Ground Breaking Documentaries
Documentaries that have made an impact by exposing the public to new ideas and unconventional storylines.
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- DirectorSkye BorgmanStarsJan BrobergBob BrobergMary Ann BrobergThe twisting, turning, stranger-than-fiction true story of the Brobergs, a naive, church-going Idaho family that fell under the spell of a sociopathic neighbor with designs on their twelve-year-old daughter.
- DirectorEric DionysiusEric MistlerStarsAC/DCPhil RuddBon ScottFilmed coverage of Australian band AC/DC's '79 appearance in Paris intercut with quasi-fictional interludes.
- DirectorChris HuntStarsAgnetha FältskogBenny AnderssonBjörn UlvaeusThe history of ABBA's success told in retrospective by its former members.
- DirectorNick BroomfieldStarsAileen WuornosNick BroomfieldArlene Pralle1992, Florida, USA. Aileen Wuornos is claimed to be the world's first female serial killer.
- DirectorSlavko NowytskiStarsAlexander BykovetsLubov DrashevskaMotria DutkaA documentary about the man made famine in Ukraine where on Stalin's order millions of people were starved to death in 1932-33.
- DirectorJerome HillStarsBurgess MeredithFredric MarchAlbert SchweitzerThis biographical drama/documentary narrative written by Dr. Albert Schweitzer and spoken by Fredric March, traces the life of Dr. Schweitzer (with actors playing the characters), from his birth in France up to about the age of 30 when he makes the decision to go to French Equatorial Africa and build his jungle hospital. The latter half of the film encompasses a full day in the hospital-village following the 80s-plus Samaritan in his daily rounds.
- DirectorFederico CaddeoStarsDario ArgentoLamberto BavaBarbara BouchetA celebration of the genre with interviews by many contributors - a gialli filmmakers.
- DirectorSusan WinslowStarsMilton BerleHumphrey BogartWilliam C. BullittWWII newsreel footage intercut with Beatles songs performed by other artists like Helen Reddy and Rod Stewart, juxtaposing the music with war imagery.
- StarsPatricia LoudBill LoudLance LoudFollows the real lives of the Loud family, a motley group of suburbanites.
- DirectorBobb HopkinsStarsErnest BorgnineMerle HaggardBobb HopkinsAcademy Award winner Ernest Borgnine, star of the classic train movie "Emperor of the North", hosts this remarkable examination of the uniquely America Hobo. Hear compelling tales of life as a migratory worker from these notable former Hobos, such as Pulitzer Prize winner, James A Michener, country music legend Merle Haggard, and many other adventurous free spirits who have crisscrossed our vast nation on the awesome railroads
- DirectorMassimo MazzuccoStarsPaolo AttivissimoAldo FallaiPeter LindberghThis documentary examines the authenticity of the photographic record of NASA's Apollo missions.
- DirectorChris SmithStarsMark BorchardtMike SchankTom SchimmelsDocumentary about an aspiring filmmaker's attempts to finance his dream project by finally completing the low-budget horror film he abandoned years before.
- DirectorNik PanicStarsGeoffrey MooreAmbra MooreJ.J. AbramsAnd The Winner Isn't is a satirical documentary charting Geoffrey Moore and his daughter Ambra's journey through Hollywood, as the pair track down celebrities and industry insiders in their bid to find out what it takes to become an Academy Award winner.
- DirectorDonna DeitchStarsDonna DeitchGwen WellesDocumentary about the death from cancer of Gwen Welles, who starred in such films as Nashville, Henry Jaglom's "Eating", New Years Day and Roger Vadim's "helle".
- DirectorAdam SmallPeter StuartStarsM. Otis BeardDennis DanellBrent LilesA documentary following the 1982 tour of punk bands Youth Brigade and Social Distortion.
- DirectorPenn JillettePaul ProvenzaStarsGeorge CarlinDon RicklesChris RockOne hundred superstar comedians tell the same very, VERY dirty, filthy joke--one shared privately by comics since Vaudeville.
- DirectorJames WestbyStarsMari Ane AndersonMarty ArnoLance BangsEqual parts personal essay, intense rumination, and playful satire, AT THE VIDEO STORE is an ode to the death (and life!) of the American Video Store.
- DirectorJayne LoaderKevin RaffertyPierce RaffertyStarsPaul TibbetsHarry S. TrumanW.H.P. BlandyDisturbing collection of 1940s and 1950s United States government-issued propaganda films designed to reassure Americans that the atomic bomb was not a threat to their safety.
- DirectorBonni CohenJon ShenkStarsRobin BourlandDaisy ColemanCharles ColemanA look at the effects that online bullying has on the lives of teenagers and their community.
- DirectorIsaac JulienStarsPam GrierFred WilliamsonMelvin Van PeeblesFilmmaker Isaac Julien uses film clips and interviews to illustrate the history of the so-called "blaxploitation" genre.
- DirectorMichael PaxtonStarsSharon GlessMichael S. BerlinerHarry BinswangerA documentary focusing on the life of novelist and philosopher Ayn Rand, the author of the bestselling novels The Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged and originator of the Objectivist philosophy.
- DirectorBárbara PazStarsHector BabencoRegina BragaWillem Dafoe"I have already lived my death and now all that is left is to make a film about it." So said the filmmaker Hector Babenco to Bárbara Paz when he realized he did not have much time left. She accepted the challenge to fulfill the last wish of her late partner: to be the main protagonist in his own death. In this tender immersion into the life of one of the greatest filmmakers from South America, Babenco himself consciously bares his soul in intimate and painful situations. He expresses fears and anxieties, and also memories, reflections, and fantasies, in this face-off between his intellectual vigor and physical frailty, which were the hallmarks of his career. From the onset of cancer at the age of 38 until his death at 70, Babenco made of the cinema his medicine and the nourishment that kept him alive. "Babenco - Tell me when I Die" is Barbara Paz's first feature film, but is also in a way Hector's last work: a film about filming so never to die.
- DirectorCharles BandStarsMarta AndersonRika AokiRene BondThis outlandish compilation of trailers and clips spotlights the women-in-prison sub-genre of grindhouse exploitation films.
- DirectorKevin KerslakeStarsJoan JettDavid BowieEvelyn McDonnellDocumentary about rock star Joan Jett.
- DirectorEugenio ErcolaniGiuliano EmanueleStarsUrsula AndressMarcello AvalloneLuca Barbareschi2 1/2 hour-documentary on the rise and fall of one of the most controversial Italian genres every created. Starting with Deep River Savages arriving to the infamous Cannibal Ferox.
- In January 1969, The Beatles set out to write and record new songs for their first live show in more than two years, culminating in an impromptu concert atop their Savile Row studio.
- DirectorFrancis MegahyStarsFrancis MegahyJan BaranMax BaucusFrancis Megahy examines the role and influence of lobbyists in American politics.
- DirectorGabriela CowperthwaiteStarsTilikumDave DuffusSamantha BergA documentary following the controversial captivity of killer whales, and its dangers for both humans and whales.
- DirectorAnne BohlenKevin RaffertyJames RidgewayStarsRobert E. MilesGeorge Lincoln RockwellDon BlackUsing a blend of interviews and archive footage, this documentary offers an eye-opening look at neo-Nazism and its proponents in the United States.
- DirectorDavid GregoryStarsAl AdamsonSamuel M. ShermanChris PoggialiMaverick indie filmmaker Al Adamson's real life was even crazier than one of the 30-plus sex 'n' schlock drive-in movies he made in the '60s and '70s.
- DirectorLeslie ZemeckisStarsLea ThompsonNancy AllenTimothy StackA biography of Daisy and Violet Hilton, conjoined twins who started as "freaks" in side shows, then went on to be stars of Vaudeville and films.
- DirectorRoy BattersbyStarsVanessa RedgraveFrank FinlayArthur ArmitageA scientific documentary combining narration from anatomical experts and human biologists with interior and exterior camera shots examining the human body, along with a soundtrack using the human body as a medium.
- DirectorDana Heinz PerryStarsEvan Scott PerryDana Heinz PerryHart PerryFilmmaker Dana Perry documents the life of her son, Evan, a 15-year-old who committed suicide.
- DirectorThomas Lee PhilpottStarsThomas Lee PhilpottMark McKinneyDean CorllTwo-part documentary focused on the abuse of prostitute boys, many tortured and even killed.
- DirectorEric SteelStarsEric GeleynseChris BrownSusan GinwallaFilmmakers use hidden cameras to capture the various suicide attempts at the Golden Gate Bridge - the world's most popular suicide destination. Interviews with the victims' loved ones describe their lives and mental health.
- DirectorJoe BerlingerBruce SinofskyStarsDelbert WardRoscoe WardLyman WardThis compelling documentary details the strange-but-true murder trial of Delbert Ward, accused of the mercy killing of his brother in rural upstate NY. This real-life murder mystery won the Audience Award at Sundance.
- DirectorLes BlankStarsWerner HerzogKlaus KinskiClaudia CardinaleA documentary following German auteur Werner Herzog as he deals with difficult actors, bad weather and getting a boat over a mountain, all in an effort to make his film Fitzcarraldo (1982).
- DirectorMark LewisStarsTip ByrneH.W. KerrGlen IngramA documentary detailing the spread of Hawaiian sugar-cane toads through Australia in a botched effort to introduce them as counter pests.
- DirectorHarald ReinlStarsHeinz-Detlev BockKlaus KindlerChristian MarschallBased on Erich Von Daniken's book purporting to prove that throughout history aliens have visited earth.
- StarsCharles BukowskiBarbet SchroederLinda Lee BukowskiBarbet Schroeder interviews Bukowski.
- DirectorSeth PorgesChris Charles Scott IIIStarsJohn HodgmanFaith AndersonAlison BeckerA documentary that focuses on a dangerously legendary water park and its slew of injuries and crimes along with child safety concerns.
- DirectorBrian HillStarsOskar ThunbergErik LennbladLeo SigeliusThis chilling film tells the gripping story of the making of a modern Swedish serial killer - taking us to the very heart of events that terrified a nation. Horrific and intriguing in equal measure, this is real Scandinavian noir, a dark tale of murder and lies. In a high-security psychiatric institute sits Thomas Quick, Sweden's most notorious serial killer. A misfit loner who openly confessed to a range of unspeakable crimes including rape, murder and cannibalisation, Quick's story has shocked and haunted the Swedish nation for over 20 years. However, new evidence including testimony from the man himself has taken this terrifying story in an even more disturbing direction. With full access to Quick and those around him, this real life thriller unravels the truth behind a self-confessed serial killer and uncovers a dark tale of murder and lies. The film examines the shocking revelations that were at the centre of this horrifying case; not only what happened but the major impact it has had on both those directly involved as well as the wider community. Looking at what would drive a man to commit such terrible crimes, the film also asks the question of how a monster such as Thomas Quick could have evolved and what contributed to his creation. Not for the faint of heart, the journey to the ultimate truth behind what happened is a tense, twisted odyssey that has forced a nation to come to terms with series of nightmarish crimes that have haunted their society for decades.
- DirectorGeorge LoweStarsMeredith EdwardsJohn HuntGeorge BandDocumentary that covers the famous and successful expedition of the Everest conquest by Tenzing Norgay and Edmund Hillary, the first climbers to reach its peak.
- DirectorAlex StapletonStarsRoger CormanMartin ScorseseQuentin TarantinoA documentary on DIY producer/director Roger Corman and his alternative approach to making movies in Hollywood.
- DirectorDanielle FrancoChristopher KenneallyStarsEric BookerCrazy Legs ContiEccentric New York window washer, nude model and sperm donor Crazy Legs Conti uses Zen techniques as he strives to become a professional eater.
- DirectorJacques DupontGarcet, a young French officer just out of military school, joins the French Batallion of the United Nations Forces fighting in Korea. He is disappointed at first as he is assigned as liasion officer behind the lines. Later he is given a combat command. There, he has to win the loyality and frienship of his fellow officers and the men. Although all are volunteers, many are puzzled as to just what it is they are fighting for in this remote and desolate corner of the world: The cast of "Heartbreak Ridge" is composed of Officers and Enlisted men who fought with the French Batallion under the flag of the United Nations in Korea. Made under the sponsorship of the French Ministry of National Defense with the co-operation of the Officers, non-commissioned Officers and Enlisted men in the volunteer French Batallion.
- DirectorBarbara BrancaccioJoshua ZemanStarsJoshua ZemanBarbara BrancaccioBill EllisRealizing that the urban legend of their youth has actually come true, two filmmakers delve into the mystery surrounding five missing children and the real-life boogeyman linked to their disappearances.
- DirectorTerry ZwigoffStarsRobert CrumbAline Kominsky-CrumbCharles CrumbAn intimate portrait of controversial cartoonist Robert Crumb and his traumatized family.
- DirectorDavid ElfickStarsGeorge GreenoughRitchie WestNat YoungA loose biography of surfer and documentarist George Greenough, one of the most famous and unique members of the surfing subculture.
- DirectorDennis O'RourkeCunnamulla, 800 kilometres west of Brisbane, is the end of the railway line. In the months leading up to a scorching Christmas in the bush, there's a lot more going on than the annual lizard race. Here, Aboriginal and white Australians live together but apart. Creativity struggles against indifference, eccentricity against conformity.
- StarsMitch HorowitzPhil Nobile Jr.Ryan TurekCursed Films is a five part documentary series which explores the myths and legends behind some of Hollywood's notoriously cursed horror film productions.
- DirectorMarc SingerStarsMarc SingerA cinematic portrait of the homeless population who live permanently in the underground tunnels of New York City.
- DirectorDavid Abravanel SteinStarsDavid Abravanel SteinFranciszek PiperVideo documentary by historical researcher David Cole in which the director of the Auschwitz State Museum explores the historiography of the camp and admits that the gas chamber on display in the Main Camp is a postwar recreation.
- DirectorBill MorrisonStarsMichael GatesKathy Jones-GatesRoscoe 'Fatty' ArbuckleThe history of Dawson City, the gold rush town that had a historical treasure of forgotten silent films buried in permafrost for decades until 1978.
- DirectorKurt KuenneStarsKurt KuenneAndrew BagbyDavid BagbyA filmmaker decides to memorialize a murdered friend when his friend's ex-girlfriend announces she is expecting his son.
- DirectorPenelope SpheerisStarsEugene TatuAlice Bag BandBlack FlagA look into the Los Angeles punk rock scene, that was largely ignored by the rock music press of the time.
- DirectorYoav ShamirStarsYoav ShamirAbraham FoxmanBob WolfsonIntent on shaking up the ultimate 'sacred cow' for Jews, Israeli director Yoav Shamir embarks on a provocative - and at times irreverent - quest to answer the question, "What is anti-Semitism today?"
- DirectorLouise OsmondJerry RothwellStarsTilda SwintonDonald CrowhurstTed HyndsA documentary about the disastrous 1968 round-the-world yacht race.
- DirectorJoel DeMottStarsJoel DeMottJeff KreinesMark RanceThe film chronicles filmmaker Joel DeMott, significant other/film partner Jeff Kreines and filmmaker Mark Rance as they head to Michigan to make a low budget horror film.
- DirectorNoah BaumbachJake PaltrowStarsBrian De PalmaMark HamillAmy IrvingA documentary about writer and director Brian De Palma.
- DirectorMikael LypinskiStarsRobert LaneDonita BoardmanZack WildIn California's poorest desert region, a colorful group of regulars and their dogs gather at Rob's internet cafe for coffee and WiFi in "the last free place in America".
- DirectorJeff FeuerzeigStarsDaniel JohnstonMabel JohnstonBill JohnstonDaniel Johnston, manic-depressive genius singer/songwriter/artist is revealed in this portrait of madness, creativity and love.
- DirectorRobert FortierStarsGordon PinsentKen CarterJim DeistDevil at Your Heels, traces the trials of stuntman Ken Carter who attempts a death defying aerial jump in a car. Not content with a normal jump, Ken Carter attempts a jump from Canada to the USA.
- DirectorMatthew Miller SkowNicholas StumphauzerStarsMice ArmyKevin BassLuther Cyrus Bass5 billion vaccinated worldwide, and many are dying suddenly. Is this the greatest orchestrated die-off in the history of the world?
- DirectorRoy FrumkesStarsGeorge A. RomeroSusan TyrrellNicole PotterA documentary about George A. Romero's films, with a behind scenes look at Dawn of the Dead.
- DirectorPaolo CavaraGualtiero JacopettiFranco ProsperiStarsStefano SibaldiRossano BrazziYves KleinA "shockumentary" consisting of a collection of mostly real archive footage displaying mankind at its most depraved and perverse, displaying bizarre rites, cruel behavior and bestial violence.
- DirectorAlice GuStarsTed NgoyChristie SuganthiniChet NgoyThis documentary tells Ted Ngoy's story that is one of fate, love, survival, hard knocks, and redemption.
- DirectorCarol MorleyStarsZawe AshtonAlix Luka-CainAlistair AbrahamsA filmmaker sets out to discover the life of Joyce Vincent, who died in her bedsit in North London in 2003. Her body wasn't discovered for three years, and newspaper reports offered few details of her life - not even a photograph.
- 20031h 59mTV-147.5 (3.1K)DirectorKenneth BowserStarsMartin ScorseseDennis HopperPeter BogdanovichA look at 1970s Hollywood when it was known as New Hollywood, and the director was the star of the movie.
- DirectorRodney AscherDavid LawrenceRyan SextonStarsSteve BroyEric CarlsonEl DuceBetween appearing in supporting roles in General Hospital and local TV commercials, Ryan Sexton spent the early 90s documenting the life and art of El Duce, lead singer of the notorious shock rock band The Mentors. Famous for taking the stage in black executioner hoods, the band spent a few moments in the national spotlight after some of their most offensive lyrics were denounced on the floor of the US Senate. 25 years later, David Lawrence and Rodney Ascher dive into the long unseen VHS footage searching for clues about who El Duce really was, how much of his disturbing persona was for real, and what an act built around a cartoonish sense of violent misogyny can tell us about our own time and place.
- DirectorMark HartleyStarsSam FirstenbergDavid PaulsenLuigi CozziThe history of the independent film company, The Cannon Film Group, Inc..
- DirectorRobert AbelPierre AdidgeStarsElvis PresleyBill BaizeEstell BrownConcert footage and offstage documentary of singer Elvis Presley.
- DirectorTaryn BrumfittStarsTaryn BrumfittRenee AiryaLinda BaconEmbrace follows body image activist Taryn Brumfitt's crusade as she explores the global issue of body loathing, inspiring us to change the way we feel about ourselves and think about our bodies.
- DirectorBram Van PaesschenCREC employees arrive in Kolwezi, DRC to build a road. Logistics head Lao Yang must procure local supplies as government deliveries fail. With translator Eddy, misunderstandings ensue as Lao Yang negotiates with Congolese entrepreneurs.
- DirectorHanns SpringerRolf von Sonjevski-JamrowskiStarsGünther HadankHeinz HerkommerPaul KlingerThe history of the German forests linked with that of the German people.
- 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.
- DirectorBruce BrownStarsRobert AugustMichael HynsonLord James BlearsThe crown jewel to ten years of Bruce Brown surfing documentaries. Brown follows two young surfers around the world in search of the perfect wave, and ends up finding quite a few in addition to some colorful local characters.
- DirectorStevan RileyStarsKen AdamMaud AdamsJohn BarryA history of the James Bond films.
- 20184 epsTV-MA7.5 (31K)TV Mini SeriesStarsTrey BorzillieriJerry ClarkJason WickThe extraordinary story of the "pizza bomber heist" and the FBI's investigation into a bizarre collection of suspects.
- 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.
- DirectorJames CameronGary JohnstoneStarsLance HenriksenJames CameronKarl KuhnAn underwater expedition to the German battleship Bismarck and digitally reconstructs events that led up to the ship's sinking during World War II.
- DirectorMichael MooreStarsMichael MooreGeorge W. BushBen AffleckMichael Moore's view on what happened to the United States after September 11 and how the Bush Administration allegedly used the tragic event to push forward its agenda for unjust wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.
- DirectorRobert GreeneStarsZane RileyDive head-first into the world of independent pro wrestling as we follow a group in Lincolnton, North Carolina over the week leading up to a big show.
- DirectorLincoln FennerStarsDavid HasselhoffJon PolitoAnthony CrivelloAward winning filmmaker LINCOLN FENNER (MORE 4 ME) interviews DAVID HASSELHOFF and President Reagan's son MICHAEL REAGAN as he goes on a journey to explore society's obsession with Social Media and its link to our search for relevance.
- DirectorTroy HaleStarsSteve BaxterEmilia GortanGail HaleThe history and humor of the fart
- DirectorTony ZierraStarsLeon VitaliRyan O'NealBrian CapronA documentary about how English actor Leon Vitali came to work as an assistant to American filmmaker Stanley Kubrick for over 30 years.
- DirectorPatrick ShenStarsGabriel ByrneSam KeenRon LeiferFlight from Death is the first film to investigate the psychological The effects of death anxiety are embedded within everything we do across Flight from Death is the culmination of many years of research and
- DirectorRichard MartiniStarsPaul AurandThe Dalai LamaMichael NewtonAward winning filmmaker Richard Martini examines the work of Michael Newton who pioneered deep hypnosis over 30 years; thousands of his patients claim the same information about the afterlife.
- DirectorAri M. RoussimoffStarsCaptain BatesMademoiselle DelaitJack DraculaA comprehensive history of human oddities and their relationship with society throughout the ages.
- DirectorFrancine ParkerStarsJane FondaDonald SutherlandPamela DoneganAvailable for the first time since it mysteriously disappeared in 1972 after only one week in theaters, this raucous film is a riveting slice of the Vietnam anti-war movement.
- DirectorBart SibrelStarsAnne TonelsonBuzz AldrinNeil ArmstrongA documentary on the evidence which shows that the Apollo 11 astronauts never actually landed on the moon.
- DirectorFabien DelageStarsAlexandre AjaDave AlexanderJean-Jacques BernardA documentary investigation on the rarest and most controversial French movie in the history of early cinema: a fascinating, lost and dangerous short film which causes violent reactions to those who watch it.
- DirectorBarbet SchroederStarsIdi AminFidel CastroGolda MeirA documentary on the military dictator of Africa's Uganda.
- DirectorAlbert MayslesDavid MayslesCharlotte ZwerinStarsMick JaggerKeith RichardsMick TaylorWhen three hundred thousand members of the Love Generation collided with a few dozen Hells Angels at San Francisco's Altamont Speedway, the bloody slash that transformed a decade's dreams into disillusionment was immortalized on this film.
- DirectorAdam RifkinStarsGiuseppe AndrewsVietnam RonJoey MurciaDirector Adam Rifkin's wildly surreal, outrageously funny and strangely touching documentary about a truly Outsider Artist, Guiseppe Andrews, who has made 30 movies starring the seriously-impaired residents of his trailer park.
- DirectorHoward SmithStarsMilt MossCompilation of man inventing strange contraptions in the 30's through 50's.
- DirectorBrian FlemmingStarsSam HarrisRobert M. PriceRichard CarrierDid Jesus exist? This film starts with that question, then goes on to examine Christianity as a whole.
- DirectorDrew RollerStarsBen PotterJames BatchelorMick GordonGoldenEra is a documentary that tells the story of the creation and legacy of the video game GoldenEye 007 (1997) for the Nintendo 64.
- DirectorEllen HovdeAlbert MayslesDavid MayslesStarsEdith Bouvier BealeEdith 'Little Edie' Bouvier BealeBrooks HyersMeet 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.
- DirectorWerner HerzogStarsTimothy TreadwellAmie HuguenardWerner HerzogA 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.