This latest documentary by Morgan Spurlock uses the humor in the premise of searching for Osama Bin Laden as a way to examine different cultures in the Middle East and the anti U.S. fervor that exists in the region. The end result is an entertaining and enlightening look at the Middle East as seen from a different perspective than what can be seen on the nightly news.
The story that Kurt has to tell begins with a clandestine attempt to interfere with radio broadcasts controlled by the corrupt government of Manuel Noriega in the late 1980s. Kurt, and a few co-conspirators, devised a way in which they could hijack the broadcast signal of the official Panamanian radio station and broadcast their own anti-Noriega message. This obviously didn’t go over very well with Noriega and Kurt was eventually arrested in detained.
From the title of this article you might get the impression that this is a story about some in flight disaster, but that’s not what’s on my mind. Lately I’ve been thinking about life and death stories that occur every day some 30,000 plus feet below me as I make my way across the land and sea.
Here is my list of the best nonfiction books, films, and documentaries for 2008. To make my list, each book or film had to receive at least a four star rating. The release date has no bearing on my choices. This list simply represents the best of what I personally saw or read this past year.
Everything about this film stands out. If all you had were the interviews with the participants along with the photos they took, you would have a compelling story. But Errol Morris elevates this documentary with visually creative reenactments and a subtle soundtrack that sets the mood. His use of ghost-like images is especially effective.
I’ll be coming out with the best of everythingnonfiction for 2008 in January. Here’s your chance to vote on the best image from the view from the cockpit section of the blog. Click on the Flickr badge below to view all seven images posted this year (I didn’t start this section until June).