A Beautiful and Terrible Thing
by chibinekodobe | created - 06 May 2013 | updated - 30 Apr 2016 | PublicDocumentaries that are important to see.
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1. Arctic Tale (2006)
G | 90 min | Documentary, Family
Two narratives -- the life cycle of a mother walrus and her calf, and the life of a polar bear and her cubs -- are used to illustrate the harsh realities of existence in the Arctic.
Directors: Adam Ravetch, Sarah Robertson | Stars: Queen Latifah, Katrina Agate, Zain Ali, Preston Bailey
Votes: 1,946 | Gross: $0.83M
2. Earthlings (2005)
95 min | Documentary
Using hidden cameras and never-before-seen footage, Earthlings chronicles the day-to-day practices of the largest industries in the world, all of which rely entirely on animals for profit.
Director: Shaun Monson | Star: Joaquin Phoenix
Votes: 19,802
3. Grizzly Man (2005)
R | 103 min | Documentary, Biography
A devastating and heart-rending take on grizzly bear activists Timothy Treadwell and Amie Huguenard, who were killed in October of 2003 while living among grizzly bears in Alaska.
Director: Werner Herzog | Stars: Timothy Treadwell, Amie Huguenard, Werner Herzog, Carol Dexter
Votes: 61,872 | Gross: $3.17M
4. March of the Penguins (2005)
G | 80 min | Documentary, Family
In the Antarctic, every March since the beginning of time, the quest begins to find the perfect mate and start a family.
Director: Luc Jacquet | Stars: Morgan Freeman, Romane Bohringer, Charles Berling, Jules Sitruk
Votes: 59,946 | Gross: $77.44M
5. Skin Trade (2010)
78 min | Documentary
Fur is sexy, beautiful, sensuous and luxurious. Nothing feels better against your skin, and beautiful, sexy, successful people wear it. Fur is also environmentally friendly and is therefore... See full summary »
Director: Shannon Keith | Stars: Shane Barbi, Sia Barbi, Ed Begley Jr., James Cromwell
Votes: 48
6. The Cove (2009)
PG-13 | 92 min | Documentary, Biography, Crime
Using state-of-the-art equipment, a group of activists, led by renowned dolphin trainer Ric O'Barry, infiltrate a cove near Taijii, Japan to expose both a shocking instance of animal abuse and a serious threat to human health.
Director: Louie Psihoyos | Stars: Richard O'Barry, Louie Psihoyos, Hardy Jones, Michael Illiff
Votes: 51,443 | Gross: $0.87M
7. Thin (2006)
TV-14 | 102 min | Documentary
The story of four women suffering from anorexia and bulimia in South Florida.
Director: Lauren Greenfield | Stars: Shelly Guillory, Brittany Robinson, Alisa Williams, Polly Williams
Votes: 2,042
8. A Lion in the House (2006)
Not Rated | 225 min | Documentary
Five families struggle with the ups and downs of cancer treatment over the course of six years.
Directors: Steven Bognar, Julia Reichert | Stars: Justin Ashcraft, Adam Ashcraft, Dale Ashcraft, Debbie Ashcraft
Votes: 395
9. Before Flying Back to Earth (2005)
52 min | Documentary
A short documentary about a hospital ward for children with leukemia in Lithuania.
Director: Arunas Matelis
Votes: 1,179
10. Loving Lampposts (2010)
Not Rated | 84 min | Documentary
What would you call a four year old who caresses all the lampposts in the park? Quirky? Unusual? Or sick? Such labels are at the center of the debate about autism. Is it a disease or a ... See full summary »
Director: Todd Drezner | Stars: Nadine Antonelli, Simon Baron-Cohen, Billy, Kristina Chew
Votes: 70
11. For the Bible Tells Me So (2007)
Unrated | 95 min | Documentary, Romance
An exploration of the intersection between religion and homosexuality in the U.S. and how the religious right has used its interpretation of the Bible to stigmatize the gay community.
Director: Daniel G. Karslake | Stars: Imogene Robinson, Victor Robinson, Gene Robinson, Isabella 'Boo' McDaniel
Votes: 4,519 | Gross: $0.31M
12. Lake of Fire (2006)
Unrated | 152 min | Documentary
A graphic documentary on both sides of the abortion debate.
Director: Tony Kaye | Stars: Noam Chomsky, Bill Baird, Flip Benham, Dallas Blanchard
Votes: 2,735 | Gross: $0.02M
13. Miss Representation (2011)
Not Rated | 85 min | Documentary
Explores the under-representation of women in positions of power and influence in America, and challenges the media's limited portrayal of what it means to be a powerful woman.
Director: Jennifer Siebel Newsom | Stars: Jennifer Siebel Newsom, Jean Kilbourne, Jim Steyer, Katie Couric
Votes: 3,866
14. She's a Boy I Knew (2007)
Not Rated | 70 min | Documentary
She's a Boy I Knew is a comic, heartbreaking, uplifting autobiography that focuses on the interpersonal relationships of a family who unexpectedly find their bonds strengthening as they ... See full summary »
Director: Gwen Haworth | Stars: Colleen Haworth, Gwen Haworth, Kim Haworth, Nicole Haworth
Votes: 151
15. The Day My God Died (2003)
R | 70 min | Documentary
Filmed in Nepal and India this documentary presents the stories of young girls whose lives have been shattered by the child sex slave trade. The film provides actual footage from inside the... See full summary »
Director: Andrew Levine | Stars: Anuradha Koirala, Tim Robbins, Winona Ryder
Votes: 258
16. 102 Minutes That Changed America (2008 TV Movie)
TV-14 | 102 min | Documentary, History
The morning of September 11, 2001 is shown through multiple video cameras in New York City, from the moment the first WTC tower is hit until after both towers collapse.
Directors: Nicole Rittenmeyer, Seth Skundrick | Stars: George W. Bush, Joe Napolitano, Kelly Edwards
Votes: 2,907
17. Deliver Us from Evil (2006)
Not Rated | 101 min | Documentary, Crime
Documentary about Father Oliver O'Grady, a Catholic priest who was relocated to various parishes around the United States during the 1970s in an attempt by the Catholic Church to cover up his rape of dozens of children.
Director: Amy Berg | Stars: Oliver O'Grady, Thomas Doyle, Adam, Jeff Anderson
Votes: 10,825 | Gross: $30.58M
18. Blackfish (2013)
PG-13 | 83 min | Documentary
A documentary following the controversial captivity of killer whales, and its dangers for both humans and whales.
Director: Gabriela Cowperthwaite | Stars: Tilikum, Dave Duffus, Samantha Berg, Dean Gomersall
Votes: 72,434 | Gross: $2.07M
19. A Fall from Freedom (2011)
Not Rated | 82 min | Documentary, History
The first comprehensive film to reveal the long and sordid history of the captive whale and dolphin entertainment business. Many of these marine parks and aquariums are directly or ... See full summary »
Stars: Brad Andrews, Ken Balcomb, Hardy Jones, Lori Marino
Votes: 84
20. 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: 7,177 | Gross: $0.43M
21. The Invisible War (2012)
Not Rated | 93 min | Documentary, Crime
An investigative documentary about the epidemic of rape of soldiers within the US military.
Director: Kirby Dick | Stars: Amy Ziering, Kirby Dick, Kori Cioca, Jessica Hinves
Votes: 7,083 | Gross: $0.07M
22. 5 Broken Cameras (2011)
Not Rated | 94 min | Documentary, War
A documentary on a Palestinian farmer's chronicle of his nonviolent resistance to the actions of the Israeli army.
Directors: Emad Burnat, Guy Davidi | Stars: Emad Burnat, Soraya Burnat, Mohammed Burnat, Yasin Burnat
Votes: 6,639 | Gross: $0.11M
23. Chasing Ice (2012)
PG-13 | 75 min | Documentary, Biography
Follow National Geographic photographer James Balog across the Arctic as he deploys time-lapse cameras designed for one purpose: to capture a multi-year record of the world's changing glaciers.
Director: Jeff Orlowski-Yang | Stars: James Balog, Svavar Jónatansson, Louie Psihoyos, Kitty Boone
Votes: 8,864 | Gross: $1.33M
24. Nefarious: Merchant of Souls (2011)
Not Rated | 96 min | Documentary
A documentary exploring the sex-trade.
Directors: Benjamin Nolot, Matt Dickey | Stars: Christian Simpson, Jon Morgan Woodward, Chad T. Wood, Sarah Agor
Votes: 550
25. Sicko (2007)
PG-13 | 123 min | Documentary, Drama
A documentary comparing the highly profitable American health care industry to other nations, and HMO horror stories including shotgun deaths.
Director: Michael Moore | Stars: Michael Moore, Tucker Albrizzi, Tony Benn, George W. Bush
Votes: 76,829 | Gross: $24.54M
26. Fish Out of Water (I) (2009)
Unrated | 60 min | Documentary, Animation, History
A documentary that faces down the controversies between homosexuality and religion, examining Bible verses quoted as condemnatory, and discussing alternative meanings.
Director: Ky Dickens | Stars: Terri Abbott, James Bankston, Ryan Barrett, Trish Bendix
Votes: 286
27. Paradise Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills (1996)
Not Rated | 150 min | Documentary, Crime
A horrific triple child murder leads to an indictment and trial of three nonconformist boys based on questionable evidence.
Directors: Joe Berlinger, Bruce Sinofsky | Stars: Tony Brooks, Diana Davis, Terry Wood, Dick Clay
Votes: 18,139
28. Broken Rainbow (1985)
70 min | Documentary, History
Documentary chronicling the government relocation of 10,000 Navajo Indians in Arizona.
Director: Victoria Mudd | Stars: Martin Sheen, Buffy Sainte-Marie, Burgess Meredith, Laura Nyro
Votes: 281
29. Welcome to Warren (2004)
R | 30 min | Documentary, Short, Crime
Most prison documentaries focus on the inmates. This sobering program features guards and prisoners alike, giving the viewer two interpretations of life at Ohio's Warren Correctional ... See full summary »
Director: Brent E. Huffman
Votes: 192
30. Honor in the Valley of Tears (2010)
100 min | Documentary
The story of A-Company 1/8 4th Infantry Division, US Army during the Vietnam War from 1965 to 1967. In the men's own words, through the stories they narrate, the film gives us insight into ... See full summary »
Director: Eric Dow | Stars: Landis Bargatze, Tom Carty, Peter DeRita, Ralph Ely
Votes: 97
31. Baraka (1992)
Not Rated | 96 min | Documentary
A collection of expertly photographed scenes of human life and religion.
Director: Ron Fricke | Star: Patrick Disanto
Votes: 40,985 | Gross: $1.33M
32. The Last Lions (2011)
PG | 88 min | Documentary, Family
Fifty years ago there were close to half-a-million lions in Africa. Today there are around 20,000. To make matters worse, lions, unlike elephants, which are far more numerous, have ... See full summary »
Director: Dereck Joubert | Star: Jeremy Irons
Votes: 4,374 | Gross: $0.64M
33. Half the Sky (2012)
Not Rated | 224 min | Documentary
HALF THE SKY is a passionate call-to-arms, urging us not only to bear witness to the plight of the world's women, but to help to transform their oppression into opportunity. Our future is in the hands of women everywhere.
Director: Maro Chermayeff | Stars: America Ferrera, Nicholas Kristof, Diane Lane, Dipti Mehta
Votes: 283
34. White Light/Black Rain: The Destruction of Hiroshima and Nagasaki (2007)
Not Rated | 86 min | Documentary, History
Using extensive interviews with survivors and archival footage, an examination reveals the aftermath of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
Director: Steven Okazaki | Stars: Harold Agnew, Shuntaro Hida, Kiyoko Imori, Morris Jeppson
Votes: 2,324
35. A Film Unfinished (2010)
Unrated | 88 min | Documentary, Drama, History
A film about an unfinished film which portrays the people behind and before the camera in the Warsaw Ghetto, exposing the extent of the cinematic manipulation forever changing the way we look at historic images.
Director: Yael Hersonski | Stars: Alexander Beyer, Rüdiger Vogler, Hanna Avrutzki, Luba Gewisser
Votes: 1,899 | Gross: $0.31M
36. When the Levees Broke: A Requiem in Four Acts (2006–2007)
TV-MA | 51 min | Documentary
An examination of the U.S. government's response to Hurricane Katrina.
Stars: Darleen Asevedo, Jay Asevedo, Shelton Shakespear Alexander, Lee Arnold
Votes: 4,825
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