Documentaries worth watching
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- DirectorJennie LivingstonStarsBrooke XtravaganzaAndré ChristianDorian CoreyA chronicle of New York's drag scene in the 1980s, focusing on balls, voguing and the ambitions and dreams of those who gave the era its warmth and vitality.
- DirectorEllen HovdeAlbert MayslesDavid MayslesStarsEdith Bouvier BealeEdith 'Little Edie' Bouvier BealeBrooks HyersMeet a mother and daughter, high-society dropouts, reclusive cousins of Jackie O., managing to thrive together amid the decay and disorder of their East Hampton, NY, mansion, making for an eerily ramshackle echo of the American Camelot.
- DirectorJoshua OppenheimerAnonymousChristine CynnStarsAnwar CongoHerman KotoSyamsul ArifinA documentary which challenges former Indonesian death-squad leaders to reenact their mass-killings in whichever cinematic genres they wish, including classic Hollywood crime scenarios and lavish musical numbers.
- DirectorClaude LanzmannStarsSimon SrebnikMichael PodchlebnikMotke ZaïdlClaude Lanzmann's epic documentary recounts the story of the Holocaust through interviews with witnesses - perpetrators as well as survivors.
- DirectorBarbet SchroederStarsIdi AminFidel CastroGolda MeirA documentary on the military dictator of Africa's Uganda.
- DirectorMami SunadaStarsHayao MiyazakiYumiko MiyoshiToshio SuzukiFollows the routines of those employed at Studio Ghibli, including filmmakers Hayao Miyazaki, Isao Takahata, and Toshio Suzuki as they work to release two films simultaneously, The Wind Rises and The Tale of the Princess Kaguya.
- DirectorSteve JamesStarsWilliam GatesArthur AgeeEmma GatesA film following the lives of two inner-city Chicago boys who struggle to become college basketball players on the road to going professional.
- In January 1969, The Beatles set out to write and record new songs for their first live show in more than two years, culminating in an impromptu concert atop their Savile Row studio.
- DirectorRobert J. FlahertyStarsAllakariallakAlice NevalingaCunayouIn this silent predecessor to the modern documentary, film-maker Robert J. Flaherty spends one year following the lives of Nanook and his family, Inuits living in the Arctic Circle.
- DirectorGodfrey ReggioStarsEdward AsnerPat BenatarJerry BrownA collection of expertly photographed phenomena with no conventional plot. The footage focuses on the relationship between nature, humanity, and technology.
- DirectorErrol MorrisStarsStephen HawkingIsobel HawkingJanet HumphreyA film about the life and work of the cosmologist, Stephen Hawking, who despite his near total paralysis, was one of the great minds of all time.
- DirectorRob EpsteinStarsHarvey FiersteinHarvey MilkAnne KronenbergA documentary of the successful career and assassination of San Francisco's first elected gay city supervisor.
- DirectorCharles de LauzirikaStarsHarrison FordDaryl HannahMichael DeeleyThe definitive three-and-a-half hour documentary about the troubled creation and enduring legacy of the science fiction classic Blade Runner (1982), culled from 80 interviews and hours of never-before-seen outtakes and lost footage.
- DirectorMaya DerenCherel ItoTeiji ItoStarsJohn GenkeJoan PapeA documentary film about Haitian vodou.
- DirectorPedro González BermúdezStarsMalcolm McDowellCarmelo RomeroVicente Molina FoixDespite being one of Stanley Kubrick's greatest's films and therefore a cinema masterpiece, 'A Clockwork Orange' was banned by Spain's Franco government, a fascist dictatorship that had ruled the country for over 35 years after a cruel civil war. The film's visuals clashed head-on with the regime's strict moral codes and censors who wished to clamp down on any subversive ideas entering Spain. Surprisingly, however, the film premiered uncensored at a long-running religious film festival, the Seminci in Valladolid, located in one of Spain's most conservative cities. How could something like this even occur? This documentary, in which Malcolm McDowell (main character in A Clockwork Orange) collaborates, aims to take the audience on an adventure that answers that very question, but also poses an even greater one: can a movie change the world?
- DirectorAlbert MayslesDavid MayslesCharlotte ZwerinStarsMick JaggerKeith RichardsMick TaylorWhen three hundred thousand members of the Love Generation collided with a few dozen Hells Angels at San Francisco's Altamont Speedway, the bloody slash that transformed a decade's dreams into disillusionment was immortalized on this film.
- DirectorAlbert MayslesDavid MayslesCharlotte ZwerinStarsPaul BrennanCharles McDevittJames BakerFour dogged door-to-door Bible salesmen travel from Boston to Florida on a seemingly futile quest to sell luxury editions of the Good Book to working-class Catholics.
- DirectorBanksyStarsBanksyMr. BrainwashSpace InvaderFollowing the style of some of the world's most prolific street artists, an amateur filmmaker makes a foray into the art world.
- DirectorTerry ZwigoffStarsRobert CrumbAline Kominsky-CrumbCharles CrumbAn intimate portrait of controversial cartoonist Robert Crumb and his traumatized family.
- DirectorMichael MooreStarsMichael MooreRoger B. SmithRhonda BrittonAfter General Motors closes its factory in Flint, Michigan, eliminating 35,000 jobs, filmmaker Michael Moore undertakes a quixotic quest to interview General Motors' chairman, Roger B. Smith.
- DirectorAlex GibneyStarsAlex GibneyBrian Keith AllenMoazzam BeggAlex Gibney exposes the haunting details of the USA's torture and interrogation practices during the War in Afghanistan.
- StarsDavid AttenboroughPierce BrosnanPeter ScoonesMammoth series, five years in the making, taking a look at the rich tapestry of life in the world's oceans.
- StarsJohn HurtRoger MunnsA cinematic experience bringing you the most amazing human stories in the world. Humans and wildlife surviving in the most extreme environments on Earth
- DirectorDavid GelbStarsJiro OnoYoshikazu OnoMasuhiro YamamotoA documentary on 85-year-old sushi master Jiro Ono, his renowned Tokyo restaurant, and his relationship with his son and eventual heir, Yoshikazu.
- DirectorPeter D. HutchisonKelly NyksJared P. ScottStarsNoam ChomskyAlan GreenspanMalcolm XRenowned academic and author Noam Chomsky elucidates 10 principles of concentration of wealth and power that have led to unprecedented inequality and the hollowing out of the American middle class.
- StarsDavid AttenboroughPeter DrostRoger MunnsDavid Attenborough returns to the world's oceans in this sequel to the acclaimed documentary filming rare and unusual creatures of the deep, as well as documenting the problems our oceans face.
- DirectorMichael MooreStarsMichael MooreJohnny FancelliChristina FancelliTo learn what the USA can learn from other nations, Michael Moore playfully "invades" them to see what they have to offer.
- DirectorMichael MooreStarsMichael MooreWilliam BlackJimmy CarterAn examination of the social costs of corporate interests pursuing profits at the expense of the public good.
- DirectorMichael MooreStarsMichael MooreCharlton HestonMarilyn MansonFilmmaker Michael Moore explores the roots of America's predilection for gun violence.
- DirectorWerner HerzogStarsTimothy TreadwellAmie HuguenardWerner HerzogA 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.
- DirectorMorgan NevilleStarsDarlene LoveMerry ClaytonLisa FischerBackup singers live in a world that lies just beyond the spotlight. Their voices bring harmony to the biggest bands in popular music, but we've had no idea who these singers are or what lives they lead, until now.
- DirectorErrol MorrisStarsRandall AdamsDavid HarrisGus RoseA film that successfully argued that a man was wrongly convicted for murder by a corrupt justice system in Dallas County, Texas.
- DirectorWalon GreenEd SpiegelStarsLawrence PressmanConlan CarterIan McShaneA scientist explains how the savagery and efficiency of the insect world could result in their taking over the world.
- StarsDavid AttenboroughChadden HunterGordon BuchananDavid Attenborough returns with a new wildlife documentary that shows life in a variety of habitats.
- StarsSigourney WeaverDavid AttenboroughNikolay DrozdovA documentary series on the wildlife found on Earth. Each episode covers a different habitat: deserts, mountains, deep oceans, shallow seas, forests, caves, polar regions, fresh water, plains and jungles. Narrated by David Attenborough.
- DirectorJonas Poher RasmussenStarsDaniel KarimyarFardin MijdzadehMilad EskandariFLEE tells the extraordinary true story of a man, Amin, on the verge of marriage which compels him to reveal his hidden past for the first time.
- DirectorGabriela CowperthwaiteStarsTilikumDave DuffusSamantha BergA documentary following the controversial captivity of killer whales, and its dangers for both humans and whales.
- DirectorLuc JacquetStarsMorgan FreemanRomane BohringerCharles BerlingIn the Antarctic, every March since the beginning of time, the quest begins to find the perfect mate and start a family.
- DirectorFax BahrGeorge HickenlooperEleanor CoppolaStarsDennis HopperMartin SheenMarlon BrandoDocumentary that chronicles how Francis Ford Coppola's Apocalypse Now (1979) was plagued by extraordinary script, shooting, budget, and casting problems--nearly destroying the life and career of the celebrated director.
- DirectorCharles FergusonStarsMatt DamonGylfi ZoegaAndri Snær MagnasonTakes a closer look at what brought about the 2008 financial meltdown.
- DirectorHenrique Cirne-LimaJosue PellotStarsGinger ValdezJulissa Ortiz-RosadoJolizza ColonA documentary film focusing on a trans gender, youth beauty pageant, taking place in Chicago's Humboldt Park neighborhood. Characters offer a glimpse of their lifestyle as they prepare to compete against each other.
- DirectorWayne MahonStarsBlaine GrayAmy JenniferKristen LavesphereThe journey of Wayne Mahon as he struggles to openly and proudly love the transgender woman he is attracted to and come out of the closet to his rough and tumble, East Coast dad.
- DirectorMorgan SpurlockStarsJ.J. AbramsPeter BergPaul BrennanA documentary about branding, advertising and product placement that is financed and made possible by brands, advertising and product placement.
- DirectorAlain ResnaisStarsMichel BouquetReinhard HeydrichHeinrich HimmlerThe history of Nazi Germany's death camps of the Final Solution and the hellish world of dehumanization and death contained inside.
- DirectorAlex BerryStarsJinkx MonsoonBenjimen BlairZan GibbsDrag Becomes Him provides an intimate glimpse inside the life of internationally acclaimed drag performer Jinkx Monsoon.
- DirectorCeyda TorunStarsYaman BarlasSariArzu GölA profile of an ancient city and its unique people, seen through the eyes of the most mysterious and beloved animal humans have ever known, the Cat.
- DirectorBarbara KoppleStarsJohn L. LewisCarl HornNorman YarboroughA heartbreaking record of the thirteen-month struggle between a community fighting to survive and a corporation dedicated to the bottom line.
- DirectorPeter DavisStarsTin ChanChau DiemNgo Dinh DiemA startling and courageous landmark documentary that unflinchingly confronted the United States' involvement in Vietnam at the height of the controversy that surrounded it.
- StarsDita Von TeeseAlexa PhocéaAzy NénupharDita Von Teese, the international queen of burlesque, brings her one-of-a-kind style to the renowned Crazy Horse in Paris for a thrilling sensual show.
- DirectorFrederick WisemanStarsPhilippe DecoufléNaamah AlvaPhilippe BeauA look inside Paris' Crazy Horse, a club that boasts the greatest and most chic nude dancing in the world.
- DirectorBruno HullinStarsLumina ClassikaPatricia FollyNooka KaramelAfter having welcomed a number of guest performers on its mythical stage such as Dita Von Teese, it is Christian Louboutin's turn to take over Le Crazy Horse. The famous creator of the red sole revisits the Crazy Horse show, filmed in 3D.
- DirectorLiliana Greenfield-SandersStarsBen BradleeLiliana Greenfield-SandersBeauregard Houston-MontgomeryIn 1975, the Maysles brothers, armed with a film camera and a tape recorder recorded the fascinating mother-daughter relationship between Edith Bouvier Beale and her daughter Edie, the eccentric aunt and first cousin of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. Ghosts of Grey Gardens is a 30th anniversary homage to this groundbreaking documentary, Grey Gardens. In 2001, the then-19 year old director, Greenfield-Sanders, saw Grey Gardens and began this project. Ghosts of Grey Gardens is both a documentary on a documentary and one fan's three-year quest to glean additional information about the Maysles' subjects and capture the reason for their enormous impact on so many creative people. Greenfield-Sanders interviews the original co-director, Albert Maysles, as well as the fashion designer Todd Oldham, the writer Beauregard Houston-Montgomery, and the performance artist Johanna Went about the continuing legacy of Grey Gardens. She also interviews the current owners of the Grey Gardens estate, Sally Quinn and Ben Bradlee of the Washington Post, and films a tour of the house and grounds as they look today. Mixing her own footage with Grey Gardens footage, performance art with interviews, and monologue with dialogue, the filmmaker tells the story of the past and present of Grey Gardens.
- DirectorLeon GastStarsMuhammad AliGeorge ForemanDon KingBoxing documentary on the 1974 world heavyweight championship bout between defending champion, George Foreman, and the underdog challenger, Muhammad Ali.
- DirectorPierre StineStarsAlizéeValerie BelingaLaetitia Broqua
- DirectorJames RasinStarsCandy DarlingAndy WarholHolly WoodlawnA documentary on Candy Darling, The Life and Times of the Andy Warhol Superstar.
- DirectorJ.C. BurdineStarsJ.C. BurdineLois WrightRecords the events leading up to a seance to manifest Big Edith Bouvier Beale and Little Edie Bouvier Beale so they can attend the 35th anniversary of the original Maysles Grey Gardens film.
- DirectorTomer HeymannA group of transgender and gay Filipinos people emigrate to Israel to take care of elderly religious Jewish men. On their one day off per week, they perform as drag performers in a group called the Paper Dolls. On the political level, it explores the perils of global immigration. In this case, after the second Intifada, the Israeli government unofficially opened its doors to illegal workers to replace the Palestinians who were no longer allowed in the country. As tensions with the Palestinians eased, the government changed its policy and began to forcibly deport these foreign guest workers with dramatic consequences for our characters. On the human level, the film is about people who are rejected by their own families for being gay or transgender and who emigrate and end up with jobs taking care of other people's parents who have been rejected by their own children because they are old, difficult, etc. They work grueling hours to send money back to the Philippines to support the families that have rejected them. As unbelievable as it may seem, these very different people (old religious Jews and transgender people from the Philippines) form very deep, quasi familial bonds.
- DirectorAntonio SantiniDan SicklesStarsJason CarriónPaxx MollAlberic PradosA documentary about the power of transformation told through the eyes of 9 trans-identifying individuals in Puerto Rico.
- DirectorBeatrice AldaJ BrookeStarsLeanna BradleyCathy JambrosicWalter RothenburgerThis feature film looks at five individuals who made a decisive change later in life-to come out as lesbian, gay, or trans gender, after the age of 55. Why did they wait until their 50's, 60's, or 70's to come out? And what was the turning point that caused each of these people finally to openly declare their sexuality? From Canada to Florida, to Kansas, we find out what ultimately led these dynamic individuals to make the liberating choice to pursue fully integrated lives.
- DirectorSteve JamesStarsRoger EbertChaz EbertGene SiskelThe life and career of the renowned film critic and social commentator, Roger Ebert.
- DirectorJuliano Ribeiro SalgadoWim WendersStarsSebastião SalgadoWim WendersLélia Wanick SalgadoThe life and work of photographer Sebastião Salgado, who has spent forty years documenting societies in hidden corners of the world.
- DirectorErrol MorrisStarsRobert McNamaraJohn F. KennedyFidel CastroThe story of America as seen through the eyes of the former Secretary of Defense under President John F. Kennedy and President Lyndon B. Johnson, Robert McNamara.
- DirectorChris MarkerStarsAmilcar CabralFlorence DelayArielle DombasleA woman narrates the contemplative writings of a seasoned world traveler, focusing on contemporary Japan.
- DirectorErrol MorrisStarsLucille BillingsleyZella GrahamCal HarbertsA documentary about a pet cemetery in California, and the people who have pets buried there.
- DirectorEzra EdelmanStarsKareem Abdul-JabbarMike AlbaneseMuhammad AliA chronicle of the rise and fall of O.J. Simpson, whose high-profile murder trial exposed the extent of American racial tensions, revealing a fractured and divided nation.
- DirectorOrson WellesGary GraverOja KodarStarsOrson WellesOja KodarFrançois ReichenbachA documentary about fraud and fakery.
- DirectorMichael MooreStarsMichael MooreTucker AlbrizziTony BennA documentary comparing the highly profitable American health care industry to other nations, and HMO horror stories including shotgun deaths.
- DirectorMark AchbarJennifer AbbottStarsMikela JayRob BeckwermertChristopher GoraDocumentary that looks at the concept of the corporation throughout recent history up to its present-day dominance.
- DirectorMark AchbarPeter WintonickStarsNoam ChomskyMark AchbarKarin Aguilar-San JuanA film about the noted American linguist/political dissident and his warning about corporate media's role in modern propaganda.
- DirectorJukka KärkkäinenJ-P PassiStarsPertti KurikkaKari AaltoSami HelleA Finnish punk-rock band formed by four mentally disabled guys.
- DirectorMark HartleyStarsPhillip AdamsGlory AnnenChristine AmorThe story of the Australian exploitation genre cinema of 1970s and 80s.
- DirectorAsif KapadiaStarsAmy WinehouseMitch WinehouseMark RonsonArchival footage and personal testimonials present an intimate portrait of the life and career of British singer/songwriter Amy Winehouse.
- DirectorDavid FranceStarsPeter StaleyLarry KramerIris LongThe 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.
- DirectorDwight HemionStarsFrank SinatraGordon JenkinsNelson RiddleThe first-ever Sinatra television special, this 1965 performance showcases the Chairman in peak form.
- DirectorPJ RavalStarsNaomi FontanosJennifer LaudeJulita LaudeWhen Jennifer Laude, a Filipina trans woman, is brutally murdered by a U.S. Marine, three women intimately invested in the case--an activist attorney, a transgender journalist and Jennifer's mother)--galvanize a political uprising, pursuing justice and taking on hardened histories of US imperialism.
- DirectorAlex WinterStarsRoss UlbrichtJames ChaparroNicolas ChristinA feature documentary that explores the rise of a new Internet; decentralized, encrypted, dangerous and beyond the law; with particular focus on the FBI capture of the Tor hidden service Silk Road, and the judicial aftermath.
- DirectorBobcat GoldthwaitStarsPerry F. CaravelloDon BarrisTony BarbieriA man caught up in the glamor of being a Hollywood celebrity has no idea that the production he's in is a fake.
- DirectorKirby DickStarsAmy ZieringKirby DickKori CiocaAn investigative documentary about the epidemic of rape of soldiers within the US military.
- DirectorRaoul PeckStarsSamuel L. JacksonJames BaldwinMartin Luther KingWriter James Baldwin tells the story of race in modern America with his unfinished novel, Remember This House.
- DirectorChris SmithStarsMark BorchardtMike SchankTom SchimmelsDocumentary about an aspiring filmmaker's attempts to finance his dream project by finally completing the low-budget horror film he abandoned years before.
- DirectorKirby DickStarsBarney FrankJames McGreeveyKevin NaffAn indictment of closeted politicians who lobby for anti-gay legislation in the U.S.
- DirectorKirby DickStarsKirby DickKimberly PeirceDarren AronofskyKirby Dick's exposé about the American movie ratings board.
- DirectorMartin ScorseseStarsRobbie RobertsonMuddy WatersNeil YoungA film account and presentation of the final concert of The Band.
- StarsLee GrantMarlene SandersRichard KileyA series that features original and previously released documentaries which look at contemporary issues with strong social relevance.
- DirectorFrank SimonStarsBernard GiquelJack DoroshowJim DineThe behind the scenes of a national drag queen contest in New York City, including the rehearsals leading up to the contest, the conversations in the dressing room and the jealousies that emerge before and after the competition.
- DirectorAlexander HammidMaya DerenTwo cats have a litter of 5 kittens and then nurse, teach and play with them.
- DirectorKirby DickStarsJeff AndersonBarbara BlaineDavid ClohessyA man confronts the trauma of past sexual abuse as a boy by a Catholic priest only to find his decision shatters his relationships with his family, community and faith.
- DirectorSabaah FolayanDamon DavisStarsLezley McSpaddenMichael Brown Sr.David WhittAn unflinching look at how the police killing of 18-year-old Mike Brown inspired a community to fight back and sparked a global movement.
- DirectorRachel LearsStarsAlexandria Ocasio-CortezCori BushJoe CrowleyA look at the people involved with various political campaigns during the 2018 U.S. congressional election.
- DirectorLourdes PortilloStarsSandra CisnerosRosa Linda FregosoCherrie Moraga"Corpus: A Home Movie for Selena" is Chicana filmmaker Lourdes Portillo's foray into the legacy of the tejana singer Selena Quintanilla. Portillo interviews family members such as Selena's father and sister, community members, and anonymous fans. She also includes comments by leading Latina writers and scholars such as Sandra Cisneros, Cherrie Moraga, and Rosa Linda Fregoso.
- DirectorJack HowellsStarsRichard BurtonAn atmospheric tribute to the genius of Welsh poet and dramatist Dylan Thomas, using many of the windswept locations where Thomas himself grew up and found his inspiration. The film is hosted/presented by Richard Burton, Thomas's friend, who narrates the story and appears from time to time amidst the Welsh landscape. Burton had already appeared in Douglas Cleverdon's acclaimed BBC radio dramatisation of Thomas's 'play for voices' Under Milk Wood in the 1950s and, in the early Seventies, would appear in director Andrew Sinclair's film version as First Voice.
- DirectorBen ProudfootStarsLarry BirdLusia HarrisOscar RobertsonQueen of Basketball is an electrifying portrait of Lucy Harris, who scored the first basket in women's Olympic history and was the first and only woman officially drafted into the N.B.A. Harris has remained largely unknown - until now.
- DirectorJosh FoxStarsJosh FoxDick CheneyPete SeegerAn exploration of the fracking petroleum extraction industry and the serious environmental consequences involved.
- DirectorConstance MarksPhilip ShaneStarsKevin ClashWhoopi GoldbergFrank OzThe Muppet Elmo is one of the most beloved characters among children across the globe. Meet the unlikely man behind the puppet - the heart and soul of Elmo - Kevin Clash.
- DirectorStephanie SoechtigStarsMichele SimonKatie CouricBill ClintonAn examination of America's obesity epidemic and the food industry's role in aggravating it.
- DirectorKaku ArakawaStarsHayao MiyazakiToshio SuzukiYuhei SakuragiA look at famous Japanese animator Hayao Miyazaki following his retirement in 2013.
- DirectorCatherine CadouStarsTheodoros AngelopoulosBernardo BertolucciClint EastwoodEleven major filmmakers from Europe, Asia and America talk about Akira Kurosawa and explore some ways on which he influenced their own work.
- DirectorMatt HarlockPaul ThomasStarsBill HicksDwight SladeMary HicksPhoto-animated feature documentary, uniquely narrated by the 10 people who knew Bill best.
- StarsCharles BukowskiCharles packed his overnight bag, locked the door of his tumbledown East Hollywood apartment behind him, and took his first plane ride to the state of Washington to read at Bellevue Community College.