A YEAR OF DOCS

If you like documentary movies, this year’s films should suit you to a tee! I count at least eight worth seeing so far, and the year isn’t over.
Maiden is the improbable but true story of a group of determined women who enter the Whitbread Around-The-World yacht race. Tracy Edwards, a cook in her day job, gathers a mismatched bunch of British women to try their luck and skill. They are demeaned and belittled by the yacht racing establishment and the world in general. Undaunted, they brave bad weather, high seas and a sometimes leaky boat in an attempt to complete an incredible feat.
Pavarotti documents the career of Luciano Pavarotti, perhaps the world’s greatest tenor. Even if you don’t like opera much (me neither!) you will love this film. The singing is just super and he was one heck of a guy. Generous almost to a fault, he spread his talent and money freely. And Lord, what a voice! Do NOT confuse him with the disgraced Placido Domingo! 
You don’t have to be all that old to remember the glory days of 60 Minutes. And the news terrier who just wouldn’t turn loose was Mike Wallace. Mike Wallace Is Here is about that legendary reporter and the many people he hacked off. I remember him as being used as a threat- watch out, Mike Wallace could cover this!
Toni Morrison went from humble beginnings in Ohio to legendary books, the Nobel and Pulitzer Prizes and the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Toni Morrison: The Pieces I Am does a good job outlining her life and work. I must confess Beloved and Song Of Solomon are sort of over my head, but she is clearly one of our greatest writers. 
Molly Ivins was a Texas reporter and gadfly. She was unequaled in sticking it to the famous and prominent. Raise Hell: The Life and Times of Molly Ivins is a bushel of fun even if you are a reddish person. She famously called George W. Bush “Shrub” and that will give you an idea of her persona.
In 1980 Communist China, in a completely misguided effort to control population growth, enacted a policy of limiting couples to having only one child. Violators were severely punished. The main result was that most people wanted sons, not daughters. The number of female babies killed is an unredeemable scandal. Another result was a dearth of marriageable women for many years. The policy finally ended in 2015. One Child Nation is an eye-opening film about this draconian policy. Strangely enough, it is banned in China!
Other 2019 docs of note include Aquarela, a surrealistic paean to water, and Knock Down The House, the story of the four young women Democrats who changed Congress. 
All of the films in this article are available on DVD. All are for adults, but Maiden would be fine for mature young girls.