I DID NOT UNDERSTAND WHY NO one mentioned the charitable work our co-worker was doing for cancer survivors. For the past two staff meetings, she was not in attendance; I assumed it was because her charitable legal work was keeping her away. She was a lawyer besides a group fitness instructor, which I found to be an unusual career combination. During what I thought was her absence, I freely mentioned to members the work she was doing for these survivors. Every time her name came up in conversation, members always had complimentary things to say about her. Now, with the news I was sharing the members were putting her on a higher pedestal, and rightfully so I felt. With me teaching mostly night classes and knowing she usually did the early morning ones; I was surprised one evening when I saw her on the fitness floor. Walking over to her, I said hello and asked how she was doing. She said all was going well and asked how I was doing. After telling her fine, I asked her how her charity work was going. She stared at me with a puzzled look and asked what charitable work I thought she was doing. When I explained what I had heard she started laughing. It turns out she was not doing charity work but was helping her folks relocate to an assisted living community. The information I received was false.      LUCKILY THAT EPISODE HAD TO DO with a noble kindness, not like what happened to me several weeks ago. I had received word that a relative had died; it was sad to hear. Reaching out to their son, I sent them a message expressing my sympathies. Not even a minute went by before I received a message back asking me what I was talking about because he had talked to his father earlier that day. I was shocked because I could not have been the first person to notify him of his father’s death; how was I supposed to respond to him? Before I could formulate my thoughts, he responded again to tell me he had just hung up the phone with his Dad and wanted to know who would say such a thing. I was embarrassed and apologized for upsetting him, telling him another relative had told me his Father had died. I told him I would find out the details. It was bizarre to me that someone would say such a thing without checking to make sure it was true. Sadly, I thought telling someone their loved one had died when it was not true was a horrible thing; but after seeing this eye-opening documentary, I see there are many of us who receive and give false information.      BEFORE WE HAD THE TECHNOLOGY, WE had word of mouth in reporting the news. Now, with the many ways one can get the news, it has become harder to discern what is real and what is fake. Directed by Andrew Rossi (The First Monday in May, Ivory Tower), this was one of the most shocking and frightening documentaries I have ever seen. The subject matter was laid out in an easy, comprehensive way that kept me absolutely engrossed with every scene. The use of interviewees such as disinformation expert Molly McKew from Georgetown University added heft to the message in this film. The things discussed in this movie, I need to mention, could easily discourage hopeful individuals. The scenes involving the twisting and lying about a news report was simply put, mind blowing. With the writers setting up the parameters of the past five+ years and the leaning towards the side of politics; I felt this made the impact more powerful for the viewer. After seeing this documentary, I kept playing scenes over and over in my head. I will go out on a limb and say this was such an important film, that I feel everyone could benefit by seeing it.                           

3 ½ stars