Documentary Movies
Browse popular Documentary movies
ZIL
Motel Paraiso
In a coastal town on the Gulf of Mexico lives the insubordinate Daniel, the owner of a small motel. We get to know him through his grandson’s eyes, who decides to use the very same VHS camera that Daniel once used to record him as a child. Through this role reversal, the camera documents Daniel’s daily life as a motel owner in a candid, effortless, yet humorous manner, gradually unveiling his larger-than-life personality and his somewhat tumultuous relationship with his wife, Lourdes.
The Irish Revolution
The extraordinary story of the Irish War of Independence (1919-22): from the failed insurrection of 1916, the detailed account of how pro-independence Ireland rebuilt a movement whose efforts would eventually lead to the creation of a new nation. (Documentary film based on the miniseries of the same title.)
Blackfish
Notorious killer whale Tilikum is responsible for the deaths of three individuals, including a top killer whale trainer. Blackfish shows the sometimes devastating consequences of keeping such intelligent and sentient creatures in captivity.
Eternal Snow
While Lhakpa completes his lengthy studies to become a Buddhist monk, his brother, SangBahadur, works as a porter for the international travellers who turn Everest into a tourist hub. Family issues force the youngest to come out of retirement to earn a living. In so doing, he is forced to confront the modern world in all its paradoxical complexity.
Distant Close
What is the role of an ethnographic filmmaker as an outsider and student of a culture? Is it about representing, demonstrating, and reflecting or exposing, participating, and transposing? Although these are not binary terms of the historic discussions in anthropology, they share a lot to be experimented through shared cine-anthropology and sensory multimodal ethnography.
Swallows
How do you find beauty when everything seems dead? Midst a world that refuses to slow down, cemeteries emerge as a refuge of silence and reflection. The workers of the Vila Mariana Cemetery reflect on life, death, and the invisible, while searching, among remnants and absences, for what insists on remaining.
… outsiders
In this documentary dedicated to his grandfather and brother, Mateo portrays two pieds noirs brothers separated by complicated family choices and circumstances.
Dear Brother
Markus Becker is hit by a car, dragged along, his head bashed on a curb and he falls into a coma. The doctors don’t believe that the 45-year-old will survive the next five to ten days. His father makes preparations for the funeral. Markus’ brother Michael refuses to accept this fate and begins an extraordinary battle. In his brother’s apartment he seals Markus’ clothes to preserve the smell. He records the neighbors’ voices. Every day, Michael exposes his brother to things that are familiar and films everything that is part of Markus’ life with a DV camera. He wants to keep him in his world and to bring this world to his bedside. He documents every step of Markus’ development, risking his own life in the process, wishing that his brother will one day regain the ability to lead a normal life. This full-length documentary accompanies Michael Becker for 10 years on his unwavering and creative mission to bring his brother Markus back to life.
Deep Sea 3D
Sea life in a whole new way. Deep Sea 3D, an underwater adventure from the filmmakers behind the successful IMAX® 3D film Into the Deep, transports audiences deep below the ocean surface. Through the magic of IMAX®; and IMAX 3D, moviegoers will swim with some of the planets most unique, dangerous and colorful creatures, and understand this inspiring underworld.
Paris at Dawn
Johan van der Keuken's first film is a uniquely beautiful portrait of Paris at dawn.
The Weavers' Songs
What gifts have the gods given us, and how might we use them to weave a community? In San Pedro Amuzgos, Oaxaca, the director’s reflections and questions invite us into his world, where we learn the story of three threads in the communal loom: Lorenzo, Donato and Zoila.
Grands Travaux
Grands travaux is situated at the Institute Anneessens-Funck, a Dutch-speaking vocational school in the centre of Brussels where young students have come to learn an occupation. The film documents and stages that which gives shape to their lives: the practical assignments and classes at school, football, the ups and downs of their love lives, as well as the ongoing search for housing and employment. Depicting the daily life within the school walls, Grands travaux also aims at sketching an image of Brussels today, placing its youngsters at the very centre.
3 Portraits
This film was made during the Author Workshop: Filming in Cuba with Abbas Kiarostami, in January 2016. It was also completed during the Master's program in Essay Cinema at the International School of Film and Television of Cuba, EICTV.
Sons of Ecstasy
An unusual rivalry sits at the epicenter of the 1990s ecstasy drug trade in Arizona. A British stockbroker faces off against the son of a notorious New York mobster. Underground raves set the stage for a deadly battle over control of an ecstasy empire.
Chronicles of Hope
In july 1936, the civil war began in Spain, and it would last three years. Since then, it has constantly been a subject for fascination and controversy. What could have pushed leftists from all over the world to fight for a cause that their governments rejected? Why did young men leave their work, their family and their country, so they could join a fight that was somehow a rehearsal for World War II? Nearly 40.000 people enlisted to defend their ideals on a foreign territory. Chronicles Of Hope doesn't intend to describe the events of the civil war in a one-tracked political mould; the human dimension is here the center of interest.
Strong in Spirit
Traveling to a neighbouring country, a remarkable young man becomes a political prisoner: his body and soul are put to test, manifesting the spirit of his nation.
Push Process
Oakley and 1242 Productions' latest HD action sports film showcases the progression of wakeboarding and wakeskating through a travelogue of the world's best riders. Join these athletes as they chase down perfect water in the world's most exotic locations. Collaborating with acclaimed filmmaker Justin Stephens and graphic artist Chase Heavener, Oakley’s “Push Process" combines experimental cinematography, editing and animation graphics with the most progressive riding ever documented on the big screen. Oakley athletes Keith Lyman, Aaron Rathy, Andrew Adkison, Amber Wing, George Daniels, Danny Hampson, Dallas Friday and Jack Blodgett are more than just the stars who create the epic footage-they are members of the production team, all playing pivotal roles in the project since day one. Shot exclusively in HD, Push Process takes viewers on a quest to Australia, South Africa, the Florida Keys, Cuba, Minnesota, the Amazon, Canada and beyond.