Documentaries - History
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- StarsMathieu KassovitzMartin SheenRudolf HessThis six-part series traces the Second World War, from the rise of the Nazis to the surrender of the Japanese, with detailed portraits of key figures.
- StarsSamuel WestAdolf HitlerJoseph StalinDocumentary examining Operation Barbarossa, Hitler's invasion of the Soviet Union in 1941.
- StarsEdward HerrmannSamuel WestAn examination of atrocities and depredations committed by Imperial Japanese military forces, from 1931 to 1945.
- DirectorDavid BattyStarsBrian CoxThe history of Imperial Japan's involvement in World War II with full color footage.
- DirectorMichael KloftStarsIon AntonescuMartin BormannEva BraunMost of what we know about World War II comes from monochromatic images and pictures. But this documentary brings something different: it's a fascinating collage of colored images from that period, filmed in 8mm and 16mm. All the footage was gathered from private collectors, soldiers, tourists, state institutions, even footage shot by Hitler's private pilot and there's also images captured by Eva Braun, Hitler's companion. Most of the images were recently discovered, some of them hidden for more than 40 years and they were all remastered and put together by director Michael Kloft.
- StarsKeith DavidKatharine PhillipsTom HanksA seven-part series focusing on the many ways in which the Second World War impacted the lives of American families.
- StarsTony CallDan BittnerGeoffrey CantorTHIRD REICH: THE RISE & FALL tells the story of Hitler's Germany through rarely seen films of the people who were there. Immersive and evocative, it takes viewers inside the Germany of the 20s, 30s, and early 40s, through the use of rare and never-before-seen home movies, Nazi propaganda films and other contemporaneous material. The narrative consists of personal recollections culled from German's diaries, journals and letters. The end result is an intimate, richly nuanced and authentic portrait of the Third Reich and its people.
- StarsGary SiniseCharles ScheffelRon LivingstonFollow the lives of soldiers who lived World War II, through previously unseen color footage.
- StarsBob van TolAlbrecht AppeltHans RostewitzThe World War 2 Battle of Stalingrad from the initial attack to the repatriation of the survivors after the war.
- DirectorJames MollStarsZenji AbeStephen AmbroseHal BraunThis powerful and thought provoking film chronicles the compelling events in the Pacific Theater of WWII, from the bombing of Pearl Harbor in 1941 to the American occupation of Japan in 1945. It depicts the strength and courage of America's youth, while examining how these men and women dealt with being thrust into this brutal war. The film includes interviews with war veterans, both American and Japanese, from all branches of the military. It features testimony from medics, nurses, dog handlers, as well as Japanese-Americans who were imprisoned at internment camps in the United States. The film also includes a first hand account of the tragic impact of the atomic bomb on Japanese citizens. Among the veterans who appear is Zenji Abe, a Japanese veteran who flew the mission to bomb Pearl Harbor, and retired General Paul Tibbets who flew the mission to bomb Hiroshima. Steven Spielberg and historian/author Stephen E. Ambrose are executive producers of this feature-length documentary directed and produced by Academy Award winning filmmaker James Moll ("The Last Days"). The film is a presentation of the National WWII Museum in New Orleans, Louisiana.
- StarsKenneth BranaghHarry PatchHubert WilliamsDocumentary using computer colorized footage from World War I to give the audience the feel of how it really looked back during the war.
- StarsAleksey PetrenkoBob GuntonPaul HumpoletzA story showing the 3 allied leader's, Churchill, Roosevelt and Stalin's actions and relationships behind the scenes during World War 2. It isn't as friendly as it seems. Shows how close the war was to favoring the axis if the Soviet Union joined forces with Hitler's Nazi's.
- StarsAndrew MarrAndrew Marr presents a history of Britain from the end of the Second World War to the start of the third millennium.
- StarsNeil OliverBarry CunliffePhilip CrummyIn four chapters, largely based on and illustrated with archaeological finds and sites, Neil Oliver explains how, as far as is known, the Iron Age Celtic tribes known as the Ancient Britains evolved and entered European civilization. Their internecine tribal phase was warlike and partitioned. Overseas contacts, especially metal trade, brought wealth and progress. Ultimately, it attracted the superior Roman empire, which would conquer and pacify Britain into a province, like Gaul shortly before, but Caesar's invasion wasn't the definitive annexation yet, that was left to emperor Claudius; even afterward some Celtic traits and even rebellions remained.
- StarsSimon SchamaMichael KitchenSamuel WestA comprehensive historical survey of the British Isles.
- StarsRobert BartlettBritish history professor Robert Bartlett explains, mainly on historical sites and illustrated with authentic artifacts, the eventful history of the Normans, some of the Norse men (Vikings) from Norway who stopped raiding the European coasts to settle down as conquerors. First Rollo established them in Normandy, forcing the French king to recognize him as its duke and royal vassal, which soon led to adopting a largely French culture while retaining their military excellence. One of his successors, Duke William the Bastard, conquered England at the Battle of Hastings in 1066. Other knights set out from Normandy to southern Italy, and from there on crusade, founding a Sicilian kingdom and short-lived principalities in Antioch and Tiberias (Galilee).
- StarsLaurence OlivierAverell HarrimanAnthony EdenA groundbreaking 26-part documentary series narrated by the actor Laurence Olivier about the deadliest conflict in history, World War II.
- StarsSamuel WestAdolf BuchnerJutta RüdigerAn examination of how a cultured people could have allowed Adolf Hitler's rise to power.
- StarsJonathan LewisVoja TankosicAndrée BernardA comprehensive survey of the history of World War I.
- DirectorArnold SchwartzmanStarsBen KingsleyMiriam MargolyesPatrick StewartLiberation tells the dramatic story of the battle waged on two fronts during World War II - the Allied campaign to liberate Europe and Hitler's genocidal campaign against the Jews.
- DirectorSimon CoxRob FruchtmanStarsJohn CullumSeparating fact from fiction, Secrets of Angels, Demons & Masons is the ultimate guide to the secret societies of Dan Brown's thrillers. Based on Dan Burstein and Arne de Keijzer's best-selling book, Secrets of Angels & Demons, this two-part documentary investigates the Illuminati and the Freemasons, two mysterious organizations central to Dan Brown's novel Angels & Demons as well as his upcoming sequel to The Da Vinci Code. Narrated by Tony Award-winning actor John Cullum, Secrets of Angels, Demons & Masons interweaves evocative archives with commentary by world-renowned experts, taking viewers on a suspenseful journey from baroque Rome to historic Washington D.C.
- DirectorKate BroomeStarsDavid AttenboroughA simple, carved figure bought at an auction in New York leads David Attenborough on a global journey from Russia to Australia, from England back to the Pacific. On the way he delves into a history of the stunning stones on Easter Island.
- DirectorDollan CannellStarsWayne SmithEnrique EncinosaEnrique OvaresDollan Cannell's documentary on the hundreds of alleged plots to assassinate Fidel Castro, and a look at the evolution of Cuban politics.
- StarsKenneth BranaghAnatoli DobryninRobert McNamaraA 24-part series which deals with the relations between the United States, the Soviet Union and their respective allies between the end of World War II to the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991.
- DirectorMark VerkerkStarsPhra Khru Bah Neua Chai KosittoKhun EadPan SeanBuddha's Lost Children is a feature-length documentary film about a Thai Buddhist monk who - armed only with his faith and skills and master boxer skills - wages an inspirational battle to help orphaned children, fight drug abuse, and preserve a vanishing way of life.
- DirectorRob LemkinThet SambathStarsThet SambathNuon CheaPol PotOne of the most harrowing and compelling personal documentaries of our time, ENEMIES OF THE PEOPLE exposes for the first time the truth about the Killing Fields and the Khmer Rouge who were behind Cambodia's genocide.
- DirectorEstela BravoStarsFidel CastroMuhammad AliHarry BelafonteDocumentary about Fidel Castro, covering 40 years of Cuban Revolution. Rare Fidel Castro footage: he appears swimming with a bodyguard, visiting his childhood home and school, playing with his friend Nelson Mandela, meeting kid Elián Gonzalez, and celebrating his birthday with the Buena Vista Social Club group.
- DirectorBarbet SchroederStarsIdi AminFidel CastroGolda MeirA documentary on the military dictator of Africa's Uganda.
- DirectorHoward SmithStarsMilt MossCompilation of man inventing strange contraptions in the 30's through 50's.
- DirectorScott ThurmanStarsDon McLeroyKathy MillerJonathan SaenzThe theory of evolution and a re-write of American history are caught in the crosshairs when an unabashed Creationist seeks re-election as chairman of America's most influential Board of Education.
- StarsMichael WoodDocumentary series retracing the journey of Alexander the Great across sixteen countries.
- DirectorRobin HessmanTells the story of five people from the last generation of Soviet children who were brought up behind the Iron Curtain. Just coming of age when the USSR collapsed, they witnessed the world of their childhood crumble and change beyond recognition. Through the lives of these former schoolmates, this intimate film reveals how they have adjusted to their post-Soviet reality in today's Moscow.
- StarsDavid McCulloughDocumentary about the rise and fall of one of the greatest military geniuses of modern times from his Corsican childhood to final exile in St. Helena.
- StarsDavid StarkeyTony CottrellGerard HaylingA history of the English Crown from AD 400 to today.
- StarsTerry JonesPeter BarberFaye GetzTerry Jones hosts this series that looks at the real facts about the Middle Ages and its roots.
- DirectorPieter FleuryStarsHong Soon-huiDocumentary about North Korea
- StarsDavid Ogden StiersKenneth JacksonMike WallaceExploration of New York City's rich history as a complex and dynamic city that has played an unparalleled role in shaping the nation and reflecting its ideals.
- DirectorFrank CapraAnatole LitvakStarsWalter HustonVictor Bulwer-LyttonKai-Shek ChiangThe official World War II US Government film statement defining the various enemies of the Allies and why they must be fought.
- DirectorNeil DiamondCatherine BainbridgeJeremiah HayesStarsAdam BeachChris EyreRussell MeansThe history of the depiction of Native Americans in Hollywood films.
- DirectorRithy PanhStarsKhieu 'Poev' ChesYeay CheuNhem EnA unique documentary on the notorious S-21 prison, today the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, with testimony by the only surviving prisoners and former Khmer Rouge guards.
- DirectorPatricio GuzmánStarsSalvador AllendePatricio GuzmánJacques BidouFrom his childhood in Valparaiso to his death during the Pinochet military coup on September 11, 1973, the life and works of Chilean president Salvador Allende.
- DirectorDavid ZeigerStarsMichael AlaimoEdward AsnerJoe BangertNO! SIR! tells an almost entirely forgotten story of the military men and women who forced the U.S. government to end the Vietnam War
- DirectorAndrei UjicaStarsNicolae CeausescuElena CeausescuStefan AndreiThe film explores the image of the Romanian dictator Nicolae Ceausescu using unknown official footage from the Romanian National Television and National Film Archives.
- DirectorJulio MedemStarsXabier ArzalluzBernardo AtxagaTxiki BenegasDocumentary about the Basque nationalist movement in Spain.
- DirectorPeter WatkinsStarsTony CosgroveOlivier Espitalier-NoelDon FairserviceThe 1746 Battle of Culloden, the last land battle fought in the British Isles and the battle that ensured that Scotland was controlled by England.
- DirectorDavid GrubinStarsRichard GereBlair BrownThe Dalai LamaAfter 400 BC, a new philosophy was born in South east Asia, generated from the ideas of Buddha, a mysterious Prince from Nepal who gained enlightenment while he sat under a large, shapely fig tree.
- StarsDavid McCulloughSam WaterstonJulie HarrisA comprehensive survey of the American Civil War.
- DirectorBrian FlemmingStarsSam HarrisRobert M. PriceRichard CarrierDid Jesus exist? This film starts with that question, then goes on to examine Christianity as a whole.
- DirectorEmile de AntonioStarsJohn G. AdamsRoy M. CohnRay JenkinsAn unfiltered, unflinching document of the notorious 1954 Army-McCarthy hearings, compiled entirely from raw TV footage (with no narration, music, or added scenes).
- DirectorLutz HachmeisterStarsUdo SamelKenneth BranaghHeinrich BrüningThrough archival footage and dramatic readings of his personal writings, the life of Nazi Germany's Propaganda Minister, Josef Goebbels, is examined.
- DirectorBill GuttentagDan SturmanStarsHugo ArmstrongRosalind ChaoStephen DorffThrough readings of historical account by actors and the testimony of survivors, the events of the Nanjing Massacre are recounted.
- StarsMichael RedgraveRalph RichardsonEmlyn WilliamsOne of the greatest achievements of television -broadcast from 1964 in 26 episodes. Use of extensive archive footage and sound effects, linked with contemporary classic music of that area. Concentrated by the commentaries by Michael Redgrave, and some of the finest male actors of the twentieth century. Still manages to be breathtaking despite the lack of special effects or modern gimmicks.
- DirectorMark Jonathan HarrisStarsMorgan FreemanIsrael LauLivia ShacterThe story of the post World War II Jewish refugee situation from liberation to the establishment of the modern state of Israel.
- StarsCampbell ScottH.W. BrandsMark CubanRockefeller, Vanderbilt, Carnegie, Astor, Ford and Morgan. Their names are part of history and synonymous with the American dream. These men transformed every industry they touched: oil, rail, steel, shipping, automobiles, and finance.
- DirectorMarcel OphülsStarsHelmut TausendMarcel VerdierAlexis GraveAn in-depth exploration of the various reactions by the French people to the Vichy government's acceptance of the German invasion.
- StarsBettany HughesRay LonnenMargaret RobertsonA history of the ancient Spartans, featuring historian Bettany Hughes as presenter and narrator.
- DirectorKen BurnsStarsDavid McCulloughJeremy IronsDerek JacobiDocumentary showing the history of the world-famous Statue of Liberty in New York harbor, the impact it still has on people and the state of liberty as a personal and political concept in America in 1985.
- DirectorMark Jonathan HarrisStarsJudi DenchLory CahnKurt FuchelThe secret smuggling of 9,300 Jewish children out of Nazi Germany in the late 1930s.
- DirectorSteven OkazakiStarsHarold AgnewShuntaro HidaKiyoko ImoriUsing extensive interviews with survivors and archival footage, an examination reveals the aftermath of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
- DirectorBarbara TrentStarsElizabeth MontgomeryCarlos CantúDiviana IngravalloA film about the true reasons for the 1989 US invasion of Panama and big media complicity in these activities.