Gettin’ Cultcha’d

One of my favorite parts about the Life To Do List is that it includes items that expand my knowledge of culture. In particular, #33 (Watch 25 of the last 10 years’ Academy-nominated Documentary Feature Films) and # 67 (Read 15 of the “Big Reads”) have really expanded my reading and viewing pleasure. Both lists include material that I’ve always wanted to be able to devote the time and energy to absorbing. The list keeps me in check!

For # 33, I’ve watched the following Documentaries:
1. Winged Migration (YouTube It)
2. Born Into Brothels (YouTube It)
3. Capturing the Friedmans (YouTube It)
4. Prisoner of Paradise (IMDB It)
5. Spellbound (IMDB It)
6. An Inconvenient Truth (YouTube It)
7. Deliver Us From Evil (YouTube It)

The topics that these documentaries cover are nature, impoverished children photographers, Pedophilia and Criminal Justice, Holocaust, National Spelling Bee, Environmental Responsibility, and Church Impropriety. With each story I learn something. I feel more aware of the world around me. I carefully note the camera angles, editing choices, and musical accompaniment of each shot so that I can consider these options when I make my own artistic choices in the future. I am studying while being entertained.

For #67, I’ve read the following novels:
1. Pride and Prejudice 2. Catcher in the Rye

Reading obviously takes longer. Especially for me. The only times I can really fit it into my life is right before I head to sleep. When I crawl into bed and snuggle into the sheets, I love to end my day wondering around in the world created in the mind of other artists. To forget my day and escape into the mind of Elizabeth Bennett or Holden Caulfield. Sounds ridiculous when I read that paragraph back to me, but it’s true.

Next on the list, I will be watching “Sicko” by Michael Moore. I’ve already seen it, but that was before I started this project. It was before I had my “documentary filmmaker” goggles on. Next on the reading will be “To Kill a Mockingbird” followed by “Wuthering Heights” (which I am particularly looking forward to re-reading).

I really recommend this To-Do List thing. It’s been a wonderful way for me to force myself to indulge. I feel more capable of joining in conversation with my peers. As they bring up these films or as these novels are referenced in pop culture, I feel I can participate. Really, I’m just getting prepped for Trivial Pursuit.

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