Documentaries
A list of photography, design and architecture documentaries.
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72 titles
- DirectorHeinz BütlerStarsHenri Cartier-BressonAlexander BrooksRobert DelpireArtist Henri Cartier-Bresson comments on several of his photographs. One of the last films shot with the photographer, also featuring Robert Delpire, Elliott Erwitt, Isabelle Huppert, Josef Koudelka, Arthur Miller, and Ferdinando Scianna.
- 1985– TV-147.4 (566)TV EpisodeDirectorBarbara LeibovitzStarsMikhail BaryshnikovGraydon CarterHillary ClintonAnnie Leibovitz enrolled in the San Francisco Art Institute intent on studying painting. It was not until she traveled to Japan with her mother after her sophomore year that she discovered her interest in taking photographs.
- DirectorCheryl DunnStarsBoogieMartha CooperBruce DavidsonEverybody Street" highlights the lives and work of New York's iconic street photographers and the unparalleled city that has inspired them for decades.
- 1985– 1h 28mTV-147.2 (123)TV EpisodeDirectorPerry Miller AdatoStarsAlfred StieglitzGeorgia O'KeeffeEdward SteichenBiography of Alfred Stieglitz and his role in the early 20th century American art world.
- DirectorKlaartje QuirijnsStarsAnton CorbijnBonoMartin GoreAn intimate portrait of Anton Corbijn as he travels the world as a photographer, film maker and video artist. A unique and revelatory look at the drama and conflict inherent in the man himself: the sacrifice of his private life versus his meteoric career, his commercial success versus his desire for artistic recognition, and his audience's admiration versus his personal loneliness.
- DirectorMarion CajoriAmei WallachStarsPandora Tabatabai AsbaghiJean-Louis BourgeoisLouise BourgeoisA journey inside the world of a legend of modern art and an icon of feminism. Onscreen, the nonagenarian Louise Bourgeois is magnetic, mercurial and emotionally raw-an uncompromising artist whose life and work are imbued with her ongoing obsession with the mysteries of childhood. Her process is on full display in this intimate documentary, which features the artist in her studio and with her installations, shedding light on her intentions and inspirations. Louise Bourgeois has for six decades been at the forefront of successive new developments, but always on her own powerfully inventive and disquieting terms. In 1982, at the age of 71, she became the first woman to be honored with a major retrospective at New York's Museum of Modern Art. In the decades since, she has created her most powerful and persuasive work, including her series of massive spider structures that have been installed around the world. Filmed with unparalleled access between 1993 and 2007, Louise Bourgeois: The Spider, the Mistress and the Tangerine is a comprehensive and dramatic documentary of creativity and revelation.
- DirectorMichael StevensStarsKen AulettaCarl BernsteinLewis BlackDocumentary about Herbert L. Bloc, Pulitzer Prize, and dreaded Washington Post cartoonist who influenced 21st century satire.
- DirectorJosh WhitemanStarsBonoHelena ChristensenAnton Corbijn
- DirectorTellerStarsTim JenisonPenn JilletteMartin MullInventor Tim Jenison seeks to understand the painting techniques used by Dutch Master Johannes Vermeer.
- DirectorTina MascaraGuido SantiStarsThe Dalai LamaKhyongla RinpocheNicky VreelandNicholas Vreeland walked away from a worldly life of privilege to become a Tibetan Buddhist monk. Grandson of legendary Vogue editor, Diana Vreeland, and trained by Irving Penn to become a photographer, Nicholas' life changed drastically upon meeting a Tibetan master, one of the teachers of the Dalai Lama. Soon thereafter, he gave up his glamorous life to live in a monastery in India, where he studied Buddhism for fourteen years. In an ironic twist of fate, Nicholas went back to photography to help his fellow monks rebuild their monastery. Recently, the Dalai Lama appointed Nicholas as Abbot of the monastery, making him the first Westerner in Tibetan Buddhist history, to attain such a highly regarded position.
- 20071h 17mNot Rated7.0 (297)DirectorJames CrumpStarsPierre ApraxineDick CavettDominick DunneA documentary on the relationship between curator Sam Wagstaff, photographer Robert Mapplethorpe, and musician/poet Patti Smith.
- DirectorDoug PrayStarsMary WellsDan WiedenHal RineyART & COPY is a powerful new film about advertising and inspiration. Directed by Doug Pray (SURFWISE, SCRATCH, HYPE!), it reveals the work and wisdom of some of the most influential advertising creatives of our time -- people who've profoundly impacted our culture, yet are virtually unknown outside their industry. Exploding forth from advertising's "creative revolution" of the 1960s, these artists and writers all brought a surprisingly rebellious spirit to their work in a business more often associated with mediocrity or manipulation: George Lois, Mary Wells, Dan Wieden, Lee Clow, Hal Riney and others featured in ART & COPY were responsible for "Just Do It," "I Love NY," "Where's the Beef?," "Got Milk," "Think Different," and brilliant campaigns for everything from cars to presidents. They managed to grab the attention of millions and truly move them. Visually interwoven with their stories, TV satellites are launched, billboards are erected, and the social and cultural impact of their ads are brought to light in this dynamic exploration of art, commerce, and human emotion.
- DirectorSylvain RoumetteStarsElizabeth Lee MillerAntony PenroseRoland PenroseFilmmaker Sylvain Roumette skillfully brings Lee Miller, this exceptional and extraordinary American woman - photographer, fashion model, 'surrealist' muse of Man Ray, war correspondent -, to life in 'Lee Miller ou La Traversée du Miroir'.
- DirectorGary HustwitStarsAmanda M. BurdenRem KoolhaasNorman FosterA documentary about the design of cities, which looks at the issues and strategies behind urban design and features some of the world's foremost architects, planners, policymakers, builders, and thinkers.
- DirectorJohn MaloofCharlie SiskelStarsVivian MaierJohn MaloofDaniel ArnaudA 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.
- DirectorJill NichollsThe story of Vivian Maier a nanny in 60-70's New York and Chicago who, unbeknownst to many, had a secret passion for photography. Her incredible body of work, only discovered after her death, lives on and has established her as one of the master street photographers.
- DirectorMegumi SasakiStarsPaula AntebiWill BarnetRobert BarryHerb and Dorothy Vogel redefine what it means to be an art collector.
- DirectorKen BurnsLynn NovickStarsEdward HerrmannPhilip BoscoJulie HarrisA biography of the life and work of the American architect.
- DirectorJulia CaveStarsFrank WhitfordCharles JencksChristopher FraylingTraces the development of the Bauhaus movement (1919-1933) from its formation in Weimar by Walter Gropius to the establishment of the Bauhaus School in Dessau to its last stand in a derelict factory in Berlin.
- DirectorCarlos CarcasNorberto López AmadoStarsNorman FosterDeyan SudjicThe film traces the rise of one of the world's premier architects, Norman Foster, and his unending quest to improve the quality of life through design.
- DirectorJohn DullaghanStarsCharles BukowskiBonoJohn BryanDocumentary on Charles Bukowski, author of 'Notes of a Dirty Old Man', 'Love Is a Dog from Hell', and the autobiographical novels, 'Women', 'Hollywood', and 'Post Office'.
- DirectorLarry WesselStarsAllison AndersMargaret AnnBlanche BartonBoyd Rice may well be the only person alive who's been on a first name basis with both Charlie Manson and Marilyn Manson. His career has spanned more than three decades, during which time he has remained at the epicenter of underground culture and controversy.
- DirectorArnold GlassmanTodd McCarthyStuart SamuelsStarsConrad L. HallJohn BaileyVilmos ZsigmondCameramen and women discuss the craft and art of cinematography, illustrating their points with clips from 100 films, from The Birth of a Nation (1915) to Do the Right Thing (1989).
- DirectorWerner HerzogStarsWerner HerzogRichard LopezMichael PerryConversations with death row inmate Michael Perry and those affected by his crime serve as an examination of why people - and the state - kill.
- DirectorWerner HerzogStarsWerner HerzogScott RowlandStefan PashovFilm-maker Werner Herzog travels to the McMurdo Station in Antarctica, looking to capture the continent's beauty and investigate the characters living there.
- DirectorJames TobackStarsJames TobackAlec BaldwinJessica ChastainAn exploration of several interconnected subjects: The Cannes Film Festival, cinema art, money, glamor and death.
- DirectorAlexandre O. PhilippeStarsKyle William BishopCharlie AdlardJoanna AngelThe definitive zombie culture documentary, brought to the screen by the makers of THE PEOPLE vs. GEORGE LUCAS.
- DirectorSarah PolleyStarsMichael PolleyJohn BuchanMark PolleyA film that excavates layers of myth and memory to find the elusive truth at the core of a family of storytellers.
- DirectorFrédéric TchengStarsChristian DiorOmar BerradaRaf SimonsGet inside the storied world of the Christian Dior fashion house with a privileged, behind-the-scenes look at the creation of Raf Simons' first haute couture collection as its new artistic director.
- DirectorGary HustwitStarsPaola AntonelliChris BangleAndrew BlauveltA feature-length documentary about our complex relationship with manufactured objects and, by extension, the people who design them.
- DirectorShaul SchwarzNarco Cultura (Spanish, English subtitles) takes viewers behind the scenes of narcocorridos, the most explosive and violent music subculture in America.
- DirectorChristopher KenneallyStarsDerek AmbrosiMichael BallhausAndrzej BartkowiakThe documentary investigates the history, process and workflow of both digital and photochemical film creation.
- DirectorFlorian HabichtStarsPulpJarvis CockerNick BanksBritpop band Pulp found fame on the world stage in the mid-1990s with anthems including "Common People" and "Disco 2000". Twenty five years and 10 million album sales later, they return to their hometown for their last UK concert.
- DirectorLeanne PooleyStarsChad MoffittSonam SherpaJohn WraightTenzing Norgay and Edmund Hillary's monumental and historical ascent of Mt. Everest in 1953 - an event that stunned the world and defined a nation.
- DirectorStephanie SoechtigStarsMichele SimonKatie CouricBill ClintonAn examination of America's obesity epidemic and the food industry's role in aggravating it.
- DirectorBanksyStarsBanksyMr. BrainwashSpace InvaderFollowing the style of some of the world's most prolific street artists, an amateur filmmaker makes a foray into the art world.
- DirectorJuliano Ribeiro SalgadoWim WendersStarsSebastião SalgadoWim WendersLélia Wanick SalgadoThe life and work of photographer Sebastião Salgado, who has spent forty years documenting societies in hidden corners of the world.
- DirectorNathaniel KahnStarsEdmund BaconEdwina Pattison DanielsBalkrishna DoshiDirector Nathaniel Kahn searches to understand his father, noted architect Louis Kahn, who died bankrupt and alone in 1974.
- DirectorJerry GraysonShot entirely from the air on four continents, seven years in the making, The Earth Wins explores the delicate balance between man and Mother Earth, our inter-dependence and the impact of man's actions upon the earth and her inhabitants. With music from Coldplay, The Temper Trap, New Order, indigenous musicians, and commissioned choral pieces, The Earth Wins is a visceral experience celebrating the magnificent diversity of the earth's riches and asking the most important questions of all, "How do we save ourselves from causing the planet's destruction?"
- StarsNeil deGrasse TysonChristopher EmersonKeythe FarleyAn exploration of our discovery of the laws of nature and coordinates in space and time.
- DirectorLaurent BouzereauStarsRoman PolanskiAndrew BraunsbergPedro AlmodóvarA documentary about Roman Polanski, the man and filmmaker. Roman Polanski speaks about his eventful life story and career in conversation with Andrew Braunsberg, his former business partner, producer, and friend of many years.
- DirectorGary HustwitStarsManfred SchulzMassimo VignelliRick PoynorA documentary about typography, graphic design, and global visual culture.
- DirectorRoss AshcroftStarsDominic FrisbyGillian TettLawrence WilkersonThe modern day Four Horsemen continue to ride roughshod over the people who can least afford it. Crises are converging when governments, religion and mainstream economists have stalled. 23 international thinkers come together and break their silence about how the world really works and why there is still hope in re-establishing a moral and just society. Four Horsemen is free from mainstream media propaganda, doesn't bash bankers, criticize politicians or get involved in conspiracy theories. The film ignites the debate about how we usher a new economic paradigm into the world which, globally, would dramatically improve the quality of life for billions.
- DirectorRick BarnesOlivia Neergaard-HolmJon NguyenStarsDavid LynchLula LynchEdwina LynchArtist and filmmaker David Lynch discusses his early life and the events that shaped his outlook on art and the creative process.
- DirectorBrian KnappenbergerStarsAaron SwartzTim Berners-LeeCindy CohnThe story of programming prodigy and information activist Aaron Swartz, who took his own life at the age of 26.
- DirectorCullen HobackStarsMax SchremsMobyMark ZuckerbergA documentary that exposes what corporations and governments learn about people through Internet and cell phone usage, and what can be done about it ... if anything.
- DirectorChuck WorkmanStarsOrson WellesSimon CallowChristopher WellesA look at the life and work of the great theatre, radio and film artist.
- DirectorAlex WinterStarsMike DHenry RollinsNoel GallagherA documentary that explores the downloading revolution; the kids that created it, the bands and the businesses that were affected by it, and its impact on the world at large.
- DirectorSimon FellowsStarsTom Benedict KnightAmanda Fernando StevensRobert AshbyMichael Franzese, the son of John "Sonny" Franzese, an underboss of the Colombo crime family, recounts his spiritual transformation.
- DirectorTiller RussellStarsMike DowdKen EurellWalter YurkiwMeet the dirtiest cop in NYC history. Michael Dowd stole money and dealt drugs while patrolling the streets of 80s Brooklyn.
- StarsPlatonTinker HatfieldIan SpalterA look beyond blueprints and computers into the art and science of design, showcasing great designers from every discipline whose work shapes our world.
- DirectorYann Arthus-BertrandStarsCristina FriasThe outcry of people whose lives have already been devastated by the impact of climate change, as well as the wake-up call of the scientific community.
- DirectorYann Arthus-BertrandMichael PitiotStarsJosh DuhamelSharon MannDive into our planet's greatest mysteries with a team of international underwater cinematographers as they explore the breathtaking bond between humanity and the ocean.
- DirectorJoe BerlingerStarsSage Bonnie HumphreySteven KronickAnthony RobbinsTONY ROBBINS: I AM NOT YOUR GURU, a feature documentary film about internationally renowned life and business strategist Tony Robbins, is a revelatory cinéma vérité film that goes behind the scenes of his mammoth seminar "Date With Destiny," attended by over 2,500 people in Boca Raton, Florida, each year, to give an insider look at how one man can affect millions. Granted never before seen access to the behind the scenes modus operandi of this enormous event, this film captures both the immense effort of producing this live seminar, as well as the life-changing transformations of the participants in real time. Embedding with Tony Robbins and his team over the course of six days, Academy Award nominated filmmaker Joe Berlinger turns an unflinching eye on Tony Robbins' powerful and uncompromising approach to achieving success, ensuring the attendees leave "Date With Destiny" with new perspective on the forces, thoughts, and feelings that motivate their behavior and help them take control of their lives. Pulling back the curtain on Tony Robbins, a man that traverses the globe and counsels over 200,000 people annually, including world leaders, pundits, entrepreneurs, CEOs, athletes and celebrities, through interviews and unprecedented access, TONY ROBBINS: I AM NOT YOUR GURU is an emotional tour de force that unveils the inner-workings of this mega event, the zealous participants and the man himself.
- DirectorAndrew DominikStarsNick CaveWarren EllisJim SclavunosExplores the creative process of Nick Cave and his band as the singer struggles with an unspoken personal tragedy.
- DirectorTerrence MalickStarsCate BlanchettJamal CavilMaisha DiattaAn exploration into our planetary past and a search for humanity's place in the future. With narration by Cate Blanchett.
- DirectorKirsten JohnsonStarsKirsten JohnsonAisha BukarEric W. DavisExposing her role behind the camera, Kirsten Johnson reaches into the vast trove of footage she has shot over decades around the world. What emerges is a visually bold memoir and a revelatory interrogation of the power of the camera.
- DirectorJeff FeuerzeigStarsLaura AlbertBruce BendersonTerrence OwensThe story behind literary persona JT LeRoy, the fictional writer created by American author Laura Albert.
- DirectorRodney AscherStarsNicole BosworthStephen JosephEstrella CristinaA look at a frightening condition that plagues thousands; sleep paralysis.
- DirectorTamra DavisStarsJean Michel BasquiatJulian SchnabelLarry GagosianDirector Tamra Davis pays homage to her friend in this definitive documentary but also delves into Basquiat as an iconoclast. His dense, bebop-influenced neoexpressionist work emerged while minimalist, conceptual art was the fad; as a successful black artist, he was constantly confronted by racism and misconceptions. Much can be gleaned from insider interviews and archival footage, but it is Basquiat's own words and work that powerfully convey the mystique and allure of both the artist and the man.
- DirectorIain ForsythJane PollardStarsNick CaveSusie BickWarren EllisWriter and musician Nick Cave marks his 20,000th day on the planet Earth.
- DirectorJoshua OppenheimerAnonymousChristine CynnStarsAnwar CongoHerman KotoSyamsul ArifinA 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.
- DirectorChristopher NolanStarsStephen QuayTimothy QuayThis short documentary film reveals the inner workings of the Brothers' studio.
- DirectorHrund GunnsteinsdottirKristín ÓlafsdóttirStarsHrund GunnsteinsdottirKristín ÓlafsdóttirBill GeorgeA story of soul searching, science, nature, and creativity, "InnSæi" takes us on a global journey to uncover the art of connecting within in today's world of distraction and stress.
- DirectorHeitor DhaliaON YOGA: The Architecture of Peace is director Heitor Dhalia's new film and his first documentary, it follows photographer Michael O'Neill as he talks to the great Yoga masters in India, Tibet and New York.
- DirectorMitch SchultzStarsJoe RoganRalph AbrahamJoel BakstAn investigation into the long-obscured mystery of dimethyltryptamine (DMT), a molecule found in nearly every living organism and considered the most potent psychedelic on Earth.
- DirectorRebecca DreyfusStarsGiancarlo EspositoDavid LynchRussell SimmonsON MEDITATION explores the deeply personal practice of meditation through an exploration of extraordinary people and their practices including David Lynch, Giancarlo Esposito, Russell Simmons, Congressman Tim Ryan, Peter Matthiessen, Mark Epstein and others.
- DirectorJustin KrookStarsDevon AokiBenji MaddenWill.i.amI'll Sleep When I'm Dead, directed by Justin Krook, is a heart-pumping yet heart-wrenching documentary about one of the most eminent DJs working today: Steve Aoki. In the lead-up to Aoki's biggest show of his career, this introspective doc examines the driving force behind his passion: Rocky Aoki, daredevil showman, Benihana founder, and Steve's looming father figure. From producers David Gelb (Chef's Table, Jiro Dreams of Sushi), Matthew Weaver (Rock of Ages), Matt Colon, Happy Walters, Executive Producer Michael Mailis and Co-Producer Susan Wrubel.
- DirectorAlbert NerenbergStarsJon BradleyAlan CarubaColleen MerrifieldBelieve it or not this is the first serious documentary on boredom. Director Albert Nerenberg (LAUGHOLOGY, STUPIDITY) asks why the subject of boredom has been so religiously avoided and shows that boredom isn't what you think it is.
- DirectorJames D. CooperStarsKit LambertChristopher StampRoger DaltreyA documentary that reveals how the unlikely partnership between aspiring filmmakers Christopher Stamp and Kit Lambert produced one of the greatest rock bands in history: The Who.
- DirectorFrazer BaileyStarsJoseph DispenzaNassim HarameinTy HungerfordE-Motion is a factual documentary that explores how human emotions affect the physiology of the human body and how once negative emotions are replaced with positive emotions bona fide physical changes occur. A team of emotion experts from around the world share their wisdom and negative emotion clearing methods to show humanity the path to health and enlightenment.