Unseen Enemies
A BAFTA award nominated documentary looking at advances in the treatment of infectious diseases.
Top Cast
Overview
A BAFTA award nominated documentary looking at advances in the treatment of infectious diseases.
Rating
7.0
/ 10
1 Reviews 0 Popular
1 Reviews
-
CinemaSerf7 Dec 15, 2024Made by the Shell Film Unit, this is quite a fascinating short documentary that illustrates the advances in treatment for a variety of diseases that afflict people the world over. It's largely centred in Africa where the effects of Elephantiasis and Beri Beri are clear to see on a population that's malnourished and reliant on some pretty filthy water supplies, but it also ventures into Asia and even Europe as it demonstrates just how science and in particular antibiotics can combat these debilitating and frequently life-shortening ailments. There's some interesting photography that shows us these menacingly microscopic bacteria in their natural habitat and the narration is peppered with statistics about the extent to which the human population is susceptible to these illnesses as well as to how potent inoculation, vaccination and fumigation can be, especially when coupled with improvements to the infrastructure, diet and education provided to people whose housing is little better than a cave. It's also quite noticeable just how accepting these people are of the needles and pills that perhaps their more squeamish "Western" counterparts might shy away from. There is a little of the simplistic to the thrust: mass scale manufacture, distribution and the spread of disease via modern methods of transportation are mentioned really only in passing, but it's still quite an enlightening half hour that's worth a watch if you're at all interested in the evolution of global medical and societal sciences and it still resonates today - some sixty-five years after it was made.
Recommendations
A detailing of the rise to prominence and global sporting superstardom of six supremely talented young Manchester United football players (David Beckham, Nicky Butt, Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes, Phil and Gary Neville). The film covers the period 1992-1999, culminating in Manchester United's European Cup triumph.
The Class of ‘92
7.1 2013
A documentary on the expletive's origin, why it offends some people so deeply, and what can be gained from its use.
Fuck
6.4 2006
A visual montage portrait of our contemporary world dominated by globalized technology and violence.
Naqoyqatsi
6.1 2002
A documentary focused on plastic pollution in the world's oceans.
A Plastic Ocean
7.5 2016
Unravel the case of Utah therapist Jodi Hildebrandt, whose child abuse arrest with parenting YouTuber Ruby Franke exposed a twisted tale of manipulation.
Evil Influencer: The Jodi Hildebrandt Story
6.3 2025
When Allied forces liberated the Nazi concentration camps in 1944-45, their terrible discoveries were recorded by army and newsreel cameramen, revealing for the first time the full horror of what had happened. Making use of British, Soviet and American footage, the Ministry of Information’s Sidney Bernstein (later founder of Granada Television) aimed to create a documentary that would provide lasting, undeniable evidence of the Nazis’ unspeakable crimes. He commissioned a wealth of British talent, including editor Stewart McAllister, writer and future cabinet minister Richard Crossman – and, as treatment advisor, his friend Alfred Hitchcock. Yet, despite initial support from the British and US Governments, the film was shelved, and only now, 70 years on, has it been restored and completed by Imperial War Museums under its original title "German Concentration Camps Factual Survey".
Night Will Fall
7.6 2014
Lyrical and powerfully personal essay film that reflects on the deaths of her husband Lou Reed, her mother, her beloved dog, and such diverse subjects as family memories, surveillance, and Buddhist teachings.
Heart of a Dog
6.5 2015
This documentary focuses on the actors and their journey over two summers to create the remake to the original IT, by Stephen King. The documentary originally released as bonus material, bundled with IT: Chapter Two.
The Summers of It - Chapter Two: It Ends
7.1 2019
Ross McElwee sets out to make a documentary about the lingering effects of General Sherman's march of destruction through the South during the Civil War, but is continually sidetracked by women who come and go in his life, his recurring dreams of nuclear holocaust, and Burt Reynolds.
Sherman's March
6.7 1985
Alexander McQueen's rags-to-riches story is a modern-day fairy tale, laced with the gothic. Mirroring the savage beauty, boldness and vivacity of his design, this documentary is an intimate revelation of McQueen's own world, both tortured and inspired, which celebrates a radical and mesmerizing genius of profound influence.
McQueen
7.5 2018