Documentaries
by juliathebest96 | created - 17 Jul 2012 | updated - 07 May 2014 | Public- Instant Watch Options
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1. An Inconvenient Truth (2006)
PG | 96 min | Documentary
Filmmaker Davis Guggenheim follows Al Gore on the lecture circuit, as the former presidential candidate campaigns to raise public awareness of the dangers of global warming and calls for immediate action to curb its destructive effects on the environment.
Director: Davis Guggenheim | Stars: Al Gore, Billy West, George Bush, George W. Bush
Votes: 85,177 | Gross: $23.81M
2. F for Fake (1973)
PG | 89 min | Documentary
A documentary about fraud and fakery.
Directors: Orson Welles, Gary Graver, Oja Kodar, François Reichenbach | Stars: Orson Welles, Oja Kodar, François Reichenbach, Elmyr de Hory
Votes: 18,269
3. The Sorrow and the Pity (1969)
PG | 251 min | Documentary, History, War
An in-depth exploration of the various reactions by the French people to the Vichy government's acceptance of the German invasion.
Director: Marcel Ophüls | Stars: Helmut Tausend, Marcel Verdier, Alexis Grave, Louis Grave
Votes: 4,094
4. Woodstock (1970)
R | 184 min | Documentary, History, Music
Oscar-winning musical chronicle that brilliantly captures the three-day rock concert and celebration of peace and love that became a capstone for the Sixties.
Director: Michael Wadleigh | Stars: Joan Baez, Richie Havens, Roger Daltrey, Joe Cocker
Votes: 18,448 | Gross: $50.00M
5. The Arrival of a Train (1896)
Not Rated | 1 min | Documentary, Short
A train arrives at La Ciotat station.
Directors: Auguste Lumière, Louis Lumière | Stars: Madeleine Koehler, Marcel Koehler, Mrs. Auguste Lumiere, Jeanne-Joséphine Lumière
Votes: 12,855
6. Leaving the Factory (1895)
Not Rated | 1 min | Documentary, Short
Workers leaving the Lumière factory for lunch in Lyon, France in 1895; a place of great photographic innovation and one of the birth places of cinema.
Director: Louis Lumière
Votes: 7,540
7. Empire (1964)
485 min | Documentary
A single shot of the Empire State Building from early evening until nearly 3 am the next day.
Directors: John Palmer, Andy Warhol | Stars: Jonas Mekas, Andy Warhol
Votes: 1,439
8. The Times of Harvey Milk (1984)
Not Rated | 90 min | Documentary, Biography, History
A documentary of the successful career and assassination of San Francisco's first elected gay city supervisor.
Director: Rob Epstein | Stars: Harvey Fierstein, Harvey Milk, Anne Kronenberg, Tory Hartmann
Votes: 6,569 | Gross: $0.01M
9. Harlan County U.S.A. (1976)
PG | 103 min | Documentary
A heartbreaking record of the thirteen-month struggle between a community fighting to survive and a corporation dedicated to the bottom line.
Director: Barbara Kopple | Stars: John L. Lewis, Carl Horn, Norman Yarborough, Logan Patterson
Votes: 6,616
10. Night and Fog (1956)
TV-14 | 32 min | Documentary, Short, History
The history of Nazi Germany's death camps of the Final Solution and the hellish world of dehumanization and death contained inside.
Director: Alain Resnais | Stars: Michel Bouquet, Reinhard Heydrich, Heinrich Himmler, Adolf Hitler
Votes: 21,424
11. Shoah (1985)
Not Rated | 566 min | Documentary, History, War
Claude Lanzmann's epic documentary recounts the story of the Holocaust through interviews with witnesses - perpetrators as well as survivors.
Director: Claude Lanzmann | Stars: Simon Srebnik, Michael Podchlebnik, Motke Zaïdl, Hanna Zaïdl
Votes: 10,533 | Gross: $0.02M
12. United in Anger: A History of ACT UP (2012 Video)
93 min | Documentary
United in Anger: A History of ACT UP is an inspiring documentary about the birth and life of the AIDS activist movement from the perspective of the people in the trenches fighting the ... See full summary »
Director: Jim Hubbard | Stars: David Barr, Ken Bing, Gregg Bordowitz, Jim Eigo
Votes: 156
13. Common Threads: Stories from the Quilt (1989)
79 min | Documentary, Biography, History
A collection of profiles of people dead from AIDS who are remembered in the AIDS Memorial Quilt.
Directors: Rob Epstein, Jeffrey Friedman | Stars: Sara Lewinstein, David Mandell, Suzi Mandell, Sallie Perryman
Votes: 1,078
14. Andy Warhol (1987)
76 min | Documentary, Biography
The first major profile of the American Pop Art cult leader after his death in 1987 covers the whole of his life and work through interviews, clips from his films, and conversations with ... See full summary »
Directors: Kim Evans, Lana Jokel | Stars: Andy Warhol, Paul Morrissey, Viva, John Giorno
Votes: 129
15. American Art in the 1960s (1972)
57 min | Documentary, Biography, History
Pop culture and modern media flooded the art world throughout the 1960's, giving artists new means and methods for a cultural revolution. Leading the scene of experimental and avant garde ... See full summary »
Director: Michael Blackwood | Stars: John Cage, Leo Castelli, Ron Davis, Dan Flavin
Votes: 9
16. Andy Warhol (1972)
53 min | Documentary, Biography, History
Known for his Pop imagery, avant-garde films, and enigmatic muses, Andy Warhol was a vital figure in the New York City art scene. Making a name for himself throughout the 1960's with his ... See full summary »
Director: Lana Jokel | Stars: Mario Amaya, Brigid Berlin, David Bourdon, Jackie Curtis
Votes: 17
17. Inside Job (2010)
PG-13 | 109 min | Documentary, Crime
Takes a closer look at what brought about the 2008 financial meltdown.
Director: Charles Ferguson | Stars: Matt Damon, Gylfi Zoega, Andri Snær Magnason, Sigridur Benediktsdottir
Votes: 78,910 | Gross: $4.31M
18. How to Survive a Plague (2012)
Not Rated | 110 min | Documentary, History, News
The story of two coalitions -- ACT UP and TAG (Treatment Action Group) -- whose activism and innovation turned AIDS from a death sentence into a manageable condition.
Director: David France | Stars: Peter Staley, Larry Kramer, Iris Long, Bob Rafsky
Votes: 4,354 | Gross: $0.13M
19. The God Who Wasn't There (2005)
62 min | Documentary, Biography, History
Did Jesus exist? This film starts with that question, then goes on to examine Christianity as a whole.
Director: Brian Flemming | Stars: Sam Harris, Robert M. Price, Richard Carrier, Earl Doherty
Votes: 5,051
20. The Man Who Saw Tomorrow (1981)
PG | 90 min | Biography, Drama, History
The story of Nostradamus and his predictions about the future.
Director: Robert Guenette | Stars: Orson Welles, Philip L. Clarke, Ray Laska, Bob Ruggiero
Votes: 1,244
21. The Kids Are Alright (1979)
PG | 109 min | Documentary, Music
Interviews, TV clips and concert footage make up this comprehensive profile of The Who, Britain's premiere rock band.
Director: Jeff Stein | Stars: Roger Daltrey, Pete Townshend, Keith Moon, John Entwistle
Votes: 3,921
22. Amazing Journey: The Story of the Who (2007)
Not Rated | 237 min | Documentary, Music
A documentary on The Who, featuring interviews with the band's two surviving members, Pete Townshend and Roger Daltrey.
Directors: Paul Crowder, Murray Lerner, Parris Patton | Stars: Roger Daltrey, Pete Townshend, John Entwistle, Keith Moon
Votes: 1,368
23. Dark Days (2000)
Not Rated | 82 min | Documentary
A cinematic portrait of the homeless population who live permanently in the underground tunnels of New York City.
Director: Marc Singer | Star: Marc Singer
Votes: 7,175 | Gross: $0.43M
24. Trans (2012)
104 min | Documentary, Drama, Family
TRANS is an extraordinary documentary feature about men and women, and all the variations in between. It is about the Transgender Community, perhaps the most misunderstood and mistreated ... See full summary »
Director: Chris Arnold | Stars: Masen Davis, Christine McGinn, Tiffany Woods
Votes: 158
25. The Last One (II) (2008)
TV-PG | 58 min | Documentary
In a far corner of Southern Appalachia, moonshiner Popcorn Sutton makes one last batch of true bootleg whiskey. The craft of traditional distillation is revealed along with a lifetime of memories in the trade.
Director: Neal Hutcheson | Stars: Popcorn Sutton, Floyd Sutton, Abigail Moore, Bill Milsap
Votes: 135
26. Jesus Camp (2006)
PG-13 | 87 min | Documentary
A documentary on kids who attend a summer camp hoping to become the next Billy Graham.
Directors: Heidi Ewing, Rachel Grady | Stars: Mike Papantonio, Lou Engle, Becky Fischer, Ted Haggard
Votes: 28,767 | Gross: $0.90M
27. Second Class Citizens
Documentary | Post-production
Filmmaker Ryan James Yezak embarks on a nationwide journey to find out who is responsible for him being denied the ability to donate blood. While documenting his own journey, he takes a ... See full summary »
Director: Ryan James Yezak | Stars: Shane Bitney Crone, Allison Pearlman, Ryan James Yezak, Mark Smalley-Gray
28. Taxi to the Dark Side (2007)
R | 106 min | Documentary, Crime, History
Alex Gibney exposes the haunting details of the USA's torture and interrogation practices during the War in Afghanistan.
Director: Alex Gibney | Stars: Alex Gibney, Brian Keith Allen, Moazzam Begg, Christopher Beiring
Votes: 16,799 | Gross: $0.27M
29. The World at War (1973–1974)
TV-PG | 50 min | Documentary, History, War
A groundbreaking 26-part documentary series narrated by the actor Laurence Olivier about the deadliest conflict in history, World War II.
Stars: Laurence Olivier, Averell Harriman, Anthony Eden, Albert Speer
Votes: 28,735
30. Kansas vs. Darwin (2007)
82 min | Documentary, History
Character-driven story of the politics and motivations behind the school board decision to challenge the teaching of evolution in Kansas public schools. Kansas educators and scientists ... See full summary »
Director: Jeff Tamblyn | Stars: Steve Abrams, Mustafa Akyol, Michael Behe, Ken Bingman
Votes: 22
31. Point of Order! (1964)
Not Rated | 97 min | Documentary
An unfiltered, unflinching document of the notorious 1954 Army-McCarthy hearings, compiled entirely from raw TV footage (with no narration, music, or added scenes).
Director: Emile de Antonio | Stars: John G. Adams, Roy M. Cohn, Ray Jenkins, Joseph McCarthy
Votes: 516
32. High School (1968)
Not Rated | 75 min | Documentary
Documentary filmmaker Frederick Wiseman takes us inside Northeast High School as a fly on the wall to observe the teachers and how they interact with the students.
Director: Frederick Wiseman
Votes: 2,232
33. Titicut Follies (1967)
Unrated | 84 min | Documentary
Documentary filmmaker Frederick Wiseman takes us inside the Massachusetts Correctional Institution Bridgewater where people stay trapped in their madness.
Director: Frederick Wiseman
Votes: 5,100
34. Man with a Movie Camera (1929)
Not Rated | 68 min | Documentary
A man travels around a city with a camera slung over his shoulder, documenting urban life with dazzling invention.
Director: Dziga Vertov | Stars: Mikhail Kaufman, Elizaveta Svilova
Votes: 27,932
35. Fahrenheit 9/11 (2004)
R | 122 min | Documentary, Drama, War
Michael Moore's view on what happened to the United States after September 11 and how the Bush Administration allegedly used the tragic event to push forward its agenda for unjust wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.
Director: Michael Moore | Stars: Michael Moore, George W. Bush, Ben Affleck, Stevie Wonder
Votes: 132,347 | Gross: $119.19M
36. Trainspotting (1996)
R | 93 min | Drama
Renton, deeply immersed in the Edinburgh drug scene, tries to clean up and get out despite the allure of drugs and the influence of friends.
Director: Danny Boyle | Stars: Ewan McGregor, Ewen Bremner, Jonny Lee Miller, Kevin McKidd
Votes: 724,960 | Gross: $16.50M
37. Exit Through the Gift Shop (2010)
R | 87 min | Documentary, Comedy, Crime
Following the style of some of the world's most prolific street artists, an amateur filmmaker makes a foray into the art world.
Director: Banksy | Stars: Banksy, Mr. Brainwash, Space Invader, Debora Guetta
Votes: 68,785 | Gross: $3.29M
38. The Aristocrats (2005)
Not Rated | 89 min | Documentary, Comedy
One hundred superstar comedians tell the same very, VERY dirty, filthy joke--one shared privately by comics since Vaudeville.
Directors: Penn Jillette, Paul Provenza | Stars: George Carlin, Don Rickles, Chris Rock, Chris Albrecht
Votes: 17,058 | Gross: $6.38M
39. In Pot We Trust (2007 TV Movie)
88 min | Documentary
Documentary examining the cases of five chronically ill people who have been prescribed medical marijuana as part of their treatment.
Director: Star Price | Stars: Aaron Houston, Jacqueline Patterson
Votes: 373
40. The Greatest Movie Ever Sold (2011)
PG-13 | 90 min | Documentary, Comedy
A documentary about branding, advertising and product placement that is financed and made possible by brands, advertising and product placement.
Director: Morgan Spurlock | Stars: J.J. Abrams, Peter Berg, Paul Brennan, Noam Chomsky
Votes: 15,186 | Gross: $0.64M
41. The House I Live In (2012)
Not Rated | 108 min | Documentary
From the dealer to the narcotics officer, the inmate to the federal judge, a penetrating look inside America's criminal justice system, revealing the profound human rights implications of U.S. drug policy.
Director: Eugene Jarecki | Stars: Eugene Jarecki, David Simon, Shanequa Benitez, William Julius Wilson
Votes: 5,395 | Gross: $0.21M
42. Candyman (2010)
Not Rated | 75 min | Documentary, Biography
The story of the rise and fall of David Klein, the man who invented Jelly Belly jelly beans.
Director: Costa Botes | Stars: David Herman Klein, Bert Klein, 'Weird Al' Yankovic
Votes: 303
43. Hungry for Change (2012)
Not Rated | 89 min | Documentary
Exposes shocking secrets the diet, weight loss and food industries don't want you to know about deceptive strategies designed to keep you coming back for more. Find out what's keeping you from having the body and health you deserve.
Directors: James Colquhoun, Laurentine Ten Bosch, Carlo Ledesma | Stars: Mike Adams, Nick Bolton, James Caitlin, Kris Carr
Votes: 3,236
44. Dive! (2010)
TV-G | 45 min | Documentary, Family
Follow filmmaker Jeremy Seifert and his circle of friends as they dumpster dive in the back alleys and gated garbage receptacles of L.A.'s supermarkets. In the process they uncover ... See full summary »
Director: Jeremy Seifert | Star: Jeremy Seifert
Votes: 329
45. King Corn (2007)
Unrated | 88 min | Documentary
King Corn is a feature documentary about two friends, one acre of corn, and the subsidized crop that drives our fast-food nation. In King Corn, Ian Cheney and Curt Ellis, best friends from ... See full summary »
Director: Aaron Woolf | Stars: Bob Bledsoe, Earl L. Butz, Dawn Cheney, Ian Cheney
Votes: 2,089 | Gross: $0.08M
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