It's fact over fiction for me now!

The last week or so has been relatively quiet for me- and this is not something that happens to me a lot! I took advantage of this time to relax , and spent a lot of it catching up on programs that I usually miss throughout the week due to my busy schedule. Once I had run out of programs, I went in search of something more...and came across the documentary section on 4od. I don't usually watch a lot of documentaries, so was a little unsure about starting, but with nothing to lose, I picked one to watch. And then another. And another. And another. I was hooked! My mind felt more open to issues and controversial points than it ever had before, and I was finding that I had a serious interest in what was going on around me in the world- and I knew I had to share it with you all. So here is a compilation of the documentaries that I liked the most! Enjoy!

1) Things We Won't Say About Race That Are True.

This was the first documentary that I decided to watch, and the title immediately drew me in. I live in a pretty culturally diverse town, and there are always racial issues arising. People find it hard to pass comments about them without being called "racist"- even if what they are saying is true. Many of these same points were raised in this documentary, and I think that it was a brave thing to do, to speak so freely about racial issues on TV, leaving the presenter, Trevor Phillips, completely open to judgement and- more likely- criticism. I found it all very thought provoking though, and I think it's important for anyone to watch it.

2) Underage and Gay.

Underage and Gay was a documentary regarding the fact that people are expressing their sexual preferences and gender identities at a younger age than ever before- with some being just 12 or 13. I found this quite a shocking statistic, but it made me think- perhaps because we live in a world where as it is now more accepted (not entirely yet though unfortunately) to be gay, trans, asexual, however you choose to identify, it helps people to tell others about how they feel regarding their sexual orientation etc. I see this as an entirely positive thing, and think it's very sad when family and friend's choose not to accept someone's preferences in life. This documentary showed just how difficult it can be to live as anything other than straight, and I think it was  good eye-opener. 

3) The Paedophile Next Door.

I tend to stay away from programs such as this, because I am very sensitive to abuse towards children- it makes me hurl and I can't bear to think about it. However, this was a program with a new persepective, looking at paedophilia as more of a mental illness than just someone who is "disgusting" or "messed up". When I first started watching the program, my thoughts were that paedophiles are disgusting with no excuse. After the program, my mind is slightly more open to the fact that it is a genuine illness, and perhaps if we were more understanding and willing to help, we could reduce the rate of abuse towards children. It's a controversial documentary and very thought provoking indeed, I recommend everyone watches this one. 

4) My Self-Harm Nightmare.

This was a documentary that really hit me hard. Having grown up in an environment where self-harm was regularly happening and visible to me, with even some of my closest friends suffering, this program really broke my heart and made me quite emotional. It's hard hitting but factual, and I think it's important to watch this so that you can understand what people who are suffering are going through- as well as leaning some of the signs to look out for to prevent any issues from happening to someone you know. This program is likely to trigger you if you have done/are suffering and is very emotional. Watch with caution, or avoid completely if you feel it may affect you in a negative way. 

5) Dreams of a Life.

This was a real life story, turned into a film, and I have never been so entranced, so captured and wrapped up in a story/film. It's all about a woman who died alone in her house and was left there, undiscovered and unnoticed for three years. It seems so unbelievable but is all true, and I found it so interesting to watch. It's a heartbreaking story, but holds so much intrigue and mystery you almost forget that this actually happened to someone. I think the film like format made it even more enjoyable, and I would definitely recommend it to anyone. 

Have you watched any of these documentaries? Are you going to? Let me know your thoughts on them! 

Love from, 

Florence Grace