Although there are a lot of TV shows on Netflix, I find it important and rewarding to also watch documentaries because they are far more thought provoking than TV series are. A certain plant also makes these films far more intriguing. Here are four of my favorite Netflix documentaries (listed in a ranked order).
1. "Cooked" Episode 2 - Water
This documentary focuses on the kitchens of India and examines the consequences of highly processed foods. Water is the reason why we as a culture can combine plants and animals together to make numerous delicious meals. Since our society has become so time oriented, most people would rather buy prepared foods for the sake of time and effort. This is a beautifully filmed documentary and will inspire you to cook meals at home more often than not.
2. "Chef's Table" Season 1 Episode 3 - Francis Mallmann
Acclaimed chef, Francis Mallmann is the focus of this episode. He views food as an art and lives his life with utter freedom. Mallmann appreciates taste and ambiance and is described as being a romantic. He's an extremely interesting person to watch, mostly because he goes out into the wild to make discoveries about food. What's even cooler is that he lives on an island in Patagonia where he has to drive 100 miles on a dirt road and then an hour across a lake to reach his home. It's a rather slow-paced documentary and many people may get bored, but if you have the right patience and become engrossed in his fascinating lifestyle, you'll realize what a beautiful and peaceful life he lives. One of my favorite parts is from 6:43-7:57 because of the sound and the way it's filmed.
3. "Life" Season 1 Episode 9 - Plants
This documentary talks about life through the perspective of plants. It also touches upon the idea of time and suggests that perhaps we are in a different time sphere (if that makes sense) than plants are. We don't see plants as moving beings like ourselves, but this video speeds up the movements of plants and allows for us to see them in a whole new way.
4. "Living On One Dollar"
Two young men, both of whom grew up in middle-class American families, try to understand the reality of living in extreme poverty. They do so by trying to live on one dollar a day as many Guatemalan people do. These two men grew up similarly in different parts of the U.S. and met at Claremont McKenna College. After they finished school, they decided to make this eye-opening film.
