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Popular Documentary Movies

The Desert of Forbidden Art
The Desert of Forbidden Art
How does art survive in a time of oppression? During the Soviet rule artists who stay true to their vision are executed, sent to mental hospitals or Gulags. Their plight inspires young Igor Savitsky. He pretends to buy state-approved art but instead daringly rescues 40,000 forbidden fellow artist's works and creates a museum in the desert of Uzbekistan, far from the watchful eyes of the KGB. Though a penniless artist himself, he cajoles the cash to pay for the art from the same authorities who are banning it. Savitsky amasses an eclectic mix of Russian Avant-Garde art. But his greatest discovery is an unknown school of artists who settle in Uzbekistan after the Russian revolution of 1917, encountering a unique Islamic culture, as exotic to them as Tahiti was for Gauguin. They develop a startlingly original style, fusing European modernism with centuries-old Eastern traditions.
The Desert of Forbidden Art 2011
Woman
Woman
The film is based on interviews with 2,000 women from 50 countries, and covers the status of women all over the world. The topics covered include forced marriages, sexual assault, female genital mutilation, acid attacks, motherhood, sexuality, menstruation, education and the professional success of women.
Woman 2020
My Worst Enemy
My Worst Enemy
Mojtaba, Hamzeh, Zar are among other individuals who have been thrown into prison and ideologically interrogated in Iran. In this documentary, the director wants them to interrogate him as agents of the Islamic Republic might. He would like the real torturer in Iran to see himself through the film as if in a mirror. The violent experience of putting themselves in the torturer's head confronts them with their own limits and the ambivalence of the project itself.
My Worst Enemy 2024
Minding the Gap
Minding the Gap
Three young men bond together to escape volatile families in their Rust Belt hometown. As they face adult responsibilities, unexpected revelations threaten their decade-long friendship.
Minding the Gap 2018
Cypher
Cypher
Cypher is a fictional pseudo-music documentary about the artist Tierra Whack and the conspiracy theory that secret societies run the music world.
Cypher 2023
Satoshi Kon: The Illusionist
Satoshi Kon: The Illusionist
A subtle portrait of Japanese director Satoshi Kon by the specialist of Japanese cinema Pascal-Alex Vincent and a dive into a rich work. With interviews of the greatest Japanese, French and American directors inspired by his work.
Satoshi Kon: The Illusionist 2021
Period. End of Sentence.
Period. End of Sentence.
In an effort to improve feminine hygiene, a machine that creates low-cost biodegradable sanitary pads is installed in a rural village in Northern India. Using the machine, a group of local women is employed to produce and sell pads, offering them newfound independence and helping to destigmatize menstruation for all.
Period. End of Sentence. 2018
Bowie: The Man Who Changed the World
Prime Video
Bowie: The Man Who Changed the World
Experience an inside look at David Bowie's incredible influence on music, art and culture via interviews with some of the people who knew him best.
Bowie: The Man Who Changed the World 2016
Tibetan Warrior
Tibetan Warrior
The true story of one man's fight for freedom. For more than 60 years Tibetans have been fighting Chinese oppression. But their non-violent struggle appears to be in vain. Now, as a new form of peaceful protest, Tibetans are setting themselves on fire. Loten Namling - an exiled Tibetan and musician living in Switzerland - is deeply disturbed by such self-destructive action. So he sets off from Europe to India, on a one-man mission to meet top politicians, experts and young radicals. He himself becomes increasingly radical and is on the verge of violent protest. Finally he ends up at The Office of the Dalai Lama in India to seek the advice of the exiled Tibetan leader.
Tibetan Warrior 2015
Zeitgeist
Prime Video
Zeitgeist
A documentary examining possible historical and modern conspiracies surrounding Christianity, the 9/11 terrorist attacks, and the Federal Reserve bank.
Zeitgeist 2007
Born Into Brothels: Calcutta's Red Light Kids
Born Into Brothels: Calcutta's Red Light Kids
Documentary depicting the lives of child prostitutes in the red light district of Songachi, Calcutta. Director Zana Briski went to photograph the prostitutes when she met and became friends with their children. Briski began giving photography lessons to the children and became aware that their photography might be a way for them to lead better lives.
Born Into Brothels: Calcutta's Red Light Kids 2004
The Disappeared
Prime Video
The Disappeared
An investigation into the victims killed and secretly buried by the IRA during the Troubles in Northern Ireland.
The Disappeared 2013
Isle of Flowers
Isle of Flowers
A tomato is planted, harvested and sold at a supermarket, but it rots and ends up in the trash. But it doesn’t end there: Isle of Flowers follows it up until its real end, among animals, trash, women and children. And then the difference between tomatoes, pigs and human beings becomes clear.
Isle of Flowers 1989
The Last Days
The Last Days
Five Jewish Hungarians, now U.S. citizens, tell their stories: before March, 1944, when Nazis began to exterminate Hungarian Jews, months in concentration camps, and visiting childhood homes more than 50 years later. An historian, a Sonderkommando, a doctor who experimented on Auschwitz prisoners, and US soldiers who were part of the liberation in April, 1945.
The Last Days 1998
Four Men
Four Men
José Celestino Campusano is preparing a new film. To do so, he summons a group of men including Vikingo, his usual actor. The four of them reflect on their origins, violence and cinema.
Four Men 2024
Arakimentari
Arakimentari
A look at the life and work of Japanese photographer Nobuyoshi Araki and his impact on Japanese culture.
Arakimentari 2004
Tread
Tread
Pushed to his breaking point, a master welder in a small town at the foot of the Rocky Mountains quietly fortifies a bulldozer with 30 tons of concrete and steel and seeks to destroy those he believes have wronged him.
Tread 2020
Dave Chappelle: Killin' Them Softly
Dave Chappelle: Killin' Them Softly
Dave Chappelle returns for a stand-up to D.C. and riffs on politics, police, race relations, drugs, Sesame Street and more.
Dave Chappelle: Killin' Them Softly 2000
Henry Kissinger: Secrets of a Superpower
Henry Kissinger: Secrets of a Superpower
Though Henry Kissinger is often giving short statements to the media, he refuses detailed interviews about his own life. Now he has agreed to answer questions about his person in an extensive documentary.
Henry Kissinger: Secrets of a Superpower 2008
I Am Patrick: The Patron Saint of Ireland
I Am Patrick: The Patron Saint of Ireland
I AM PATRICK peels back centuries of legend and myth to tell the true story of Saint Patrick. Through historical re-enactments, expert interviews and Patrick's own writings, experience the journey from man to saint.
I Am Patrick: The Patron Saint of Ireland 2020
Romantic Comedy
Romantic Comedy
This documentary goes beneath the surface of our favorite films, seeking to better understand the way we view love, relationships, and romance. From clumsy meet cutes to rain-soaked declarations of love, these films reflect our experiences but are often just as problematic as they are comforting. Helped by a chorus of critics, actors, and filmmakers, and original songs by her band Summer Camp, director Elizabeth Sankey embarks on a journey of investigation and self-discovery.
Romantic Comedy 2020
Stanley Kubrick: A Life in Pictures
Stanley Kubrick: A Life in Pictures
With commentary from Hollywood stars, outtakes from his movies and footage from his youth, this documentary looks at Stanley Kubrick's life and films. Director Jan Harlan, Kubrick's brother-in-law and sometime collaborator, interviews heavyweights like Jack Nicholson, Woody Allen and Sydney Pollack, who explain the influence of Kubrick classics like "Dr. Strangelove" and "2001: A Space Odyssey," and how he absorbed visual clues from disposable culture such as television commercials.
Stanley Kubrick: A Life in Pictures 2001
Dangerous Days: Making 'Blade Runner'
Dangerous Days: Making 'Blade Runner'
The definitive 3½-hour documentary about the troubled creation and enduring legacy of the science fiction classic 'Blade Runner', culled from 80 interviews and hours of never-before-seen outtakes and lost footage.
Dangerous Days: Making 'Blade Runner' 2007
Emmanuelle: Queen of French Erotic Cinema
Emmanuelle: Queen of French Erotic Cinema
France, 1974. The erotic film Emmanuelle, directed by Just Jaeckin, breaks all records for cinema attendance: the story of the creation of a sensual epic that marked a turning point in the struggle for sexual emancipation.
Emmanuelle: Queen of French Erotic Cinema 2021
Life Itself
Life Itself
The surprising and entertaining life of renowned film critic and social commentator Roger Ebert (1942-2013): his early days as a freewheeling bachelor and Pulitzer Prize winner, his famously contentious partnership with Gene Siskel, his life-altering marriage, and his brave and transcendent battle with cancer.
Life Itself 2014
Jane B. for Agnès V.
Jane B. for Agnès V.
The interests, obsessions, and fantasies of two singular artists converge in this inspired collaboration between Agnès Varda and her longtime friend the actor Jane Birkin. Made over the course of a year and motivated by Birkin’s fortieth birthday—a milestone she admits to some anxiety over—Jane B. by Agnès V. contrasts the private, reflective Birkin with Birkin the icon.
Jane B. for Agnès V. 1988
A Beautiful Planet
A Beautiful Planet
A breathtaking portrait of Earth from space, providing a unique perspective and increased understanding of our planet and galaxy as never seen before. Made in cooperation with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the film features stunning footage of our magnificent blue planet — and the effects humanity has had on it over time — captured by the astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS).
A Beautiful Planet 2016
Cinéma Laika
Cinéma Laika
In the heart of the Finnish forest, the long-closed foundry of the little town of Karkkila has come back to life thanks to director Aki Kaurismäki and his creation of the town's first cinema. The peace and calm of the little town of Karkkila, nestled deep in the Finnish forest, is interrupted by unexpected sounds. In the abandoned foundry, noisy building work is taking place. Inside the building, Aki Kaurismäki is both builder and site manager of what is soon to become the Kino Laika cinema. The creation of the cinema is the talk of the town. In the factory still in activity, in a 1960s Cadillac, in a bikers' club, in the local pub, in the woods or in Aki Kaurismäki's former editing room, people start talking about cinema again.
Cinéma Laika 2023
All This Mayhem
All This Mayhem
A searing account of what happens when raw talent and extreme personalities collide. In this unflinching, never-before-seen account of drugs and the dark side of professional skateboarding, brothers Tas and Ben Pappas' intense bond and charisma take them from the pinnacle of their sport into a spiraling world of self-destruction.
All This Mayhem 2014
Zoo
Zoo
Through interviews and recreation, Zoo tells the story of "zoos," or men who "love" animals, through a group of men involved in the fatal incident involving man-horse love.
Zoo 2007
Pennywise: The Story of ‘It’
Pennywise: The Story of ‘It’
Thirty-plus years after its release, the popular two-part miniseries "It" and its infamous villain Pennywise live on in the minds of horror fans around the world. This documentary captures not only the buzz the "It" saga generated in 1990 but also the lasting impact it has had on an entire generation and the horror genre at large. Several years in the making, the film features exclusive interviews with many of the cult classic's key players, from cast members Richard Thomas, Seth Green, and Tim Curry, who portrayed the notorious monster clown Pennywise, to director Tommy Lee Wallace and special effects makeup artist Bart Mixon. The documentary also boasts a wealth of archival material and never-before-seen footage.
Pennywise: The Story of ‘It’ 2021
Love Meetings
Love Meetings
Pier Paolo Pasolini sets out to interview Italians about sex, apparently their least favorite thing to talk about in public: he asks children if they know where do babies come from; asks old and young women if they support gender equality; asks both sexes if a woman's virginity still matters, what do they think of homosexuality, if divorce should be legal, or if they support the recent abolition of brothels. He interviews blue-collar workers, intellectuals, college students, rural farmers, the bourgeoisie, and every other kind of people, painting a vivid portrait of a rapidly-industrializing Italy, hanging between modernity and tradition — toward both of which Pasolini shows equal distrust.
Love Meetings 1965
Planet Ocean
Planet Ocean
Dive into our planet's greatest mysteries with a team of international underwater cinematographers as they explore the breathtaking bond between humanity and the ocean.
Planet Ocean 2012
SoNYT: The Movie
SoNYT: The Movie
A comprehensive, contemplative recap of a life-changing two week summer program, which took place in New York City in July 2019, one year later.
SoNYT: The Movie 2020
Pahokee
Pahokee
In a small agricultural town in the Florida Everglades, hopes for the future are concentrated on the youth. Four teens face heartbreak and celebrate in the rituals of an extraordinary senior year.
Pahokee 2019
Eucharistic Miracles: The Heartbeat of Heaven
Eucharistic Miracles: The Heartbeat of Heaven
The blessed Carlo Acutis was an apostle of the Eucharist and dedicated entire years of his brief life to investigating Eucharistic miracles around the world. The film contains recordings of Carlo Acutis himself with his original voice, fragments of cartoons about Eucharistic miracles, and as well as fictional recreations about the life of the protagonist.
Eucharistic Miracles: The Heartbeat of Heaven 2024
Back on Track: Rebuilding the Waupaca Depot
Back on Track: Rebuilding the Waupaca Depot
The film chronicles the remarkable saga of Mike Kirk, a devoted model train enthusiast, whose unwavering determination, along with the support of a dedicated circle of family and friends, spearheaded the decades-long restoration of the long-abandoned train depot nestled in the heart of rural Waupaca. Through Kirk's indomitable spirit and vision, the Waupaca Depot emerges as a phoenix rising from literal ashes, symbolizing resilience and community revival. ​ "Back on Track" transcends the boundaries of a mere restoration project, delving deep into the rich tapestry of American history and the birth of rural communities. This film explores the intertwined narratives of Kirk's personal quest and the broader narrative of American heritage.
Back on Track: Rebuilding the Waupaca Depot 2024
Leonard Bernstein's Kaddish Symphony
Leonard Bernstein's Kaddish Symphony
Performed from Highland Park’s Ravinia Festival, Great Performances presents legendary composer Leonard Bernstein’s Kaddish symphony featuring the talent of Uniting Voices (formerly Chicago Children’s Choir), Chicago Symphony Chorus and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.
Leonard Bernstein's Kaddish Symphony 2023
À la légère
À la légère
À la légère 2024
King of Clones
King of Clones
From groundbreaking human cloning research to a scandalous downfall, this documentary tells the captivating story of Korea's most notorious scientist.
King of Clones 2023