Hello webuserid-ga!
I was able to find a number of ?really good movies? about
investigative journalism, but the more difficult part was finding ones
that are available for purchase. I was impressed with the number of
high-quality documentaries produced worldwide. I did find 5 that are
available for purchase either through large sites such as Amazon.com,
or from smaller distributors. Here they are!
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?ALL THE PRESIDENT?S MEN?
This is probably the most well known film dealing with investigative
journalism. A staple in U.S. high school history classes, it examines
the investigative efforts of Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward, two
reporters for the Washington Post, who play an integral role in the
reporting of the Watergate scandal. It is a must-see by anyone with
even a hint of interest in investigative journalism.
Here is information from the Internet Movie Database (IMDB), including
a cast listing and plot summaries.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0074119/
It is available for purchase on Amazon.com.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/6304696493/104-4787760-9116717?v=glance&n=130
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?THE INSIDER?
This is a 1999 film about a ?60 Minutes? producer that attempted to
produce a story about the big tobacco companies. It shows how
difficult it can be to not only research an insider story, but also
find a way to show it to the public, especially when big business is
involved.
Here is more from the IMDB.
http://imdb.com/title/tt0140352/
This is an interview with Lowell Bergman, the person about whom the movie was made.
http://www.postelservice.com/archives/000007.html
It is available at Amazon.com.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00003CWRX/qid=1150425362/sr=8-1/ref=pd_bbs_1/104-4787760-9116717?%5Fencoding=UTF8&v=glance&n=130
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?STEALING A NATION?
This is a shorter British documentary produced by John Pilger in 2004.
It won the Royal Television Society?s top award as the Top Documentary
in 2004-5.
?Stealing a Nation reveals the extraordinary story of the secret
expulsion of the entire population of the Chagos islands in the Indian
Ocean by successive British governments, so that the principal island,
Diego Garcia, could be handed to the United States as a major military
base. It is from this base that American aircraft have attacked Iraq
and Afghanistan.?
http://pilger.carlton.com/
http://www.bullfrogfilms.com/catalog/steal.html
You can purchase it directly from Bullfrog Films by mail, phone, or fax
http://www.bullfrogfilms.com/orderinfo.html
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?CAPTURING THE FREIDMANS?
This is a 2003 documentary that received a number of awards from
various associations of film critics nationwide. It looks into the
subject of pedophilia, and examines the effects that one man?s crimes
had on a family and community.
It is available for purchase on Amazon.com.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0000SXK0Y/104-4787760-9116717?v=glance&n=130
This is the official movie website.
http://www.capturingthefriedmans.com/main.html
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?LIBBY, MONTANA?
This is a 2004 documentary produced by a small film company (High
Plains Films) that examines a small Montana town?s struggle to treat a
number of people affected by asbestos contamination.
?Nestled below the rugged peaks of the Northern Rockies and along the
crystal-clear Kootenai River lies the small town of Libby, Montana -
an ironic setting for a town where many hundreds of people are sick or
have already died from asbestos exposure. The Environmental Protection
Agency calls Libby the worst case of community-wide exposure to a
toxic substance in U.S. history. 'Libby, Montana' is a journey into
the world of a hard-working, blue-collar community that exemplifies
the American Dream gone horribly wrong.?
http://www.highplainsfilms.org/index.html
There are some excellent reviews, as well as links to articles on the
film?s website. It is available for purchase from High Plains Films
directly.
http://www.highplainsfilms.org/fp_libby.html
I was impressed by a number of other films produced by the same
company. They may not all qualify as ?investigative,? but they look
good nonetheless. The one about motorhomers (is that a word?) who
?live? at Wal-Mart (?This is Nowhere?) looks especially interesting.
http://www.highplainsfilms.org/doc.html
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BONUS: ?FARENHIET 9/11?
I haven?t personally seen this movie, and I understand that there is a
lot of political controversy surrounding the film, but I was surprised
to find a number of people who said that it was actually interesting
to see Michael Moore?s investigative approach throughout the film. The
following excerpt comes from a particularly interesting article about
the film.
??Fahrenheit 9/11? actually features more investigative journalism
than I am used to from Moore, and some of it is impressive. Patiently,
methodically, with surprising focus and determination, he works to
establish a connection between the Bush cabal and both the Saudi
Arabian royal family and the Bin Laden family.?
http://www.filmblather.com/review.php?n=fahrenheit911
Here is more from the IMDB.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0361596/
It is (of course) available at Amazon.com.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00005JNEI/qid=1150426751/sr=8-1/ref=pd_bbs_1/104-4787760-9116717?%5Fencoding=UTF8&v=glance&n=130
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BONUS: ?SHATTERED GLASS?
I came across this film in my search and thought it looked interesting
as well. It may not strictly fit your criteria as far as an in-depth
look at investigative journalism, but it is interesting in how it
discusses a reporter who fabricated (or at least ?enhanced?) facts in
most of his stories written in the 1990s.
?This film tells the true story of fraudulent Washington, D.C.
journalist Stephen Glass (Christensen), who rose to meteoric heights
as a young writer in his 20s, becoming a staff writer at "The New
Republic" for three years (1995-1998), where 27 of his 41 published
stories were either partially or completely made up. Looking for a
short cut to fame, Glass concocted sources, quotes and even entire
stories, but his deception did not go unnoticed forever, and
eventually, his world came crumbling down.?
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0323944/plotsummary
Here is more from the IMDB.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0323944/
It is available at (can you see where I?m going with this?) Amazon.com.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0001907AI/qid=1150424435/sr=8-1/ref=pd_bbs_1/104-4787760-9116717?%5Fencoding=UTF8&v=glance&n=130
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So, there they are! I hope that you find this list useful. Good luck
with all of your endeavors! If you have any need of further
clarification, please let me know how I can help.
Sincerely,
Boquinha-ga
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