My Favorite Documentaries
List activity
172 views
• 0 this weekCreate a new list
List your movie, TV & celebrity picks.
9 titles
- 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.By far the best documentary I have ever seen. A near-perfect unison of story, soundtrack, cinematography, and editing. It stays with you for a long time.
- DirectorErrol MorrisStarsLucille BillingsleyZella GrahamCal HarbertsA documentary about a pet cemetery in California, and the people who have pets buried there.In this haunting, powerful film about a pet cemetery by Errol Morris, some small, unimportant (and yet very unique) lives open a window into what it is that makes us human.
- DirectorWerner HerzogStarsThe Dalai LamaLama Lhundup WoeserTakna Jigme SangpoWheel of Time is Werner Herzog's photographed look at the largest Buddhist ritual in Bodh Gaya, India.We can't help being drawn into this massive Tibetan festival through the voyeur-like lenses of master director Werner Herzog. The intention here is not to make the viewer "know" anything about the festival, or the people who attend it; rather, it seeks to give us an experience. I would think that even the most materialistic person would be impressed by the otherwordly quality of this documentary.
- DirectorLixin FanStarsChanghua ZhangYang ZhangSuqin ChenA couple embarks on a journey home for Chinese new year along with 130 million other migrant workers, to reunite with their children and struggle for a future. Their unseen story plays out as China soars towards being a world superpower.Few documentaries give us a sense of isolation and diminishment like this one does. By exposing a small, poor family in opposition to the multitudes of people that migrate from the cities to the rural areas in China in order to visit their relatives, we get a sense of how our lives are unimportant.
- DirectorJean-Xavier de LestradeStarsAnn FinnellPatrick McGuinnessJames WilliamsOscar-winning documentary that documents a murder trial in which a 15-year-old African-American is wrongfully accused of a 2000 murder in Jacksonville, Florida.Although the cinematography in this piece is a little bit crude, unlike a similarly-themed documentary, "The Thin Blue Line", the characters and situations are engrossing and the narrative keeps you interested until the very end.
- DirectorRobinson DevorStarsCoyoteJenny EdwardsJohn EdwardsA look at the life of an Enumclaw, Washington man who died as a result of an unusual encounter with a horse.This eerie work (which, I think, it's more of a film than a documentary) treats its horrific theme by means of long, masterfully shot scenes. The voice-overs (we rarely get to see who is interviewed) fit perfectly with the dreamy, poetic quality of the images. This is illustrates perfectly how it is possible to elevate any film to a higher level regardless of its theme.
- DirectorMarc SingerStarsMarc SingerA cinematic portrait of the homeless population who live permanently in the underground tunnels of New York City.This nightmarish black-and-white documentary about the so-called "mole people", small groups of people who live in the underground of New York City, gives us an insight into the experiences of survivors of drug addictions and "outlaws" of the economic system - even in one of the richest cities in the world.
- DirectorWerner HerzogStarsWerner HerzogScott RowlandStefan PashovFilm-maker Werner Herzog travels to the McMurdo Station in Antarctica, looking to capture the continent's beauty and investigate the characters living there.This is a glacially-paced (yet fascinating) documentary about those who live in McMurdo, a very small settlement in Antarctica. Their personalities are as interesting as the shots of underwater Antarctica, which Herzog aggrandizes through cinematography and quiet, awe-inspiring music.
- DirectorLouie PsihoyosStarsRichard O'BarryLouie PsihoyosHardy JonesUsing 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.The horrible reality of dolphin slaughter in Japan is exposed in this heist-like documentary. Courageous activists go to great lengths to show us the hidden reality of the business, and it's hard not to feel triumphant at the end. A mind-opener.