Over the past couple of years, I’ve been watching movies professionally. It sounds odd, but when I watch upwards of 300-400 films each year (not including my Netflix and TV, which yes, I’m also addicted to), in addition to the fact that doing that is largely how I make my living, it’s safe to call me a pro viewer. Documentary comprises the majority of projects I watch, and following from that, I’ve experienced a lot of perspectives on a variety of global issues. I’d agree with anyone who wanted to argue that documentary is subjective, BUT when I’ve seen several films that deal with the same issue or perhaps different sides of a multi-faceted issue, I have discovered a more 3-dimensional view.

I’ve been toying with this idea for a while, and this is my first go at it, so excuse me if it’s rough around the edges. A “trifecta” is a bet, usually in horseracing, on which 3 will come in first. Here, it is 3 films that I’m recommending together as different facets of an issue that have given me a new way to look at or think about something happening in our world. Since they are usually docs, I can’t promise availability as that is spotty, but since most folks reading this go to festivals and that is the most likely venue, I’m going to try to make this a regular feature here.

I don’t really want to review the films entirely, preferring to give a little synopsis. If my dream came true, after viewing all three films together, we could have a discussion about the issues and what, if any, new ideas or perspectives we have come away with. We’ll see how it goes.

The Great Debacle
The world’s supply of oil is on the decline. The geopolitics of oil now is how to make the most money out of what remains, but the unasked questions revolve around how to meet the world’s energy needs when oil is no longer our primary source, and the legacy of oil and other cheap energy now and down the road. What are the coporations and governments, whose economics drive this trajectory, doing now and what will they do in the future? How does the public fit in, or do we? What are the ramifications of actions in which we are all complicit? These are some of the questions that these films brought into sharp focus for me when taken together.

A Crude Awakening: The Oil Crash
By Basil Gelpke and Ray McCormack
Self-proclaimed conservative Basil Gelpke and his co-director reveal the slow yet unmistakable downward spiral of oil. Conservatives and oil executives freely share what is common knowledge in those circles in this uncompromising and balanced look at the reality that the general public has yet to accept.

Who Killed the Electric Car?
By Chris Paine
While Martin Sheen’s narration felt a little hokey at times, there is no denying this case study of what happens when the public tries to take control of its destiny. Corrupt politicians, corporate greed and indifference, whining liberals. Taken alone, this story might simply be a sad tale; taken with these other films, perhaps there is a larger windown from which to view this specific case study.

An Inconvenient Truth
By Davis Guggenheim
A tipping point indeed. Yes, global warming is upon us and this film, taken through the lens of one who has seen the other two, takes on new significance.