Documentaries
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88 titles
- DirectorR.J. CutlerStarsAnna WintourThakoon PanichgulAndré Leon TalleyA documentary chronicling Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour's preparations for the 2007 fall-fashion issue.
- DirectorKurt KuenneStarsKurt KuenneAndrew BagbyDavid BagbyA filmmaker decides to memorialize a murdered friend when his friend's ex-girlfriend announces she is expecting his son.
- DirectorMarc H. SimonMatthew MakarStarsEileen Zyko WolterDocumentary about disparate NYC parents' efforts to get their children into "feeder preschools," private institutions that claim to set youngsters on the track to admission into Ivy league colleges.
- DirectorLaura GabbertJustin ScheinStarsColin BeavanMichelle ConlinFollow the Manhattan-based Beavan family as they abandon their high consumption 5th Avenue lifestyle and try to live a year while making no net environmental impact.
- DirectorMorgan SpurlockStarsMorgan SpurlockDaryl IsaacsChemeeka WalkerWhile 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.
- DirectorJeffrey BlitzStarsSteve LedouxA documentary about the American lottery and some of the industry's biggest winners (and losers).
- DirectorLarry CharlesStarsBill MaherTal BachmanJonathan BouldenBill Maher's take on the current state of world religion.
- DirectorJeffrey BlitzStarsAngela ArenivarUbaldo ArenivarJorge ArenivarSpellbound follows eight teenagers on their quest to win the 1999 National Spelling Bee.
- DirectorAntony ThomasStarsJ.V. MartinAntony ThomasAn examination of one of the most influential books in the world, the Koran, which guides the Muslim religion.
- DirectorStephen Abatiell
- DirectorPaul SaltzmanStarsHighschool Seniors of CharlestonMorgan FreemanA high school in a small-town in Mississippi prepares for its first integrated senior prom.
- DirectorAntony ThomasStarsNeda Agha-SoltanShohreh AghdashlooHouda EchouafniOn June 20, 2009, Neda Agha Soltan was shot in the heart by a sniper during the protests against the Iranian presidential elections. This documentary tells the personal story of the young Iranian woman and her tragic death.
- DirectorNeil LeiferStarsJames NachtweyCan vision succeed where eyesight fails? Can a blind person make meaningful photographs? How can the creator appreciate his own work? This film explores the artistry and innovation of Pete Eckert, Bruce Hall, and Henry Butler, blind photographers whose luminous work can help us see the world through their eyes.
- DirectorHenry JoostAriel SchulmanStarsNev SchulmanAriel SchulmanHenry JoostYoung filmmakers document their colleague's budding online friendship with a young woman and her family which leads to an unexpected series of discoveries.
- DirectorSteve AndersonStarsDrew CareyBilly ConnollyBill MaherA documentary on the expletive's origin, why it offends some people so deeply, and what can be gained from its use.
- DirectorKenny OrtegaStarsMichael JacksonAlex AlAlexandra ApjarovaA compilation of interviews, rehearsals, and backstage footage of Michael Jackson as he prepared for his series of sold-out shows in London.
- DirectorRobert KennerStarsMichael PollanEric SchlosserRichard LobbAn unflattering look inside America's corporate controlled food industry.
- DirectorDavis GuggenheimStarsAl GoreBilly WestGeorge BushFilmmaker Davis Guggenheim follows Al Gore on the lecture circuit, as the former presidential candidate campaigns to raise public awareness of the dangers of global warming and calls for immediate action to curb its destructive effects on the environment.
- DirectorAdriana BarbaroJeremy EarpStarsDaniel AcuffEnola AirdMichael BrodyConsuming Kids throws desperately needed light on the practices of a relentless multi-billion dollar marketing machine that now sells kids and their parents everything from junk food and violent video games to bogus educational products and the family car. Drawing on the insights of health care professionals, children's advocates, and industry insiders, the film focuses on the explosive growth of child marketing in the wake of deregulation, showing how youth marketers have used the latest advances in psychology, anthropology, and neuroscience to transform American children into one of the most powerful and profitable consumer demographics in the world. Consuming Kids pushes back against the wholesale commercialization of childhood, raising urgent questions about the ethics of children's marketing and its impact on the health and well-being of kids.
- DirectorJeff StilsonStarsChris RockMaya AngelouAl SharptonChris Rock explores the wonders of African-American hairstyles.
- DirectorRay GriggsStarsGary BauerJoe BidenKen BlackwellThe film contrasts two views of role that the federal government should play in our daily lives using the words and actions of Ronald Reagan and Barack Obama.
- DirectorNanette BursteinStarsHannah BaileyJake TusingMegan KrizmanichA documentary on seniors at a high school in a small Indiana town and their various cliques.
- DirectorJeremy SeifertStarsJeremy SeifertFollow filmmaker Jeremy Seifert and his circle of friends as they dumpster dive in the back alleys and gated garbage receptacles of L.A.'s supermarkets. In the process they uncover thousands of dollars worth of good food and an ugly truth about waste in America: grocery stores know they are wasting and most refuse to do anything about it.
- DirectorLucy WalkerStarsVelda BontragerMark BontragerDewayne ChuppAmish teenagers experience and embrace the modern world as a rite-of-passage before deciding which life they will choose.
- DirectorGeorge RatliffStarsAria AdlooAshley AdlooAmy AllredEach Halloween, youth members of Trinity Church, Texas construct a 'Hell House'; a modern-day fire-and-brimstone sermon, presented in the form of a haunted house, seen by over 10,000 visitors each year.
- DirectorHeidi EwingRachel GradyThe abortion battle continues to rage in unexpected ways on one corner in an American city.
- DirectorJonathan KarshStarsSusan TomAnthony TomFaith TomDocumentary following Susan Tom of Fairfield, California and her 11 adopted special needs children.
- DirectorChris HegedusD.A. PennebakerStarsJacquy PfeifferRegis LazardPhilippe RigollotThe collar awarded to the winners of the Meilleur Ouvrier de France (Best Craftsman in France) is more than the ultimate recognition for every pastry chef - it is a dream and an obsession. The 3-day competition includes everything from delicate chocolates to precarious six foot sugar sculptures and requires that the chefs have extraordinary skill, nerves of steel and luck. The film follows Jacquy Pfeiffer, founder of The French Pastry School in Chicago, as he returns to France to compete against 15 of France's leading pastry chefs. The filmmakers were given first time/exclusive access to this high-stakes drama of passion, sacrifice, disappointment and joy in the quest to have President Sarkozy declare them one of the best in France.
- DirectorChristopher Dillon QuinnTommy WalkerStarsPanther BiorJohn Bul DauNicole KidmanThree young men from Sudan embark on a journey to America after years of wandering Sub-Saharan Africa in search of safety.
- DirectorKirby DickStarsKirby DickKimberly PeirceDarren AronofskyKirby Dick's exposé about the American movie ratings board.
- DirectorBarbara KoppleCecilia PeckStarsNatalie MainesEmily StrayerMartie MaguireA documentary on the The Chicks (formerly the Dixie Chicks) in the wake of singer Natalie Maines' anti-George W. Bush statement at a 2003 concert.
- DirectorElizabeth CannerStarsElizabeth CannerDarby StephensVirgil PlaceExtraordinary behind-the-scenes access reveals a drug company's fevered race to develop the first FDA-approved Viagra for women - and offers a humorous but sobering look inside the cash-fueled pharmaceutical industry.
- DirectorDavis GuggenheimStarsCharles AdamsJonathan AlterRobert BalfanzAn examination of the current state of education in America today.
- DirectorNicolas PhilibertStarsGeorges LopezAlizéAxel ThouveninA 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.
- DirectorIan MackenzieAfter graduating from university, Sean Aiken struggled with the question 'What should I do with my life?' His father said to find his passion. Taking the advice to heart, Sean created The One-Week Job Project, with the goal of working 52 jobs in 52 weeks.
- DirectorDavid LebrunStarsMichael D. CoeIan GrahamNikolai GrubeThe complex and beautiful hieroglyphic script of the ancient Maya was until recently one of the last great untranslated writing systems. Based on the best-selling book by Michael Coe, called by the New York Times "one of the great stories of 20th century scientific discovery", Breaking the Maya Code traces the epic quest to unlock the secrets of the script across 200 years, nine countries and three continents.
- DirectorShaun MonsonStarsJoaquin PhoenixUsing 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.
- DirectorDuane BaughmanJohnny O'HaraStarsAseefa Bhutto ZardariBakhtawar Bhutto ZardariBilawal Bhutto ZardariA riveting documentary of the recently assassinated Benazir Bhutto, a polarizing figure in the Muslim world. Following in her father's footsteps as a pillar for democracy, Bhutto was expected to dominate Pakistan's 2008 elections but the assassination sent Pakistan politics into turmoil. This major event sent shock waves throughout the world and transformed her from political messiah into a martyr for the common man.
- DirectorMichael MooreStarsMichael MooreWilliam BlackJimmy CarterAn examination of the social costs of corporate interests pursuing profits at the expense of the public good.
- 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.
- DirectorParvez SharmaStarsMuhsin HendricksA.K. HoosenMazenA documentary on gay, lesbian, and transgender Muslims across the Muslim and Western worlds.
- DirectorDavis GuggenheimStarsCharles AdamsJonathan AlterRobert BalfanzAn examination of the current state of education in America today.
- DirectorRobert YuhasStarsBarack ObamaLoretta Augustine-HerronDouglas BairdA revealing portrait of Barack Obama's formative years in Chicago, featuring the oldest videotape interview Obama, from 1993.
- DirectorSeth GordonStarsSteve WiebeBilly MitchellMark AlpigerDie-hard gamers compete to break world records on classic arcade games.
- DirectorUrsula MacfarlaneMargaret is 14 weeks pregnant. As we follow her through the day of her abortion at a London clinic, we hear from four other women who have also made the choice to have a termination. As we hear their stories, we are left in no doubt that there is nothing black and white about abortion.
- DirectorPenn JillettePaul ProvenzaStarsGeorge CarlinDon RicklesChris RockOne hundred superstar comedians tell the same very, VERY dirty, filthy joke--one shared privately by comics since Vaudeville.
- DirectorBrett GaylorStarsCory DoctorowGilberto GilGirl TalkA documentary which examines copyright issues in the information age.
- DirectorJon AlpertNina RosenblumStarsJon AlpertSean BryanJackieA look inside Rikers Island which is a rather unknown place in New York. Many of the inmates and various people working in the law enforcement field are interviewed. We see aftermath of violence, different units, a drug search in one of the prison units, judge visits etc.
- DirectorDavid BondMelinda McDougallStarsFrank M. AhearnDavid BondPhil BoothDirector David Bond finds out how much private companies and government know about him by attempting to disappear. Tracked by two ruthless private investigators, his chilling journey forces him to contemplate the loss of privacy.
- 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.
- DirectorThibaut de LongevilleLisa LeoneStarsBill AdlerDamon DashDozeAn in-depth examination of the culture and fashion of the sneaker, from its creation as athletic wear to its place as a cornerstone in hip-hop fashion.
- DirectorErrol MorrisStarsJoyce McKinneyPeter ToryTroy WilliamsA documentary on a former Miss Wyoming who is charged with abducting and imprisoning a young Mormon Missionary.
- DirectorDoug PrayStarsMary WellsDan WiedenHal RineyART & COPY is a powerful new film about advertising and inspiration. Directed by Doug Pray (SURFWISE, SCRATCH, HYPE!), it reveals the work and wisdom of some of the most influential advertising creatives of our time -- people who've profoundly impacted our culture, yet are virtually unknown outside their industry. Exploding forth from advertising's "creative revolution" of the 1960s, these artists and writers all brought a surprisingly rebellious spirit to their work in a business more often associated with mediocrity or manipulation: George Lois, Mary Wells, Dan Wieden, Lee Clow, Hal Riney and others featured in ART & COPY were responsible for "Just Do It," "I Love NY," "Where's the Beef?," "Got Milk," "Think Different," and brilliant campaigns for everything from cars to presidents. They managed to grab the attention of millions and truly move them. Visually interwoven with their stories, TV satellites are launched, billboards are erected, and the social and cultural impact of their ads are brought to light in this dynamic exploration of art, commerce, and human emotion.
- DirectorSue BourneStarsJoe BitterJohn CareySuzanne CoyleDocumentary telling the compelling story of the 40th Irish Dancing World Championships.
- DirectorAndrew RossiStarsDavid CarrSarah EllisonLarry IngrassiaUnprecedented access to the New York Times newsroom yields a complex view of the transformation of a media landscape fraught with both peril and opportunity.
- DirectorMichael MooreStarsMichael MooreTucker AlbrizziTony BennA documentary comparing the highly profitable American health care industry to other nations, and HMO horror stories including shotgun deaths.
- DirectorMalcolm IngramStarsJim BishopTerry CappsBill CurtisThe story of community in the Deep South that is forced to deal with the struggles of ignorance, hypocrisy and oppression.
- DirectorJason Spingarn-KoffStarsTeasa CopprueThis feature-length documentary follows a group of people whose lives are dramatically transformed by a virtual world -- reshaping relationships, identities, and ultimately the very notion of reality.
- DirectorAhmed Alauddin JamalRamesh SharmaStarsChristiane AmanpourDaniel PearlA documentary on the murder of journalist Daniel Pearl.
- DirectorGary HustwitStarsPaola AntonelliChris BangleAndrew BlauveltA feature-length documentary about our complex relationship with manufactured objects and, by extension, the people who design them.
- DirectorDebra Pascali-BonaroStarsMary JacksonEnter the world of undisturbed birth as 11 couples share their intimate personal journeys, facing their fears and moving through pain into the ecstasy of birth. Orgasmic Birth poses the ultimate challenge to our cultural myths.
- DirectorOsca HumphreysNeil RawlesStarsBarbara FlynnThelma MadineA look at the lives of gypsy travelers as they prepare for a wedding.
- DirectorEmiko OmoriWendy Blair SlickStarsShirley ChisholmBetty DodsonBetty FriedanThis is the story of one simple invention, the vibrator, and its relationship to one complex human behavior, the female orgasm. The history of the vibrator and its medical use had virtually vanished until historian, Rachel Maines, researching needlework patterns in early 20th century women's magazines, ran across ads for electric vibrators. Piquing her curiosity, she traced the origins of this early electrified appliance and made an astonishing discovery. Under the guise of a medical treatment, Victorian doctors had used vibrators to relieve women of symptoms of hysteria by masturbating them to orgasm. Why did women need this treatment? Female sexual satisfaction was, and continues to be, misunderstood or, worse, ignored. Almost 70% of women do not reach orgasm by penetration alone. Yet, the social, legal and religious definition of "real" sex is just that: penetration of the vagina to MALE orgasm. FEMALE orgasm isn't even considered. Is it any wonder that a lot of women were unsatisfied? Their dissatisfaction was labeled "hysteria." Symptoms of hysteria were vague - being cranky, reading French novels while wearing tight corsets, etc. It was a disease manufactured by doctors creating a lucrative clientele and a mutually camouflaged procedure that satisfied both. In the late 1920s, vibrators began appearing in blue movies. The camouflage was blown. Doctors dropped the treatment and manufacturers stopped advertising. The vibrator went underground and it disappeared from the annals of history until Maines happened upon it. In the 1970s, the feminist movement, the birth control pill and legalized abortions ushered in the sexual revolution. Artist and author, Betty Dodson almost single handedly brought the vibrator back into women's lives because of an accidental discovery. When Dodson and her lover used a barber's scalp massager on her clitoris, she experienced intense orgasms. Inspired by this revelation, she began a crusade to teach women how to have orgasms with vibrators - alone and with partners. In 2004, thirty years after Dodson's happy discovery, the female orgasm is under attack again. Former fifth grade teacher, Joanne Webb, was arrested for selling vibrators to two undercover cops in a small Texas town. She had broken a state law that prohibits the sale of devices that stimulate the genitals. Texas and three other states have enacted these laws, a backlash to feminism. In these states, however, it is legal to advertise and sell Viagra. This double standard for women has far-reaching contemporary implications for sexual freedom, civil liberties and the right to privacy.
- 2011–201549mTV-Y75.2 (30)TV EpisodeDirectorSam EmmeryStarsBarbara FlynnThelma MadineA one-off special, "My Bigger Fatter Gypsy Wedding" features the biggest Traveller wedding of the year with dressmaker Thelma Madine as event planner.
- StarsJan LeyersFlemish pop singer - TV presenter Jan Leyers makes a journey from Andalusia (southern Spain) to Mekka, the Muslim holiest city, not as actual pilgrimage (being an infidel). Each of ten episodes explore the various faces of modern Islam and how Muslims relate to each-other and 'infidels' in one or more countries of the Arab world, Turkey and Iran.
- DirectorTanaz EshaghianInside Afghanistan's Badam Baugh Women's Prison, where half of the inmates are locked up for 'moral crimes.
- DirectorTony HardmonRachel LibertStarsJerry EnsmingerMichael PartainMarine Corps Master Sgt. Jerry Ensminger was a devoted Marine for nearly twenty-five years. As a drill instructor he lived and breathed the "Corps" and was responsible for indoctrinating thousands of new recruits with its motto Semper Fidelis or "Always Faithful". When Jerry's nine-year old daughter Janey died of a rare type of leukemia, his world collapsed. As a grief-stricken father, he struggled for years to make sense of what happened. His search for answers led to the shocking discovery of a Marine Corps cover-up of one of the largest water contamination incidents in U.S. history. Semper Fi: Always Faithful follows Jerry's mission to expose the Marine Corps and force them to live up to their motto to the thousands of soldiers and their families exposed to toxic chemicals. His fight reveals a grave injustice at North Carolina's Camp Lejeune and a looming environmental crisis at military sites across the country.
- DirectorIrene TaylorStarsMichael CarlossJay HolcombAdam RibotaPresents the story of the effort to save the 895th surviving oiled pelican in Louisiana, showing how conservationists, government agencies and wildlife activists joined forces to preserve this one life.
- DirectorTony GerberStarsJames CameronKen MarschallPaul-Henri NargeoletEngineers, architects and historians are assembled to examine why the Titanic sank, using new technology that has come to light since James Cameron's film Titanic (1997).
- DirectorSerge BrombergEric LangeStarsCosta-GavrasJean-Pierre JeunetMichel GondryA documentary that chronicles the cinematic journey of the iconic film A Trip to the Moon.
- DirectorAbby EpsteinStarsMary Helen AyresJulia BarnettSylvie BlausteinBirth: it's a miracle. A rite of passage. A natural part of life. But more than anything, birth is a business. Compelled to find answers after a disappointing birth experience with her first child, actress Ricki Lake recruits filmmaker Abby Epstein to explore the maternity care system in America.
- StarsRageh OmaarTariq AliKaren ArmstrongA landmark documentary series examining the life of the Prophet Muhammad and the origins of Islamic faith.
- DirectorJon AlpertEllen Goosenberg KentMatthew O'NeillWith suicide rates among active military servicemen and veterans currently on the rise, the HBO special WARTORN 1861-2010 brings urgent attention to the invisible wounds of war. Drawing on personal stories of American soldiers whose lives and psyches were torn asunder by the horrors of battle and PTSD, the documentary chronicles the lingering effects of combat stress and post-traumatic stress on military personnel and their families throughout American history, from the Civil War through today's conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan.
- DirectorGeorge RatliffStarsAria AdlooAshley AdlooAmy AllredEach Halloween, youth members of Trinity Church, Texas construct a 'Hell House'; a modern-day fire-and-brimstone sermon, presented in the form of a haunted house, seen by over 10,000 visitors each year.
- DirectorFrancisco BelloTim SternbergStarsJessica BenningtonRick CallahanDavid CutiePeople from all over New York City meet in Spanish Harlem once a week at Santo Rico Dance School, where they learn the art of salsa.
- DirectorSerge BrombergEric LangeStarsCosta-GavrasJean-Pierre JeunetMichel GondryA documentary that chronicles the cinematic journey of the iconic film A Trip to the Moon.
- DirectorMartyn BurkeStarsJeremy BowenChris HedgesTim HetheringtonJournalism in times of war has become an increasingly lethal and traumatic endeavor for the men and women who face constant threats to their lives and psyches. With the death toll skyrocketing from only two reporters killed in World War I to almost a journalist a week being killed in the last two decades, UNDER FIRE weaves together portraits, battlefield accounts and combat footage to reveal what the reporters see, think and feel. Martyn Burke, documentary filmmaker whose work has brought him to battlefields around the world, and Anthony Feinstein, the psychiatrist who works with journalists to heal the trauma, delve into the experiences of top tier correspondents from AP, New York Times, BBC, and LA Times, among others, bringing a unique understanding and insight into the psychological cost of covering war.
- DirectorLéa PoolBreast cancer has become the poster child of corporate cause-related marketing campaigns. Countless women and men walk, bike, climb and shop for the cure. Each year, millions of dollars are raised in the name of breast cancer, but where does this money go and what does it actually achieve? Pink Ribbons, Inc. is a feature documentary that shows how the devastating reality of breast cancer, which marketing experts have labeled a "dream cause," becomes obfuscated by a shiny, pink story of success.
- DirectorMorgan SpurlockStarsKevin SmithStan LeeEli RothA behind-the-scenes look at the fans who gather by the thousands each year in San Diego, California to attend Comic-Con, the world's largest comic book convention.
- DirectorEugene JareckiStarsEugene JareckiDavid SimonShanequa BenitezFrom the dealer to the narcotics officer, the inmate to the federal judge, a penetrating look inside America's criminal justice system, revealing the profound human rights implications of U.S. drug policy.
- DirectorRachael PihlajaStarsAbby HenselMaggie BofillBritty HenselConjoined twins are documented for how they have progressed and how they deal with day-to-day dealings and what the future might hold for them.
- StarsAbby HenselBritty HenselSeries follows the 22-year-old conjoined twins as they graduate college together, travel to Europe and seek their first job.
- DirectorCynthia WadeStarsRachel DelmolfettoLinda HartCambria RussellEvery third Monday of the month, two bold, brassy sisters open the doors of their Long Island hair salon to women diagnosed with cancer. As locks of hair fall to the floor, women gossip, giggle, weep, face their fears, and discover unexpected beauty.
- StarsTony HirstDeirdre KellyFungiA controversial 'fly-on-the-wall' documentary series documenting the people who live on James Turner Street, Birmingham which, according to several tabloid newspapers, 90% of it's residents live off government funded benefits
- DirectorHeidi EwingRachel Grady"The Education Of Mohammad Hussein" is an intimate look at how the largest Muslim community in the U.S. responds to the provocations of an anti-Islamic preacher. Through the eyes of children, the film examines what it is like to come of age as a Muslim in the United States a decade after the 2001 terrorist attacks.
- DirectorJames MarshStarsNim ChimpskyStephanie LaFargeHerbert TerraceTells the story of a chimpanzee taken from its mother at birth and raised like a human child by a family in a brownstone on the upper West Side in the 1970s.
- DirectorRon DavisStarsAbbey CurranMay DiddyShawn Marie DiddyMiss You Can Do It chronicles Abbey Curran, Miss Iowa USA 2008 and the first woman with a disability to compete at the Miss USA Pageant, and eight girls with various physical and intellectual disabilities as the girls participate in the Miss You Can Do It Pageant. Abbey founded the annual Miss You Can Do It Pageant in 2004 and girls and their families travel from all around the country to participate in this one night where their inner beauty and abilities reign.
- 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.