Documentary heaven
by eirikwl | created - 29 Apr 2018 | updated - 09 Mar 2022 | Public- Instant Watch Options
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1. 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: 40,970 | Gross: $1.33M
2. Lucky People Center International (1998)
85 min | Documentary, Music
The film is a journey through some twenty countries where existential issues are addressed and the participants have all taken a stand against modern society and trying to make human life better.
Directors: Erik Pauser, Johan Söderberg | Stars: Alexander Brenner, Djossou Dotche, Bruno Manser, Sogyal Rinpoche
Votes: 645
3. Microcosmos (1996)
Not Rated | 80 min | Documentary
A documentary on insect life in meadows and ponds.
Directors: Claude Nuridsany, Marie Pérennou | Stars: Kristin Scott Thomas, Jacques Perrin
Votes: 11,646 | Gross: $1.57M
4. Amy (III) (2015)
R | 128 min | Documentary, Biography, Music
Archival footage and personal testimonials present an intimate portrait of the life and career of British singer/songwriter Amy Winehouse.
Director: Asif Kapadia | Stars: Amy Winehouse, Mitch Winehouse, Mark Ronson, Russell Brand
Votes: 54,991 | Gross: $8.41M
5. The Private Life of Plants (1995)
49 min | Documentary
David Attenborough's study of the world of plants, which demonstrates, with the aid of time-lapse photography, the rich and varied ways in which they flourish.
Star: David Attenborough
Votes: 2,859
6. TimeScapes (2012)
G | 52 min | Documentary
TimeScapes is the debut film from award-winning cinematographer and director Tom Lowe. The non-narrative film features stunning slow-motion and timelapse cinematography of the landscapes, people, and wildlife of the American South West.
Director: Tom Löwe
Votes: 1,318
7. Koyaanisqatsi (1982)
Not Rated | 86 min | Documentary, Music
A collection of expertly photographed phenomena with no conventional plot. The footage focuses on the relationship between nature, humanity, and technology.
Director: Godfrey Reggio | Stars: Edward Asner, Pat Benatar, Jerry Brown, Johnny Carson
Votes: 41,449 | Gross: $1.72M
8. Powaqqatsi (1988)
G | 99 min | Documentary, Music
An exploration of technologically developing nations and the effect the transition to Western-style modernization has had on them.
Director: Godfrey Reggio | Stars: Christie Brinkley, David Brinkley, Patrick Disanto, Pope John Paul II
Votes: 8,874 | Gross: $0.59M
9. Naqoyqatsi (2002)
PG | 89 min | Documentary, Music
A visual montage portrait of our contemporary world dominated by globalized technology and violence.
Director: Godfrey Reggio | Stars: Belladonna, Marlon Brando, Elton John, Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Votes: 6,239 | Gross: $0.13M
10. 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: 38,023 | Gross: $2.67M
11. The Devil and Daniel Johnston (2005)
PG-13 | 110 min | Documentary, Biography, Music
Daniel Johnston, manic-depressive genius singer/songwriter/artist is revealed in this portrait of madness, creativity and love.
Director: Jeff Feuerzeig | Stars: Daniel Johnston, Mabel Johnston, Bill Johnston, Laurie Allen
Votes: 10,527 | Gross: $0.33M
12. The Decline of Western Civilization (1981)
Not Rated | 100 min | Documentary, History, Music
A look into the Los Angeles punk rock scene, that was largely ignored by the rock music press of the time.
Director: Penelope Spheeris | Stars: Eugene Tatu, Alice Bag Band, Black Flag, Catholic Discipline
Votes: 4,866
13. The Decline of Western Civilization Part II: The Metal Years (1988)
R | 93 min | Documentary, Music
Documentary showcase, what life was like for the music artists living during the Los Angeles Heavy Metal scene in the mid and late 1980s.
Director: Penelope Spheeris | Stars: Joe Perry, Steven Tyler, Gene Simmons, Alice Cooper
Votes: 4,312 | Gross: $0.37M
14. The Decline of Western Civilization Part III (1998)
R | 86 min | Documentary, Music
The Decline of Western Civilization III is a 1998 documentary film that follows the gutter punk lifestyle of homeless teenagers.
Director: Penelope Spheeris | Stars: Flea, Keith Morris, Eyeball, Myke Chambers
Votes: 1,584
15. Jiro Dreams of Sushi (2011)
PG | 81 min | Documentary
A documentary on 85-year-old sushi master Jiro Ono, his renowned Tokyo restaurant, and his relationship with his son and eventual heir, Yoshikazu.
Director: David Gelb | Stars: Jiro Ono, Yoshikazu Ono, Masuhiro Yamamoto, Daisuke Nakazama
Votes: 37,997 | Gross: $2.55M
16. 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: 68,810 | Gross: $3.29M
17. Is the Man Who Is Tall Happy? (2013)
Not Rated | 88 min | Documentary, Animation, Biography
A series of interviews featuring linguist, philosopher and activist Noam Chomsky done in hand-drawn animation.
Director: Michel Gondry | Stars: Noam Chomsky, Michel Gondry, Richard Feynman, Michèle Oshima
Votes: 3,678 | Gross: $0.13M
18. The Act of Killing (2012)
Not Rated | 117 min | Documentary, Biography, Crime
A documentary which challenges former Indonesian death-squad leaders to reenact their mass-killings in whichever cinematic genres they wish, including classic Hollywood crime scenarios and lavish musical numbers.
Directors: Joshua Oppenheimer, Anonymous, Christine Cynn | Stars: Anwar Congo, Herman Koto, Syamsul Arifin, Ibrahim Sinik
Votes: 40,797 | Gross: $0.49M
19. The Salt of the Earth (2014)
PG-13 | 110 min | Documentary, Biography, History
The life and work of photographer Sebastião Salgado, who has spent forty years documenting societies in hidden corners of the world.
Directors: Juliano Ribeiro Salgado, Wim Wenders | Stars: Sebastião Salgado, Wim Wenders, Lélia Wanick Salgado, Juliano Ribeiro Salgado
Votes: 23,438 | Gross: $1.34M
20. Bodysong (2003)
83 min | Documentary
Simon Pummell's epic movie tells the story of a human life, using found footage from the last 100 years of cinema, cut to a powerful score by Jonny Greenwood of Radiohead.
Director: Simon Pummell
Votes: 767
21. Beautiful Losers (2008)
Not Rated | 90 min | Documentary, Music
This documentary follows the lives and careers of a collective group of Do-it-yourself artists and designers who inadvertently affected the art world.
Directors: Aaron Rose, Joshua Leonard | Stars: Julian Bennett Holmes, Thomas Campbell, Shepard Fairey, Jo Jackson
Votes: 1,423 | Gross: $0.06M
22. Beauty Is Embarrassing (2012)
Not Rated | 88 min | Documentary, Biography, Comedy
A documentary on the life and current times of artist Wayne White.
Director: Neil Berkeley | Stars: Wayne White, Mimi Pond, Paul Reubens, Mark Mothersbaugh
Votes: 1,223
23. Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey (2014)
TV-PG | 43 min | Documentary
An exploration of our discovery of the laws of nature and coordinates in space and time.
Stars: Neil deGrasse Tyson, Christopher Emerson, Keythe Farley, Piotr Michael
Votes: 128,454
24. Beautiful People (1974)
G | 92 min | Comedy, Documentary
Hilarious documentary on the wildlife of the Namib Desert.
Director: Jamie Uys | Star: Paddy O'Byrne
Votes: 4,154
25. 20,000 Days on Earth (2014)
Not Rated | 97 min | Documentary, Drama, Music
Writer and musician Nick Cave marks his 20,000th day on the planet Earth.
Directors: Iain Forsyth, Jane Pollard | Stars: Nick Cave, Susie Bick, Warren Ellis, Darian Leader
Votes: 11,967 | Gross: $0.28M
26. Abstract: The Art of Design (2017– )
TV-14 | 45 min | Documentary
A look beyond blueprints and computers into the art and science of design, showcasing great designers from every discipline whose work shapes our world.
Stars: Platon, Tinker Hatfield, Ian Spalter, Cas Holman
Votes: 5,906
27. Jodorowsky's Dune (2013)
PG-13 | 90 min | Documentary
The story of cult film director Alejandro Jodorowsky's ambitious but ultimately doomed film adaptation of the seminal science fiction novel.
Director: Frank Pavich | Stars: Alejandro Jodorowsky, Michel Seydoux, H.R. Giger, Chris Foss
Votes: 27,538 | Gross: $0.65M
28. 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: 15,078 | Gross: $1.51M
29. Cooked (2016)
60 min | Documentary
As he tries his hand at baking, brewing and braising, acclaimed food writer Michael Pollan explores how cooking transforms food and shapes our world.
Stars: Michael Pollan, Samin Nosrat, Isaac Pollan
Votes: 3,140
30. Lemmy (2010)
116 min | Documentary, Biography, Music
A documentary on the life and career of revered heavy-metal musician Lemmy Kilmister.
Directors: Greg Olliver, Wes Orshoski | Stars: Lemmy, Phil Campbell, Mikkey Dee, Dave Navarro
Votes: 8,596
31. Waste Land (2010)
Not Rated | 99 min | Documentary
On the outskirts of Rio de Janeiro is Jardim Gramacho, the world's largest landfill, where men and women sift through garbage for a living. Artist Vik Muniz produces portraits of the workers and learns about their lives.
Directors: Lucy Walker, Karen Harley, João Jardim | Star: Vik Muniz
Votes: 9,360 | Gross: $0.19M
32. Beware of Mr. Baker (2012)
Not Rated | 100 min | Documentary, Biography, Music
Ginger Baker looks back on his musical career with Cream and Blind Faith; his introduction to Fela Kuti; his self-destructive patterns and losses of fortune; and his current life inside a fortified South African compound.
Director: Jay Bulger | Stars: Ginger Baker, Femi Kuti, Eric Clapton, Stewart Copeland
Votes: 3,615 | Gross: $0.11M
33. The Truffle Hunters (2020)
PG-13 | 84 min | Documentary
Deep in the forests of Piedmont, Italy, a handful of men, seventy or eighty years old, hunt for the rare and expensive white Alba truffle-which to date has resisted all of modern science's efforts at cultivation.
Directors: Michael Dweck, Gregory Kershaw | Stars: Piero Botto, Sergio Cauda, Maria Cicciù, Aurelio Conterno
Votes: 3,781
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