Harlan County, USA (1976)

An American documentary directed by Barbara Kopple.
Coal miners in a small town strike for better wages, healthcare and conditions.
This was immersive. The plot followed the strike chronologically, showing meetings and picket lines. The characters were not extremely well developed, but the combination of all of the speaking in the same manner left a lasting impression. The video was amazingly well done, considering the conditions in which filming took place. How steady could you hold the camera and how nicely could you frame things when miners are trying to block the road against scabs? The audio is what made this. Everyone in it was sporting the same Southern accent and it really created a space for the film to exist in. It let the viewer know context and environment immediately. The solo vocal music added to this effect. The songs and dialogue worked so well together to define a place. Overall, a quality documentary that covered the event well. I rate this good.

Havoc (2005)

A drama directed by Barbara Kopple, starring Anne Hathaway and Freddy Rodriguez.
A young man is making a documentary about rich white kids in Los Angeles, California. 2 of the girls get involved in a Mexican gang and cause problems for both groups.
The idea of the kid making the film about this subject was cool, but it was under-played. Most of the film was like a regular movie, when it could have been made like it was the documentary that was being made in the film. I thought the plot and characters were alright. Obviously, the style was not to my liking and I thought that it could have been executed better. I'm rating it o.k.