Remember when ITV used to do hard hitting journalism? You don`t? I find it hard to square sometimes that a lot of the notable documentaries of the 1970`s and 1980`s came from channel 3. (That is the official name for ITV)
World in Action was one of the best documentary makers, wound down and replaced by the fluffy spectacle that is "Tonight". John Pilger, made numerous films for the Granada - based program, I have found a few on the net, and it`s brilliant being able to share some knowledge and great film making with you.
This is his first film, it caused a major fuss worldwide. This was the first warts and all documentary about the Vietnam war, with open rebellion on film ..... as the war was happening. We are, as I type, in a endless, worthless conflict - same as back then. It makes watching this video a less passive experience, we are not merely looking back in time, this is the ghost that haunts humanity, time after time. Young men die for old men quarrels.
Another thing that this video demonstrates is how feeble and ineffectual ITV has become, it seems strange to think that it was an ITV program that helped free the Birmingham six, that would NEVER happen how. Sad but true, but then again, remember Rough justice on the BBC?
Once upon a time "documentaries" meant a sober film with no emotion-baiting music to underline each situation, or shaky camera reconstructions. Personally, I feel that production companies have a different take on documentary making than say, a film maker or a lone journalist. As all of our TV comes from budget conscious production companies, you will rarely catch a documentary on TV of substance, and then hopefully it`s on a subject that you relate to...
... enjoy, there are lot`s more World in Action programs about
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