Political Documentaries (Watch List)
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- DirectorRobert DrewStarsJames LipscombJohn F. KennedyGeorge WallaceGovernor George Wallace will not let two black students into an Alabama school, against the wishes of President Kennedy. Loud shouts come from both sides of the issue as JFK stands by his decisions.
- StarsLyndon B. JohnsonJohn F. KennedyE.G. MarshallDocumentary showing how continuity of power works between an outgoing administration (John F. Kennedy) and an incoming one (Lyndon Johnson).
- DirectorMel StuartStarsMartin GabelJohn F. KennedyRichard NixonThe story of the 1960 US Presidential election.
- DirectorMel StuartStarsRichard BasehartJohn BrewerRaymond BuckFrom more than eight million feet of newsreels, amateur footage, tape-recordings and more, David L. Wolper presents a priceless detailed account of the time and events surrounding the assassination of President John F. Kennedy.
- DirectorBruce HerschensohnStarsGregory PeckMaximilian SchellClaus ToksvigJohn F. Kennedy's years as president.
- DirectorMel StuartStarsMartin Gabel
- DirectorEmile de AntonioStarsMark LaneL.E. Bowers Jr.Charles BrehmMark Lane interviews witnesses to the Kennedy assassination and exposes serious flaws in the conclusions made by the Warren Commission.
- DirectorOctavio GetinoFernando E. SolanasStarsMaría de la PazFernando E. SolanasEdgardo SuárezDivided into three segments, namely 1 Neocolonialism, 2 Act for liberation, 3 Violence and liberation, the documentary lasts more than 4 hours this deals with the defense of the revolution and the revolution of the third world such as the revolt of the students in the United States and Western Europe, Czech citizens protest against the Soviet Union's State bureaucracy and also the revolution that (probably) is unprecedented in Argentina.
- DirectorSantiago ÁlvarezStarsLyndon B. JohnsonA montage of 1960s America, all focused on the presidency of Lyndon B. Johnson.
- DirectorCharles GuggenheimStarsRichard BurtonRobert F. KennedyShown on all television networks simultaneously and at the Chicago Democratic National Convention in August of 1968, this moving film tribute to a man who had hoped to win the presidency created a historic moment when it brought the proceedings to a standstill and the crowd, in tears, to its feet. Commissioned by the Kennedy family, the film begins with the funeral train to Washington, D.C. and follows the triumphs and tragedies in the late Senator's life with extraordinary newsreel footage, archival stills, and home movies. The film was produced in only four weeks, two months after the Senator's assassination, in order to meet the Convention deadline. Guggenheim Productions, with the country's resources at its fingertips, worked around the clock to complete this film honoring RFK's life and the Democratic Party. "Robert Kennedy Remembered" is a poignant film biography that evokes the spirit, quality and commitment Robert Kennedy brought to his life and work. This film went on to win Academy Award® for Best Documentary Short in 1968. "To watch it is to experience a profound sense of loss and tragic waste all over again."---Los Angeles Times
- DirectorMel StuartStarsJohn Huston
- DirectorHoward AlkStarsSkip AndrewEdward CarmodyJames DavisA chronicle of Fred Hampton's revolutionary leadership of the Illinois Black Panther Party, followed by an investigation into his assassination at the hands of the Chicago Police Department.
- DirectorDenys ArcandStarsRobin SpryGisèle TrépanierDenys ArcandA documentary about Maurice Duplessis and the quebec nationalism which to new levels after the death of this Premier of the Province of Quebec. The director used the electoral campaigns of 1936 and 1970 and the Durham report of 1838 to illustrate his subject.
- DirectorBarbet SchroederStarsIdi AminFidel CastroGolda MeirA documentary on the military dictator of Africa's Uganda.
- DirectorJean-Luc GodardAnne-Marie MiévilleStarsJean-Luc GodardThe movie incorporates footage of fedayeens taken for an aborted pro-Palestinian film which had been abandoned when subjects were killed. Here and Elsewhere takes its name from the footage it shows of the fedayeens and of a French family.
- DirectorEmile de AntonioMary LampsonHaskell WexlerStarsBill AyersKathy BoudinEmile de AntonioIt's the mid 1970s and the Weather Underground Organization (WUO), a radical (and violent) offshoot of the Students for a Democratic Society, explains to leftist filmmakers the difficulties and experiences of being underground and wanted by the federal government.
- DirectorBasilio Martín PatinoStarsClaudio RodríguezVicente CopeteAntonio LópezExploration of a particularly dark zone of the Francoism along with three executioners of death sentences still active in the Spain of the early seventies. Beyond the allegation against capital punishment, the documentary explores the personal story of the three men and their ways of understanding the trade they perform, those executed by them in the garotte or the crimes that are punished. An implacable reflection on power and an atrocious portrait of the society in which those hangmen operate.
- DirectorCharles GuggenheimStarsDavid WayneAt the age of forty-three, John F. Kennedy was the youngest man and the first Catholic to be elected President of the United States. His life ended at the age of forty-six. Born into a fierce family loyalty with an unrelenting competitive spirit, his quick mind, eloquence , and tireless commitment to public service captivated and inspired the nation and the world. With the help of the Kennedy family and historians, this biography illuminates JFK's childhood along with his heroism in World War II, service as Congressman and Senator, and his determination to win the presidency. For the first time, this film uses the talents of numerous filmmakers and photographers whose exclusive access to JFK allowed the nation to live closely with a President who was determined not to accept the future, but to make it. John F. Kennedy is an invaluable and intimate portrait of one of America's greatest leaders---whose devotion to the interests of his country made all citizens proud to be American. "I can assure you that every degree of mind and spirit that I possess will be devoted to the long-range interests of the United States, and to the cause of freedom around the world."---President John F. Kennedy
- DirectorDenys ArcandStarsJean-Pierre RonfardRaymond BarrePierre BrodeurMade shortly after the referendum on Quebec's independence was held, this documentary illustrates what the politicians' promises were and how the population did not really care nor truly understand what was really at stake, even though just about everyone had an opinion on the subject.Comfort and Indifference
- DirectorRobert A. DuncanStarsAlan MaitlandThe story of Canada's struggle to gain control and define its own constitution.
- DirectorThomas HortonStarsHal HolbrookPaul B. Fay Jr.Jimmy Carter
- DirectorVictoria MuddStarsMartin SheenBuffy Sainte-MarieBurgess MeredithDocumentary chronicling the government relocation of 10,000 Navajo Indians in Arizona.
- DirectorRoss McElweeStarsRoss McElweeDede McElweeRoss McElwee Jr.Documentary filmmaker Ross McElwee sets out to make a movie about Union General Sherman's March to the Sea towards the end of the American Civil War, but keeps getting sidetracked by his own love life.
- DirectorDonald BrittainStarsDonald Brittain
- DirectorElise SwerhoneStarsTommy DouglasDonald Brittain
- DirectorKazuo HaraStarsKenzo OkuzakiRiichi AikawaMasaichi HamaguchiA documentary following Kenzo Okuzaki, a 62-year-old WW2 veteran notorious for his protests against Emperor Hirohito, as he tries to expose the needless executions of two Japanese soldiers during the war.
- StarsScott ArmstrongRichard BissellJackson BrowneThis special report by Bill Moyers illustrates and evidences about the contradictions revolving U.S. government when it comes to actually follow and obey the Constitution and its rulings. During the Iran-Contra affair, the White House was giving one appearance that wasn't factual, constantly overruling the most important document of the nation. However, Moyers and guests takes us back to other historical times when the powers in Washington weren't following exactly the Constitution and were doing whatever they wanted to do.
- DirectorMark ObenhausA film commemorating the twenty-fifth anniversary of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. The personal remembrances of a cross-section of Americans, including Dan Rather, Issac Stern, Tip O'Neill, and McGeorge Bundy, about a unique day in our history.
- DirectorBruce HalfordStarsJames Earl JonesRalph AbernathyMcGeorge BundyThrough exclusive and previously unseen footage from family archives and the local TV station near the infamous "grassy knoll," plus the insightful recollestions of Gerald Ford, Coretta King, Tip O'neill, Ted Kennedy and many others, the remarkable John Fitzgerald Kennedy comes to life. Hosted by James Earl Jones, this compelling DVD explores the dynamic President's triumphs, failures and contributions to history.
- DirectorMark KitchellStarsJentri AndersJoan BaezFrank BardackeA documentary about militant student political activity in the University of California-Berkely in the 1960's.
- DirectorCharles GuggenheimThis documentary evaluates The Great Society by incorporating still photos and the voices of Cabinet members/close friends of Lyndon B. Johnson, the 36th President of the United States.
- StarsAdolf Hitler"It is our wish and will that this Reich will last into the future for a thousand years." - Adolf Hitler. The world will never forget the horrific consequences of Adolf Hitler's words. Before, only German-speaking people could understand Hitler's messages of propaganda and hatred. Now, through scrupulous research and translation this startling video will present his most dramatic speeches with English subtitles, revealing the demonic phrases he used to hypnotize the masses. This is a unique opportunity to own Hitler's words that kill. (This is verbatim what is written on the back of the VHS box, ©1990 MPI Home Video)
- DirectorMarilyn LevineRoss McElweeStarsMarilyn LevineRoss McElweeIn 1986, Ross McElwee and Marilyn Levine were making a film about the 25th anniversary of the Berlin Wall, when the imposing structure was still very much intact as the world's most visible symbol of hardline Communism.
- DirectorJohn BarbourStarsJim GarrisonBill AlfordF. Irvin DymondJohn Fitzgerald Kennedy was the 35th president of the United States serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963 at the age of 46. Attractive and charismatic, he was one of the most popular and youngest presidents in American history. In this engaging documentary, with insight and erudition, we trace JFK's early political career, candidacy, presidency, and examine his enduring popularity.
- DirectorRudi DolezalHannes RossacherStarsJohn F. Kennedy
- DirectorChris HegedusD.A. PennebakerStarsJames CarvilleGeorge StephanopoulosHeather BeckelA documentary of the Bill Clinton 1992 presidential campaign and the organization who ran it.
- DirectorBrian McKennaStarsTerence McKennaLloyd BarberFidel CastroA film account of the influential Canadian Prime Minister's early years of his administration.Pierre Trudeau.
- DirectorRichard DindoStarsChristine BoissonJudith BurnettErnesto 'Che' GuevaraOn October 9, 1967, Che Guevara was executed by the Bolivian Army, aided by the CIA. Che's diary, a detailed, personal account of his futile, attempt to spark a revolution in Bolivia, is the basis of this intimate portrait.
- DirectorBrian McKennaStarsTerence McKennaMichael BlissEd BroadbentA filmed account of the later years of Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau's political career.Pierre Trudeau.
- DirectorJean-Daniel LafondStarsPierre VallièresCharles GagnonFrancis SimardThirty years later, four members of what was Le Front de libération du Québec discussed why they create or participate in this revolutionary group. And their explanations are not without passion...Freedom Outraged
- DirectorBrian McKennaStarsTerence McKennaJean-François LepineFidel CastroThe story of the early life of Canada's most influential 20th century Prime Minister.Pierre Trudeau.
- DirectorStéphane DroletStarsLucien BouchardJean ChrétienJosh FreedA film about the second referendum to decide if the province of Quebec would declare independence from Canada.
- DirectorCharles GuggenheimStarsDavid McCulloughHarry S. Truman
- DirectorJuan A. GameroStarsFederico ArcosJuan Giménez ArenasMarcelino BailoAnarchism in Spain; the Spanish social revolution during the civil war 1936-39.
- DirectorWilliam GazeckiStarsDan GiffordJim CavanaughDick DeGuerinA reassessment of the tragedy at Waco that left 76 members of the Branch Davidian religious sect dead.
- DirectorWendy RobbinsStarsMartin SheenHoles in Heaven investigates the High Frequency Active Auroral Research Program also known as HAARP. This experimentation is being conducted by our government and top scientists are concerned about the possibly drastic effects on Earth. This documentary demonstrates how we are all interconnected as electromagnetic beings.
- DirectorJay RosenblattStarsEva BraunFrancisco FrancoAdolf HitlerFilm clips of the 20th century's great dictators with narration in first person combine to form a fascinating portrait of power and evil.
- DirectorNettie WildStarsSamuel Ruiz GarcíaRafael Sebastián Guillén VicenteWhen the Zapatista National Liberation Army took over five towns and 500 ranches in southern Mexico, the government deployed its troops and at least 145 people died in the ensuing battle. Filmmaker Nettie Wild traveled to the jungle canyons of southern Mexico to film the elusive and fragile life of the rebellion.
- DirectorGeorge RoyStarsNeil AmdurBob BeamonRalph BostonDocumentary leading up to, during and after the 1968 Summer Olympic Games in Mexico City. Features interviews with athletes, including John Carlos, Tommie Smith and George Foreman, activist Dr. Harry Edwards, journalists and archival footage of the Games and the fallout after the raised fisted gloves by Carlos and Smith.
- DirectorCatherine AnnauStarsEvan AdamsJohn DuffyDoug GarsonSeveral Canadians discuss how Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau affected them in the 1970's, in particular, his efforts to create a bilingual Canada.
- DirectorKevin MacdonaldStarsMichael DouglasAnkie SpitzerJamal Al GasheyThe Palestinian terrorist group Black September holds Israeli athletes hostage at the 1972 Summer Olympic Games in Munich.
- DirectorDavid McKenzieStarsRoger MooreFidel CastroCarl DayOn Nov. 22, 1963 the world was shocked by the assassination of John F. Kennedy. The mystery surrounding this history-changing event has led to many unanswered questions.
- DirectorRustin ThompsonStarsGreg Lassiter30 Frames A Second: The WTO in Seattle, is a compelling first-person account of the events that unfolded during the week the World Trade Organization came to Seattle in November of 1999.
- StarsTerence McKennaRené GagnonJérome ChoquetteA history of the infamous Canadian terrorist crisis in October 1970.
- DirectorHelen GarvyStarsJane AdamsBill AyersCarolyn Craven
- DirectorJill FriedbergRick RowleyStarsNoam ChomskyMichael FrantiCarley PhelanA filmed account of the street protests against the World Trade Organization Summit in Seattle, Washington, USA in 1999.
- DirectorAndres VeielStarsPater AugustinusRoswitha Bleith-BendieckPaul BrandWolfgang Grams, RAF terrorist, killed in a police shoot out in 1993 was thought to be part of the 1989 murder of high placed banker Alfred Herrhausen. This documentary interviews people close to Herrhausen and Grams showing what made them the people they became.
- DirectorJohn MoffetStarsMitch PileggiBill KaysingBrian WelchWere the Apollo moon landings faked?
- DirectorMichael GalinskySuki HawleyStarsJames HatfieldSander HicksStewart BagwellThis movie captures the unlikely connection of three men. An ex-con biographer, a janitor turned publisher and U.S. President George W. Bush whose paths to power and popularity become tangled in the controversial book Fortunate Son.
- DirectorJohn JunkermanStarsNoam ChomskyCarol ChomskyThis documentary compiles a series of Noam Chomsky's interviews and lectures that address the events of 9/11.
- 1995– 52m7.8 (29)TV Episode
- DirectorSteve ConnellyJohn PilgerStarsJohn PilgerJohn BoltonReed BrodyA critical documentary about the war on terror since 9-11.
- DirectorPhilip SelkirkStarsFidel CastroRaúl CastroErnesto 'Che' GuevaraFidel Castro was one of history's most controversial leaders. The man who freed Cuba from a crushing regime and lived a Communist dream, stood up to American and international condemnation, yet survives to this day. Undoubtedly a legendary figure, Castro is full of contradictions - some see him as a hero, others as a ruthless dictator. Who is the real Castro?
- DirectorOliver StoneStarsFidel CastroOliver StoneJuanita VeraDocumentary on the director's meeting with Castro.
- StarsOleg CassiniLyndon B. JohnsonJohn Kennedy Jr.An in-depth portrayal of President John F. Kennedy that includes newly released recordings of Kennedy, videos of his family and interviews with those around him.
- StarsFrank SesnoBarry GoldwaterRichard N. GoodwinThe intense dislike and mistrust between LBJ and RFK, and the troubled first year of the Johnson presidency.
- DirectorWill PascoeStarsNoam ChomskyCarol ChomskyLinguist, intellectual and activist, Noam Chomsky discusses and reflects on the state of world events including the War in Iraq, September 11th, the War on Terror, Media Manipulation and Control, Social Activism, Fear, and American Foreign Policy in both large forums and in small interactive discussions with other intellectuals, activists, fans, students and critics. Interwoven, is Dr. Carol Chomsky, Noam's wife and manager who reflects on what drives Noam and what life is like with him. Other candid reflections about Noam Chomsky and his thoughts, work and influece are offerred by others throughout the film.
- DirectorPaul DevlinStarsDennis BakkePiers LewisButch MederosCorruption, assassination and street rioting surround the story of the award-winning film, Power Trip, which follows an American multi-national trying to solve the electricity crisis in Tbilisi, capital of the former Soviet Republic of Georgia. Power Trip provides insight into today's headlines, with a graphic, on-the-ground depiction of the challenges facing globalization in an environment of culture clash, electricity disconnections and blackouts.
- DirectorDavid RothauserStarsDavid Rothauser
- 1987– 1h 29mUnrated7.3 (461)TV Episode75MetascoreDirectorRobert StoneStarsRuss LittleMichael BortinTimothy FindleyA documentary on the curious American domestic terrorist group, infamous for the 1974 kidnapping of Patty Hearst.
- DirectorIvy MeeropolStarsBob ConsidineRobert MeeropolMorton SobellA filmmaker explores the lives and deaths of her grandparents, Julius and Ethel Rosenberg, who were executed as spies in 1953.
- 20041h 8mUnrated7.8 (405)54Metascore
- DirectorDeb EllisDenis MuellerStarsMatt DamonDaniel BerriganHoward ZinnThe life and times of Howard Zinn: the historian, activist, and author of several classics including "A Peoples History of the United States". Archival footage, and commentary by friend, colleagues and Zinn himself.
- DirectorAlastair LayzellStarsHugh AynesworthJohn ConnallyNellie ConnallyLooking back over 40 years television and print journalists recall their stories and memories of reporting the murder of President Kennedy and how it changed the country and changed the way the public gets it's news.
- DirectorSut JhallyBathsheba RatzkoffStarsSeth AckermanStav AdiviArik AschermanThis video shows how the foreign policy interests of American political elites-working in combination with Israeli public relations stratgies-influence US news reporting about the Middle East conflict. Combining American and British TV news clips with observations of analysts, journalists and political activists, Peace, Propaganda & the Promised Land provides a brief historical overview, a striking media comparison, and an examination of factors that have distorted U.S. media coverage and, in turn, American public opinion.
- DirectorDavid GrubinStarsBlair BrownNick Fraser
- DirectorRobert TaicherStarsDaniel BerriganGeorge W. BushDick CheneyIn today's post-9/11 world, director Robert Taicher searches for the rationale behind the war in Iraq, exploring the failed policies of several administrations in an expertly crafted full-length documentary. What he presents is a raw, provocative look into America's "War on Terror" and its effect on our society, our credibility, and most importantly, our security. As America fights the wrong war at the wrong time, comes a riveting eye-opener. The right film at the right time.
- DirectorBen WrightStarsSlavoj ZizekIn this tour de force filmed lecture, Slavoj Zizek lucidly and compellingly reflects on belief - which takes him from Father Christmas to democracy - and on the various forms that belief takes, drawing on Lacanian categories of thought. In a radical dismissal of todays so called post-political era, he mobilizes the paradox of universal truth urging us to dare to enact the impossible. It is a characteristic virtuoso performance, moving promiscuously from subject to subject but keeping the larger argument in view. Based at Ljubliana University, Slavoj Zizek's main body of work includes Welcome to the Desert of the Real and, most recently, The Puppet and the Dwarf: The Perverse Core of Christianity.
- DirectorNonny de la PeñaStarsAquil AbdullahJohn AshcroftBob BarrA documentary that investigates the ways in which the civil liberties of American citizens and immigrants have been rolled back since the September 11 and the Patriot Act.
- DirectorRobert GreenwaldStarsDavid AlbrightRobert BaerMilton BeardenRobert Greenwald's gripping and controversial documentary, detailing the administration's march to war, as seen through the eyes of countless experts. 2004 National Theatrical Release.
- DirectorJohn KirbyStarsLewis LaphamCaton BurwellPaul CantagalloIn this first of its kind "dramatic-documentary-musical", Lewis Lapham takes two young Ivy-League graduates on a tour of the corridors of power. The novice careerists must decide: should they seek to rule the world, or to save it?
- DirectorWilliam LewisStarsWilliam CohenMatt GonzalezDavid HuxsollThis extremely powerful 89 minute film presents comprehensive documentation from United States Government archives of a massive cover-up, including military and civilian experimentation, dating back over 60 years. As ailing Gulf War Heroes from all 27 coalition countries slowly die of "unknown causes," they wait for answers from their respective governments, but no satisfying or even credible answers have come forth from the military establishment. Records that span over a decade point to negligence and even culpability on the part of the U.S. Department of Defense and their "disposable army" mentality. From the first Gulf War the VA has determined that 250,000 troops are now permanently disabled, 15,000 troops are dead and over 425,000 troops are ill and slowly dying from what the Department of Defense still calls a "mystery disease." How many more will have to die before action is taken?
- DirectorAdriana BoschM Pink ChristofaloStarsRena BaskinFulgencio BatistaJames BlightA biography of Cuban leader Fidel Castro.
- DirectorStephen VittoriaStarsJames AbourezkWarren BeattyChip BerletONE BRIGHT SHINING MOMENT retraces George McGovern's bold presidential campaign of 1972 - a grassroots campaign that fought for peace and justice, and positioned ideas and people first. But what is remembered today as being the ultimate political defeat of the American Century may also have been its high watermark. The film poses this central question: what does the crushing electoral defeat of a man so well respected for his decency and intellect say about the electoral process, the American government, and more importantly, what does it say about the forces at work on the American people- then and now? Featuring interviews with the candidate himself, supporters and activists like Gore Vidal, Gloria Steinem, Warren Beatty, Howard Zinn, and music from Bob Dylan, Robbie Robertson, Donovan, and Elvis Costello.
- DirectorRachel BoyntonStarsMauricio BalcazarJames CarvilleTad DevineA documentary on American political campaign marketing tactics and their consequences.
- DirectorSabina GuzzantiStarsFrancesco AlberoniLucia AnnunziataSilvio BerlusconiA documentary about the state of censorship and political satire in Italy.
- DirectorAstra TaylorStarsSlavoj ZizekA look at the controversial author, philosopher and candidate for Slovenian presidency: Slavoj Zizek.
- DirectorHenry SingerStarsSteven MackintoshEric LiptonIliana GuibertThe Falling Man is a documentary that examines one of the many images that were circulated by the press immediately after the attacks on the World Trade Center on September 11th, 2001. The image in question can be seen above on the cover of the disc. It shows a man plummeting headfirst to the ground, having leapt from the burning towers. After touching on the events of the day and how the nation reacted, the program focuses specifically on this image, the photographer who took it, its subsequent circulation, the public's reaction to it and why it was later deemed UN-newsworthy...