Movies - Documentary
by kafja | created - 19 Aug 2014 | updated - 12 Jan 2019 | Public- Instant Watch Options
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1. Nanook of the North (1922)
Passed | 78 min | Documentary
In this silent predecessor to the modern documentary, film-maker Robert J. Flaherty spends one year following the lives of Nanook and his family, Inuits living in the Arctic Circle.
Director: Robert J. Flaherty | Stars: Allakariallak, Alice Nevalinga, Cunayou, Allegoo
Votes: 13,444
2. Kon-Tiki (1950)
Approved | 77 min | Documentary
A documentary about the Kon-Tiki expedition of the Norwegian explorer Thor Heyerdahl.
Director: Thor Heyerdahl | Stars: Thor Heyerdahl, Herman Watzinger, Erik Hesselberg, Knut Haugland
Votes: 2,805
3. The Living Desert (1953)
G | 69 min | Family, Documentary
Although first glance reveals little more than stones and sand, the desert is alive. Witness moving rocks, spitting mud pots, gorgeous flowers and the never-ending battle for survival between creatures of every shape, size and description.
Director: James Algar | Star: Winston Hibler
Votes: 1,714
4. Letter from Siberia (1958)
62 min | Documentary
A witty examination of life and culture in Siberia.
Director: Chris Marker | Star: Georges Rouquier
Votes: 845
5. The War Game (1966)
48 min | Drama, War
A docudrama depicting a hypothetical nuclear attack on Britain.
Director: Peter Watkins | Stars: Michael Aspel, Peter Graham, Dave Baldwin, Kathy Staff
Votes: 7,293
6. Chariots of the Gods (1970)
G | 92 min | Documentary
Based on Erich Von Daniken's book purporting to prove that throughout history aliens have visited earth.
Director: Harald Reinl | Stars: Heinz-Detlev Bock, Klaus Kindler, Christian Marschall, Aleksandr Kazantsev
Votes: 1,741 | Gross: $25.95M
7. Sans Soleil (1983)
Not Rated | 100 min | Documentary, Drama
A woman narrates the contemplative writings of a seasoned world traveler, focusing on contemporary Japan.
Director: Chris Marker | Stars: Amilcar Cabral, Florence Delay, Arielle Dombasle, Riyoko Ikeda
Votes: 12,122 | Gross: $0.03M
8. Style Wars (1983 TV Movie)
Not Rated | 69 min | Documentary, Music
A documentary that exposes the rich growing subculture of hip-hop that was developing in New York City in the late '70s and early '80s, specifically focusing on graffiti art and breakdancing.
Director: Tony Silver | Stars: Demon, Kase 2, Eric Haze, D. 5
Votes: 3,296
9. Baraka (1992)
Not Rated | 96 min | Documentary
A collection of expertly photographed scenes of human life and religion.
Director: Ron Fricke | Star: Patrick Disanto
Votes: 40,956 | Gross: $1.33M
10. Gray's Anatomy (1996)
Not Rated | 80 min | Comedy, Drama
After doctors inform him that an eye affliction will require risky surgery, monologist Spalding Gray recounts his various pursuits for alternative medicine to avoid the doctor's scalpel.
Director: Steven Soderbergh | Stars: Spalding Gray, Mike McLaughlin, Melissa Robertson, Alvin Henry
Votes: 2,524
11. Level Five (1997)
Not Rated | 106 min | Documentary, Romance, War
The French computer programmer Laura inherits the task of making a computer game of the Battle of Okinawa during World War II. She searches the internet for information on the battle, and ... See full summary »
Director: Chris Marker | Stars: Catherine Belkhodja, Kenji Tokitsu, Nagisa Ôshima, Junichi Ushiyama
Votes: 948 | Gross: $0.02M
12. Scratch (2001)
R | 92 min | Documentary, Music
The story of the hip-hop DJ from the birth of hip-hop to the invention of scratching and "beat-juggling" vinyl, to the more recent "turntablism" movement. Underdogs and virtuosos who have radically changed the way we hear and create music.
Director: Doug Pray | Stars: The Allies, A-Trak, Craze, DJ Infamous
Votes: 2,905
13. To Be and to Have (2002)
Not Rated | 104 min | Documentary, Family
A documentary portrait of a one-room school in rural France, where the students (ranging in age from 4 to 11) are educated by a single dedicated teacher.
Director: Nicolas Philibert | Stars: Georges Lopez, Alizé, Axel Thouvenin, Guillaume
Votes: 8,411 | Gross: $0.78M
14. Damen und Herren ab 65 (2002)
70 min | Documentary
In a newspaper advertisement, Pina Bausch was looking for amateur actors aged 65 and over in order to re-stage her 1978 play "Kontakthof" with them.
Director: Lilo Mangelsdorff
Votes: 17
15.
American Experience (1987– )
Episode:
Partners of the Heart
(2002)
TV-PG | 60 min | Documentary, Biography, History
During World War II and the era of staunch racial segregation, a Black carpenter's son named Vivien Thomas, who had a talent for surgery, along with a white surgeon named Dr. Alfred Blalock... See full summary »
Directors: Bill Duke, Andrea Kalin | Stars: Morgan Freeman, Courtney B. Vance, Beau James, Christopher Haley
Votes: 52
16. Refrigerator Mothers (2003 TV Movie)
Not Rated | 60 min | Documentary
It is America of the 1950s and 1960s, when a woman's most important contribution to society is generally considered to be her ability to raise happy, well-adjusted children. But for the ... See full summary »
Director: David E. Simpson
Votes: 31
17. Ghosts of the Abyss (2003)
G | 61 min | Documentary, Family
James Cameron and Bill Paxton, director and actor of the 1997 film Titanic, travel to the final undersea resting place of the ill-fated ship of dreams.
Director: James Cameron | Stars: Bill Paxton, Lori Johnston, Lewis Abernathy, John Broadwater
Votes: 6,390 | Gross: $17.09M
18. Peter Jennings Reporting: How to Get Fat Without Really Trying (2003 TV Movie)
Documentary
This ABC News special investigates obesity in the United States. Nearly two-thirds of all Americans are overweight and almost one in three Americans is obese. Peter Jennings asks who is to ... See full summary »
Stars: Peter Jennings, Blanche Lincoln, Jim Tillotson, Marion Nestle
Votes: 21
19. Super Size Me (2004)
PG-13 | 100 min | Documentary
While examining the influence of the fast food industry, Morgan Spurlock personally explores the consequences on his health of a diet of solely McDonald's food for one month.
Director: Morgan Spurlock | Stars: Morgan Spurlock, Daryl Isaacs, Chemeeka Walker, Dania Abu-Rmaileh
Votes: 113,221 | Gross: $11.53M
20. Fahrenheit 9/11 (2004)
R | 122 min | Documentary, Drama, War
Michael Moore's view on what happened to the United States after September 11 and how the Bush Administration allegedly used the tragic event to push forward its agenda for unjust wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.
Director: Michael Moore | Stars: Michael Moore, George W. Bush, Ben Affleck, Stevie Wonder
Votes: 132,348 | Gross: $119.19M
21. Earthlings (2005)
95 min | Documentary
Using hidden cameras and never-before-seen footage, Earthlings chronicles the day-to-day practices of the largest industries in the world, all of which rely entirely on animals for profit.
Director: Shaun Monson | Star: Joaquin Phoenix
Votes: 19,791
22.
American Masters (1985– )
Episode:
Annie Leibovitz: Life Through a Lens
(2006)
TV-14 | Documentary, Biography, History
Annie Leibovitz enrolled in the San Francisco Art Institute intent on studying painting. It was not until she traveled to Japan with her mother after her sophomore year that she discovered her interest in taking photographs.
Director: Barbara Leibovitz | Stars: Mikhail Baryshnikov, Graydon Carter, Hillary Clinton, George Clooney
Votes: 566
23. The Story of Stuff (2007)
21 min | Animation, Short
For most of the world, consumption has been the unquestioned duty of every individual. Then garbage activist Annie Leonard brought her two-hour lecture to Free Range who helped her turn it ... See full summary »
Director: Louis Fox | Star: Annie Leonard
Votes: 378
24. Yoga, Inc. (2007)
TV-G | 73 min | Documentary
Yoga has become big business, but can it survive with its good karma intact?
Director: John Philp | Stars: John Abbott, Baron Baptiste, Jimmy Barkan, Marilyn Barnett
Votes: 47
25. Lynch (2007)
Not Rated | 84 min | Documentary
Compiled from over two years of footage, the film is an intimate portrait of David Lynch's creative process as he completes his latest film, Inland Empire (2006). We follow Lynch as he ... See full summary »
Director: Jason S. | Stars: Jay Aaseng, Jeremy Alter, David Lynch, Krzysztof Majchrzak
Votes: 929
26. Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed (2008)
PG | 90 min | Documentary
Ben Stein examines the issue of academic freedom and decides that there is none when it comes to the debate over intelligent design.
Director: Nathan Frankowski | Stars: Ben Stein, Lili Asvar, Peter Atkins, Hector Avalos
Votes: 12,195 | Gross: $7.69M
27. Food, Inc. (2008)
PG | 94 min | Documentary, News
An unflattering look inside America's corporate controlled food industry.
Director: Robert Kenner | Stars: Michael Pollan, Eric Schlosser, Richard Lobb, Vince Edwards
Votes: 52,187 | Gross: $4.42M
28. Religulous (2008)
R | 101 min | Documentary, Comedy, War
Bill Maher's take on the current state of world religion.
Director: Larry Charles | Stars: Bill Maher, Tal Bachman, Jonathan Boulden, Steven Burg
Votes: 60,230 | Gross: $13.00M
29. Home (I) (2009)
Not Rated | 118 min | Documentary, Family
With aerial footage from fifty-four countries, 'Home' is a depiction of how Earth's problems are all interlinked.
Director: Yann Arthus-Bertrand | Stars: Yann Arthus-Bertrand, Glenn Close, Jacques Gamblin
Votes: 23,042
30. House of Numbers: Anatomy of an Epidemic (2009)
Not Rated | 90 min | Documentary
What is HIV? What is AIDS? What is being done to cure it? These questions sent Canadian filmmaker Brent Leung on a worldwide journey, from the highest echelons of the medical research ... See full summary »
Director: Brent Leung | Stars: Luc Montagnier, Francois Barre-Sinnousi, Anthony Fauci, Kenneth Cole
Votes: 609
31. La domination masculine (2009)
103 min | Documentary
Director: Patric Jean | Stars: Marc Abécassis, Mélissa Blais, Denis Bujold, Francine Descarnes
Votes: 132
32. Exporting Raymond (2010)
PG | 86 min | Documentary, Comedy
A documentary on Phil Rosenthal's experiences during the making of "Voroniny," the Russian-language version of "Everybody Loves Raymond".
Director: Phil Rosenthal | Stars: Phil Rosenthal, Peter Boyle, Stanislav Duzhnikov, Eldar
Votes: 1,941 | Gross: $0.08M
33. Waiting for Superman (2010)
PG | 111 min | Documentary
An examination of the current state of education in America today.
Director: Davis Guggenheim | Stars: Charles Adams, Jonathan Alter, Robert Balfanz, Harriet Ball
Votes: 11,635 | Gross: $6.41M
34. Exit Through the Gift Shop (2010)
R | 87 min | Documentary, Comedy, Crime
Following the style of some of the world's most prolific street artists, an amateur filmmaker makes a foray into the art world.
Director: Banksy | Stars: Banksy, Mr. Brainwash, Space Invader, Debora Guetta
Votes: 68,789 | Gross: $3.29M
36. I'm Still Here (I) (2010)
R | 108 min | Comedy, Drama, Music
Documents Joaquin Phoenix's transition from the acting world to a career as an aspiring rapper.
Director: Casey Affleck | Stars: Joaquin Phoenix, Antony Langdon, Carey Perloff, Larry McHale
Votes: 23,885 | Gross: $0.41M
37. The War You Don't See (2010)
97 min | Documentary, War
Thought-provoking documentary on war propaganda: how governments manipulate the facts and how most media let them get away with it.
Directors: Alan Lowery, John Pilger | Stars: John Pilger, Stuart Ewen, Melvin Goodman, Dan Rather
Votes: 1,524
38. Inside Job (2010)
PG-13 | 109 min | Documentary, Crime
Takes a closer look at what brought about the 2008 financial meltdown.
Director: Charles Ferguson | Stars: Matt Damon, Gylfi Zoega, Andri Snær Magnason, Sigridur Benediktsdottir
Votes: 78,915 | Gross: $4.31M
39. Samsara (I) (2011)
PG-13 | 102 min | Documentary, Music
Filmed over nearly five years in twenty-five countries on five continents, and shot on seventy-millimetre film, Samsara transports us to the varied worlds of sacred grounds, disaster zones, industrial complexes, and natural wonders.
Director: Ron Fricke | Stars: Balinese Tari Legong Dancers, Ni Made Megahadi Pratiwi, Puti Sri Candra Dewi, Putu Dinda Pratika
Votes: 38,009 | Gross: $2.67M
40. Pina (2011)
PG | 103 min | Documentary, Music
A tribute to the late German choreographer Pina Bausch, as her dancers perform her most famous creations.
Director: Wim Wenders | Stars: Pina Bausch, Regina Advento, Malou Airaudo, Ruth Amarante
Votes: 15,932 | Gross: $3.52M
42.
Expedition Week (2011– )
Episode:
The Witch Doctor Will See You Now: Hallucinogenic Healing
(2011)
Drama, History
43.
Expedition Week (2011– )
Episode:
The Witch Doctor Will See You Now: Snake Blood Remedy
(2011)
Drama, History
44. Casting By (2012)
TV-14 | 89 min | Documentary, Biography
The surprising, never-before-told tale of the indispensable yet unsung Casting Director - Iconoclasts whose keen eye, exquisite taste and gut instincts redefined Hollywood.
Director: Tom Donahue | Stars: Deborah Aquila, Risa Bramon Garcia, Ellen Chenoweth, Marion Dougherty
Votes: 1,637 | Gross: $0.01M
45. Dragon Girls (2012)
90 min | Documentary, Action, Biography
The documentary "Drachenmädchen" (Dragon Girls) tells the story of three Chinese girls, training to become Kung Fu fighters, far away from their families at the Shaolin Tagou Kung Fu School... See full summary »
Director: Inigo Westmeier | Stars: Xin Chenxi, Chen Xi, Huang Luolan, Yang Ziyu
Votes: 283
46. Finding Vivian Maier (2013)
Not Rated | 83 min | Documentary, Biography, Mystery
A 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.
Directors: John Maloof, Charlie Siskel | Stars: Vivian Maier, John Maloof, Daniel Arnaud, Simon Amédé
Votes: 15,074 | Gross: $1.51M
47. The Unbelievers (2013)
Not Rated | 77 min | Documentary
Renowned scientists Richard Dawkins and Lawrence Krauss cross the globe as they speak publicly about the importance of science and reason in the modern world.
Director: Gus Holwerda | Stars: Ayaan Hirsi Ali, Woody Allen, Richard Dawkins, Daniel C. Dennett
Votes: 6,775
48. Salinger (2013)
PG-13 | 120 min | Documentary
An unprecedented look inside the private world of J.D. Salinger, the reclusive author of The Catcher in the Rye.
Director: Shane Salerno | Stars: Philip Seymour Hoffman, Edward Norton, Judd Apatow, John Cusack
Votes: 2,687 | Gross: $0.58M
49. Google and the World Brain (2013)
90 min | Documentary, Drama
The most ambitious project ever conceived on the Internet: Google's master plan to scan every book in the world and the people trying to stop them. Google say they are building a library for mankind, but they also have other intentions.
Director: Ben Lewis | Stars: Brendan Price, Nicolas Chapman, Molly Malcolm, Joshua Zamrycki
Votes: 947
50. My Stuff (2013)
83 min | Documentary, Comedy
Petri Luukkainen conducts an experiment with his own life. He packs all his things and puts them in storage. At first naked in an empty apartment, he only allows himself to retrieve one item per day.
Director: Petri Luukkainen | Stars: Petri Luukkainen, Helena Saarinen, Juho Luukkainen, Eero Löyttyjärvi
Votes: 780
51. La Maison de la radio (2013)
Not Rated | 104 min | Documentary
Twenty-four hours in the life of Radio France, from one dawn to another. Along its corridors, inside its recording studios, with its producers, presenters, journalists and various guests. ... See full summary »
Director: Nicolas Philibert | Stars: Jean-François Achilli, Evelyne Adam, Jean-Claude Ameisen, Arno
Votes: 306 | Gross: $0.01M
52. Human (I) (2015)
Not Rated | 263 min | Documentary
A collection of stories about and images of our world, offering an immersion to the core of what it means to be human.
Director: Yann Arthus-Bertrand | Stars: Luis Cancu, Atman, Berthony, Bruno
Votes: 8,823
53. The True Cost (2015)
PG-13 | 92 min | Documentary, Drama, News
The True Cost is a documentary film exploring the impact of fashion on people and the planet.
Director: Andrew Morgan | Stars: Livia Giuggioli, Stella McCartney, Richard D. Wolff, Vandana Shiva
Votes: 7,293
54. Gayby Baby (2015)
PG | 85 min | Documentary, Family
GAYBY BABY follows the lives of four kids - Gus, Ebony, Matt and Graham - whose parents all happen to be gay. As they each wrestle with personal change, the outside world wrestles with the ... See full summary »
Director: Maya Newell | Stars: Ebony, Graham, Gus, Matt
Votes: 845
55. Before the Flood (2016)
PG | 96 min | Documentary, News
A look at how climate change affects our environment and what society can do to prevent the demise of endangered species, ecosystems and native communities across the planet.
Director: Fisher Stevens | Stars: Leonardo DiCaprio, Ban Ki-moon, Alejandro G. Iñárritu, Mike Brune
Votes: 28,853
56. Aida's Secrets (2016)
Not Rated | 90 min | Documentary
Family secrets, lies, high drama and generations of contemporary history unspool in this international story that begins with World War II and concludes with an emotional 21st-century ... See full summary »
Directors: Alon Schwarz, Shaul Schwarz | Stars: Izak Sagi, Shep Shell, Aida Zasadsinska
Votes: 269 | Gross: $0.10M
57. Tawai: A Voice from the Forest (2017)
101 min | Documentary
Explorer Bruce Parry travels the world, living with indigenous peoples, delving deeper then ever on a journey into the heart of our collective human conscience.
Directors: Bruce Parry, Mark Ellam | Stars: Bruce Parry, Ingrid Lewis, Jerome Lewis, Iain McGilchrist
Votes: 289
58. Dries (2017)
TV-PG | 90 min | Documentary, Biography
DRIES - an intimate Portrait of the Fashion Designer Dries Van Noten. This film offers an insight into the life, mind and creative heart of a Master Fashion Designer who, for more than 25 ... See full summary »
Director: Reiner Holzemer | Stars: Dries Van Noten, Iris Apfel, Pamela Golbin, Geert Brulot
Votes: 432
59. Dina (2017)
Not Rated | 103 min | Documentary
An eccentric suburban woman and a Walmart door greeter navigate their evolving relationship in this unconventional love story.
Directors: Antonio Santini, Dan Sickles | Stars: Dina Buno, Scott Levin, Frank Costanzo, Jeannie Levin
Votes: 1,220 | Gross: $0.09M
60. Perfect Bid: The Contestant Who Knew Too Much (2017)
TV-PG | 72 min | Documentary, History
The story of Ted Slauson, a contestant who gamed the rules of The Price is Right (1972) through extensive analysis and became a sensation on the game show.
Director: C.J. Wallis | Stars: Theodore Slauson, Roger Dobkowitz, Bob Barker, Brandon
Votes: 3,190
61. Three Identical Strangers (2018)
PG-13 | 96 min | Documentary, Biography, Drama
In 1980 New York, three young men who were all adopted meet each other and find out they're triplets who were separated at birth. But their quest to find out why turns into a bizarre and sinister mystery.
Director: Tim Wardle | Stars: Robert Shafran, Michael Domnitz, Howard Schneider, Ellen Cervone
Votes: 39,504 | Gross: $12.32M
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