Story Archives of 'Documentary'

The next time you drop off a load of clothes at the Goodwill or Salvation Army, think about where those old sweaters or jeans end up. According to a story in The New York Times back in 2002, about 2.6 billion pounds of clothes are donated to charities in America every year. And about 80 percent of it is shipped globally.

Filmmakers Hanna Rose Shell and Vanessa Bertozzi were inspired by that article to research the history of recycled clothing. The result is the 24-minute documentary Secondhand ("Pepe"), which connects the used clothing sold by Eastern European Jewish immigrants a century ago to those sold at Haitian markets today. Hanna Rose Shell joins us with more on the global trade in used clothes.

Watch the trailer for Secondhand ("Pepe"):

(Photo by Vanessa Bertozzi)

Last night’s third and final presidential debate addressed a number of domestic issues - health care, education, alternative energy - but the economy topped the list. The second question of the evening from moderator Bob Schieffer was, "how would the candidates reduce America’s staggering budget deficit and national debt?"

Our country has been in debt ever since we gained independence from England. Today our deficit is estimated at $455 billion, and expected to reach towards one trillion dollars next year. That’s a little over 70 percent of our GDP. The nation’s debt? $10.3 trillion.

That looming crisis inspired a prescient documentary team to make I.O.U.S.A., screening this weekend at the New Hampshire Film Festival. Showtimes are at 4:20 PM on Friday, Oct. 17, and 4:35 PM on Sunday, Oct. 19 at The Music Hall in Portsmouth.

The film brings us through the history of our country’s debt, from the Revolutionary to the Civil War, The Great Depression and the two World Wars, to the exploding debt of the '80s and again in the past eight years.

Addison Wiggin, writer and executive producer of the film, and author of the companion book, joins us on the show. He’s also a native of Stratham, NH. As we saw the Dow plunge 733 points yesterday, the largest percentage drop since 1987, Wiggin explain the connection between our national debt and the current financial crisis on Wall Street.

Watch the trailer for I.O.U.S.A.:

In September of 2002, Ben Byer was a 31-year-old actor and playwright living in Chicago, married with a young son, when he was diagnosed with the fatal neurodegenerative disease ALS, commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. There’s no known cure for ALS, and 90 percent of those who get it die within five years.

The disease left his hands too weak to hold a pen. So Ben began keeping an audio and video diary, which soon turned into a documentary film project. He travelled the world, grasping for a cure to the mysterious disease – everything from a controversial stem cell surgery, to traditional Chinese herbs, to vitamin supplements, to vibrating beds.

His film is an exploration of his own mortality, and our society’s treatment of the sick. Ben Byer died last month. His sister, Rebeccah Rush, produced the film, called Indestructible, and she joins Word of Mouth to tell us more about her brother.

Watch the trailer for Indestructible below:

(Photo of Ben Byer floating in the Dead Sea by Roko Belic)

In August of 2004, Jason Crigler, a highly-regarded guitarist, suffered a brain hemorrhage during a gig in New York City. His pregnant wife rushed him to the hospital and got the bad news: doctors told Jason’s family that he might not live through the night, and if he did, little of the Jason they knew would be left.

But Jason and his family refused to accept the prognosis. Their tenacity and loving attention to Jason’s recovery is the subject of a new documentary, "Life. Support. Music." The film screens tonight at Red River Theaters in Concord. Jason Crigler and director Eric Daniel Metzgar will be there for a live Q & A following the film. Both join Word of Mouth to discuss how the film was made and the vital and demanding role that Jason's family played in his rehabilitation.

"Life. Support. Music." will be shown at Red River Theaters in Concord with a post-film Q&A on Thursday, August 7 at 7pm

Immigration is another hot topic this election season. Senators John McCain and Barack Obama both favor increasing security along the U.S.-Mexican border. But a new documentary film questions the use of the military to patrol the border.

In 1997, U.S. Marines patrolling the border shot and killed Esequiel Hernández Jr., an 18-year-old U.S. citizen and high school student. He was out herding goats with his .22 rifle when the Marines mistook him for a drug smuggler.

It was the first death of an American citizen by active U.S. military since Kent State in 1970. The story of his tragic death and its aftermath is told in a new documentary, "The Ballad of Esequiel Hernández," and the film’s director, Kieran Fitzgerald, joins Word of Mouth with more.

"The Ballad of Esequiel Hernández" premieres nationally on Tuesday, and airs at 11 p.m. on Sunday, July 20 on New Hampshire Public Television.