative way they slide across the ice, or that crazy sound they make. Whatever it is, we just cannot seem to get out fill of these little creatures. They just make us smile.

In National Geographic’s ice-breaking documentary Emperors of the Ice, a little emperor penguin named Rodney is about to become one really special flightless bird...but that is a story for later. Now, we are off to meet Jerry Kooyman, oceanographer and emperor penguin expert, and his team of scientists. They are packing up their survival gear and their camcorders and setting off for the frigid continent of Antarctica where “it’s spring and the temperatures are rising to freezing” and where even today “it’s very easy to die.” Now, most of us remember the drama of March of the Penguins and the humor of Happy Feet, but who would have thought that a documentary on the everyday lifestyles of an emperor penguin could be both chillingly dramatic and laugh-out-loud funny? National Geographic did. It must have taken some serious creativity, but Emperors of the Ice is cute, fun, and informative. A theatrical musical score almost dictates emotions; you hold your breath when a leopard seal is near, smile happily when the new chicks take their first plunge into the ocean, and laugh aloud when the penguins slip and fall on the ice. It is hard not to stare in awe as the parents find their chick in a “nameless crowd,” and when mating season begins suddenly we find ourselves watching an Antarctic soap opera.

But what makes Emperors of the Ice stand out is this: no one has ever actually seen how an emperor penguin hunts since there is no way of getting a complete and perfect view of their hunting grounds under the ice. That was before the innovation of National Geographic’s very own “Crittercam,” a tiny camera worn by the animal that gives you their view of the world. That is why Rodney is such an important little penguin. Rodney will not only be the smallest marine animal to wear the camera; he will also be the first emperor penguin to do so, and by sporting his

new gear, Rodney will give both science and the world the first look at how an emperor penguin catches its prey. And what he brings back is an eye-popping, scientific breakthrough.

I came across Emperors of the Ice by accident just a week ago while surfing National Geographic’s videos on You Tube. I watched it the same night and got sucked in…though not initially. Some of the talk about global climate change had me tuning it out; it is not that I deny climate change is real and happening, and I do in fact care that this is a serious problem, but something about the topic just makes my mind shut it out and go off in about a million directions. But, regardless, I would watch this documentary again and again. What can I say…the penguins are just too fun!

(All my love to our little explorer, Rodney!)

My rating:

Purchase the DVD here: http://shop.nationalgeographic.com/product/957/3546/110.html

Learn more about the Crittercam: http://www.nationalgeographic.com/crittercam/
Read more about Jerry Kooyman's work at Scripps Ocenography News: http://scrippsnews.ucsd.edu/Releases/?releaseID=766

Watch Emperors of the Ice!

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Viewers Go Behind Bars and Are Held for Ransom on Locked Up Abroad

2009-04-17T13:55:00.000-07:00

You’re sweating. You shake. Your eyes shift, suddenly on alert, to where the sounds of heavy boots echo in the terminal. No, they’re just walking by. They have to; it’s their job. Nothing to worry about. A woman’s tired voice calls your flight number, and breathing a sigh of premature relief, you make for your gate. The plane is so close. A firm hand grips your shoulder and an equally firm, and frightening voice orders, “Come with me.” A single tear forms in your eye. You’re busted. They found the drugs.

You’re having the time of your life. This is the vacation of your dreams. Playing tourist, you stand out, but don’t care. It’s a nice change to be on foreign soil, nice to explore a new world. But turning down an alley a man approaches you, and he has a gun. You think you remember running, maybe shouting for help, but you’re not sure because next thing you know you’re tied up in the back of a van, bouncing down bumpy roads, and you have no idea where you’re headed.

These are the plots of nightmares, the stories you overhear on the news while eating dinner in the next room, the stories reserved for your mystery novels sleeping silently on their shelves. And yet, for many, these stories are memories too real to be forgotten, burned forever in their minds.

Locked Up Abroad, has plenty of stories like these, from desperate drug smugglers to tourists held for ransom. Currently, the hour long show is enjoying the beginning of its third season, and viewers can catch full episodes from past seasons on Hulu or if you have On Demand. In the season two finale viewers meet Daniel Van De Zande as he was in his past—a man so desperate for money he tries his hand at smuggling marijuana across the Mexican border into the United States, (a feat which he successfully completes) and as he is now, a man wanting to atone for his past. “I had no interest in making this a career,” he reminisces. But, when still strapped for cash two years later, he attempts another smuggling operation, this time with cocaine from Ecuador. Looking back he calls himself a “lamb led to slaughter, a stupid lamb at that.”

Here’s the crux of the show, as viewers we would like to think of drug smugglers as terrible criminals, ignorant, unfeeling, careless, heartless, and many other unkind adjectives, but Locked Up Abroad, does not provide us that luxury. Through the mix of first hand accounts and reenactments viewers may find themselves laughing and bonding and feeling empathy with our (real life) protagonist. We may find we have come to understand this person and their reasoning, maybe even understanding to the point we find them logical and rational. Like a Hollywood action film, the reenactments keep butts glued to chairs and eyes glued to screens. It’s easy to spot the high levels of creativity brought to life through cinematography in each episode. Different lighting techniques and extreme close-ups make the story move swiftly from scene to scene. But what viewers must remember that they are watching actors, and the dialogue is simply that, a script. So, while the story is true, it’s dramatized for the sole purpose of keeping you entertained and excitement levels up.

While I, personally, never became a huge fan of Locked Up Abroad I have found it entertaining on occasion, and enjoy sitting down to watch it on On Demand when I go home for breaks. It is an easy show to get sucked into, but the stories from week to week just do not differ enough for me to become hooked on the show. But I will recommend anyone looking for an hour of fast-paced entertainment to watch this show…just maybe not right before you go on that overseas vacation!

My rating:

Locked Up Abroad on Hulu: http://www.hulu.com/locked-up-abroad
National Geographic's Official site: http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/series/locked-up-abroad#tab-Videos
Purchase the DVD Here: http://shop.nationalgeographic.com/product/917/4923/703.html

Watch the Season 2 Finale: "Ecuador"

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‘One Day. Five Endings.’ What will happen on Earth’s End Day?

2009-04-08T18:17:00.000-07:00

Religion predicts it. Science guarantees it. The world will not be here forever. There will be an end to all this we know…or at least many so believe. But how our eventual doomsday will play out is a mystery. We can speculate, but we cannot know. We cannot predict the future, as much as we would like to. And so we explore the possibilities—both plausible and fantastic.

When the End Day begins it is 7:00 AM on another Monday morning in London. Dr. Howell (a.k.a. Mr. Doomsday), deputy director of the scientific organization known as TBM, awakes at the sound of his alarm. Today he is going to New York City where he will turn on the world’s largest particle accelerator, in an effort to recreate the particle “experiment that nature did after the Big Bang.” There are just a few draw backs; on this Monday the world will end and, in the style of Groundhog Day, the day will repeat, with each repeat day heralding the end of the world. Protesters are concerned that TBM’s experiment will bring about the apocalypse. And, with mega tsunamis, asteroid impacts, global pandemics, super volcano eruptions, and a mysterious particle called strangelet; Dr. Howell is having a hard time making it to his destination.

End Day, a one hour BBC “docu-drama”, aired on National Geographic Channel as part of the National Geographic Presents series. End Day, at its beginning, presents itself as more than a bit overly dramatic with our narrators deep voice begging us the question; “What’s the worst that can happen in one day?” And, its almost cliché line of “it’s not a question of if; it’s a question of when” may make some viewers eyes roll—after all, we have heard the same thing, perhaps too many times, before in popular culture. In addition, End Day is wrought with symbolism. The song which ties each act, and subsequent repeat day: “If Tomorrow Never Comes,” and a woman just happens to be cleaning up her child’s dinosaur toys when the asteroid is coming. But this Groundhog Day-esque documentary has a redeeming quality: entertainment. Here it’s the story, not the facts, which will keep audiences eyes trained on the television. The special effects are not of Hollywood, but the action is fast paced and enthralling, with moments that may make viewers startle as they sit safely on the living room sofa. But in the end it is all speculation and imagination. How and when and if, the Earth will meet her end day is a mystery: “It makes great science fiction, great entertainment, great television, but on this we can sleep easy.” So, for now at least, we are not going anywhere.

I first saw End Day my freshmen year of college. I was getting ready for class and just happened to have National Geographic Channel on, as I usually do. That day I was ten minutes late. End Day sucked me in. At the time I loved this show, and it is safe to say it had become a temporary obsession. But after watching it again I was disappointed. Now that I had sat down and watched it with a new eye I saw so many things I did not like. I was not too happy with the overuse of symbolism, nor did I enjoy the ending. It was much too tranquil for a story about the end of the world. I was hoping to see it go out with a bang, and I feel that, had I produced this show, I would have left the ending open, leaving the viewers more with questions then happy feelings. But, don’t get me wrong, I would still watch End Day again and again. It’s entertaining and action packed. But what truly fascinates me about End Day is this: according to rumor, End Day only ever aired on National Geographic once, and all evidence of it ever being on the channel has been wiped from its website. Make of that what you wish.

My rating:

Watch End Day!

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You Are Now Leaving Earth on a Journey to the Edge of the Universe

2009-04-01T18:18:00.000-07:00

Ever since humans have lived on Earth we have looked up to the sky and wondered; are we alone? What is up there to be discovered? What, in the vast night sky, is there for us to see? We have studied the heavens for centuries and still our thirst to understand the unknown has not been quenched, and with every passing year we are penetrating deeper into space, discovering more than we could have possibly imagined, more than we could have possibly known; Comets and asteroids, planets and moons, galaxies and solar systems, suns and stars, star birth and star death, extreme violence and extreme beauty. The universe isn’t calm. It’s chaotic.

You are about to go on the journey of your life. In the “first accurate non-stop voyage from Earth to the edge of the universe” National Geographic’s Journey to the Edge of the Universe begins on Earth where “the stock market’s are still trading, and Star Trek is still playing.” But soon we speed away from our home, heading for our first destination--our moon. Our quest: to find another place out there in the cosmos where “like Goldilocks we could comfortably live.” At first, Journey

seems to be propelled by generalizations and speculations: What, How, Could, Would. ‘Maybe’ becomes the catchword of the day. But as the voyage continues viewers are transfixed by stunning visual effects and spectacular animation that sometimes look a little like the images could be real. And, in fact may are based on images taken by the Hubble Telescope. But it is Nigel Henbest’s script, performed by Alec Baldwin, which tie everything together, informing the viewer while, perhaps more importantly, telling a story. Short sentences followed by only slightly lengthy explanations keep the story flowing quickly and dramatically. Unlike other documentaries of its type, Journey, is not geared to the scientific community or to the science enthusiast. There are no confusing mathematical facts and figures. Journey is for the average viewer. But what is absolutely remarkable about Journey to the Edge of the Universe is something so subtle the average viewer may not ever pick up on it; the entire ninety minute documentary consists of one, single, fluid, sweeping shot. Not once does the picture cut away or fade. It is a feature so easily missed but a feat so brilliantly achieved.

Ever since I was young I have been fascinated by astronomy. I was the child who dreamed of being an astronaut. Of course, my ambitions now are more (pardon the pun) down to Earth, but part of me still longs to explore the universe. If I could I would travel through space for summer vacation. At night I am prone to walking into things as my eyes are always directed to the stars. Journey to the Edge of the Universe has satisfied so much of my curiosity, but has not completely extinguished it. Now, I am only hungry for more. (…and I still can not believe that it was all done in one shot!)

My rating:

Watch a video with director Yavar Abbas!

Purchase the DVD:
http://shop.nationalgeographic.com/product/1063/4847/128.html

Learn more with INTERACTIVE features on Nat Geo's site:
http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/episode/journey-to-the-edge-of-the-universe-3023

....UNIVERSE STYLE!

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Lisa Ling Goes Inside North Korea

2009-03-23T18:29:00.000-07:00

Cross over the 38th parallel from South Korea into North Korea to a place where television is controlled by the state, no outside information is allowed, cell phones are banned, electricity is unreliable (even in the capital), internet does not exist, basic medical facilities cannot be found, and Americans are looked at with loathing. Welcome to North Korea and the rule of the “Dear Leader,” Kim Jong Il, an absolute dictator at the center of a countrywide personality cult. Plenty of mystery surrounds this East Asian country that the U.S. government refers to as an “intelligence black hole.”

Very few Americans have ventured inside the borders of North Korea. So, of course, leave it to National Geographic correspondent Lisa Ling to accept the challenge. In another installment of National Geographic Explorer, “Inside North Korea,” Lisa Ling goes undercover, posing as part of a medical team coming into the country from Nepal to cure cataracts—their goal: one thousand surgeries in ten days. That is 100 surgeries in a single day. They will document the doctors’ journey while giving a rare look at life on the other side of the 38th parallel. The team will have North Korean “minders” with them 24 hours a day. There will be no privacy, and Ling will be the only American in the country. The camera crew, too, faces some challenges; their permission to shoot is limited from where they can film, what they can film, and how they can film it. The result: the film crew must find creative means to sneak their shots. Tension is somewhat created by these forbidden glimpses as they are stolen while the camera is being transported, captured through windows, or taken from around corners. As the team crosses the 38th parallel into South Korea, it becomes greatly easier for them to shoot, and easy for the viewer to see the difference—the shots have lost their shakiness. Satellite images also provide the only glimpses of Camp 22, a concentration camp for political prisoners and their families, maps demonstrate political boundaries, and computerized 3D graphics explain the doctors’ procedure for cataracts surgery. Interwoven with all of this is archived video and photos, (some from the Dutch documentary A Day in the Life, which presented to outsiders North Korea the way the government wanted to present it—picturesque, a utopia.) interviews with North Korean defectors, and reenactments of their escape.

I hate to admit it, but it was not until I first watched this documentary, that I even knew Korea was actually North and South Korea. Maybe I lived inside a bubble or maybe my high school American history classes are to blame; we never made it to learning about the Korean War, we never made it passed World War II. But, regardless, Inside North Korea opened up that curious side of me and sucked me in. Since it first aired in 2006 I have seen this documentary at least 5 times and now own the DVD. I was shocked by the number of people struck blind by poor nutrition and appalled by Kim Jong Il’s rule. Inside North Korea left me with this sense of uneasiness, especially after Lisa Ling’s final words as she wonders who of the North Koreans’ truly believed in the “Great Leader” and who acted out of fear—after generations of absolute rule “there may not be a difference between true belief and true fear.”

My rating:

Watch the first few minutes of Inside North Korea:

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Inside the Vietnam War goes Inside Soldiers Memories

2009-03-14T10:12:00.000-07:00

“This is the inside story of the Vietnam War—told by those who lived through it and will always live with it:” So opens Inside the Vietnam War. Americans still remember this terrible tale of our history. For all its horrors and all its brutality, the Vietnam War has become a taboo subject, especially among family and friends of its veterans. It is understood that one does not casually approach the Vietnam vet with questions of discovering what happened to them so many miles away on another continent. The brave and curious person who dares to ask the forbidden is usually met with a negative reply—too many memories. For the veterans the war is a living thing, seeping into dreams with vivid and frightening clarity. But, there are those few, perhaps incredibly brave, men and women who look back on their time spent in the jungles of Vietnam and share with others their story, looking back to a place and time they would rather forget.

Inside the Vietnam War consists of a series of three episodes—“Endgame,” “Search and Destroy,” and “Turning Point”—each fifty minutes in length, which together share the firsthand accounts of those American veterans who served their country. National Geographic keeps viewers enthralled with fast action sequences so that one almost has to keep in mind this is not a war movie nor are these reenactments. The images are all real. And, so is the sound of gunfire—blasts of AK47’s rocket launchers, bombs, machine guns, and the shrills of fighter jets accompany a constant narration, our history lesson. When the gunfire dies down a deep musical score keeps emotions up. Additionally, the use of slow motion video prolongs the moment and the tension.

Produced almost entirely using archived and stock footage, recorded audio of wartime communications, and photographs taken by army photographers “crouching between blasts to snap their pictures,” Inside the Vietnam War succeeds in keeping viewers interested where other history shows sometime struggle. National Geographic helps viewers understand the geography of the war through means of simple maps, using familiar landmarks such as Saigon, to illustrate military tactics and formations. Interwoven with all of this are interviews with the veterans like Commander Paul Galanti of the U.S. Navy who remembers being a POW and tortured by the Vietcong, and Astrid Ortega, a former nurse in the U.S. Army recalls spending “hours removing shrapnel with tweezers.” Inside the Vietnam War is an emotional ride, taking its viewers through moments of fear and sorrow, worry, panic, suspicion and hatred, and bizarrely, sometimes joy.

While I may be only 21 years old and not even born until the late 80s, Inside the Vietnam War was incredibly emotional and unnerving for me. My “step” grandfather had served in the war when he was very young. He says he is very proud of serving and displays the Vietnam Veterans emblem tattooed on his arm. Pictures of his time in Vietnam scatter the walls of the game room and the medals my Nana tracked down last Christmas (because he had never been awarded them) hang proudly alongside the images. Having not covered the war in high school history classes, and being far too curious, I wanted to understand why Vietnam was such a taboo subject, but more importantly, I wanted to know the story of someone I love. I would never get his story, though—at least not now, there are too many memories.

My rating:

Watch a clip from Inside the Vietnam War:

Purchase the DVD here: http://shop.nationalgeographic.com/product/919/4298/128.html

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Last weeks answers: Thailand;Vietnam

China's Lost Girls...American Daughters

2009-02-28T12:12:00.000-08:00

Left alone in fields to die, abandoned in markets, killed at birth, or aborted before—this is the fate of many Chinese infant girls. Why? China is overpopulated, and a government policy restricts families to having just one child. In China little boys are preferred to girls, and wives are faced with constant pressure to produce a son. Of the girls who escape infanticide, some find their way to orphanages across China where a small fraction of them are adopted and brought across the globe to be raised by new parents as Americans.

When China’s Lost Girls opens it immediately grabs your attention. Fast cuts, extreme close ups, natural sound, and quick, up tempo music exclaims your arrival in China. But, soon, viewers find themselves transported to the United States where a young Georgia girl, Marissa, is preparing for a new baby sister and a new journey. Along with her adoptive parents, and accompanied by reporter Lisa Ling, Marissa will head back to China, back to the country where her birth mother abandoned her under a park tree. Marissa’s family is adopting their second daughter and Marissa’s first sister. They will soon join other American families all traveling together with the same purpose.

What is great about China’s Lost Girls is how Lisa Ling is able to keep viewers interested despite the complexity of the topic. While Ling is, in effect, telling the story of Marissa and the other American families they are only serving as a catalyst for the bigger story of China’s one child policy and the consequences of such a law. It’s a useful storytelling technique that personalizes the bigger story as a whole. China’s Lost Girls utilizes this technique well throughout the documentary. Each and every time the show shifts focus, viewers are introduced to someone new. In one segment, Ling travels to the countryside to explore the cultural desire for a boy, and viewers meet a young woman who decided to keep her daughter in spite of her husband’s threats he would send her away if she did not give him a son. This woman’s story shifts into the broader story of family planning initiatives in the rural countryside.

In addition, Lisa Ling makes sure to include interviews with people from all different perspectives. She talks with little Marissa, rural Chinese, urban Chinese, American parents, Chinese foster parents, family planning officials, mothers, fathers, husbands, wives, and schoolchildren. Interwoven within these are clips with Chinese-American girls who each talk about their feelings of being adopted and, what they believe, is the story

of how they arrived in America. Each of these brief clips serves as transition pieces between segments, while providing viewers with a deeper insight to what it must be like being one of China’s Lost Girls.

I first saw China’s Lost Girls when it was aired, in a re-run, as an episode of Ultimate Explorer a few years ago. I chose this documentary as my first entry because it was the show that originally got me hooked on National Geographic. I have already admired Lisa Ling greatly, as I had seen her a few times on Oprah, but since seeing China’s Lost Girls I have hungrily devoured issue after issue of National Geographic Magazine and other National Geographic shows. Now, as a Broadcast Communications major in my junior year of college, Lisa Ling has become my idol, and I look to her work often as a source of inspiration.

My Rating:
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Click to purchase the DVD here!

You can read Lisa Ling's blog at http://www.lisaling.com/

Can you name this country?

A. Malaysia
B. Thailand
C. Nigeria
D. Latvia

What country does this flag belong to?

A. China
B. North Korea
C. South Korea
D. Vietnam