Documentary
by ThomasStone | created - 18 Jan 2014 | updated - 22 Feb 2020 | PublicAs a photographer I watch alot of documentaries about people, events and art. However it is IMPOSSIBLE to collec them all, even in this modern age of globalization and sometimes I'm forced to watch them online or download them. My bookmarks are the worst so I figured I should make a list on this web, where people can enjoy it as well. Expand your mind and share the gift, peace!
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1. Ansel Adams, Photographer (1957)
20 min | Documentary, Short
Director: David Myers | Stars: Ansel Adams, Beaumont Newhall
Votes: 13
2. Helmut Newton: Frames from the Edge (1989)
95 min | Documentary, Biography
A camera crew follows Helmut Newton, the fashion and ad photographer whose images of tall, blond, big-breasted women are part of the iconography of twentieth-century erotic fantasy. He's on... See full summary »
Director: Adrian Maben | Stars: Adrian Maben, Candice Bergen, Tina Brown, Catherine Deneuve
Votes: 290
Follows Newton (photographer) in his work, not alot about personal life. In a way he was a feminist but also a vulgar man.
3. Don Van Vliet: Some YoYo Stuff (1994 TV Short)
13 min | Documentary, Short, Music
Don van Vliet, alias "Captain Beefheart", is one of the most influential, misunderstood, talked about, admired, copied, treasured, loved and quoted musicians and yet he is still an obscure and mysterious artist.
Director: Anton Corbijn | Stars: Don Van Vliet, Sue Vliet, David Lynch, Anton Corbijn
Votes: 153
Directed by Anton Corbijn, experimental documentary (just like the captain).
4.
American Masters (1985– )
Episode:
Richard Avedon: Darkness and Light
(1995)
TV-14 | 90 min | Documentary, Biography, History
Some of the most iconic portraits of the 20th and 21st centuries were taken by photographer Richard Avedon. For more than fifty years, Richards portraits have filled the pages of the country's finest magazines.
Director: Helen Whitney | Stars: Richard Avedon, John Lahr, Mike Nichols
Votes: 162
With his last work (In The American West), this documentary makes a retrospect of how Avedon started with a camera he got for a present and climbed the mountain of fashion with it, to steal the fire from the gods and bring it back to the people. Remarkable person.
5. Stanley Kubrick: A Life in Pictures (2001)
Not Rated | 142 min | Documentary, Biography
The career and life of Stanley Kubrick is explored through pictures, clips from his films, his old home movies, comments from his colleagues and a narration by Tom Cruise.
Director: Jan Harlan | Stars: Katharina Kubrick, Malcolm McDowell, Stanley Kubrick, Barbara Kroner
Votes: 12,207
Retrospect on his work and technical genius of the medium, both photography AND film.
6. Daido Moriyama: Stray Dog of Tokyo (2001)
84 min | Documentary
Director: Kenjirô Fujii | Stars: Nobuyoshi Araki, Michiko Kasahara, Daido Moriyama, Kazuo Nishii
Votes: 38
Talks mostly about his vision on photography and how he expresses this in the medium. Includes interviews with Araki and respected Japanese critics.
7.
American Masters (1985– )
Episode:
Robert Capa: In Love and War
(2003)
TV-14 | 90 min | Documentary, Biography, History
A documentary about the life of famed war photographer Robert Capa.
Director: Anne Makepeace | Stars: Steven Spielberg, Goran Visnjic
Votes: 211
Wonderful documentary about the great Robert Capa and his wife Gerda Taro, how they lived for passion through love and war.
8. Arakimentari (2004)
Not Rated | 85 min | Documentary, Biography
Director: Travis Klose | Stars: Araki, Nobuyoshi Araki, Björk, Richard Kern
Votes: 378
Monograph (complete biography and insight to his workflow, personal life etc.), very open and full of heart just like his photographs.
9. Super Size Me (2004)
PG-13 | 100 min | Documentary
While examining the influence of the fast food industry, Morgan Spurlock personally explores the consequences on his health of a diet of solely McDonald's food for one month.
Director: Morgan Spurlock | Stars: Morgan Spurlock, Daryl Isaacs, Chemeeka Walker, Dania Abu-Rmaileh
Votes: 113,302 | Gross: $11.53M
What are the effects of fast food? This guy tries to live EXCLUSIVELY on it for a month!
10. Kurt Cobain About a Son (2006)
Not Rated | 96 min | Documentary, Music
In this visual essay style documentary, intimate audio of journalist Michael Azerrad's interviews with Kurt Cobain is played over more recently photographed footage of Cobain's Washington state homes and haunts.
Director: AJ Schnack | Stars: Kurt Cobain, Evan Fortin, Nathan Streifel, Michael Azerrad
Votes: 3,849 | Gross: $0.08M
Using his last interview as a basis for this film, it tells about Kurt's childhood, experiences with his dad, feminism (it's TRUE meaning), Nirvana, having children and how to cope with fame.
One of the realest persons that ever existed.
11. Super High Me (2007)
R | 94 min | Documentary, Comedy
Stand up comedian and marijuana user Doug Benson documents thirty days of pot free living and thirty days of non-stop use to compare the effects of both.
Director: Michael Blieden | Stars: Brian Unger, Gary Cohan, Robert Gore, Sean Tabibian
Votes: 13,139
What are the effects of ganja? This comedian goes from not smoking month to full-time dope smoker a month to compare the results.
12. Catfish (2010)
PG-13 | 87 min | Documentary, Drama, Mystery
Young filmmakers document their colleague's budding online friendship with a young woman and her family which leads to an unexpected series of discoveries.
Directors: Henry Joost, Ariel Schulman | Stars: Nev Schulman, Ariel Schulman, Henry Joost, Angela Wesselman-Pierce
Votes: 43,742 | Gross: $3.23M
13. Exit Through the Gift Shop (2010)
R | 87 min | Documentary, Comedy, Crime
Following the style of some of the world's most prolific street artists, an amateur filmmaker makes a foray into the art world.
Director: Banksy | Stars: Banksy, Mr. Brainwash, Space Invader, Debora Guetta
Votes: 68,834 | Gross: $3.29M
Banksy's real/fake documentary about street art.
14. Marley (2012)
PG-13 | 144 min | Documentary, Biography, Music
A documentary on the life, music, and legacy of Bob Marley.
Director: Kevin Macdonald | Stars: Bob Marley, Ziggy Marley, Rita Marley, Jimmy Cliff
Votes: 14,496 | Gross: $1.41M
Covers the entire life of Bob Marley through interviews, gigs, family and friends. Amazing and even when you're not a Marley fan it is a must-see and great if you feelin down.
15. Gregory Crewdson: Brief Encounters (2012)
Not Rated | 78 min | Documentary, Biography, Drama
A documentary shot over a decade with unprecedented access to photographer Gregory Crewdson that bares the artist's process.
Director: Ben Shapiro | Stars: Russell Banks, Costanza Theodoli Braschi, Gregory Crewdson, Samantha Ressler
Votes: 629 | Gross: $0.06M
Shows his workflow, his photographs are intriguing if you like American art.
16. Finding Vivian Maier (2013)
Not Rated | 83 min | Documentary, Biography, Mystery
A 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.
Directors: John Maloof, Charlie Siskel | Stars: Vivian Maier, John Maloof, Daniel Arnaud, Simon Amédé
Votes: 15,086 | Gross: $1.51M
A nanny who secretly made photographs of Chicago (and NYC), only to be discovered ca 2010 by chance. She is now an internet phenomena and conquering the world of photography with her voyeuristic take on the rich metropoles of post-war USA, reimbursing the importance of holding a mirror up the world's face just to show what it really looks like. Where Diane Arbus goes for the eerie, Vivian Maier aims for the common.
17. The Union: The Business Behind Getting High (2007)
104 min | Documentary
BC's illegal marijuana trade industry has evolved into a business giant, dubbed by some involved as 'The Union', Commanding upwards of $7 billion Canadian annually. With up to 85% of 'BC ... See full summary »
Director: Brett Harvey | Stars: Adam Scorgie, Chris Bennett, Steve Bloom, Renee Bojee
Votes: 7,833
18. Until the Light Takes Us (2008)
Not Rated | 93 min | Documentary, Music
Interviews and news footage explore the rise of black metal music in Norway in the 1990s, including artists who were involved in suicide, murder and arson.
Directors: Aaron Aites, Audrey Ewell | Stars: Fenriz, Varg Vikernes, Euronymous, Hellhammer
Votes: 6,689 | Gross: $0.12M
19. Buena Vista Social Club (1999)
G | 105 min | Documentary, Music
Aging Cuban musicians whose talents had been virtually forgotten following Castro's takeover of Cuba, are brought out of retirement by Ry Cooder, who travelled to Havana in order to bring the musicians together, resulting in triumphant performances of extraordinary music, and resurrecting the musicians' careers.
Director: Wim Wenders | Stars: Compay Segundo, Ibrahim Ferrer, Rubén González, Octavio Calderon
Votes: 20,548 | Gross: $7.00M
20. Eames: The Architect & The Painter (2011)
Not Rated | 85 min | Documentary, Biography
The relationship between Charles Eames and his wife Ray ignited a burst of design ingenuity whose impact on the world can still be felt over half a century later.
Directors: Jason Cohn, Bill Jersey | Stars: Charles Eames, Ray Eames, James Franco, Jeannine Oppewall
Votes: 1,148 | Gross: $0.15M
21. 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: 38,027 | Gross: $2.55M
22. Cosmos (1980)
TV-PG | 60 min | Documentary
Astronomer Carl Sagan leads us on an engaging guided tour of the various elements and cosmological theories of the universe.
Stars: Carl Sagan, Jaromír Hanzlík, Jonathan Fahn, Jean Charney
Votes: 44,177
23. When Björk Met Attenborough (2013 TV Movie)
Not Rated | 48 min | Documentary
Award-winning musician Björk and legendary broadcaster and naturalist Sir David Attenborough have admired each other's work for years but this is the first time they have discussed their ... See full summary »
Director: Louise Hooper | Stars: David Attenborough, Björk, Andy Cavatorta, Henry Dagg
Votes: 301
24. William Eggleston in the Real World (2005)
87 min | Documentary, Biography
Director: Michael Almereyda | Stars: William J. Eggleston, Michael Almereyda, Winston Eggleston, Leigh Haizlip
Votes: 277 | Gross: $0.04M
26. Statues also Die (1953)
30 min | Documentary, Short
A documentary of black art.
Directors: Ghislain Cloquet, Chris Marker, Alain Resnais | Stars: Jean Négroni, François Mitterrand, Pope Pius XII, Sugar Ray Robinson
Votes: 1,374
27.
Imagine (2003– )
Episode:
Anselm Kiefer: Remembering the Future
(2014)
TV-14 | Biography, History
Director: Jack Cocker | Stars: Alan Yentob, Anselm Kiefer
Votes: 29
28.
Imagine (2003– )
Episode:
Turning the Art World Inside Out
(2013)
TV-14 | 69 min | Biography, History
Director: Jack Cocker | Stars: Alan Yentob, James Brett, Joe Coleman, Tom Di Maria
Votes: 31
29.
Empreintes (2007– )
Episode:
Sophie Calle, sans titre
(2012)
52 min | Documentary
Director: Victoria Clay-Mendoza | Stars: Sophie Calle, Annick Cojean, Jean Lafont, Claude Sui
30. Where to Invade Next (2015)
R | 120 min | Documentary, Comedy
To learn what the USA can learn from other nations, Michael Moore playfully "invades" them to see what they have to offer.
Director: Michael Moore | Stars: Michael Moore, Johnny Fancelli, Christina Fancelli, Lorena Lardini
Votes: 25,709 | Gross: $3.82M
31. The Salt of the Earth (2014)
PG-13 | 110 min | Documentary, Biography, History
The life and work of photographer Sebastião Salgado, who has spent forty years documenting societies in hidden corners of the world.
Directors: Juliano Ribeiro Salgado, Wim Wenders | Stars: Sebastião Salgado, Wim Wenders, Lélia Wanick Salgado, Juliano Ribeiro Salgado
Votes: 23,469 | Gross: $1.34M
32. The Propaganda Game (2015)
98 min | Documentary
Granted controlled access by national officials, filmmaker Álvaro Longoria tours North Korea to contrast his findings to the typical Western depiction of the nation.
Director: Álvaro Longoria | Stars: Álvaro Longoria, Simon Cockerell, Kang Hyoin Gyu, Barbara Demick
Votes: 4,536
33. The Polgar Variant (2014)
68 min | Documentary, Biography, Drama
The extraordinary story of three Hungarian-Jewish sisters who were raised in communist Budapest of the 1970s to be chess masters.
Director: Yossi Aviram | Stars: András Bruck, Gyula Forgács, Boris Gelfand, Yona Kosashvili
Votes: 48
34. Strike a Pose (2016)
83 min | Documentary, Music
What does it take to express yourself? The surprising and moving story of Madonna's most famous troupe of dancers.
Directors: Ester Gould, Reijer Zwaan | Stars: Madonna, Luis Camacho, Jose Guitierez, Kevin Alexander Stea
Votes: 1,806
35. The Cove (2009)
PG-13 | 92 min | Documentary, Biography, Crime
Using state-of-the-art equipment, a group of activists, led by renowned dolphin trainer Ric O'Barry, infiltrate a cove near Taijii, Japan to expose both a shocking instance of animal abuse and a serious threat to human health.
Director: Louie Psihoyos | Stars: Richard O'Barry, Louie Psihoyos, Hardy Jones, Michael Illiff
Votes: 51,455 | Gross: $0.87M
36. 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: 61,909 | Gross: $3.17M
37. Athens, Ga. - Inside/Out (1987)
Unrated | 82 min | Documentary, Music
Led by the success of the B-52's and R.E.M., Athens, Georgia was the most happening music scene in the country by the mid 80's/ Following several different bands from different genres, this... See full summary »
Director: Tony Gayton | Stars: Herbert Abrahams, Jeremy Ayers, Bar-B-Q Killers, Bill Berry
Votes: 181
38. War Photographer (2001)
96 min | Documentary, War
Documentary about war photographer James Nachtwey, considered by many the greatest war photographer ever.
Director: Christian Frei | Stars: James Nachtwey, Christiane Amanpour, Hans-Hermann Klare, Christiane Breustedt
Votes: 4,304
39. Citizenfour (2014)
R | 114 min | Documentary, Biography
A documentarian and a reporter travel to Hong Kong for the first of many meetings with Edward Snowden.
Director: Laura Poitras | Stars: Edward Snowden, Glenn Greenwald, William Binney, Jacob Appelbaum
Votes: 57,989 | Gross: $2.80M
40. Behind the Redwood Curtain (2013)
67 min | Documentary, Adventure, Mystery
Behind the Redwood Curtain takes us on a mesmerizing journey through the dark and eerie Redwood forest. Seven forest dwellers - loggers, scientists, activists and Native Americans - invite ... See full summary »
Director: Liesbeth De Ceulaer | Star: Manah Depauw
Votes: 38
41. Cowspiracy: The Sustainability Secret (2014)
Not Rated | 90 min | Documentary
Follow the shocking, yet humorous, journey of an aspiring environmentalist, as he daringly seeks to find the real solution to the most pressing environmental issues and true path to sustainability.
Directors: Kip Andersen, Keegan Kuhn | Stars: Bruce Hamilton, Kip Andersen, Al Gore, Heather Cooley
Votes: 26,585
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