(Eye-Opening Documentaries)
Docos that could well change how you see yourself and the world around you.
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- DirectorHubert SauperStarsElizabeth 'Eliza' Maganga NseseRaphael Tukiko WagaraDimond RemtuliaA documentary on the effect of fishing the Nile perch in Tanzania's Lake Victoria. The predatory fish, which has wiped out the native species, is sold in European supermarkets, while starving Tanzanian families have to make do with the leftovers.
- DirectorChris PaineStarsMartin SheenTom HanksMel GibsonA documentary that investigates the birth and death of the electric car, as well as the role of renewable energy and sustainable living in the future.
- StarsJohn NashRobert SpitzerJerome WakefieldThe many ways in which Western notions of personal and political freedom are changing in the 21st Century are explored in this three-part documentary from writer and filmmaker Adam Curtis.
- DirectorZana BriskiRoss KauffmanStarsKochiAvijit HalderShanti DasTwo documentary filmmakers chronicle their time in Sonagchi, Calcutta and the relationships they developed with children of prostitutes who work the city's notorious red light district.
- DirectorErrol MorrisStarsRandall AdamsDavid HarrisGus RoseA film that successfully argued that a man was wrongly convicted for murder by a corrupt justice system in Dallas County, Texas.
- DirectorJen StocksStarsJazz JenningsJeanette JenningsGreg JenningsIn the documentary special (I AM JAZZ: A Family in Transition) follows the life of an extraordinary family and their transgendered daughter.
- DirectorGerald BarclayStarsGerald BarclayJoshua BlahyiOn assignment in Ghana, a filmmaker confronts not only his past and is introduced to a former killer who has become a born-again preacher.
- DirectorErrol MorrisStarsRobert McNamaraJohn F. KennedyFidel CastroThe story of America as seen through the eyes of the former Secretary of Defense under President John F. Kennedy and President Lyndon B. Johnson, Robert McNamara.
- DirectorChris BellStarsAmari AveryFrom the director of Bigger Stronger Faster comes an intense look at overbearing parents in sports. The film asks the question "Do we want what's best for our children? Or do we just want them to be the best?" Parts of this film were used in the premier of Peter Berg's HBO series State of Play.
- DirectorHeidi EwingAlex GibneySeth GordonStarsJames RansoneTempestt BledsoeMorgan SpurlockA collection of documentaries that explores the hidden side of human nature through the use of the science of economics.
- DirectorKevin BoothStarsJoe ArpaioJello BiafraOsama bin LadenWith commentary from soldiers on both sides of the conflict, filmmaker Kevin Booth's incisive documentary wades into the murky waters of the American war on drugs, the longest and costliest war in U.S. history.
- DirectorMatthew MetcalfeThe story of New Zealand security consultants and the work they do on the war torn streets of Baghdad.
- DirectorJeffrey BlitzStarsSteve LedouxA documentary about the American lottery and some of the industry's biggest winners (and losers).
- 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.
- DirectorAlex GibneyStarsAlex GibneyBrian Keith AllenMoazzam BeggAlex Gibney exposes the haunting details of the USA's torture and interrogation practices during the War in Afghanistan.
- 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.
- DirectorMatthew ColeStarsChantekAllan CordunerLyn MilesFrom PBS - This is the incredible story of Chantek, the orangutan raised as a human child on an American university campus during the 70s and 80s. Taught to speak in sign language, he is now living among his own kind at Zoo Atlanta, although he describes himself as an "orangutan person."
- DirectorGraeme ThomsonStarsBhagavan AntleFrank BurgerJanet BurgerOliver is a chimpanzee who not only can walk upright, but does of his own accord. For years there have been debate's over Oliver's identity. All those who know Oliver swear that he is at least somewhat human. Is Oliver a chimpanzee and human hybrid, a well trained chimpanzee, or something altogether different?
- DirectorSheldon RenanStarsChuck RileyEd DorrisThomas NoguchiA documentary of the decline of America. It features footage (most exclusive to this film) from race riots to serial killers and much, much more.
- DirectorChris MartinJohn PilgerSean CrottyStarsJohn PilgerPhilip AgeeSalvador AllendeVenezuela, Guatemala, Cuba, Chile, Salvador, Bolivia: people's struggle for democracy versus US imperialism in Latin America since the 1950s, backing coups and supporting dictatorships.
- 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.
- DirectorRobert KennerStarsMichael PollanEric SchlosserRichard LobbAn unflattering look inside America's corporate controlled food industry.
- DirectorJessica YuStarsErin Brockovich-EllisJay FamigliettiPeter H. GleickA documentary on the world's water crisis.
- DirectorStephanie SoechtigStarsMichele SimonKatie CouricBill ClintonAn examination of America's obesity epidemic and the food industry's role in aggravating it.
- DirectorDamon GameauStarsDamon GameauHugh JackmanMilla BakaitisDamon Gameau embarks on an experiment to document the effects of a high sugar diet on a healthy body.
- DirectorLouie PsihoyosStarsElon MuskJoel SartoreLouie PsihoyosA documentary that follows undercover activists trying to stave off a man-made mass extinction.
- DirectorErwin WagenhoferStarsMark MobiusMirko KovatsK. Sujatha RaajuMost of us don't know where their money is. However, one thing is for certain, it's is not in the bank to which we entrusted it. The bank and our money is already a part of the cycle of the global money market.
- DirectorGary NullStarsMike AdamsNancy BanksNeal BarnardThe film War on Health, explores the position of the FDA and it's role in the current medical paradigm, the current health crisis, and looks at possibilities for a healthier, more holistic health system. Statistical evidence documents hundreds of thousands of injuries and deaths due to conventional medicine due to the lack of oversight by the FDA. The FDA is currently trying to remove all of our important supplements, foods and herbs from the market and the public, claiming they are drugs, simply because they have healing effects. The FDA has begun a War on our Health. The American medical system is broken and this film points the way to a new direction that has democracy and the rights of the people at it's heart.
- DirectorKristin CantyStarsLinda FaillaceAdam HelferMark McAfeeFarmageddon is the story of a mom whose son healed from all allergies and asthma after consuming raw milk, and real food from farms. It depicts people all over the country who formed food co-ops and private clubs to get these foods, and how they were raided by state and local governments.
- DirectorMichael MooreStarsMichael MooreGeorge W. BushBen AffleckMichael 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.
- DirectorMark AchbarJennifer AbbottStarsMikela JayRob BeckwermertChristopher GoraDocumentary that looks at the concept of the corporation throughout recent history up to its present-day dominance.
- DirectorMarie-Monique RobinStarsDavid BakerKen CookDavid CarpenterYou do not have to believe that God exists, but you will after this movie know that the devil poster! Monsanto is the largest global company that produces agricultural products: pesticides, hormones in raising animals, and genetically modified soybean seeds, corn and other crops. Monsanto has made some of the toxins that are responsible for many diseases, cancer, dementia and the rules are and say Napalm was used in the Vietnam War or PCB oils of which turned out to be a carcinogen as a small atomic bomb.
- DirectorCosima DannoritzerStarsRichard JonesMolly MalcolmSteve BunnThis is the story of companies who engineered their products to fail.
- DirectorJon AlpertStarsDelirisFreddyRobertThe chance to show redemption, even if that chance was slim, was enough to send Alpert back to the streets of Newark for "Life of Crime 2".
- DirectorJim MarbrookHuge numbers were placed there for life. Some were deemed hopeless cases, never to be part of society again. These were the patients and residents of New Zealand's 'Bins', the huge psychiatric hospitals that dotted the country up until the 90s. 'Mental Notes' tracks the intersecting stories of five remarkable New Zealanders. Their marginalised experiences form the backbone of a social history that many still feel uncomfortable to acknowledge.
- Predict My Future reveals the answers to one of life's most fundamental questions; What Makes Us Who We Are? 43 years ago a New Zealand Medical School embarked on a remarkable project - the ultimate Nature/Nurture test. They decided to follow every one of the 1,037 babies born in the city of Dunedin between April 1972 and March 1973 for their entire lives. And they have. Those children have become the 1,000 most studied people in the world. For almost four decades every aspect of their health and development has been monitored - their genes, their growth, their physical well-being, their psychology, their emotional ups and downs, criminal convictions, successes, failures - the lot. The result is the Dunedin Longitudinal Study - the broadest and the most in-depth study of human beings in the world. The project has become the richest and most productive archive of human development - anywhere. It is truly unique - the study has retained an unprecedented 96% of its starting participants. It is re-writing the book on what makes us all human. 'Predict My Future' details the study's findings, and explores what they have to say about all our lives. This series has a global audience and is being screened across Europe, and in Australasia - with additional territories in negotiation.
- DirectorHenrik MoltkeLaura PoitrasStarsRami MalekMichelle WilliamsA top-secret handbook takes viewers on an undercover journey to TITANPOINTE, the site of a hidden partnership. Narrated by Rami Malek and Michelle Williams, and based on classified NSA documents, Project X reveals the inner workings of a windowless skyscraper in downtown Manhattan.
- DirectorAlan LoweryJohn PilgerStarsJohn PilgerJon AltmanPat AndersonExploring offenses practiced by popular media, big business, police forces and Governments helping the Australian 225 year campaign of genocide continue against Aboriginal Australians.
- DirectorChris BellJosh AlexanderGreg YoungStarsMark BellMike BellRosemary BellIn this follow-up to his film BIGGER FASTER STRONGER, director Chris Bell turns his camera on the abuse of prescription drugs and, ultimately, himself. As Bell learns more about Big Pharma, an industry he had been brought up to trust, he falls down his own hole of addiction.
- DirectorJosh FoxStarsJosh FoxDick CheneyPete SeegerAn exploration of the fracking petroleum extraction industry and the serious environmental consequences involved.
- DirectorRic Esther BienstockStarsChas BrunsDavid CronenbergA look into the underground world of trafficking human body parts.
- DirectorAlex GibneyStarsPaul HaggisJason BegheSpanky TaylorA documentary looking at the inner-workings of the Church of Scientology.
- 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.
- DirectorKip AndersenKeegan KuhnStarsBruce HamiltonKip AndersenAl GoreFollow the shocking, yet humorous, journey of an aspiring environmentalist, as he daringly seeks to find the real solution to the most pressing environmental issues and true path to sustainability.
- DirectorKip AndersenKeegan KuhnStarsKip AndersenLarry BaldwinNeal BarnardAn intrepid filmmaker on a journey of discovery as he uncovers possibly the largest health secret of our time and the collusion between industry, government, pharmaceutical and health organizations keeping this information from us.
- DirectorJoshua OppenheimerStarsAdi RukunM.Y. BasrunVolker HanischA family that survived the genocide in Indonesia confronts the men who killed one of their brothers.
- DirectorEdet BelzbergStarsCristina IonescuMihai Alexandre TudoseVioleta 'Macarena' RosuA profile of homeless Romanian children who were born victims of the nation's reckless population growth policy during its communist era.
- DirectorErik PauserDylan WilliamsIn the Swedish documentary, The Borneo Case documentary filmmakers Erik Pauser and Dylan Williams spend five years intimately following the trail of an unlikely group of activists whose aim is to investigate how profits from the illegal logging that has annihilated more than 90% of the Malaysian Borneo Rainforest have been money laundered into property portfolios all around the world. The group, made up of an exiled tribesman, a historian, an investigative journalist and a flamboyant DJ overcome death threats and intimidation in their efforts to unravel on what has been dubbed "the Greatest Environmental Crime in History" (ex British Prime Minister Gordon Brown). One of the weapons of the group is to start Radio Free Sarawak - a pirate radio station. Suddenly in a country were the government keeps a tight control of media, people get news and for the first time get information on what's going on. This film starts in Montreal where former activist Mutang Urud lives in exile. After enduring torture and imprisonment for his role in attempting to stop the illegal logging of his people's lands, the Kelabit tribesman was forced to flee more than 20 years ago. However when he hears a podcast from an illegal radio station - Radio Free Sarawak - of plans to build 12 New Hydropower Dams - one of which will completely drown the valley of his birth, He is compelled to travel home. Simultaneously, from its secret location in London, the journalists of the Radio Station, Clare Rewcastle, and DJ Peter Jaban seek to investigate what has happened to the billions of dollars of profits from the illegal logging. When Mutang witnesses the destruction on the ground he is drawn back into the fold and together with the efforts of Clare and Peter we follow them on an international money trail that sets them against the political elite of Malaysia. As they seek to unravel the network of global money laundering at the heart of the logging industry members of the political elite who have benefited from logging come into their sights and the story takes an unexpected turn as the fallout from their findings begins to have major consequences. As a result of the investigation launched by the characters in the film over 600.000 people took to the streets of Kuala Lumpur in protest at high level corruption, whilst the Borneo State leader Abdul Taib Mahmud unexpectedly announced his resignation after 33 years in power. After the completion of the film the ongoing investigation into corruption has continued and led the US Department of Justice to launch lawsuits to recover more than $1.3bn of stolen assets that had been funneled through the American financial system. In the press conference announcing the lawsuits US Attorney General, Loretta Lynch, called it "the largest kleptocracy case" in US history.
- DirectorEmmett BrennanStarsKathy BancroftGigi CoyleAriel GreenwoodReckoning with the reality of a changing climate, filmmaker Emmett Brennan walks 200 miles next to the Los Angeles aqueduct in search of a vision for humanity worth living for - what he discovers has everything to do with water.
- DirectorNathan GrossmanStarsGreta ThunbergSvante ThunbergNiclas SvenningsenThe documentary follows Greta Thunberg, a teenage climate activist from Sweden, on her international crusade to get people to listen to scientists about the world's environmental problems.