The Bullfight

this pod was so well done, i love it.
i feel bad for the bulls though

Excellent, very well done.

Beautiful pod.

I'd like to comment that the only defense the pro-bullfighting faction can come up with is that bullfighting is a tradition and it's an art, and that alone is the reason they give for wanting it to carry on.

But the truth is that even traditions and arte, once they are seen by an evolved populace as being cruel and hurtful, lose their following and wither away. The argument is not that the youth have no interest in tradition. The argument is that the tradition itself is being surpassed by the moral values of the people.

For instance, cockfighting had a very long tradition in the United States. Even Washington and Jefferson are said to have participated in it. Today, it is illegal in 49 states. (The sole holdout -- Louisiana. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cockfight)

I think the young people are right about this -- the coming generations will see the end of the bullfights. But don't blame the extinction of tradition on the young. It is because the people are evolving in thought and in compassion. For example, flamenco is a Spanish art form that is growing in popularity despite its archaic and folkloric roots. No animals are stabbed to death in flamenco music and dance. Ole!

The bullfight school patrón asks where is the "barbaric" part of him. The barbaric part is not in him -- it is in a cultural view that is ending. It's an old way of thinking that values "tradition" over conscience. The torture of the bullfight will someday be compared to the torture of the Spanish Inquisition. I am glad to see it go.

This pod had great characters, great interviews and impressive footage. I would have liked to see more interviews with different young people in the cities, even just sound bites. And I would rather not run the music all the way through the piece, but use it a little less but with more precision. And use the paso doble or flamenco music for the Spanish flavor!

All in all, well done and bravo!

Good treatment of an interesting subject, glad to see you looked at both sides of the argument.

This is interesting because there is also bullfighting in my country (Colombia) specially in small towns where each year leaves victims and victims of stupid people that want to prove their "braveness" and end up injured by the horns or kicks of the bull...when it happens I feel good because at least the bull is getting back to the humans!!! and at the same time i feel sad because how Bullfighting gets to latin america is simple and degradating...The spanish conquerers that "disovered" america see that there is no bullfighting and they say that a place without bullfighting is aplace without a soul....so, my ancestors were considered soul-less creatures because they didnt have this GREAT MANIFESTATIONN OFF ARTTT!!!!....another interesting fact is that(and this can be another fact for the Black history month) is that black people ARE not allowed in bullrings..it was considered of bad luck and if a black person was to enter he or she would be kicked out of the venue coz because of them el torero(bullfighter) would have a bad artistic experience.....

i hope it ends soon....its just so ridiculous....the profbullighting community has the most irrelevant arguements...hiding abuse under the name of art is really horrible...they want to keep the tradition alive well because it attarcts tourist, because it gived a job to many peole that work for the bullrings..its just economical interest. It makes the rich feel richer and more powerful, more artsy...something for the royalty to brag about...the one guy said that just as this tradition will end so will the rest of the spanish traditions will end..well, he is wrong, good music is not gonna die!! the great singers and dancers will keep doing the real art not that crazy bull killing blood fantasia!!!

>.<

a beautiful tradition.

but very very sad.

you should get an oscar for cinematography. SO beautifully shot.

Great job, Josh - really, really well done.

Josh and Grace - you are doing fantastic work!

Great job bud! Love it!

Bravo!

Poetic cinematography, well-balanced, you actually allowed it to breath (editing), which seems like an against-the-current approach...

The skills on the part of the matadors are amazing, and the crowd hates a messy matador, so there is that aspect of a quick death being applauded - but it is gorey and cruel, no one seems to be denying that...

Tough one...

Very nice piece Josh

really well done Josh and Grace!

It was beautifully shot and leaves with the question of animal rights vs. tradition, I personally find the whole thing barbaric and disturbing, but it's not my culture and I think you were subtle in your treatment of the subject.

Great job guys! You got some excellent interviews and it's beautifully shot. Vale!

This is really good stuff...
Congratulations guys... : )

So well done. Kudos to you both. Cinematography is incredible.

The music is great!! The shots are great, and I like that it makes you think. That bull at the beginning that went down tugged at my heart strings! :)

Brilliant Josh and Grace!

Great job you guys! This looks beautiful and the interviews are really interesting. I've always admired bullfighting as a traditional art but had trouble stomaching the blood. This spoke to both sides. Congratulations!

beautiful peace josh,
i'm against killing da bulls,
so i hope you don't hold it against me.

DA BULLS.

i know Michael Jordan would cry!

What a great tradition even though it is disappearing in Spain it is still strong in many Latin American countries and I hope for many more generations. Good job in providing both sides of the issue.

Good stuff...nice to see more content out of Espana! I especially liked how you took us into the Bullfighting School, quite interesting.

Very nice piece guys. Bravo.

Poor bulls.

Bullfighting is cruel and bullfighters are cruel beasts.
They make humans look like the virus which should be destroyed. Shame!
Good job Josh with telling this story - great editing and all.

Thank you for addressing this controversial issue and presenting both sides. When I saw the bull being stabbed to death in the beginning, I cried. I believe bullfighting is barbaric--there are plenty of other ways to perserve culture and display artistry and courage without torturing or killing innocent creatures.

A great piece of work. The music, the movement, and the various perspectives make the pod a very balance piece. The pod didn't express any bias and/or prejudice about the topic, but present it in a very objective manner. I love how Josh was able to touch upon the individual and societal impact of bullfighting. Also, the conflict between tradition and social values is expressed very well in the pod. This conflict illustrates that the issue regarding bullfighting isn't just black and white, but that the issue has multiple dimensions: tradition/modern, sports/slaughter, artistry/butchery, etc. Lastly, the pod presents the unknown future of bullfighting.

One problem is the english term - bullfight which denotes at one time an actual fight which it does not and seems to the observer to be a completely lopsided affair. It's a tragedy that goes back to primitive animal sacrifices. If these were being done in Borneo or in the depths of the amazon the same critics would probably be harping on its spirituality
Anyway I prefer the portuguese one where the bull isn't killed.

Excellent pod! Glad it made it to TV!

WELL balanced pod, the interviews were not lost in the video.As always, tradition will prevail in the hearts of the true belivers; but, Man is changing. Animal sports such as bullfighting, cockfighting, and dog fighting are too brutal and sadistic to continue and I am glad of this.

This is a great piece that I will share with many people. It has movement, a great story with historical value, and the interviews were great. Soskin knows what it takes to capture the human element. I had no idea so many people were against bullfighting. Current International is one of my fav. topics to watch.

It might be a well executed piece, but I dislike the fact that it supports bull fighting. Although it might have a beautiful technique, this type of tradition is immoral and unjustified. I would've preferred a pod that would make people think a bit more about this issue. Bull fighting may be a well respected ancient sport, but in modern times it has no more value than an anachronistic tradition.

es muy interesante. muchas gracias.

I honestly didn't know how serious bullfighting was until your pod. I was literally sitting in my room going, "They kill the bulls?!"
Thank you for showing the true reality of bullfighting.

great work..im against bullfighting but i don't think is going to stop any time soon

bullfighting is just like baseball. just watching the bullfighter brought me back to my days of facing an opponent on the other team while i was pitching a ball to a batter. this 'sport' is just as adrenaline pumping as facing an competitor that is five times your size. i guarantee if i were to grow up in this area i would become a bullfighter instead of becoming an artist, thats what growing up in iowa will get you. sorry if i affend but i kill animals- to survive, i eat them.

...sometimes the bull wins, no? =D lol

Wow! This is an amazing peice. I felt sorry for the bulls. I Love the footage.

There is something very beautiful about the art and tradition. I can see how there are those that are passionate and don't want it to die.

I feel sorry for this girl...

http://girl-survives-bull-goring.hillbilly.com/

but this has to be one of my favorites of all-time =P

ouch!!! (take that matador!)

http://www.metacafe.com/watch/420878/guy_gets_a_bull_ho...

cool vid ... ive been to madrid

great video!

were any of those anti-bull fighting activists vegetarian? If they were, I can see their position but if not, very ironic that they are willling to send the cows to the slaughterhouse but they can´t stand to see the bull die (with more dignity dare I say) in the ring.

I´ve been to bullfights and even though the killing of the bull is my least favoueurite part, It´s quite a good show.

I´m a vegetarianmyself,ut I still support bullfighting! its one of those things that has "escaped" globalisation.

wow! *echoz gives pause*

that's an interesting perspective manueirda. =D