Your Favourite Documentaries (With Info)

Zascar

Lets use this as a thread to share your favourite documentaries.

Please make sure to include more info than just a title - Try to include Movie Poster, Links to IMDB/Wikipedia etc and aYoutube videro of the trailer as well - this way this thread will be a lot more useful for the readers...

OK I'll start:

The Corporation

Since the late 18th century American legal decision that the business corporation organizational model is legally a person, it has become a dominant economic, political and social force around the globe. This film takes an in-depth psychological examination of the organization model through various case studies. What the study illustrates is that in the its behaviour, this type of "person" typically acts like a dangerously destructive psychopath without conscience. Furthermore, we see the profound threat this psychopath has for our world and our future, but also how the people with courage, intelligence and determination can do to stop it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xa3wyaEe9vE

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Corporation
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0379225/


The End of America:

The End of America details the ten steps a country takes when it slides toward fascism. It's not a "lefty"tot tome, rather a historical look at trends in once-functioning democracies from modern history that are being repeated in our country today. It gives any reader (or viewer of the lecture) a much-needed history lesson and constitutional refresher. Most importantly, it puts the recent gradual loss of civil liberties in the U.S. in a historical context. The average American might not be alarmed at AT&T selling our private information to the Bush administration, but when this action is seen as part of a larger series of erosions and events, a pattern emerges with unfortunate consequences that become disturbingly clear.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NrhFc2kIsP4

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1294790/



The Trap - What Happened to Our Freedom - Adam Curtis - BBC

The Trap: What Happened to Our Dream of Freedom is a BBC documentary series by English filmmaker Adam Curtis, well known for other documentaries including The Century of the Self and The Power of Nightmares. It began airing in the United Kingdom on BBC Two on 11 March 2007.
The series consists of three one-hour programmes which explore the concept and definition of freedom, specifically, "how a simplistic model of human beings as self-seeking, almost robotic, creatures led to today's idea of freedom".

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uAluyt5_kic

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Trap_(television_documentary_series)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0979263/

TokenWhite

Looking forward to see this forum get off the ground, I find little more enjoyable than a good documentary, particularly educational ones as opposed to following michael jackson or some high school kids around but to each their own.

So to get it started, post your favourite documentaries in this thread, discuss them if you wish

So me first, I'd say my favourite documentary up until now would have to be niall fergusons series 'ascent of money'. I think he does a fantastic job of helping the lay man (myself) understanding the history of finance and how fickle it can be, puts some of the current global financial plights we've experienced into context.

Here's the link to the six part series

http://www.channel4.com/programmes/the-ascent-of-money/4od

Zascar

Hehehe just beat you to it...
http://boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055777919

TokenWhite

Looking forward to see this forum get off the ground, I find little more enjoyable than a good documentary, particularly educational ones as opposed to following michael jackson or some high school kids around but to each their own.



I'd say my favourite documentary up until now would have to be niall fergusons series 'ascent of money', which is a 'spin off' of his critically acclaimed book of the same name . I think he does a fantastic job of helping the lay man (myself) understand the history of finance and how fickle it can be, puts some of the current global financial plights we've experienced into context.


Here's some info on it

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Ascent_of_Money#Documentary



Here's the link to the six part series

http://www.channel4.com/programmes/t...t-of-money/4od

TokenWhite

So I've seen , the early bird and all that, if someone delete or lock this thread I've copied and pasted into the other thread so it's all good

kinkstr

Cocaine Coyboys -

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0380268/

Cluster

The greatest of them all.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Century_of_the_Self

Zascar

Yeah the Centuary of the Self is excellent, really all of Adam Curtis's Documetaries are brilliant. I really like this one too:

The Power Of Nightmares - The Rise of the Polotics of Fear

The Power of Nightmares, subtitled The Rise of the Politics of Fear, is a BBC documentary film series, written and produced by Adam Curtis. Its three one-hour parts consist mostly of a montage of archive footage with Curtis's narration. The series was first broadcast in the United Kingdom in late 2004 and has subsequently been broadcast in multiple countries and shown in several film festivals, including the 2005 Cannes Film Festival.
The films compare the rise of the Neo-Conservative movement in the United States and the radical Islamist movement, making comparisons on their origins and claiming similarities between the two. More controversially, it argues that the threat of radical Islamism as a massive, sinister organised force of destruction, specifically in the form of al-Qaeda, is a myth perpetrated by politicians in many countries—and particularly American Neo-Conservatives—in an attempt to unite and inspire their people following the failure of earlier, more utopian ideologies.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EaLPFayD8FA

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Power_of_Nightmares

mada999

man on wire...

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1155592/


very inspirational!!

Mr E

"Favourite Documentaries" threads merged.

Joycey

TokenWhite wrote: »

So me first, I'd say my favourite documentary up until now would have to be niall fergusons series 'ascent of money'. I think he does a fantastic job of helping the lay man (myself) understanding the history of finance and how fickle it can be, puts some of the current global financial plights we've experienced into context.

Here's the link to the six part series

http://www.channel4.com/programmes/the-ascent-of-money/4od

+1 To that. Found it really excellent. Must watch the later parts again actually.

Gonna have to take a look at the corporation one as well, looks pretty good.

Joycey

Not sure whether this is a documentary or a lecture course really. I mean, I know its a lecture course but its informative... What is a documentary anyway?

http://www.chrismartenson.com/crashcourse

Unbelievable (well not really, its true). Everyone should watch it, or at least know the information thats in it. Goes well with The Ascent of Money anyway.

The introduction may seem a bit sensationalist but the series itself is really matter of fact and not at all BSy

doc_17

Dangerous Knowledge http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=1EEE2070E3685518

For anyone interested in Science and Maths Documenatries check this out, although it appeals to more than just the scientist in you. Its about 4 revolutionary thinkers who challenge the accepted conventioanl wisdom of their day and their struggles to have their ideas recognised and accepted. It's by a man called David Malone and I think it's absolutely class

My name is URL

Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son About His Father



http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1152758/

In 2001, Andrew Bagby, a medical resident, is murdered not long after breaking up with his girlfriend. Soon after, when she announces she's pregnant, one of Andrew's many close friends, Kurt Kuenne, begins this film, a gift to the child. Friends, relatives, and colleagues say warm and loving things about Andrew, home movies confirm his exuberance. Andrew's parents, Kathleen and David, move to Labrador where the ex-girlfriend has gone. They await an arrest and trial of the murderer. They negotiate with the ex-girlfriend to visit their grandchild, Zachary, and they seek custody. Is there any justice; is Zachery a sweet and innocent consolation for the loss of their son?

I didn't think I'd enjoy this documentary as it was very hyped up at the time of it's release, so I expecting more of an artsy ta;e rather than anything really interesting... I was wrong

My name is URL

Terry Jones' Medieval Lives



I got the DVD set for as a present over christmas.. I had missed it on TV a few years ago. It's really good and informative as Terry Jones' documentaries always are.. it's kind of funny too, of course

Slogger Jogger

I love documentaries. Saw this one years back as a film in a film festival, I think. I've seen it a couple of times over the years. Basketball isn't even my favorite sport but this is great stuff.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0110057/

LiamMc

Nick Broomfield, havn't seen Battle for Haditha. Which may not be my cup of tea. But seen his early stuff is pretty good.

The Leader, his driver and the driver's wife.
http://www.nickbroomfield.com/theleader.html

Kurt and Courtney
http://www.nickbroomfield.com/kurtandcourtney.html

Fetishes
http://www.nickbroomfield.com/fetishes.html

There was a follow-up to The Leader, His big white self. I havn't seen that one either.

He does the 'naive Englishman' better than most. Far better than Louis Theroux anyway.

Joycey

Promises, just finished watching it and its absolutely amazing. At one point I was standing up and walking around while looking at it because I wanted everything to work out all right so much.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0282864/

This should be required viewing for everyone

sponsoredwalk

I'm really really happy to see "The Century of the Self" mentioned in this short list. Adam Curtis is amazing. Everybody knows who Eddie Bernaise & Anna Freud are now, or they ought to!
This documentary is such an eye-opener.

"It Felt Like A Kiss", his newest documentary gives the viewer the feeling that the 60's was like a kiss with open eyes lol, great stuff! Listen our for the Beach Boys reference, I didn't know how to react to what he said, or wrote

The Corporation is also a must see!!! I really feel like I should get a pen and paper to copy down everything it says. Someday soon I will...

Noam Chomsky & Howard Zinn are two people whose documentaries are really worth looking out for.

But there seems to be a classic documentary missing from this list. In my eyes it is the pivotal documentary of the modern era,

Zeitgeist

http://www.zeitgeistmovie.com/

The above is a link to the site where you can legally download the movie for free, or watch it on google video, whatever floats your boat.
I have issues with the second movie, Addendum, but then again I was hungover watching it :P

Another documentary that needs mentioning, well 3, are all on physics & the sheer mind-bendingness crazy mind love that these thoughts give you.

1. Atom,
What a great introduction to the world of physics.
What better way to look at the world than by looking at the smallest things (or thereabouts:P) and seeing how this crazy stuff was developed.
The battle of Einstein and Bohr is certainly one that is not to be missed!

2. Stephen Hawking - A Brief History of Time,
I can't tell you how good this documentary is. I expected something terrible, glorifying his disability & loads of close-ups on "the chair" or something but this is a work of beauty.

3. The Elegant Universe,
Lets get "theoretical" and talk string theory. It is, after all, "just a theory".
You be the judge... This show will certainly inspire you to find out what all the fuss is about with the L.H.C. & the most beautiful "theory" ever - The Higgs Boson.
This one gets a bit technical in the third part, even for a t.v. show, but it's certainly worth it.

slipss

Joycey wrote: »

Promises, just finished watching it and its absolutely amazing. At one point I was standing up and walking around while looking at it because I wanted everything to work out all right so much.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0282864/

This should be required viewing for everyone

Would be a fan of Promises. THere was a follow up done a couple of years after the documentary was shot which you should check out if it wasn't included in the version you saw.

picturethis

If you're interested in fashion, The September Issue is a great documentary, it follows Vogue editor in chief Anna Wintour and some of the photography in it is fab
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1331025/

I also love Baraka, its a photographic documentary, it was shot in 24 countries on 6 continents, breathtaking images of nature and man;
http://topdocumentaryfilms.com/baraka/

Dave!

Has to be Fog of War for me -- just a brilliant documentary. You really get an insight into McNamara's thinking, his personality, etc.

Robert S. McNamara discusses his experiences and lessons learned during his tenure as Secretary of Defense under John Kennedy and Lyndon Johnson. He talks about his work as a bombing statistician during World War II, his brief tenure as president of Ford Motor Company, and the Kennedy administration's triumph during the Cuban Missle Crisis. However, the film focuses primarily on his failures in Vietnam. The theme of the film are his "eleven lessons" learned during this time. Some of these include improving military efficiency, understanding your enemy, and the frustrations of trying to deal with (and unsuccessfully trying to change) human nature.

Anyone interested in history, war, or politics should watch this pronto ! Can't rate it highly enough

Cluster

This is pretty amazing and has most titles that have been talked about already

Enjoy!

At freedocumentaries.org we strongly believe that in order to have a true democracy, there has to be a free flow of easily accessible information. Unfortunately, many important perspectives, opinions, and facts never make it to our televisions or cinemas (you can watch movies in our media category if you want to know why).

http://freedocumentaries.org/

strobe

Ecstasy Rising:

ABC News television documentary with Peter Jennings on the history of MDMA (3,4-methylenedioxy-N-methylamphetamine) also known as ecstasy.

It includes a short history of the drug and criticizes the negative health claims made by the U.S. government.

Very informative and unbiased account of MDMA's origins and use in the USA.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-1564288654365150131#

enda1

Hands by RTÉ

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055087235

Not so much information on-line about it.

In summary it was a series of documentaries made sometime in perhaps the 70's and 80's in Ireland where each episode focused on a traditional hand-craft.

Examples such as Silversmithing, weaving, curragh/Naomh Óg making etc.

Really amazing series that I would dearly love to have on DVD.

Hank_Jones

Streetwise (1984)

It's a documentary about a bunch of street kids in 1980's Seattle.

What they have to do to survive, how hard life is etc.

I was actually told about it by somebody on here, and for that I am grateful.

The whole film is on youtube.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4h-scpQ_szM

marwelie

enda1 wrote: »

Hands by RTÉ

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055087235

Not so much information on-line about it.

In summary it was a series of documentaries made sometime in perhaps the 70's and 80's in Ireland where each episode focused on a traditional hand-craft.

Examples such as Silversmithing, weaving, curragh/Naomh Óg making etc.

Really amazing series that I would dearly love to have on DVD.

Me too. Big fan of How its Made on Discovery too.

Im a big sports fan so my 3 favourite documentaries are

One Day in September http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0230591/

When We Were Kings http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0118147/

Once in a Lifetime - The Extraordinary Story of the New York Cosmos

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0489247/

pickarooney

Genghis Blues - the story of blind American blue guitarist Paul Pena and his discovery of the arcan art of Tuvan Throat singing. The film follows Paul as he contacts the music board of Tuva, on the Russian/Mongolian border and eventually travels there to compete in a contest and be adopted by the Tuvans. The music is unbelievable and the story inspirational.

The Pontiac

The Fog of War is probably my all time favourite. A few more favourites..

Taxi To The Dark Side

Oscar-nominated director Alex Gibney (Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room) investigates the torture and killing of an innocent Afghani taxi driver in this gripping probe into reckless abuses of government power. Disturbing and incisive, the Academy Awardr-winner Taxi To The Dark Side incorporates rare and never-before-seen images from inside the Bagram Air Force Base in Afghanistan and Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo Bay prisons into its exposure of the Bush administration's "global war on terror." This stunningly crafted narrative demonstrates how this one man's life and death symbolizes the erosion of our civil rights and how what it means to be an American has changed forever.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WX0MPcN08Zc

The Devil Came on Horseback

An up-close, honest, and uncompromising look at the crisis in Darfur, THE DEVIL CAME ON HORSEBACK exposes the ongoing tragedy in Sudan as seen through the eyes of one American witness.

Using the exclusive photographs and first hand testimony of former U.S. Marine Captain Brian Steidle, the film goes on an emotionally charged journey into the heart of Darfur, Sudan, where in 2004, Steidle became witness to a genocide that to-date has claimed over 400,000 lives. As an official military observer, Steidle had access to parts of the country that no journalist could penetrate. Unprepared for what he would witness and experience, Steidle returned to the U.S. armed with his photographs, intent on exposing the images and stories of lives systematically destroyed.

A 2007 world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival, this astonishingly propulsive and dramatic film from award-winning filmmakers Annie Sundberg and Ricki Stern (The Trials of Darryl Hunt), is a heartfelt account of what this particular American witness saw and, just as important, what he did afterward.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=498tOlnBQBY

Shake Hands with the Devil

For 100 days, one man was the conscience of a world that turned its back on the slaughter of 800,000 human beings. That man was General Roméo Dallaire, commander of the small, underresourced, and hamstrung U.N. peacekeeping force stationed in Rwanda during the 1994 genocide. Shake Hands with the Devil the Journey of Romeo Dallaire movingly documents his return to Rwanda for the 10th anniversary of the genocide, reliving the political and psychological drama in unforgettable detail. Director Peter Raymont follows Dallaire as he revisits the sites of mass murder and heroism, vividly brought back to life by his traumatic memories and striking newsreel footage. Shake Hands with the Devil does not attempt to describe the Rwandan tragedy from the point of view of Rwandans. On the contrary, its subject is the West's view of Rwanda and how the international community and media abandoned the Rwandan people in their time of greatest need. Audience Award, Best Documentary, 2005 Sundance Film Festival

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nlINz3SRTXg

Why We Fight

Why We Fight is the provocative documentary from acclaimed filmmaker Eugene Jarecki (The Trials of Henry Kissinger) and winner of the Grand Jury Prize at the 2005 Sundance Film Festival. Named after the series of short films by legendary director Frank Capra that explored America’s reasons for entering World War II, Why We Fight surveys a half-century of military conflicts, asking how – and answering why – a nation of, by and for the people has become the savings-and-loan of a government system whose survival depends on an Orwellian state of constant war.
The Why We Fight DVD features interviews and observations by a "who’s who" of military and Washington insiders including Senator John McCain, Gore Vidal, and Dan Rather. Beginning with President Dwight D. Eisenhower’s prescient 1961 speech warning of the rise of the "military industrial complex," Why We Fight moves far beyond the headlines of various American military operations to the deeper questions of why America seemingly is always at war. What are the forces – political, economic, and ideological – that drive us to clash against an ever-changing enemy? Just why does America fight? Unforgettable, powerful and at times disturbing, Why We Fight on DVD will challenge viewers long after the last fade-out.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gf1CDmn8q0M

The King of Kong

In this hilarious, critically acclaimed arcade showdown, a humble novice goes head-to-head against the reigning Donkey Kong champ in a confrontation that rocks the gaming world to its processors! For over 20 years, Billy Mitchell has owned the throne of the Donkey Kong world. No one could beat his top score until now. Newcomer Steve Wiebe claims to have beaten the unbeatable, but Mitchell isn't ready to renquish his crown without a fight. Go behind the barrels as the two battle it out in a vicious war to earn the title of the true King of Kong.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xMJZ-_bJKdI

marwelie

enda1 wrote: »

Hands by RTÉ

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055087235

Not so much information on-line about it.

In summary it was a series of documentaries made sometime in perhaps the 70's and 80's in Ireland where each episode focused on a traditional hand-craft.

Examples such as Silversmithing, weaving, curragh/Naomh Óg making etc.

Really amazing series that I would dearly love to have on DVD.

Saw a boxset of it in the IFI on Friday FYI (if you dont buy it, I will )

Daemos

Life After People



Part-documentary, part-excuse-to-see-big-things-get-destroyed, it theorises what would happen to the world if every human being on the planet suddenly vanished. It shows things like what buildings would survive longer than others, how animals would evolve to adapt to their new surroundings, and whether there would be any trace of our existance in the future. It's quite humbling actually, and shows how insignifacant our existance really is in the long run.

When it aired originally, it became the most-watched documentary ever on the History Channel (which in itself is ironic since it shows a future without us, but presents events as if they happened in the past), and has spawned a spin-off series that goes into more detail.

You can get the original documemtary on DVD, the complete 1st Series was released recently as well, and AFAIK half of Series 2 has been aired in the US already.

AFAIK they are showing re-runs of Series 1 on the History Channel at 10pm on Mondays, and is worth a look at.

Bootsy.

Excellent resource here: http://topdocumentaryfilms.com

My favorite documentary is "Standing In The Shadows Of Motown'.
It's basically the story of the musicians who played on all those great Motown hits. They were known as The Funk Brothers and dubbed "The best kept secret in the history of pop music".
[FONT=Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Swiss,SunSans-Regular]
"By the end of their phenomenal run, this unheralded group of musicians had played on more number ones hits than the Beach Boys, the Rolling Stones, Elvis and the Beatles combined - which makes them the greatest hit machine in the history of popular music. They called themselves the Funk Brothers.

[/FONT][FONT=Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Swiss,SunSans-Regular]F[/FONT][FONT=Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Swiss,SunSans-Regular]orty-one years after they played their first note an a Motown record and three decades since they were all together, the Funk Brothers reunited back in Detroit to play their music and tell their unforgettable story in STANDING IN THE SHADOWS OF MOTOWN.[/FONT]"


http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0314725/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zE1-ZW_CXvU

Blueboyd

Oh there are so many. Some has been mentioned already here like Fog of War.


Liked this one a lot

Have to think for a while for others

MeerKat17

* Paradise Lost; an amazing documentary - now a trilogy, about 3 young teenagers living in the bible belt of America during the early 90's who were accused and subsequently sent to prison for murdering 3 little boys, blamed because they listen to metallica.
Well worth the watch, they are innocent, and still in prison to this day!

* Jesus Camp - scary doc showing the insanity of Christianity in the USA

Beeker

By far the greatest documentry of all time has to be Cosmos by Carl Sagan from 1980.



Astronomer Dr. Carl Sagan is host and narrator of this 13-hour series that originally aired on Public Broadcasting Stations in the United States. Dr. Sagan describes the universe in a way that appeals to a mass audience, by using Earth as a reference point, by speaking in terms intelligible to non-scientific people, by relating the exploration of space to that of the Earth by pioneers of old, and by citing such Earth legends as the Library of Alexandria as metaphors for space-related future events. Among Dr. Sagan's favorite topics are the origins of life, the search for life on Mars, the infernal composition of the atmosphere of Venus and a warning about a similar effect taking place on Earth due to global pollution and the "greenhouse effect", the lives of stars, interstellar travel and the effects of attaining the speed of light, the danger of mankind technologically self-destructing, and the search, using radio technology, for intelligent life in deep space.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R7n71pm0K04

Dave!

Haven't gotten around to watching Cosmos yet Just bits and pieces. Looks class.

Beeker

Dave! wrote: »

Haven't gotten around to watching Cosmos yet Just bits and pieces. Looks class.

It's fantastic my friend. Life changing:)

fontanalis

Touching the Void.
Two English mountain climbers climb one of the highest peaks in The Andes. They get to the top no problem, the weather gets worse they start going down and things go wrong. Really has to be seen to be believed.

fontanalis

DaPoolRulz wrote: »

Life After People



Part-documentary, part-excuse-to-see-big-things-get-destroyed, it theorises what would happen to the world if every human being on the planet suddenly vanished. It shows things like what buildings would survive longer than others, how animals would evolve to adapt to their new surroundings, and whether there would be any trace of our existance in the future. It's quite humbling actually, and shows how insignifacant our existance really is in the long run.

When it aired originally, it became the most-watched documentary ever on the History Channel (which in itself is ironic since it shows a future without us, but presents events as if they happened in the past), and has spawned a spin-off series that goes into more detail.

You can get the original documemtary on DVD, the complete 1st Series was released recently as well, and AFAIK half of Series 2 has been aired in the US already.

AFAIK they are showing re-runs of Series 1 on the History Channel at 10pm on Mondays, and is worth a look at.

The book is very good aswell. I'm not too fond of The History Channel, they show too much nonsense; 2012 and The Rapture etc

Anonymous1987

Two of my favourites



David Attenborough gives a short overview of evolution and Darwin himself
http://topdocumentaryfilms.com/charles-darwin-tree-life/


The Cold War period is chronicled in its entirety with 24 hour-long documentaries beginning with the origins of the cold war and ending with the fall of the Berlin Wall
http://topdocumentaryfilms.com/cold-war/

Beeker

fontanalis wrote: »

Touching the Void.
Two English mountain climbers climb one of the highest peaks in The Andes. They get to the top no problem, the weather gets worse they start going down and things go wrong. Really has to be seen to be believed.

Read the book...what a story!:eek:

barry711

One of my fav docs is this. Philosophy – Guide to Happiness

We tend to accept that people in authority must be right. It’s this assumption that Socrates wanted us to challenge by urging us to think logically about the nonsense they often come out with, rather than being struck dumb by their aura of importance and air of suave certainty. This six part series on philosophy is presented by popular British philosopher Alain de Botton, featuring six thinkers who have influenced history, and their ideas about the pursuit of the happy life

http://topdocumentaryfilms.com/philosophy-guide-to-happiness/

barry711

strobe wrote: »

Ecstasy Rising:

I sampled some of the audio in this documentary in a track I made called "Rising" :pac:

Blueboyd

ARMADILLO - The best war documentary I have seen ever. Plus the music track was awesome.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0DDuRraJbOg

giddybootz

Jam (2006)

It's about older roller derby stars and their struggle to keep the sport alive. Really fascinating and sad in parts and was what introduced me to roller derby leading me to go on and help set up a modern league in Dublin

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0770774/

http://www.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi1020003097/ for the trailer.

Blueboyd

WikiRebels - A new SVT Documentary that is aired today in Sweden

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NhTfOL9_HBE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SRF3gYxz1XQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q6TRb40Km6A

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8imkYy_hJ4E

marienbad

Werner Herzog eats his Shoe.
Werner Herzoz promised Errol Morris he would eat his shoe if Morris ever finished his documentary. Morris did so Herzoz eat his shoe.

Murder On a Sunday Morning
Jean-xavier de Lestrade, one of a number of brilliant French documentarians working now, made this brilliant doc of a black kid doing an errand on a Sunday morning suddenly finds himself charged with murder. One of the all times greats. The same director also made 'Staircase'' where he has access to a murder case virtually from day 1 until the verdict, gripping stuff.

Etre et Avoir (To Be and to Have)
Another French one , Nicholas Philibert films a one room one teacher schoolhouse in the Auvergne for one year. Just great.

Hotel Terminus. The Life and Times of Klaus Barbie
Another French doc, this time by the great Marcel Ophuls about the butcher of Lyons , The SS Officer who evaded capture for 40 years before his final return to France. But it is not just another nazi on the run story, did he escape ? was he let go by the allies ?

Holybejaysus

I thought the Corporation was rather poor, tbh. And that woman commentator, the most boring monotonous voice I have ever heard!

For me, the best documentary is the 9-11 documentary by the Naudet brothers. They were recording the life of a probie firefighter and recorded the entire event. Unbelievable stuff.

Corsendonk

Kings of Pastry- 16 chefs doing 40 recipes take part in a 3 day pastry contest in France to be crowned among the top in their profession, it might sound a light hearted subject but the amount of effort and pressure the chefs put themselves under is compelling.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ANUMYH07-Q

diddlybit

Thunderball and Jesus Camp have alraedy been mentioned which are both great. Really need to see Jam. But my favourite of all time has to be Grey Gardens about the Beales, an eccentric mother and daughter couple who lived in the Hamptons.

HBO did a remake recently of the documentray with addtional background story, which starred Drew Barrymore and Jessica Lange which was phenomanal.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tW5ryhrzYC4

Also this http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_Threads:_Stories_from_the_Quilt, the story of the AIDS memorial quilt. Brilliant but a complete tear-jerker.

asmi18

I love documentaries, here a few I really liked:
Enron - the smartest guys in the room
Riding Giants - (surfing)
First Ascent - (rock climbing)

I've also heard that the Fog of War is good, but I've yet to see it

There was one I saw a while back, about a terrorist cell that held parents, teachers and students hostage in a war torn school - it was terrific - It broke my heart, the footage was excellent and there were several poignant interviews with the children. I wish I could tell you the name, I can't recall it.
**Off to do research**

Also, one last mention
Death of a President is more of a mockumentary - but very good in my opinion. It's about the hypothetical assassination of Geroge W Bush - but it's shot like a documentary.

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