The Best Documentary Feature category is one of the few redeeming elements of the commercial publicity machine that is the Academy Awards. Unlike the rest of the circus, this category usually gives due attention to deserving talent, and helps draw attention to burning issues.
Last week, the nominations for this year’s prize were announced. They included Burma VJ, a stunning piece of film-making about the undercover video reporters who helped bring attention to the monk riots of 2007.
Anyone who calls themselves a journalist should watch Burma VJ for a humbling. It reminds us of what real journalism is all about, and unmasks as lazy and irrelevant the majority of reporting that goes on in more comfortable societies. The daring and anonymous video journalists featured in this film continue to do their incredible work. Follow their work at the Democratic Voice of Burma site.
The film has already won a slew of awards, but one more can’t hurt.
