Sep 15 2008
Lassie come Home - video that works
Back in 1966 Ken Loach set an impossibly high standard for documentary film makers with his TV drama Cathy come Home. A fictional account of a young family plunged into despair and homelessness the play caused furore in the British Parliament, was directly responsible for sweeping changes in the British Legal system and the establishment of the charity Shelter, which quickly became the prototype for homelessness charities around the world.
In 2000 the British Film Institute nominated Cathy Come Home to the top of its list of the Hundred Greatest British Television Programs, second only to Fawlty Towers.
I can’t vouch for its cinematography, but a recent documentary on dog breeding seems set to claim the number 2 spot as most influential documentary. Pedigree Dogs Exposed details the cynical breeding practices that it claims condemn millions of dogs to lives of pain, and tens of thousands of dog owners to enormous vet bills. Following the documentary, both the BBC and the RSPCA, have withdrawn support from the Crufts dog show. Crufts is the largest and most prestigious dog show in the world.
