Humans are naturally storytellers. Sharing through conversation, photography, print, art, dance, theater, and film. One of my favourite forms of storytelling is through short documentaries. In the span of five to 40 minutes, you get to emotionally connect with something or someone. They invite you on a visual journey of experiences that may be new or familiar. If you’re looking for a short documentary to watch for free this summer, here are six that I recommend!
- Tree of Plenty – 8 minutes, 2021, Waterbear Network
In this documentary we learn from various women about the ucuuba tree — what it means to their community, the Women’s Movement of the Islands of Belém, and the work they are leading to protect the Amazon rainforest. As one of the most important ecosystems in the world, the Amazon rainforest absorbs large amounts of carbon dioxide, but it has been disappearing due to extractivist industries. Through leveraging the natural capital of the rainforest without destroying it, social and environmental quality of life are improving.
2. Sounds of the Ocean – 10 minutes, 2023, Waterbear Network
A “mindful short film,” Sounds of the Ocean combines visual art, ocean imagery, original music, and sounds of whales and dolphins to guide a mindful underwater experience. The idea for this short documentary is to provide a sense of calm to viewers. Watch this documentary and take ten minutes to reset during your days.
3. Weaving the Path – 12 minutes, 2021, Waterbear Network
“This is not art as you know it, but a way of life as we know it.” — Debra Sparrow
In Weaving the Path, Debra Sparrow, Chief Janice George, and Angela George discuss Coast Salish weaving traditions and Sparrow’s work to revive traditional weaving practices. Her project “Cathedral Square: Blanketing The City,” part of the Vancouver Mural Festival, represents weavers from three local Indigenous nations coming together in what is referred to today as Vancouver B.C. She shares the cultural and spiritual meaning weaving has had in her life and the Coast Salish communities.
4. Ru-Tsu, 13 minutes, 2020, CBC Gem
“If we continue to look at the land and the world around us just in terms of dollars and cents we are going to destroy the very things that are precious to us, the very things that keep us alive and healthy.” — David Suzuki
A conversation between David Suzuki and his grandson Tamo Campos, the viewer is drawn into their life stories as they discuss their Japanese ancestry, environmental activism, and the histories that have shaped them.
5. Elevated – 15 minutes, 2022, Waterbear Network
“Nature has no requirements. Just accepts me. I feel free.” — Sonya Wilson
Wilson shares her story as a Deaf climber and founder of the ASL Climbing Network in 2012 in this non-verbal film. As a Deaf woman and outdoor advocate, she is working to bridge the gap between the outdoor industry and Deaf community, making the outdoor industry and rock climbing more inclusive.
6. Where the Flowers Grow – 16 minutes, 2023, Waterbear Network
Colombia is the world’s second largest exporter of cut flowers. The industry provides 200,000 formal jobs, and accounts for 25 per cent of female formal jobs in Colombia. In this documentary Los Angeles florist Mallory Browne visits several flower farms in Colombia to learn about their innovative and sustainable floriculture practices. We are asked to consider the impact of the flowers we purchase – how they were grown, what carbon emissions did their flight to our markets create and how can we learn and support farms, like those in Colombia, that are integrating sustainability into their practices.
Waterbear Network is a platform with hundreds of documentaries available to watch. From short five-minute documentaries to lengthy films and series, it also links further information and petitions that accompany some of the films for viewers. CBC Gem is another platform with a focus on Canadian content where shows, news, movies, and documentaries are available. Waterbear and CBC can be accessed via creating a free account with an email address. Thousands of stories exist in documentary and other formats, preserving our histories and communities, looking at protecting our futures, and revealing who we are as individuals. Enjoy these documentaries, stay curious, and make time to listen to the stories of those around you and share your own!
