Documentaries I Watched and Loved

To me one of the best things about Netflix are all the documentaries you can stream. I can’t tell you how many interesting, informative, and all around inspiring films I’ve come across that I probably would’ve never had the opportunity to see (or even know about!) with regular cable. Here are a few that I’ve recently loved:

Dior et Moi // This movie initially debuted in the spring of last year, and I remember trying to make plans to see it in theaters with a friend, and we just never got around to it. I’m so glad Netflix has it now! The documentary takes you inside the creation of Raf Simons’ first haute couture collection at Dior, during the spring and summer of 2012. It was fascinating to see how such a major, storied fashion house produces a collection, from inspiration to the final stitches. I especially loved meeting all the unbelievably skilled seamstresses who bring the pieces to life — they are truly the unsung heroes. You might remember this show as the one with all the flowers; if you loved seeing the pictures, you’ll love seeing how the sets were conceptualized. Perhaps the documentary also provides some context as to why Raf Simons recently left Dior — watch and you’ll agree, the timelines feel completely insane!

Website  ·  Trailer  ·   Watch It

Twinsters // Two girls, living across the planet from one another, discover each other through the Internet. No big deal, right? Except, they look alike. Really, REALLY alike. And they were both adopted. Could they be twins separated at birth? Directed by actress Samantha Futerman, this is a charming, fun to watch film that really hit close to home for me. Like the girls, I was born in South Korea and adopted as an infant, and have spent much of my life thinking and wondering about the siblings that I suspect I have out there in the world (while probably not a twin…who knows, right?). Watching these girls, what blew my mind the most was how two people can grow up so differently and end up so alike. It’s pretty fascinating, how much our genes play a role in who we are.

Website ·  Trailer  ·   Watch It

Chef’s Table // After we finished this six-part series, I turned to Joe and told him it was the best thing that I’d watched in at least six months. Perhaps it’s partially because of my own history with exploring the culinary arts, but I think it was primarily because hearing the stories of these incredible chefs — artists, really — was unbelievably inspiring. Each episode of Chef’s Table focuses on a chef who’s doing something really interesting with their food. And I don’t mean creating expensive, fancy dishes necessarily (though there’s that) — I think all their food is really saying something about who they are. The episodes talk about the chefs’ childhoods, their influences, formative experiences, and how they see the world. Each person’s approach and philosophies were so different, and it was interesting to compare how each arrived at them. The series is beautifully shot, and really just…immersive. Joe and I both loved it; it’s hard to choose a favorite episode/feature (though Niki Nakayama’s, which we watched last, stands out as the only female feature). If you love food, but more so, if you are a creative person or a person trying to create, you must watch this series.

Trailer  ·   Watch It