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in Frontline
by
David Breashears, 13 May 2008
You feel the unrelenting, whipping wind of the South Col and relive every sleep-and-oxygen deprived physical challenge recounted by the surviving climbers and sherpas of the 1996 Mount Everest tragedy. Unlike Jon Krakauer’s personal recollections in his book Into Thin Air, IMAX filmmaker Breashears never crosses the line between journalist and subject, and this documentary feels somewhat detached as a result. “Storm Over Everest” quietly emphasizes the perils of the ascent in permanent frostbite damage, from the blistering red nose of Beck Weathers to the limbless-ness of Taiwanese climber Makalu Gau. The footage is magnificent, and the story it depicts is simply harrowing.
Posted 7:18, 20 May 2008
This abstract was written by
Adrienne Jenkins
and edited by Brijit.
Apropos of Earth Day, Frontline rebroadcasts this documentary about the failure of three presidencies to enact binding and significant environmental policy. Hampered by industry opposition, administrations from either side of the aisle have seen, and sometimes forced, international agreements to die before they can be realized. In a system best summed up by Newt Gingrich -- "The left insists on pain, and the right insists on avoidance" -- stagnation is ensured. The filmmakers remain hopeful, pointing to plans to meet energy growth in Texas revised to include renewable sources, and industry, starting to smell a profit, taking an interest in green technology.
Posted 8:46, 24 April 2008
This abstract was written by
Jonathan Gallaway
and edited by Brijit.
In the thinking man’s Sicko, T.R. Reid is an affable and sometimes dotty guide to the health care systems of five wealthy capitalist democracies as he looks for alternatives to the “sick, sick” system currently entrenched in the US. We are taunted with $10/night hospital stays in Japan, negligible administrative costs in Taiwan, and everywhere the blank stares that greet the notion of medical bankruptcies. Disadvantages are also aired -- long lines here, budget deficits there, and unhappy doctors elsewhere -- but it’s a hopeful analysis, giving a taste of what, with a little à la carte reform, could be in the world’s richest country.
Posted 9:51, 17 April 2008
This abstract was written by
Matt Jameson
and edited by Brijit.
This Frontline installment follows a National Guard unit through its recent tour of duty in Iraq. Deborah Scranton, maker of the 2006 documentary The War Tapes, collected self-shot video footage and testimonials taken by soldiers. Veteran soldiers make candid comparisons between the combat and valor of their earlier deployments to Iraq and their current missions driving truckloads of supplies through territories littered with improvised explosive devices. Chilling moments -- such as Sargent Toby Nunn's suggestion that his men move their tourniquets to the appendage closest to the door of the vehicle before setting off on the drive -- separate this footage from the coverage on so many news channels.
Posted 10:01, 2 April 2008
This abstract was written by
Deborah Dramby
and edited by Brijit.
Frontline's two-part mini-series examines how and why President Bush and his advisers put the US on the path to war in Iraq. The interviews of behind-the-scenes White House players and other government officials, combined with news footage chronicling our five-year occupation of Iraq, builds an intelligent and well-crafted case against the call to war. Most infuriating for some viewers may be the strong implication that a con game had been played upon the Bush Administration via disinformation from unreliable sources and devious manipulators.
Posted 12:01, 2 April 2008
This abstract was written by
Elliot Feldman
and edited by Brijit.
in Frontline
by
Lowell Bergman, 18 March 2008
Frontline updates their 2004 piece, a vital report revealing the tricks credit card companies use to induce consumers to accumulate balances and carry them month-to-month, including low minimum payments, zero-interest teaser rates, and universal default (raising a card-holder's interest rate based on late payments to a different creditor). Astoundingly, issuers may legally change terms of a cardholder's contract at will, and the contracts themselves are so confusing that even legal and financial experts can't decipher them. Though the 2008 update is minimal, it does underscore a proposed Senate bill that would require companies to warn cardholders about making only minimum payments as well as offer other financial counseling.
Posted 11:26, 24 March 2008
This abstract was written by
Bonnie Walker
and edited by Brijit.
This well-made documentary explores the incident that occurred in Haditha, a western Iraqi village, in November 2005. The bombing of an American convoy sets off a chain of events ultimately leading to allegations that US Marines overstepped their "rules of engagement" -- and 15 civilians (including four women and six children) were killed in a "house clearing" for insurgents. The piece respectfully illuminates the razor's edge a soldier must walk in wartime -- making split-second decisions in rushed, dangerous conditions, while also exercising proper caution to avoid civilian casualties.
Posted 5:03, 22 February 2008
This abstract was written by
Jason Meinig
and edited by Brijit.
in Frontline
by
Lowell Bergman, 5 February 2008
Frontline presents an update to their 2003 investigation of McWane foundries, which revealed appalling worker safety and environmental records, attracting national publicity and legal trouble. In a "culture of lawlessness," numerous workers, environmental lawyers, and the director of the EPA talk about the gross violations that McWane forced its employees to conduct. A turnaround seemed unlikely, but by 2006 McWane had spent millions of dollars in safety improvements and reductions in environmental impact. Even with these positive changes, it's tough to ignore the searing images of past accidents and violations in this moving documentary that investigates corporate corruption at its worst.
Posted 10:29, 6 February 2008
This abstract was written by
Ceda Xiong
and edited by Brijit.
in Frontline
by
Martin Smith, 29 January 2008
Smith relates a remarkable account of the Taliban's resurgence and the protection the group affords Al Qaeda in Pakistan. With insight into the motives of Pakistani president Pervez Musharraf, a discussion of a Pakistani journalist's kidnapping (possibly by the Pakistani government), and gruesome video of Taliban victims and a suicide bombing, this documentary illuminates many of the area's seemingly insurmountable problems. Musharraf's leadership remains central to the issue of fighting both the Taliban and Al Qaeda -- and the pieces asks if he must remain in America's good graces as the "best and only choice" in a region where the US has no other allies.
Posted 10:05, 30 January 2008
This abstract was written by
Meghan Reid
and edited by Brijit.
"It's been said that the Internet has created the greatest generation gap since the advent of rock and roll," Frontline reports as it explores the digital divide between Baby Boomers and their kids who grew up, and now live, online. Teens log on to study, socialize, and share -- sometimes with devastating consequences. This vital documentary brings attention to the frustrations parents and teachers share in struggling to protect and connect with a generation that is unapologetic (yet naive) about its presence on the Internet.
Posted 3:16, 23 January 2008
This abstract was written by
Tina Trenkner
and edited by Brijit.