Great documentaries
by RushRhees | created - 29 Nov 2013 | updated - 29 Mar 2016 | PublicThese are all documentaries that somehow have stayed in my mind over the years.
- Instant Watch Options
- Genres
- Movies or TV
- IMDb Rating
- In Theaters
- Release Year
- Keywords
1. Searching for the Wrong-Eyed Jesus (2003)
82 min | Documentary
Searching for The Wrong-Eyed Jesus is a captivating and compelling road trip through the creative spirit of the the Southern U.S. Director Andrew Douglas's film follows "Alt Country" singer... See full summary »
Director: Andrew Douglas | Stars: Harry Crews, Johnny Dowd, David Eugene Edwards, The Handsome Family
Votes: 1,180 | Gross: $0.08M
2. Själen är större än världen (1985)
105 min | Documentary
Captivating and emotional documentary that follows Swedish Discus champion Ricky Bruch as he prepares for the 1984 Olympics at age 38. The film highlights Bruch's obsessive behavior ... See full summary »
Director: Stefan Jarl | Stars: Ricky Bruch, Rolf Danneberg, Carl Fredrik Dymling, Bo Hansson
Votes: 149
3. Muraren (2002)
95 min | Documentary, Biography
For two and a half years Adid Stefan Jarl follow the actor and director Thommy Berggren, who talks about his life and work in the film.
Director: Stefan Jarl | Stars: Peter Andersson, Thommy Berggren, Jörn Donner, Thomas Hanzon
Votes: 135
4. When the Levees Broke: A Requiem in Four Acts (2006–2007)
TV-MA | 51 min | Documentary
An examination of the U.S. government's response to Hurricane Katrina.
Stars: Darleen Asevedo, Jay Asevedo, Shelton Shakespear Alexander, Lee Arnold
Votes: 4,821
5. Grey Gardens (1975)
PG | 95 min | Documentary, Comedy, Drama
Meet a mother and daughter, high-society dropouts, reclusive cousins of Jackie O., managing to thrive together amid the decay and disorder of their East Hampton, NY, mansion, making for an eerily ramshackle echo of the American Camelot.
Directors: Ellen Hovde, Albert Maysles, David Maysles, Muffie Meyer | Stars: Edith Bouvier Beale, Edith 'Little Edie' Bouvier Beale, Brooks Hyers
Votes: 15,248 | Gross: $0.03M
6. Sans Soleil (1983)
Not Rated | 100 min | Documentary, Drama
A woman narrates the contemplative writings of a seasoned world traveler, focusing on contemporary Japan.
Director: Chris Marker | Stars: Amilcar Cabral, Florence Delay, Arielle Dombasle, Riyoko Ikeda
Votes: 12,119 | Gross: $0.03M
7. Plagues and Pleasures on the Salton Sea (2004)
Not Rated | 74 min | Documentary
Renowned cult film director John Waters narrates this quirky exploration of the Salton Sea, the massive Southern California lake that was created by accident a century ago, became a popular... See full summary »
Directors: Chris Metzler, Jeff Springer | Stars: Sonny Bono, John Waters, Norm Niver, Petre Melvin
Votes: 695 | Gross: $0.05M
8. Harlan County U.S.A. (1976)
PG | 103 min | Documentary
A heartbreaking record of the thirteen-month struggle between a community fighting to survive and a corporation dedicated to the bottom line.
Director: Barbara Kopple | Stars: John L. Lewis, Carl Horn, Norman Yarborough, Logan Patterson
Votes: 6,616
9. Our Daily Bread (2005)
Not Rated | 92 min | Documentary
OUR DAILY BREAD is a wide-screen tableau of a feast which isn't always easy to digest - and in which we all take part. A pure, meticulous and high-end film experience that enables the audience to form their own ideas.
Director: Nikolaus Geyrhalter | Stars: Claus Hansen Petz, Arkadiusz Rydellek, Barbara Hinz, Renata Wypchlo
Votes: 2,689
10. Into Great Silence (2005)
Not Rated | 169 min | Documentary
An examination of life inside the Grande Chartreuse, the head monastery of the reclusive Carthusian Order in France.
Director: Philip Gröning
Votes: 2,492 | Gross: $0.79M
11. My Best Fiend (1999)
Not Rated | 95 min | Documentary, Biography
The love-hate relationship between Werner Herzog and Klaus Kinski, the deep trust between the director and the actor, and their independently and simultaneously hatched plans to murder one another.
Director: Werner Herzog | Stars: Werner Herzog, Klaus Kinski, Claudia Cardinale, Eva Mattes
Votes: 12,184 | Gross: $0.10M
12. Patti Smith: Dream of Life (2008)
Not Rated | 109 min | Documentary, Music
An intimate portrait of poet, painter, musician and singer Patti Smith that mirrors the essence of the artist herself.
Director: Steven Sebring | Stars: Patti Smith, Lenny Kaye, Oliver Ray, Tony Shanahan
Votes: 1,075 | Gross: $0.03M
13. Finnish Blood Swedish Heart (2012)
90 min | Documentary, Drama, Music
A son and a father go on a road trip that turns into a musical journey into the emotional memory and the history of Finnish immigration in Sweden; of shame, guilt, crime, alcoholism, and family secrets.
Director: Mika Ronkainen | Stars: Anna Järvinen, Heikki Kiviaho, Harri Manty, Oiva Latvalehto
Votes: 354
14. 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: 37,978 | Gross: $2.55M
15. Over Your Cities Grass Will Grow (2010)
Not Rated | 105 min | Documentary
Starting in 2000, German artist Anselm Kiefer began constructing a series of large elaborate structures, comprising 48 buildings, a labyrinth of tunnels, bridges, lakes and towers. The film bears witness to an incredible creative process.
Director: Sophie Fiennes | Stars: Anselm Kiefer, Bill Katz, Klaus Dermutz
Votes: 311 | Gross: $0.05M
16. Broke. (2009 TV Movie)
77 min | Documentary
Set in a pawnshop the documentary by award-winning filmmaker Rosie Dransfeld features the unlikely friendship between a cynic pawnbroker and a psychopath.
Director: Rosvita Dransfeld | Stars: Chris Hoard, David Woolfson
Votes: 63
17. The Gleaners & I (2000)
Not Rated | 82 min | Documentary
Varda films and interviews gleaners in France in all forms, from those picking fields after the harvest to those scouring the dumpsters of Paris.
Director: Agnès Varda | Stars: François Wertheimer, Agnès Varda, Jean La Planche, Bodan Litnanski
Votes: 8,781 | Gross: $0.15M
18. Man with a Movie Camera (1929)
Not Rated | 68 min | Documentary
A man travels around a city with a camera slung over his shoulder, documenting urban life with dazzling invention.
Director: Dziga Vertov | Stars: Mikhail Kaufman, Elizaveta Svilova
Votes: 27,930
19. The Ister (2004)
Not Rated | 189 min | Documentary
A 3000km journey up the Danube river to the heart of Europe.
Directors: David Barison, Daniel Ross | Stars: Philippe Lacoue-Labarthe, Jean-Luc Nancy, Bernard Stiegler, Hans-Jürgen Syberberg
Votes: 225
20. Shoah (1985)
Not Rated | 566 min | Documentary, History, War
Claude Lanzmann's epic documentary recounts the story of the Holocaust through interviews with witnesses - perpetrators as well as survivors.
Director: Claude Lanzmann | Stars: Simon Srebnik, Michael Podchlebnik, Motke Zaïdl, Hanna Zaïdl
Votes: 10,529 | Gross: $0.02M
21. Manufactured Landscapes (2006)
Unrated | 86 min | Documentary
Photographer Edward Burtynsky travels the world observing changes in landscapes due to industrial work and manufacturing.
Director: Jennifer Baichwal | Star: Edward Burtynsky
Votes: 3,061 | Gross: $0.24M
22. Chronicle of a Summer (1961)
Not Rated | 85 min | Documentary, History
A documentary about the everyday lives of ordinary Parisians, done in the style of cinéma vérité.
Directors: Edgar Morin, Jean Rouch | Stars: Angelo, Nadine Ballot, Catherine, Céline
Votes: 3,579
24. Waltz with Bashir (2008)
R | 90 min | Documentary, Animation, Biography
An Israeli film director interviews fellow veterans of the 1982 invasion of Lebanon to reconstruct his own memories of his term of service in that conflict.
Director: Ari Folman | Stars: Ari Folman, Ron Ben-Yishai, Ronny Dayag, Ori Sivan
Votes: 60,363 | Gross: $2.28M
25. H:r Landshövding (2008)
87 min | Documentary
Director: Måns Månsson | Star: Anders Björck
Votes: 160
26. Die Geschichte vom weinenden Kamel (2003)
PG | 93 min | Documentary, Drama, Family
When a Mongolian nomadic family's newest camel colt is rejected by its mother, a musician is needed for a ritual to change her mind.
Directors: Byambasuren Davaa, Luigi Falorni | Stars: Janchiv Ayurzana, Chimed Ohin, Amgaabazar Gonson, Zeveljamz Nyam
Votes: 6,412 | Gross: $1.74M
27. Haru: The Island of the Solitary (1998)
43 min | Documentary, Short
Author Tove Jansson and graphic artist Tuulikki Pietilä spent 20 summers on the island of Klovharu in the Gulf of Finland. This documentary is based on 20 hours of Super 8 film footage shot by Tuulikki Pietilä between 1970 and 1991.
Directors: Kanerva Cederström, Riikka Tanner | Stars: Birgitta Ulfsson, Tove Jansson, Tuulikki Pietilä
Votes: 55
28. Night and Fog (1956)
TV-14 | 32 min | Documentary, Short, History
The history of Nazi Germany's death camps of the Final Solution and the hellish world of dehumanization and death contained inside.
Director: Alain Resnais | Stars: Michel Bouquet, Reinhard Heydrich, Heinrich Himmler, Adolf Hitler
Votes: 21,423
30. Homemade Hillbilly Jam (2005)
Not Rated | 80 min | Documentary
A musical romp through the Ozark Mountains with a handful of rascally modern-day hillbillies.
Director: Rick Minnich
Votes: 52
31. Vikarien (2006)
85 min | Documentary
A substitute teacher working in the suburbs of Stockholm finds himself increasingly disillusioned about his job. He calls his mentor, a 75-year-old veteran, who travels to Stockholm. ... See full summary »
Directors: Åsa Blanck, Johan Palmgren | Stars: Folke Silvén, Peter Kleinwichs, Max Wejstorp
Votes: 148
32. Grizzly Man (2005)
R | 103 min | Documentary, Biography
A devastating and heart-rending take on grizzly bear activists Timothy Treadwell and Amie Huguenard, who were killed in October of 2003 while living among grizzly bears in Alaska.
Director: Werner Herzog | Stars: Timothy Treadwell, Amie Huguenard, Werner Herzog, Carol Dexter
Votes: 61,785 | Gross: $3.17M
33. Armbryterskan från Ensamheten (2004)
78 min | Documentary
The tiny village in the far north of Sweden called Ensamheten (Solitude) has sixteen inhabitants. They all share an unusual passion - armwrestling. Among them is 22-year-old Heidi Andersson... See full summary »
Directors: Helen Ahlsson, Lisa Munthe | Stars: Heidi Andersson, Jeanette Andersson, Kent Andersson, Björn Ferry
Votes: 433
34. Katzenball (2005)
87 min | Documentary
Director: Veronika Minder | Stars: Johanna Berends, Liva Tresch, Ursula Rodel, Heidi Oberli
Votes: 54
35. To Be and to Have (2002)
Not Rated | 104 min | Documentary, Family
A 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.
Director: Nicolas Philibert | Stars: Georges Lopez, Alizé, Axel Thouvenin, Guillaume
Votes: 8,411 | Gross: $0.78M
36. Piter (2004)
79 min | Documentary
'Piter' is the nickname for St Petersburg. You see 7 residents of this city at the start of the 21st century. They picture the dark world of revolution and war, the grey Brezhnev years and the harsh realities of glasnost and perestroika.
Director: Jessica Gorter
Votes: 25
37. Crossing the Bridge: The Sound of Istanbul (2005)
Not Rated | 90 min | Documentary, History, Music
Award-winning director Fatih Akin takes us on a journey through Istanbul, the city that bridges Europe and Asia, and challenges familiar notions of east and west. He looks at the vibrant ... See full summary »
Director: Fatih Akin | Stars: Alexander Hacke, Ahmed Ulug, Cem Yegul, Mehmed Ulug
Votes: 6,495 | Gross: $0.07M
38. In This World (2002)
R | 88 min | Drama
A refugee family is trying to reach more peaceful lands illegally inside trucks.
Director: Michael Winterbottom | Stars: Jamal Udin Torabi, Enayatullah, Imran Paracha, Hiddayatullah
Votes: 4,404
39. Calais: The Last Border (2003 TV Movie)
59 min | Documentary
On the other side of the Channel Brits and non-EU refugees brush some wanting to get out, the others wanting to get in.
Director: Marc Isaacs
Votes: 37
40. Fuck Off! Images of Finland (1971)
104 min | Documentary
Three 30-something Finnish filmmakers travel around Finland to interview ordinary people and paint a picture of Finland in the year 1970.
Directors: Jörn Donner, Erkki Seiro, Jaakko Talaskivi | Stars: Jörn Donner, Irmeli Loikala, Jussi Niininen, Einari Meriläinen
Votes: 542
41. The Punk Syndrome (2012)
Not Rated | 85 min | Documentary, Comedy, Drama
A Finnish punk-rock band formed by four mentally disabled guys.
Directors: Jukka Kärkkäinen, J-P Passi | Stars: Pertti Kurikka, Kari Aalto, Sami Helle, Toni Välitalo
Votes: 1,614
42. HOME. Somewhere (2015)
77 min | Documentary, Drama
HOME. Somewhere. - is a poetic feature length documentary that asks the bold question: Will the human soul ever find a home? On the most remote islands of Finland we encounter men that ... See full summary »
Director: Lotta Petronella | Stars: Mats Bergman, Ulf Bergman, Johan Simberg
43. Dark Days (2000)
Not Rated | 82 min | Documentary
A cinematic portrait of the homeless population who live permanently in the underground tunnels of New York City.
Director: Marc Singer | Star: Marc Singer
Votes: 7,174 | Gross: $0.43M
44. Poster Girl (2010)
Not Rated | 38 min | Documentary, Short, Biography
Apple pie cheerleader turned tough-as-nails machine gunner in the Iraq War, Sgt. Robynn Murray comes home to face a new kind of battle she never anticipated.
Director: Sara Nesson
Votes: 362
45. The Dubai in Me (2010)
78 min | Documentary
Images of Dubai and of Second Life, in an attempt to glean some new intelligence.
Director: Christian Von Borries
Votes: 11
46. Tove ja Tooti Euroopassa (2004)
58 min | Documentary
Directors: Kanerva Cederström, Riikka Tanner | Stars: Tove Jansson, Tuulikki Pietilä, Vivica Bandler, Susanna Ringbom
Votes: 20
47. 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: 40,761 | Gross: $0.49M
48. Detained (2015)
99 min | Documentary
The true story of the people who are forced to leave Sweden after asking for sanctuary.
Directors: Shaon Chakraborty, Anna Persson | Stars: Agneta, Ajub, Bilal, Camilla
Votes: 64
49. Die Geschichte vom weinenden Kamel (2003)
PG | 93 min | Documentary, Drama, Family
When a Mongolian nomadic family's newest camel colt is rejected by its mother, a musician is needed for a ritual to change her mind.
Directors: Byambasuren Davaa, Luigi Falorni | Stars: Janchiv Ayurzana, Chimed Ohin, Amgaabazar Gonson, Zeveljamz Nyam
Votes: 6,412 | Gross: $1.74M
50. Bakhmaro heißt Paradies (2011 TV Movie)
59 min | Documentary
A journey into a lively but rotting building in a provincial Georgian town. It once used to be a hotel called 'Bakhmaro'. At the center of the building is a restaurant whose walls are ... See full summary »
Director: Salomé Jashi
Votes: 22
Tell Your Friends