Duke's Top Documentaries for 2018... (so far & in list order)
Documentaries that informed me, shook my foundations and showed me a part of life that I would have never ventured into...
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27 titles
- DirectorMark CousinsStarsMark CousinsOrson WellesJack KlaffMark Cousins dives deep into the visual world of legendary director and actor Orson Welles to reveal a portrait of the artist as he's never been seen before.Mark Cousins' ode to Orson Welles as an artist, a humanitarian, filmmaker and lover...
- DirectorMorgan NevilleStarsFred RogersMargaret WhitmerTom JunodAn exploration of the life, lessons, and legacy of iconic children's television host Fred Rogers.A wondrous look into the soul of a gentle man of a gentleman who communicated with a child's innocence and taught the world to listen (now all undone by the orange man)...
- DirectorMarina ZenovichStarsRobin WilliamsMark RasmussenStan WilsonAn intimate look into the life and work of the revered master comedian and actor, Robin Williams.A pure comedic genius that left us too early, and this celebrates the magic he left behind...
- DirectorV. Scott BalcerekStarsThe EdgeHarry ShearerAl SharptonSATAN & ADAM chronicles the unlikely pairing of legendary one-man-band Sterling "Mr. Satan" Magee and harmonica master Adam Gussow. Shot over 20 years, the film showcases one of the greatest blues duos you probably never got a chance to see. Magee and Gussow came together on the streets of Harlem in the 1980s, a time when race relations in New York City were at an all-time low. From completely different worlds, these two musicians forged a lifelong relationship that showcases the unifying power of music.It's more than the blues in this heartfelt doco...
- DirectorAlan HicksRashida JonesStarsQuincy JonesRashida JonesKareem Abdul-JabbarAn intimate look into the life of icon Quincy Jones. A unique force in music and popular culture for 70 years, Jones has transcended racial and cultural boundaries; his story is inextricably woven into the fabric of America.The legend and the devotion to his gift of music that we are so blessed to have...
- DirectorRob EpsteinJeffrey FriedmanFilmed and edited in intimate vérité style, this movie follows visionary medical practitioners who are working on the cutting edge of life and death and are dedicated to changing our thinking about both.An observational gem from the team of Epstein & Friedman, this time dealing with the acceptance of death and those that deal with it...
- DirectorMichael MooreStarsJim AcostaRoger AilesBrooke BaldwinFilmmaker Michael Moore examines the current state of American politics, particularly the Donald Trump presidency and gun violence, while highlighting the power of grassroots democratic movements.Moore the Provocateur gives us something to really think about in these trying times...
- DirectorSteve LoveridgeStarsM.I.A.Spike JonzeMadonnaDrawn from a never-before-seen cache of personal footage spanning decades, this is an intimate portrait of the Sri Lankan artist and musician who continues to shatter conventions.A passionate artists who cares for her fellow human beings...
- DirectorMark JoffeStarsJimmy BarnesJim DuffyJack OliverBased on Barnes' memoir of the same name, this documentary tells the story of his childhood survival in the slums of Glasgow, immigration to Australia, and how he became the lead singer of Cold Chisel.The hard childhood life of Aussie rock legend Jimmy Barnes...
- DirectorMorgan NevilleStarsAlan CummingPeter BogdanovichOja KodarIn the final fifteen years of the life of legendary director Orson Welles, he pins his Hollywood comeback hopes on a film, The Other Side of the Wind (2018), in itself a film about an aging film director trying to finish his last great movie.The madness of filmmaking according to Orson Welles is both insightful and cringe worthy. Worth viewing this first before watching the movie because you'd be spellbound how they got a film out of this mess...
- DirectorIreneusz DobrowolskiStarsStanislav SzukalskiGlenn BrayRobert WilliamsThis documentary chronicles the life of Polish-American artist Stanislav Szukalski (1893-1987) from his early years in Chicago, to his time in Poland and Los Angeles, and his artistic and political contributions to the world.The unveiling of a sculptor and his fascinating and mysterious life...
- DirectorLaetitia CartonSince about 30 years ago the fans of traditional dances get together at Gennetines, a small village in the Ardeche department to dance all nights and days for 7 days. 500 musicians and more than 2000 dancers dance, dance and dance, stealing a few hours of sleep , until they lost the notion of time.An ode to the passion and love for folk dancing...
- DirectorRoberta GrossmanSophie SartainStarsGloria AllredLisa BloomHillary ClintonWomen's rights attorney Gloria Allred takes on the biggest names in American culture as coverage of sexual assault allegations in the media become more prevalent.Worth getting to know the woman who is fighting the fight...
- DirectorGabriel ClarkeTorquil JonesStarsPep GuardiolaGary LinekerJosé MourinhoThe definitive portrait of the late English football manager Sir Bobby Robson, one of the game's most inspirational and influential figures, whose legacy lives on far beyond the football field.A deserving documentation of the football legend...
- DirectorScott ChristophersonStarsJack BlackLourie BloomfieldSherry GrooProlific and eccentric filmmaker Stephen Groo tries to recruit Jack Black, to be in his latest film about human who falls in love with an elf.A cringe worthy doco on a manic no-budget filmmaker and his antics...
- DirectorSandi TanStarsJasmine Kin Kia NgPhilip CheahSophia Siddique HarveyA woman explores the events surrounding a film she and her friends began making with a mysterious stranger decades ago.Took a while to get around to the most captivating part, and that was the around the mysterious figure of Georges and his peculiar reasons for sabotaging Sandi's movie, but still captivating enough in a sort of strange way...
- DirectorAshley BellStarsAshley BellDavid CasselmanLek ChailertA team of elephant rescuers embark on a mission to rescue a 70-year old captive Asian elephant.The plight of Asian elephants through the documentation of a young filmmaker and a caring Thai animal activist who gives hope to the almost extinct creature...
- DirectorSam CullmanStarsRian MalanSolomon LindaDelphi LindaSouth African journalist Rian Malan searches for the original writers of the legendary song "The Lion Sleeps Tonight."Interesting case of a family who fights for their right to a piece of African Native music that was stolen and abused by the Western world...
- DirectorMalcolm BrabantTrine VillemannStarsMalcolm BrabantLukas BrabrantDiana Christensen'Unwell' charts the descent into madness of veteran foreign correspondent Malcolm Brabant after a routine yellow fever vaccine for an assignment in Africa.A fascinating look on how a top foreign correspondent journalist turned the camera on himself during a time of mental illness...
- DirectorJohanna DemetrakasStarsBella AbzugLaurie AndersonPhyllis CheslerFeminists: What Were They Thinking? takes aim at our current culture revealing all too vividly the urgent need for continued change.For me it was the fascination of comparing the subject matters now and then, not sure the filmmakers had any clear linear storyline to cling on to, but it still was able to reach some emotional depth...
- DirectorMatthew CookeStarsDanny TrejoPatricia ArquetteSusan SarandonToday, you're more likely to go to prison in the United States than anywhere else in the world. So in the unfortunate case it should happen to you - this is the Survivors Guide to Prison.There is plenty amiss with the U.S. prison system, and it makes my blood boil...
- DirectorRoger MichellStarsMaggie SmithEileen AtkinsJudi DenchDames Judi Dench, Eileen Atkins, Joan Plowright, and Maggie Smith get together for tea to reminisce and discuss their acting careers.Mainly just hanging out with the dames and listening in...
- DirectorMat WhitecrossStarsGuy BerrymanBeyoncéJon BucklandThe band Coldplay discuss their band, music, and rise to fame.You don't have to be a fan to enjoy their journey with some great behind-the-scenes footage captured since their inception and the honesty they convey...
- DirectorRobert Anderson CliftHillary DemmonStarsBrooks CliftSunny CliftPatricia BosworthClassic film star and queer icon Montgomery Clift's legacy has long been a story of tragedy and self-destruction. But when his nephew dives into the family archives, a much more complicated picture emerges.Worth a look to see it from the family perspective...
- DirectorRayka ZehtabchiStarsAjeyaAnitaGouri ChoudariIndian women fight the stigma surrounding menstruation and begin manufacturing sanitary pads.Challenging the perception of women's menstruation in a country still behind in attitude...
- DirectorIan CheneyStarsJennifer L. MacaladyDavide D'AngeloAxel CleeremansThe Most Unknown is an epic documentary film that sends nine scientists to extraordinary parts of the world to uncover unexpected answers to some of humanity's biggest questions. How did life begin? What is time? What is consciousness? How much do we really know? By introducing researchers from diverse backgrounds for the first time, then dropping them into new, immersive field work they previously hadn't tackled, the film reveals the true potential of interdisciplinary collaboration, pushing the boundaries of how science storytelling is approached. What emerges is a deeply human trip to the foundations of discovery and a powerful reminder that the unanswered questions are the most crucial ones to pose. Directed by Emmy-nominated and Peabody Award-winning filmmaker Ian Cheney (The Search for General Tso, The City Dark) and advised by world-renowned filmmaker Werner Herzog (Fitzcarraldo, Aguirre, The Wrath of God, Grizzly Man), The Most Unknown is an ambitious look at a side of science never before shown on screen. The film was made possible by a grant from Science Sandbox, a Simons Foundation initiative dedicated to engaging everyone with the process of science.Interesting concept of brilliant minds who pay a visit to each other to pass on a bit of worldly knowledge that makes this universe a fascinating and mysteries force...
- DirectorTamta GabrichidzeA traveling trader provides a window into rural life in the Republic of Georgia, where potatoes are currency and ambition is crushed by poverty.Interesting observational piece on the Georgian rural life and the trader who travels through it...