Highly Enjoyable Documentaries
"Documentary film without nuanced journalistic sourcing risks being sensational, tendentious or broad-brushed" - Naomi Wolf
List activity
411 views
• 0 this weekCreate a new list
List your movie, TV & celebrity picks.
43 titles
- DirectorKurt KuenneStarsKurt KuenneAndrew BagbyDavid BagbyA filmmaker decides to memorialize a murdered friend when his friend's ex-girlfriend announces she is expecting his son.
- 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.
- DirectorJoshua OppenheimerStarsAdi RukunM.Y. BasrunVolker HanischA family that survived the genocide in Indonesia confronts the men who killed one of their brothers.
- DirectorMatthew CookeStars'Freeway' Ricky RossSusan SarandonDavid SimonTen easy steps show you how to make money from drugs, featuring a series of interviews with drug dealers, prison employees, and lobbyists arguing for tougher drug laws.
- DirectorGabriel LondonStarsScoot McNairyShea WhighamWhen a legendary escape artist comes up for parole after 30 years behind bars, a chance for freedom must be weighed against his infamous past.
- DirectorBrett MorgenStarsKurt CobainWendy O'ConnorDon CobainAn authorized documentary on the late musician Kurt Cobain, from his early days in Aberdeen, Washington to his success and downfall with the grunge band Nirvana.
- DirectorAndrew MorganStarsLivia GiuggioliStella McCartneyRichard D. WolffThe True Cost is a documentary film exploring the impact of fashion on people and the planet.
- 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.
- DirectorMatthew HeinemanStarsTim FoleyJosé Manuel 'El Doctor' MirelesPaco ValenciaFilmmaker Matthew Heineman examines the state of the ongoing drug problem along the U.S.-Mexican border.
- DirectorRaoul PeckStarsSamuel L. JacksonJames BaldwinMartin Luther KingWriter James Baldwin tells the story of race in modern America with his unfinished novel, Remember This House.
- DirectorJosh KriegmanElyse SteinbergStarsAnthony WeinerHuma AbedinJordan Zain WeinerAn examination of disgraced New York Congressman Anthony Weiner's mayoral campaign and today's political landscape.
- DirectorCraig AtkinsonStarsRichard BerkJames ComeyDave GrossmanAn account of the increasing use of military weapons and tactics by local law enforcement in the United States, counterpointed with civil unrest in Ferguson, Missouri following the shooting of Michael Brown in 2014.
- DirectorEvgeny AfineevskyStarsHis Beatitude SviatoslavSaid IsmagilovBishop AgapitA documentary on the unrest in Ukraine during 2013 and 2014, as student demonstrations supporting European integration grew into a violent revolution calling for the resignation of President Viktor F. Yanukovich.
- DirectorJohn PilgerStarsFranklin BlaisdellJames BradleyBruce CumingsFrom award winning journalist John Pilger, reveals what the news doesn't - that the world's greatest military power, the United States, and the world's second economic power, China, both nuclear-armed, may well be on the road to war.
- 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.
- DirectorGabriel CarrerStarsRy BarrettBreanne TeBoekhorstJennifer De LuciaSiblings Brad and Lisa Carpenter, along with two lifelong family friends, Will and Vanessa, set out to cross Eastern Canada en route to an annual family reunion. Their road trip takes them through the scenic, isolated countryside of New Brunswick on a blistering hot summer day. They eventually make the decision to find an appealing place to stop halfway, and camp for the night. Thinking they have found the perfect haven, the group is awakened by strange noises in the forest. What ensues is a violent disturbance by masked assailants, without motive, without reason. The group find themselves living a nightmare of psychological games and physical terror; as morning dawns, the reality of what will come is more horrifying than anything the group could have ever imagined.
- DirectorBrett GaylorStarsCory DoctorowGilberto GilGirl TalkA documentary which examines copyright issues in the information age.
- 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.
- DirectorJerry RothwellStarsRobert HunterPatrick MoorePaul WatsonIn 1971, a group of friends sail into a nuclear test zone, and their protest captures the world's imagination. Using never before seen archive that brings their extraordinary world to life, How To Change The World is the story of the pioneers who founded Greenpeace and defined the modern green movement.
- DirectorSam DunnScot McFadyenStarsTom ArayaKen AyugaiRafael BittencourtA continued examination of the heavy metal subculture focusing on the adaptation and performance of heavy metal in various global communities, and how the increased import of Western cultural forms has impacted new global markets.
- DirectorRodney AscherStarsBill BlakemoreGeoffrey CocksJuli KearnsAn exploration of various interpretations of Stanley Kubrick's horror film, The Shining (1980).
- DirectorChris SmithStarsMichael RuppertA documentary on Michael Ruppert, a police officer turned independent reporter who predicted the current financial crisis in his self-published newsletter, From the Wilderness.
- DirectorAndreas HartmannKyaw Kyaw pursues the dream of seeing the punk scene take off in Myanmar, while raising awareness about persistent violations of human rights. His philosophy: A symbiosis of Buddhism and punk that rejects religious and political dogma.
- DirectorRichard PressStarsBill CunninghamAnna WintourMichael KorsA profile of the noted and extraordinarily cheerful veteran New York City fashion photographer.
- DirectorAli AkbarzadehStarsLawrence LessigTim WuPeter LudlowThe Internet is under attack. This award-winning documentary explores the threat Internet censorship imposes on free speech, innovation, and democracy.
- 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.
- DirectorHavana MarkingStarsTomislav Tom BenzonDaniel VivianJasmin TopalusicThe world's most successful diamond thieves take us into the dark world of the international jewel trade.
- DirectorBrian J. TerwilligerStarsHarrison FordThis is a story about how the airplane has changed the world. Filmed in 18 countries across all seven continents, it renews our appreciation for one of the most extraordinary and awe-inspiring aspects of the modern world.
- DirectorSteven KochonesStarsAlexandra AvakianCarolyn ColeWilliam Dudley'The War Photographers' recounts the personal experiences of award-winning photojournalists who risk their lives covering conflict in the world's most dangerous war zones. Intimate interviews and gripping imagery reveal stories of sacrifice, courage and the emotional toll endured by photographers and their subjects. Stories include New York Times photographer Joao Silva revisiting sites in his native South Africa, recalling the violence that led to that country's first democratic elections in 1994. Ashley Gilbertson travels to Midland, Texas, for the final shoot of his project documenting the bedrooms of young soldiers who never returned home from war. Other photographers shares their firsthand experiences covering conflict in Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan, Somalia, Sudan and the Middle East.
- DirectorCharles FergusonStarsMatt DamonGylfi ZoegaAndri Snær MagnasonTakes a closer look at what brought about the 2008 financial meltdown.
- DirectorAdam IrvingStarsCharles BilalCourtney BrownSally ButlerHow one man's love of transport led to a lifetime of incarceration.
- DirectorJehane NoujaimStarsAhmed HassanKhalid AbdallaMagdy AshourA group of Egyptian revolutionaries battle leaders and regimes, risking their lives to build a new society of conscience.
- DirectorOrlando von EinsiedelStarsDana AbedTia AlkerdiKhalid FarahAs daily airstrikes pound civilian targets in Syria, a group of indomitable first responders risk their lives to rescue victims from the rubble.
- DirectorGary HustwitStarsManfred SchulzMassimo VignelliRick PoynorA documentary about typography, graphic design, and global visual culture.
- DirectorMatt D'AvellaStarsDan HarrisRyan NicodemusRick HansonHow might your life be better with less?
- DirectorUrs SchnellStarsPeter BrabeckRes GehrigerHanspeter MüllerDo you know how to turn ordinary water into a billion-dollar business? In Switzerland there's a company which has developed the art to perfection - Nestlé. This company dominates the global business in bottled water. Swiss journalist Res Gehringer has investigated this money-making phenomena. Nestlé refused to cooperate, on the pretext that it was "the wrong film at the wrong time". So Gehringer went on a journey of exploration, researching the story in the USA, Nigeria and Pakistan. His journey into the world of bottled water reveals the schemes and strategies of the most powerful food and beverage company on our planet.
- DirectorSebastian JungerStarsLaMonta CaldwellMiguel CortezStephen GillespieKorengal picks up where Restrepo (2010) left off--with the same men, in the same valley, with the same commanders--but presents a very different look at the experience of war.
- DirectorTim HetheringtonSebastian JungerStarsThe Men of Battle Company 2nd of the 503rd Infantry Regiment 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat TeamJuan 'Doc RestrepoDan KearneyA year with one platoon in the deadliest valley in Afghanistan.
- 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.
- DirectorHeidi BrandenburgMathew OrzelStarsAlberto PizangoAlan GarcíaAruwihtu PizankuAn indigenous environmental activist takes on the large businesses that are destroying the Amazon.
- DirectorShirley AbrahamAmit MadheshiyaShowmen riding cinema lorries have brought the wonder of the movies to faraway villages in India once every year. Seven decades on, as their cinema projectors crumble and film reels become scarce, their patrons are lured by slick digital technology. A benevolent showman, a shrewd exhibitor and a maverick projector mechanic bear a beautiful burden - to keep the last traveling cinemas of the world running.
- DirectorRobert KennerStarsMichael PollanEric SchlosserRichard LobbAn unflattering look inside America's corporate controlled food industry.
- 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.