The World at War (1973)
The seventies were a Golden Age for cerebral documentaries with such outstanding examples as The Ascent of Man, Cosmos and Life on Earth. Such shows were content driven, relying heavily upon the quality of the script along with the charisma and gravitas of the presenter. Jacob Bronowski, Carl Sagan and David Attenborough were exemplars of this. Jeremy Isaac’s The World at War is another archetype of quality documentary film making from this decade.
Once Upon Atari (2003)
Once Upon Atari is a documentary exploring the meteoric success of the Atari company during the seventies and eighties. It consists mainly of interviews with many original Atari 2600 game development staff. Made by Howard Scott Warshaw, a programmer and author of titles such as Yar’s Revenge, Indiana Jones and the infamous E.T. the documentary provides a fascinating insight into day-to-day life at what was one of the most iconic companies of its era. The work environment as described by those who laboured there is the polar opposite of the way many businesses are structured today. This was the age of the game auteur, where successful coders were indulged.
Trek Nation (2010)
Trek Nation is a relatively straight forward documentary with a clear premise. It follows Eugene Roddenberry’s search to find out more about his father Gene and to understand the cultural phenomenon of Star Trek. Directed by Scott Colthorp the film endeavours to explore the enduring appeal of the franchise as Eugene discovers more about the father he didn't know and the show that passed him by. Through interviews with cast and crew members from all five Star Trek shows, as well as fans and celebrities who were influenced by the show while growing up, Trek Nation methodically follows a linear path. Yet this uncomplicated approach proves to very effective and surprising candid.