Blog: Documentaries

Matt O'Neill has realized many achievements. For example, over three years ago, Matt was one of two who organized a group of friends to talk politics over a beer each Thursday at Rudy's. Today, that group that has grown to 30-50 people every week, and 163 other chapters in 42 states, DC, and Ireland.

But last night, the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences recognized Matt for a different achievement - going to Baghdad last summer and returning with amazing footage of the Combat Support Hospital where doctors heroically save injured soldiers. Airing on HBO this past Memorial Day, the documentary Baghdad ER gave Americans a unique look into the realities of war.

At the Primetime Creative Arts Emmy award ceremony in Los Angeles, the Academy personally awarded Matt (and Jon Alpert, to whom I might be but am probably not related) three Emmy awards (PDF), out of a total of four received by Baghdad ER:

Outstanding Directing for Nonfiction Programming

Outstanding Cinematography for Nonfiction Programming (single-camera productions)
and the bigtime award for TV documentaries,

Exceptional Merit in Nonfiction Filmmaking

Congratulations Matt - or should I say, congratulations to triple Emmy award winning filmmaker Matthew O'Neill!

It's become fairly routine - another Drinking Liberally chapter gets started (this time, in Park Slope just in time for the State of Delusion the Union address), I go to a few parties, and The Tank hosts a terrific event (this time, a screening of Eyes on the Prize, a very important documentary about a pivotal time in our nation's history, now nearly impossible to see due to copyright restrictions).