Prelude to War

Directed and Produced by Frank Capra
Narrated by Walter Huston
Released 1942
Running Time 53 minutes
Distributed by War Activities Committee of the Motion Pictures Industry

After the closing of the film's events with the purpose of propaganda, I was left with feelings of confusion, justice, and the cliffhanger of continued thinking. Prelude to War was a film to give evidence and suggestions on the reasoning behind the war against Germany, Japan, and Italy. There was a clear distinction between the world in those countries which more militant and rigid to the free democratic world of the U.S. Images of children in the U.S. shown how children were cultured and played in the outdoors versus the children of the opposing state was trained as soldiers for the war and babies were raised by the state without parents. There were images of fighter planes, bombs, the marching military groups, dead bodies, and completely destroyed towns.

The main focus was the leaders in full force for the victories of their countries. I understood the quests of one nation to succeed in the world. I value the democracy given for the people of the U.S. in fact showing how equality is the theme for many religious books from the bible, Koran, and etc. But at the same time, I only know the bible and brief teachings from a world religions class.

As a viewer, I was bombarded by the headlines and bold statements about the enemy. In my personal note, I am fixated on a balanced scale or remain neutral. Again, I'm desensitized by the way my life is contained in a bubble of comfort and sometimes on a small scale based on the media. I was not part of the war although I am a product of wars. I cannot understand how someone can lose their whole family tree in mere minutes or force to join a military force or coerced into one religion of state. Do we have choices? Did they have choices? The U.S. in the New World was founded on the freedom of man's rights. The gratitude of a free life is appreciated. At the same time, I'm a product of knowing others from other cultures especially in Germany, Italy, and Japan. My friends live or were raised by parents from these countries. In order to be swayed to one side, I cannot be one-sided due to the fact of the realism of my friends' family history. I loved the contents of the film which gives imagery background of the wars. But I need to research on the considered enemy side.

I found the production for wars provided economic stability but the money poured into the wars is substantial. Regardless whether the world wishes for peace, wars must be fought and defended in order to gain peace. The reality we face is the balance between the two - war and peace. I feel that I have feelings of both - fight what is ours and fight what will be taken. Every nation based on one formula deserves existence but what expense - the people, race, religion, or basic living. But once there is harm and no rights are given, humanity must be advocated for justice of all people to live in a well-being, nourishing environment with prosperity. Unfortunately, the world does not operate that common ground.

Churchill's Island

Directed and Produced by Stuart Legg
Narrated by Lorne Greene
Released in 1941
Running Time 21 minutes

Churchill's Island, a film released by National Film Board of Canada, won the first Oscar in documentary feature. The film have images and a narration about United Kingdom defended their territory from German invasion. The images are real and recorded by the military. Although one may think that the film has sets as the generations have not seen actual battles and demolition in the United States, the bombings of cities and towns were shown as people were scattered to find the basic resources as food, shelter, and water. The main focus on the film is the ways the Germans were the playing the military strategies at one card in hand. They tried flying planes with bombs which destroyed buildings and lands. They tried cutting supply lines from the New World  (U.S. and Canada) so the UK can be starved. They used U-boats. Throughout the winter before the attacks, they trained officials for suicide troopers for attack. Although the strong support and training existed through the Hilter regime, the Brits were strong to withhold the German attacks. They showed military training for defenses to save the control of its government.

Churchill is shown in the film as supply of men from Canada were added to the combat of the British army.

I appreciate the film in the ways of showing the historical yet real images of war. We are desensitized in the fact that we are shown war through computerized settings of our histories. We almost realize the truth lies in our stories not the factual, frontal view. The discovery of film in government files either in other countries or our own adds value and a reality of who we are today and what will happen tomorrow.

Although I'm not taking an intellectual, philosophical approach on this film, I hope to increase my ability to analyze films in the way that teaches and implants an impression of value and honor for the films that show truth. Please take the time to integrate more documentary films in your life. In order to understand our present, we need to see clearly our pasts especially our present especially as the cameras were rolling film as actual events took place. Thank you for being on this cinematic journey with me.

I would like to add about the film. The reality could be possible that the Germans could have taken over the British Isles and moved to the U.S. If the actual event took place, we might have been ruled by the Germanic rules. Would we have this film made and readily available? Would our knowledge have been destroyed and our main language would be Germanic roots? Questions that are asked now could happen in the future. Will one day, our language change due to the victory of several warfare if U.S. loses their military game? History repeats in the matter of the same players yet different outcomes for each individual either for opponent or competitor. It only takes one chess game to change the set and rules and the challenges.

The Origins of the Academy Awards for Best Documentary Feature

Every year since 1942, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, an honorary organization in the film industry, presents the top award to one documentary film. Throughout the years, films depict a pictorial yet honorable timeline which follows United States military background to international humanitarianism to back to our own soils of war in 2001 to the economic crisis.

I find value and honor in the history and issues that these films tell with their stories written by documentary filmmakers who are directly or indirectly involved in the subject matter. I believe the truth is written and threaded through the people. The images and audio sounds lay the lines where you can follow and take the necessary steps to align ourselves what has happen, what will happen, and what is occurring at the moment.

I learned through my father the importance of histories in terms of industry, geography, economical purposes, and building structures in my hometown of Tacoma, Washington. I find the camera in most important matter as my mother faced the world with a lens whether I was the model for a photo or relying information or joke for the moment through a video recorder.

Films made by these awarded filmmakers was stating their moments as I will state my moment as I going through the timeline of viewing the first awarded documentary film and reflecting my emotions and thoughts. I will make my own film on "web" paper by the films themselves as I deepen the negatives and positives of one's interpretation and storytelling. The goal of completing the view on all the documentary films awarded by the Academy has been long-winded in the past few years. Now, the time has come for me to complete this quest.  May I say, "Peruse with pursuit." Now, the beginning begins again.