Fifth Estate - Riding On Risk

So, you think you’re safe during your flight to your vacation? Well, that may not necessarily be true. Transport Canada could be the reason for your death on an airplane. There have been many allegations regarding airport security and how our safety could be at risk because of them. Many bag inspections are not fully inspections as they just let them go for convenience and time. What does this mean? Terrible, terrible consequences. Obviously without proper screening, anyone with anything could board the plane and risk the lives of many people.

Sam Garito, a Transport Canada security inspector, was arrested on weapons charge. In return to get his job back, he made an oath to never speak about what happened. He’s known to be as a terrorist now in Canada because of his selfless duty. His arrest a few years ago was an eye-opener on how Transport Canada really is and what they are actually offering.

I found this documentary to be very educational and shocking. I would of never expected airport security to be this vulnerable. It seems like our safety and protection means nothing to Transport Canada all because of a little time saver and for convenience. After watching this, I have a new outlook upon entering airports around Canada. Now I know that it may seem as if everything is running along smoothly and safely, it’s only a cover-up for the common people.

The actual filming and style of this documentary was done nicely, in my opinion. The shots were well done and the interviews had a way of grasping my attention. The visuals were appealing and relevant to the story being told as well. One of most interesting shots I found was the airplane flying in the background behind the woman sitting on the bench.

For those of you who have not seen this documentary, I suggest you watch it because you could learn a thing or two and change your whole perspective about Transport Canada and how “safe and loyal” it is. You can watch the full episode at: http://www.cbc.ca/fifth/2009-2010/riding_on_risk/video.html

Band of Brothers

Probably one of my favorite mini-series based on true events, Band of Brothers is nothing but perfection. Band of Brothers, or BoB, occasionally airs on the History Channel during times such as Remembrance Day and Labor Day, or even just on a regular Sunday.

Band of Brothers is a WWII mini-series that follows the experiences of Easy Company(“E Company”) of the 2^nd Battalion, 506^th Parachute Infantry Regiment(PIR) assigned to the 101^st Airborne Division. Their missions consisted of: Operation Market Garden, the Battle of Bastogne and Omaha Beach.

What makes this documentary so intriguing is because of its visual appeal and camera movement. With both combined, it’s as if you were there with the soldiers during those times. The special effects of the bullets and the realistic sounds top it off as well, the icing on the cake if you will.

A lot of the camera movements during the battle scenes were hand-held because they wanted to make it feel raw and realistic; as if you were there with them to experience the explosions and gunshots. Every time a grenade went off near them or a mortar exploded, the camera would shake along with the blast to give the audience the feel of the power of explosives. The scenes when they are back in their headquarters, planning out the next attack or celebrating, it becomes more stable but still shakes a bit for that raw feel.

The content in this mini-series is all factual and based on historical events. At the beginning of each episode, they interview a few WWII veterans about certain events/battles that they will be showing in the episode such as Carentan or Omaha Beach. They discuss about their fellow soldiers, what was going on in their mind and how they felt.

I strongly suggest you watch this series because it is very educational and entertaining at the same time. If you want any previews of it, you could always go on YouTube and search for it. I believe it is one of the best documentaries, in my opinion. I HAD to buy it and it was almost $100. For those of you who haven’t watched it, go watch it now!

Woodstock

A lot of people say that music is their life. Well in 1969-1970, music was the broom that swept everyone away. Specifically one festival was the pinnacle of that year, which was Woodstock.

Woodstock had a tremendous impact on society in a few factors. The first is how the social power came to the teenagers and young adults. Before Woodstock, teens’ voices were never heard and did not count for anything. However, this all changed during the Woodstock festival. Young adults would threaten to raid if things did not go their way and officials couldn’t do anything. How they showed this in the actual documentary were clips of people behind fences and police officers trying to hold them down. Unfortunately for the officers, they ended up breaking down fences to reach the festival. Young adults also had enough power to make one of the concerts free instead of its original expensive price.

This documentary also had the use of the multi-screen or split-screen. This basically means that they showed 2 different shots/angles simultaneously on screen. The effect this has is it gives you two perspectives at the same time, giving you more information and has more interaction with you. Although it may seem like too much is going on, that fact that you’re getting 2 different perspectives makes it more intriguing.

I thought Woodstock was a very educational documentary. It showed us some of the many famous artists that have impacted our society today as well as showing the young adults with more social power. It also shows us that when you’re in an emotional state such as after a war, music can be a gateway to freedom and peace. To me, it had to have been in the evolutionary chart of music and of course, smoking marijuana.

For those of you who haven’t watched this yet, or haven’t had the knowledge of the Woodstock festival, I suggest you watch this documentary or read up on what happened because it might change your perspective on how music was such a great influence. It’s also been known to be an historical event. As the saying goes, “you don’t know where you’re going unless you know where you’ve been.”