A Look at ibiblio.org Documentaries

Traveling to the shores of Chile or to the mountains of North Carolina may not be feasible weekend plans for most, but you can still learn about the towns and natives of such destinations (from the comfort of your home!).

This week ibiblio.org is celebrating the wonders of documentary films and photography, of people and places, and even molasses.Explore the following collections below for a breathtaking glimpse of reality in far (and not so far) away places:

Ami Vitale–this photographer’s website is filled with picture and film documentaries of people and places from around the world, including Turkey, Kosovo, India, and Europe. Her beautiful work, published in places such as National Geographic, Time, and Newsweek, is definitely worth the look.

Fully Awake: Black Mountain College–this is a documentary film of a college (1933-1957) tucked in the mountains of Western North Carolina that emerged as an influential experiment in education. The documentary highlights the College’s belief that “creative arts and practical responsibilities are equally important to intellectual development.” This short lived College’s unique model was said to inspire and shape 20th century American modern art.

Chiloe–a series of video stories detail the traditions, history, mythology, and lifestyles of the residents of Chiloe, an archipelago in the 10th region of Chile (1,100 kilometers south of Santiago).

Molasses–a film documentary of a North Carolina family that shares its story of a cane harvest and of molasses-making season. The film documents the last year the Whisnant family made molasses after making and selling molasses for three generations.

Stewards of the Land–a multimedia documentary of six small-scale farmers in the North Carolina Central Piedmont Region. The articles, photographs, and audio recordings examine sustainable agriculture in the area, in the state of North Carolina, and the country as a whole.

*photo by Ami Vitale