Three hot docs so far: Fig Trees, Sergio and Reporter.  All three take on global issues, HIV/AIDS, humanitarianism, and compassion fatigue, respectively.  It turns out that they don’t really focus on these issues, but rather on 4 individuals that are trying to do something about them: two activists, a humanitarian and a New York Times reporter.

The avant garde Fig Trees (it’s all done in opera) tells the stories of AIDS activists Zackie Achmat (South Africa) and Tim McCaskell (Toronto).  Inspired by Samantha Power’s book Chasing The Flame, Sergio weaves the story of UN hot shot Sergio Vieira De Mello leading to his death in Iraq in 2003.  Reporter follows Nick Kristof as he travels to the Congo to find the story that will help us beyond our complacency about the Great Lakes conflict.

This focus on a single actor, or hero, dealing with each of the issues is approached differently in each film.  Fig Trees questions it by positioning the activists as saints. In the question and answer period the director noted explicitly that the change that has happened as a result of AIDS activism is the result of an army of activists rather than individual activist-heroes.  At the start of Reporter, Nick Kristof cites a study that shows that we feel the most compassion for one person, but as the group who we should feel compassion for grows that caring declines even after two people.  In the movie, he finds a woman so sick from starvation and injury that she can’t lift herself who becomes his “story”.  It seems that the directors have used a similar technique to bring attention to each issue addressed in these three films.  Beyond getting our attention, how does this focus on heroes affect how we view global issues in general?

Another interesting parallel in both Sergio and Reporter is the value De Mello and Kristof place on talking to the ‘bad guys’.  After the fall of the Khmer Rouge, De Mello saught out a meeting with the former ministers to arrange safe transit for thousands of refugees.  According to the film, this meeting was one of the first times that Western representatives were in contact with Khmer Rouge leaders.  Reporter ends with the cast sitting down to dinner with General Laurent Nkunda, leader of a rebel faction in Congo’s Kivu province.  They had come for an interview, but couldn’t turn down the hospitality of a warlord when he offered.

Top Hot Docs Picks (so far)

1. Fig Trees
2. Sergio
3. Reporter

Tonight I’m on my way to Enjoy Poverty, and I really don’t know what to expect.  Stay tuned!