I’m a sucker for documentaries. I love them. It’s so great to be able to sit down and by the time the credits roll, you’ve learned so much. A good documentary gives you snapshots into people’s lives, different ways of thinking or makes you question or challenge what you believe. What could be better?
I’ve watched two great ones in the last week that I had to share with you. The first was Bill Cunningham New York (2010). I can quite honestly say that it’s the best thing I’ve watched in years. The sheer obsessive passion and commitment that Bill gives to photography is fascinating. It follows the then 80-year-old photographer for the New York Times Style section. One of my favourite quotes was when he was asked if he had eaten that day. His response, “I eat with my eyes”.
He’s not just a street style photographer. This man has been documenting New York life with sensitivity and beautiful understatement for decades. You don’t only have to be a fashion lover to watch. It is a study of a man who has seen New York and its exotic and vibrant characters emerge from buildings, society parties or flit by him in the street for years. He’s a true trend spotter and the way he takes images will blow you away.
He’s the only photographer to sit to the side of the runway at Fashion Week. He’s not interested in the money shots , where the jostling crowds of photographers push for space. He’s interested in the clothes, the movement, the feel of what the designer is trying to convey. That’s why people fall over themselves to be at the end of his lens. Even Anna Wintour remarks, “We all get dressed for Bill”.
It’s a surprising documentary in that parts are extremely poignant. While Bill interacts with people and takes photos, he’s actually a very solitary character. He has lived in a tiny apartment in the famous Carnegie Hall for years and years. He sleeps in a single bed, there’s a bathroom in the hall and rolls of archived film are squeezed in cabinets lining the walls of his apartment. The city seems to be his lifelong companion. His contribution to fashion and documenting society is outstanding. I’m so happy that I’ve learned more about Bill. This documentary celebrates a quiet, creative hero.
Watch on Netflix or buy at http://www.billcunninghamnewyork.co.uk
Fat sick and nearly dead
I’ve been intrigued by the juicing craze lately. I’ve heard people try it and I’ve seen people buy juicers like they are going out of fashion! There’s no doubt that raw fruit and vegetables are an excellent source of vitamins and nutrients for the body. Then I read that it’s estimated that the world will be consuming £8bn a year of bars, drinks and other supplements by 2017. We’re a world now looking to help our bodies before they get sick. John Lewis has seen a 60 percent rise in the sale of juicers and stocked 10 times more in store since 2013. Wow there has to be something to this right?
Meet Joe Cross, the star of the documentary Fat, sick and nearly dead. A man who should be in his prime aged 41, finds himself 100 pounds overweight and on a cocktail of steroids and medications for a serious autoimmune disease. This Aussie has had enough and heads to America, rents a car and buys a juicer. He pledges to only drink juiced fruit and vegetables for 60 days straight.
I really liked the documentary as Joe is honest about what led him to his unhealthy state and doesn’t claim to know everything. It was years of bad choices, late nights, working too hard and partying too well. He had pushed his body to the limit. What was fascinating for me was the power of good food and how it helped Joe to come out of his fog. He met people along his route across America, shared his journey, helped people and found purpose again.
I’m not sure I’ll be trying an extreme 60 day juice cleanse but the messages of Joe’s story hit home. Don’t take your health for granted, work hard to maintain a balance in your life and watch out for the danger signs when it comes to your well-being before they become too big to handle.
Watch on Netflix or buy at http://www.fatsickandnearlydead.com