Documentaries
Documentaries I have seen and enjoyed
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- DirectorMatt NormanStarsChristopher KirbyBob BeamonRalph BostonThe black power salute at the 1968 Mexico Olympics was an iconic moment in the US civil rights movement. What part did the white Australian who ran second play and what price did these athletes pay for standing up for their beliefs?
- DirectorAlex GibneyStarsJohn BeardTim BeldenBarbara BoxerA documentary about the Enron corporation, its faulty and corrupt business practices, and how they led to its fall.
- 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.
- DirectorJoe BerlingerBruce SinofskyStarsJames HetfieldKirk HammettLars UlrichThe iconic metal band struggles for two years to create their album St. Anger, dealing with alcoholism, the loss of their bass player, and the challenge of working with a psychotherapist.
- DirectorMalik BendjelloulStarsRodriguezStephen 'Sugar' SegermanDennis CoffeyTwo South Africans set out to discover what happened to their unlikely musical hero, the mysterious 1970s rock n roller, Rodriguez.
- DirectorDave GrohlStarsTrent ReznorTom PettyMick FleetwoodA documentary on the fabled recording studio that was located in Van Nuys, California.
- DirectorKevin MacdonaldStarsBob MarleyZiggy MarleyRita MarleyA documentary on the life, music, and legacy of Bob Marley.
- DirectorMichael RapaportStarsQ-TipPhife DawgAli Shaheed MuhammadMichael Rapaport documents the inner workings and behind the scenes drama that follows this innovative and influential band to this day.
- 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.About the backing singers behind many soul hits
- DirectorEva OrnerThe Network is a documentary set behind the scenes at the largest television network in one of the most unstable and dangerous places on earth, Afghanistan.
- DirectorIan DarlingStarsPaul KellyMichael BarclayKasey ChambersAn intimate portrait of Paul Kelly, Australia's foremost singer-songwriter.
- DirectorSini AndersonStarsKathleen HannaCarrie BrownsteinKim GordonA look at the life of activist, musician, and cultural icon Kathleen Hanna, who formed the punk band Bikini Kill and pioneered the "riot grrrl" movement of the 1990s.
- DirectorZach HeinzerlingStarsUshio ShinoharaNoriko ShinoharaAlex ShinoharaThis candid New York love story explores the chaotic 40-year marriage of famed boxing painter Ushio Shinohara and his wife, Noriko. Anxious to shed her role as her overbearing husband's assistant, Noriko finds an identity of her own.
- DirectorRichard LowensteinLynn-Maree MilburnStarsRowland S. HowardGenevieve McGuckinNick CaveFrom myth to legend Rowland Howard appeared on the early Melbourne punk scene like a phantom out of Kafkaesque Prague or Bram Stoker's Dracula. A beautifully gaunt and gothic aristocrat, the unique distinctive fury of his guitar style shot him directly into the imagination of a generation. He was impeccable, the austerity of his artistry embodied in his finely wrought form, his obscure tastes and his intelligently wry wit. He radiated a searing personal integrity that never seemed to tarnish. Despite the trials and tribulations of his career, in an age of makeover and reinvention, Rowland Howard never 'sold out'. With recent and moving interviews, archival interviews and other fascinating and original footage, AUTOLUMINESCENT traces the life of Rowland S Howard. Capturing moments with the man himself and intimate missives from those who knew him behind closed doors; words and images etch light into what has always been the mysterious dark.
- DirectorGereon WetzelStarsFerran AdriàOriol CastroEduard XatruchChef Ferran Adrià spends half the year making new culinary creations for his restaurant.
- StarsMassimo BotturaRuth ReichlFrancis MallmannChef's Table goes inside the lives and kitchens of six of the world's most renowned international chefs. Each episode focuses on a single chef and their unique look at their lives, talents and passion from their piece of culinary heaven.
- DirectorMatthew AkersJeff DupreStarsMarina AbramovicUlayKlaus BiesenbachA documentary that follows the Serbian performance artist as she prepares for a retrospective of her work at The Museum of Modern Art in New York.
- DirectorR.J. CutlerStarsAnna WintourThakoon PanichgulAndré Leon TalleyA documentary chronicling Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour's preparations for the 2007 fall-fashion issue.
- DirectorJoe BerlingerStarsPaul SimonMaya AngelouOkeyrema AsantePaul Simon returns to South Africa to explore the journey of his Graceland album, including the political backlash he received for allegedly breaking the UN cultural boycott of South Africa designed to end the Apartheid regime.
- DirectorDavid DworskyVictor KöhlerStarsApparatÓlafur ArnaldsScott BelskyA documentary that explores how the digital revolution of the last decade has unleashed creativity and talent of people in an unprecedented way.
- DirectorAlex GibneyStarsJames BrownChristian McBrideBobby ByrdA look at the music career of musician James Brown beginning with his first hit song, "Please, Please, Please," in 1956.
- DirectorAlex GibneyStarsFela KutiYeni KutiFemi KutiA look at the life and music of Nigerian singer Fela Kuti.
- DirectorDaniel GordonStarsDaniel GordonHyon Sun PakSong Yun KimA British documentary that follows two young North Korean girls as they prepare for the Mass Games, the world's largest choreographed gymnastics performance.
- DirectorAlbert MayslesStarsIris ApfelHarold KodaDries Van NotenA documentary about fashion icon Iris Apfel, the 93-year-old style maven who has had an out-sized presence on the New York fashion scene for decades, from legendary late 88-year-old documentary filmmaker Albert Maysles.
- DirectorMary DoreStarsChude Pamela AllenAltaJudith ArcanaA documentary that resurrects the buried history of the outrageous, often brilliant women who founded the modern women's movement from 1966 to 1971.
- DirectorSpike LeeStarsMichael JacksonJackson 5Berry GordyA look at the life of the late pop star Michael Jackson from his early days at Motown Records to the release of his hit 1979 album, Off the Wall.
- DirectorDamani BakerAlex VlackStarsBill WithersClarence AvantBenorce BlackmonA portrait of soul legend Bill Withers.
- DirectorJeffrey Kusama-HinteStarsMuhammad AliJames BrownDon KingA filmed account of the Zaire 74 soul music festival, originally intended to be in concert with the famous Rumble in the Jungle bout in Kinshasa, Zaire in 1974.
- DirectorJohn MaloofCharlie SiskelStarsVivian MaierJohn MaloofDaniel ArnaudA documentary on the late Vivian Maier, a nanny whose previously unknown cache of 100,000 photographs earned her a posthumous reputation as one of the most accomplished street photographers.
- DirectorLisa Immordino VreelandBent-Jorgen PerlmuttFrédéric TchengStarsDiana VreelandRichard AvedonDavid BaileyA look at the life and work of the influential fashion editor of Harpers Bazaar, Diana Vreeland.
- DirectorBryan FogelStarsBryan FogelDave ZabriskieDon CatlinWhen Bryan sets out to uncover the truth about doping in sports, a chance meeting with a Russian scientist transforms his story from a personal experiment into a geopolitical thriller.
- DirectorMarcus CobbledickDan JonesStarsEsteban ChavesMatthew HaymanPhil LiggettALL FOR ONE is the story of GreenEdge, Australia's first ProTour cycling team.
- DirectorJulien TempleStarsMalcolm McLarenSid ViciousSteve JonesFilmmaker Julien Temple chronicles the Sex Pistols' tumultuous rise to fame, as told by their manager, Malcolm McLaren.
- DirectorJulien TempleStarsPaul CookSteve JonesJohn LydonA film about the career of the notorious punk rock band, the Sex Pistols.
- DirectorMatt TyrnauerStarsThomas CampanellaVincent D'OnofrioMindy FulliloveWriter and urban activist Jane Jacobs fights to save historic New York City during the ruthless redevelopment era of urban planner Robert Moses in the 1960s.
- DirectorNick BroomfieldRudi DolezalStarsWhitney HoustonMichael BakerWayne LindseyTells the story of Whitney Houston's extraordinary life and tragic death.
- DirectorJennifer PeedomStarsRussell BriceTim MedvetzPasang Tenzing SherpaIn 2014, director Jennifer Peedom was working on a documentary about the Sherpas of Mount Everest when the largest avalanche in recent history occurred on the mountain, killing 16 Sherpas.
- DirectorMaiken BairdMichelle MajorStarsRaul ArevaloArthur AsheVictoria AzarenkaEver since Venus and Serena Williams started playing in tennis tournaments, they've provoked strong reactions - from awe and admiration to suspicion and resentment. They've been winning championships for over a decade, pushing the limits of longevity in such a demanding sport. How long can they last? In Venus & Serena, we gain unprecedented access into their lives during the most intimidating year of their career. Over the course of 2011, Venus grappled with an energy-sapping autoimmune disease while Serena battled back from a life-threatening pulmonary embolism. Neither Venus nor Serena let their adversities hold them back. They drew their greatest strength from each other.
- StarsStevie NicksBonoDr. Dre"The Defiant Ones" examines the partnership between Jimmy Iovine and Dr. Dre - one the son of a Brooklyn longshoreman, the other straight out of Compton - and their leading roles in a chain of transformative events in contemporary culture.
- DirectorKate NovackStarsAndré Leon TalleyBethann HardisonMarc JacobsThis intimate portrait for André Leon Tally, a fixture in the world of fashion, takes viewers on a journey from André’s roots growing up to becoming one of the most influential tastemakers and fashion curators of our times.
- 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.
- DirectorCharlotte ZwerinStarsThelonious MonkJohn ColtraneJimmy ClevelandA documentary film about the life of pianist and jazz great Thelonious Sphere Monk. Features live performances by Monk and his band, and interviews with friends and family about the offbeat genius.
- DirectorJulie CohenBetsy WestStarsRuth Bader GinsburgAnn KittnerHarryette HelselThe exceptional life and career of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who has developed a breathtaking legal legacy while becoming an unexpected pop culture icon.