Tim Ferris's 37 Favourite Documentaries
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- DirectorRush SturgesIn this documentary, a kayaker sets out to become the first man to paddle the four great rivers that flow from Tibet's sacred Mount Kailash.
- DirectorWerner HerzogStarsWerner HerzogJean ClottesJulien MonneyWerner Herzog gains exclusive access to film inside the Chauvet caves of Southern France and captures the oldest known pictorial creations of humanity.
- DirectorPeter MortimerNick RosenStarsMarc-André LeclercPeter MortimerAlex HonnoldMarc-André Leclerc climbs alone, far from the limelight. The free-spirited 23-year-old makes some of the boldest solo ascents in history. With no cameras and no margin for error, Leclerc's approach is the essence of solo adventure.
- DirectorMorgan NevilleStarsAsia ArgentoAnthony BourdainAriane BourdainA documentary about Anthony Bourdain and his career as a chef, writer and host, revered and renowned for his authentic approach to food, culture and travel.
- 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.
- DirectorFreida Lee MockStarsAnne LamottCharles M. SchulzPerhaps best known for her widely celebrated book on writing, Bird by Bird, Anne Lamott is one of the rare artists who can teach us not only how to write, but how to live. From Academy Award-winning filmmaker Freida Lee Mock (Maya Lin: A Strong Clear Vision), BIRD BY BIRD WITH ANNIE offers an intimate portrait of the writer and her craft, interweaving the story of Lamott's life--in itself a deeply moving tale of addiction and redemption, grief and joy, intellect and faith--with a year's worth of interviews, public lectures, and readings, and footage of the writer at work, focusing particularly on Lamott's candid, humorous, and disarmingly straightforward advice on the struggles and joys of writing. In the end, the author's genuine reassurance and guidance concerning the actual process of writing--which has little resemblance to its glorified image--becomes a stirring call to action that celebrates the potential of each individual, the silencing of our inner critics, and the courage to create something honest, meaningful, and real. Poignant and inspirational, BIRD BY BIRD WITH ANNIE takes us deep into Anne Lamott's intoxicatingly brave world, one in which writing is a means of finding out who we are, how we live, and why we're here.
- DirectorKenneth EngChiben Academy is a private, powerhouse baseball academy led by Japan's most legendary tough-as-nails coach, Takashima-kantoku. Over 35 years, Takashima has led his teams to Koshien a record 21 times, and won 3 National titles. Through extensive interviews we reveal the mindset of the man many Japanese consider a "living Samurai". His training regimen focuses not on technique, but rather on developing fighting spirit . In blistering heat or driving rain, the team trains at least 8 hours a day, 360 days a year. At Chiben, two young recruits, Maeda and Hashimoto, explain their lives as aspiring professional players. They have chosen to put aside their education and their families in pursuit of their baseball dreams. But they can't go pro unless they make it to Koshien. The Chiben Cheer Squad is also legendary throughout Japan, and their senior leader, Furukawa, explains why they too must train so hard. Whenever Chiben plays a game, they bring the cheer squad, the brass band, cheerleaders, and the entire school (one thousand strong). Chiben enters the Wakayama tournament as defending champions and coasts through their first few games. But in the world of high school baseball, there are no "sure things". Tennoji is one of the top public schools in Osaka, and students must pass a rigorous exam to get in. Their baseball coach, Masa-sensei, explains how high school baseball will train his students' hearts for life outside baseball. All the same, everybody dreams of Koshien. With such an intense focus on academics, baseball is squeezed into the early morning or late afternoon. They do not have the funding or the scholarships to recruit players, so their chances of making it to Koshien are microscopic. They have not made it to Koshien since 1949. Nevertheless, they practice year-round, six days a week -- before and after school hours -- as well as during vacations, with financial support from their alumni. Senior third baseman Daisuke wakes up at 4 a.m. to travel to morning practice, with lunch from his mom and a ride to the station from dad. Maeda, the team's senior captain, faces great pressure not only as leader, but also as the team's best hitter and ace pitcher. Maeda's father skips work to see his games. Haruki has worked hard and shown improvement for three years, but isn't a great player. When it is time for the team to be announced, Haruki faces the prospect of watching from the stands as his last chance to play in the tournament slips away. Manager-girl Misaki explains her role and gives insight into the role of women in the male-dominated world of high school baseball. Tennoji enters the Osaka summer tournament - Japan's toughest - where 190 schools compete for just one spot at Koshien. Feeling the pressure, Tennoji plays hard through adversity when star second-baseman Kadoya breaks his nose at practice and can't play. But for Tennoji, Koshien is an impossible dream...or is it?
- DirectorNapoleon A. ChagnonStarsNapoleon A. ChagnonDedeheiwäThis film is an exceptionally vivid portrayal of shamanic activity, as well as an exploration of the close connection between politics and shamanism in Yanomamo culture. The shaman plays a vital role in Yanomamo society, for it is he who calls, commands, and often is possessed by spirits, or hekura. "Like myriad glowing butterflies dancing in the sky," the hekura come down invisible trails from the mountain tops when they are summoned. A powerful shaman such as Dedeheiwa, who is known even in distant villages, manipulates not only the spirits of the mountains but also those that live within his own body. The body is a vehicle for the hekura: lured by beautiful body paint, they enter the feet and eventually settle in the chest. MAGICAL DEATH shows how shamanic drama is enacted, led by Dedeheiwa. Dedeheiwa and other shamans prepare by taking hallucinogenic drugs which enable them to speak to and become the spirits. Dedeheiwa calls a "hot and meat-hungry" hekura to devour the children's souls with fire. Then the shamans become their victims, as they writhe like dying children in a pile of ashes. Becoming hekura spirits again, they devour the ashes representing the dead children. The first day's drama ends when Dedeheiwa himself falls unconscious, attacked by a magical hook sent from another enemy. The second day, the elaborate drama resumes, as Dedeheiwa becomes a young man from the enemy village who dodges the shamans' attacks but eventually is destroyed.
- 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.
- DirectorWilliam KarelStarsJonathan FranzenNicole KraussPhilip RothExplore the life of Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award winning novelist Philip Roth, often referred to as the greatest living American writer.
- DirectorBrian EpsteinAs the Amazon Rain Forest faces a crucial tipping point amidst the increase of illegal logging activities, Dan Harris and his team embed with the Guardians, a small indigenous group taking up arms to hunt down illegal loggers and fight for their land.
- DirectorJames LebrechtNicole NewnhamStarsJames LebrechtLionel Je'WoodyardJoseph O'ConorDown the road from Woodstock, a revolution blossomed at a ramshackle summer camp for teenagers with disabilities, transforming their lives and igniting a landmark movement.
- DirectorReuben AtlasJerry RothwellStarsLaurent PonsotJay McInerneyJefery LevyDocumentary about the fine and rare wine auction market centering around a counterfeiter who befriended the rich and powerful and sold millions of dollars of fraudulent wine through the top auction houses.
- DirectorLes BlankStarsWerner HerzogKlaus KinskiClaudia CardinaleA documentary following German auteur Werner Herzog as he deals with difficult actors, bad weather and getting a boat over a mountain, all in an effort to make his film Fitzcarraldo (1982).
- DirectorJairus McLearyGethin AldousStarsBrian NazarofChris RentonAlvin 'Bud' WheelerSet inside a single room in Folsom Prison, three men from the outside participate in a four-day group-therapy retreat with a group of incarcerated men for a real look at the challenges of rehabilitation.
- StarsMichael JordanPhil JacksonScottie PippenLed by Michael Jordan, the 1990s Chicago Bulls establish themselves as one of the most notable dynasties in sports history.
- DirectorTyler ChandlerStarsAdrianneTyler ChandlerNicholas MeyersAfter years of prescription medications failed her, a woman turns to the underground to try and overcome her depression, anxiety, and opioid addiction with illegal psychedelic medicine, like magic mushrooms and iboga.
- DirectorAvi BelkinStarsMike WallaceSpiro AgnewJonathan AlterA look at the career of 60 Minutes (1968) newsman, Mike Wallace.
- DirectorPatricia MarcocciaStarsGregg HurwitzEthan KleinJordan B. PetersonA documentary about the controversial Canadian university professor Jordan B. Peterson.
- DirectorLuke KoremStarsRichard TurnerJohnny ThompsonMax MavenSixty-two year old Richard Turner is renowned as one of the world's greatest card magicians, yet he is completely blind. This is an in-depth look at a complex character who is one of magic's greatest hidden treasures.
- DirectorLuc CôtéFrom Shock to Awe, an intimate and raw look at the transformational journey of two combat veterans suffering from severe trauma as they abandon pharmaceuticals to seek relief through the mind-expanding world of psychedelics.
- DirectorJason WiseStarsBo BarrettShayn BjornholmDave CaubleFour sommeliers attempt to pass the prestigious Master Sommelier exam, a test with one of the lowest pass rates in the world.
- DirectorSeth GordonStarsSteve WiebeBilly MitchellMark AlpigerDie-hard gamers compete to break world records on classic arcade games.
- DirectorMark BeckerJennifer GrausmanInfamously blunt, Wilma Stephenson runs a "boot camp" teaching Culinary Arts at Frankford High, disciplining her students into capable chefs and responsible students. But behind her tough exterior is a teacher who cares passionately about getting the best out of her kids.
- StarsWill SmithChris HadfieldJerry LinengerThe extraordinary story of Earth and why it is special and uniquely brimming with life among a largely unknown but harsh cosmic arena; astronauts tell the story of Earth through a unique perspective.
- DirectorVikram GandhiStarsVikram GandhiTobyGregA documentary about a man who impersonates a wise Indian Guru and builds a following in Arizona. At the height of his popularity, the Guru Kumaré must reveal his true identity to his disciples and unveil his greatest teaching of all.
- DirectorGil KarniThousands of victims of PTSD in Israel live with no hope. In recent years an innovative treatment for PTSD was developed - psycho active substances. The film documents victims of PTSD, over a period of several years, who are treated with MDMA at the Beer Yaakov Mental Health Center. In the film, we return with the PTSD patients to the site of the trauma, to their lives before and to the long and complex road that is fully documented and which provides a rare glimpse into a treatment/research process that restores their will to live. The protagonists courageously consented to allow us to use the trial footage, knowing the importance of this unusual treatment that they underwent.
- DirectorGabe PolskyStarsWayne GretzkyJerry RicePeléThrough the eyes of the greatest athletes of all time, IN SEARCH OF GREATNESS is a cinematic journey into the secrets of genius.
- DirectorTellerStarsTim JenisonPenn JilletteMartin MullInventor Tim Jenison seeks to understand the painting techniques used by Dutch Master Johannes Vermeer.
- DirectorNathaniel KahnStarsJeff KoonsPaul SchimmelLarry PoonsWith unprecedented access to pivotal artists and the white-hot market surrounding them, this film dives deep into the contemporary art world, holding a fun-house mirror up to our values and times.
- DirectorThomas RiedelsheimerStarsAndy GoldsworthyAnna GoldsworthyHolly GoldsworthyPortrait of Andy Goldsworthy, an artist whose specialty is ephemeral sculptures made from elements of nature.
- DirectorDon HardyDana NachmanStarsDiane MeerTerry BlosserJanet GearheartPick of the Litter follows a litter of puppies from the moment they're born and begin their quest to become Guide Dogs for the Blind, the ultimate canine career. Cameras follow these pups through a two-year odyssey as they train to become dogs whose ultimate responsibility is to protect their blind partners from harm. Along the way, the dogs meet a community of dedicated individuals who train them to do amazing, life-changing things in the service of their human. The stakes are high and not every dog can make the cut. Only the best of the best. The pick of the litter.
- DirectorMorgan NevilleStarsFred RogersMargaret WhitmerTom JunodAn exploration of the life, lessons, and legacy of iconic children's television host Fred Rogers.
- DirectorJimmy ChinElizabeth Chai VasarhelyiStarsAlex HonnoldTommy CaldwellJimmy ChinAlex Honnold faces the biggest challenge of his career, climbing El Capitan in Yosemite National Park. He pursues it Free Solo, which means climbing without a rope and alone.