Biographical Documentaries
List activity
1.1K views
• 0 this weekCreate a new list
List your movie, TV & celebrity picks.
49 titles
- DirectorRicki SternAnne SundbergStarsEvelyn JeffersonFred FlaglerJohn Reeves"The Trials of Darryl Hunt" is a feature documentary about a brutal rape/murder case and a wrongly convicted man, Darryl Hunt, who spent nearly twenty years in prison for a crime he did not commit. Both a social justice story and a personally driven narrative, the film chronicles this capital case from 1984 through 2004. With exclusive footage from two decades, the film frames the judicial and emotional response to a chilling crime - and the implications that reverberate from Hunt's conviction - against a backdrop of class and racial bias in the South and in the American criminal justice system. This documentary is the culmination of ten years of research and filming. In 1993, inspired by claims of injustice and police conspiracy, the filmmakers began to shoot in North Carolina. Working from a mix of formats (16mm and 24P video) the film melds the visceral reality of a murder case with first person accounts and cinematic imagery, illuminating perceptions and memories of events as they unfolded for the people closest to this haunting story. This unique look at one man's loss and redemption challenges the assumption that all Americans have the right to unbiased justice. Hunt's story - while one man's personal journey - reflects systemic issues of national concern: cross-racial eyewitness identification, prosecutorial misconduct, inexperienced defense attorneys assigned to capital cases, racial bias in death penalty cases and errors in police procedure. Barry Scheck from The Innocence Project, who worked on Hunt's case for ten years, and Gary Wells, professor and eyewitness expert, offer concrete examples where errors occurred in Hunt's saga and offer future remedies and effective ideas to prevent future "Darryl Hunts." Hunt himself addresses the need for systemic reforms to prevent wrongful convictions, underscoring the haunting reality that Hunt could have been sentenced to death and we would never have known this story.
- DirectorAlex GibneyStarsLance ArmstrongReed AlbergottiBetsy AndreuA documentary chronicling sports legend Lance Armstrong's improbable rise and ultimate fall from grace.
- DirectorKeith BeauchampStarsMamie Till MobleyWheeler ParkerSimeon WrightNever-before-seen testimony is included in this documentary on Emmett Louis Till, who, in 1955, was brutally murdered after he whistled at a white woman.
- StarsKristen AldridgeSkip BaylessGary BelskyE! examines a fascinating athlete who has transcended sports to become a full-fledged pop icon.
- DirectorJames TobackStarsMike TysonMills LaneTrevor BerbickA mixture of original interviews, archival footage, and photographs sheds light on the life experiences of Mike Tyson.
- DirectorBenny SafdieJosh SafdieStarsLenny CookeTom KonchalskiLeBron JamesLenny Cooke was the number-one ranked high school basketball player in America, but his inevitable fall from grace will forever be remembered.
- DirectorRobert Kane PappasStarsVincent BugliosiJeff CohenDennis KucinichA documentary analyzing the role of the modern American media and its effects on democracy.
- DirectorJoseph GarnerStarsJoseph GarnerKristos AndrewsGina KeatleyIn a time when America's economy was crumbling and sense of community was in question, one guy left everything behind to see if he could survive solely on the support and goodwill of the 21st century's new town square: Craigslist.
- DirectorMartin ScorseseStarsGeorge HarrisonHarry HarrisonPeter HarrisonFilmmaker Martin Scorsese examines the life of musician George Harrison, weaving together interviews, concert footage, home movies and photographs.
- DirectorAlex GibneyStarsJack AbramoffTom DeLayWilliam BrannerA probing investigation into the lies, greed and corruption surrounding D.C. super-lobbyist Jack Abramoff and his cronies.
- DirectorNicolas EntelStarsJorge Enrique AbelloPablo EscobarSebastian MarroquínNicolas Entel's searing documentary tells the story of Pablo Escobar -- Colombian drug kingpin, murderer and family man -- through the eyes of his son, Sebastian, as well as the sons of two of Escobar's most prominent victims.
- DirectorAlex GibneyStarsEliot SpitzerAlex GibneyHulbert WaldroupAn in-depth look at the rise and fall of New York Governor Eliot Spitzer, including interviews with the scandalized, former politician.
- StarsTom KaneJacqueline KennedyJohn F. KennedyNew information and experts cover current updates on the saga that shocked America and changed history as we still have no answers to the truth.
- DirectorRonan O'RahillyStarsFidel CastroSam GiancanaRichard HelmsA BRIEF MOMENT IN TIME (formerly King Kennedy) tells the stories of John F Kennedy, Robert F Kennedy and Martin Luther King in a manner never before attempted. Using 100% archive material with no narration the film manages to create a complete narrative that engages in an extremely moving and powerful manner. Those who know the story or think they do are forced to reconsider all their assumptions while those of a younger age are incredibly moved by the story that unfolds.
- DirectorHank CapraStarsMuhammad AliJennifer AnistonPaul Anka
- DirectorDavid GelbStarsJiro OnoYoshikazu OnoMasuhiro YamamotoA documentary on 85-year-old sushi master Jiro Ono, his renowned Tokyo restaurant, and his relationship with his son and eventual heir, Yoshikazu.
- DirectorBennett MillerStarsTimothy 'Speed' LevitchTimothy "Speed" Levitch, an eccentric New York City tour bus guide, takes tourists around the island of Manhattan and shares an archive of beautifully distorted information about the city.
- DirectorKristopher BelmanStarsLeBron JamesDru JoyceRomeo TravisThis documentary follows NBA superstar LeBron James and four of his talented teammates through the trials and tribulations of high school basketball in Ohio and James' journey to fame.
- DirectorErrol MorrisStarsJoyce McKinneyPeter ToryTroy WilliamsA documentary on a former Miss Wyoming who is charged with abducting and imprisoning a young Mormon Missionary.
- DirectorTony HardmonRachel LibertStarsJerry EnsmingerMichael PartainMarine Corps Master Sgt. Jerry Ensminger was a devoted Marine for nearly twenty-five years. As a drill instructor he lived and breathed the "Corps" and was responsible for indoctrinating thousands of new recruits with its motto Semper Fidelis or "Always Faithful". When Jerry's nine-year old daughter Janey died of a rare type of leukemia, his world collapsed. As a grief-stricken father, he struggled for years to make sense of what happened. His search for answers led to the shocking discovery of a Marine Corps cover-up of one of the largest water contamination incidents in U.S. history. Semper Fi: Always Faithful follows Jerry's mission to expose the Marine Corps and force them to live up to their motto to the thousands of soldiers and their families exposed to toxic chemicals. His fight reveals a grave injustice at North Carolina's Camp Lejeune and a looming environmental crisis at military sites across the country.
- DirectorWilliam KarelStarsJohn AshcroftRobert BaerTony BlairThe 1000 days of George W. Bush's presidency from the 9/11 attacks to the iraqi quagmire. How a bunch of people influenced by neo-cons hawks took control of the US foreign policy.
- DirectorGreg 'Freddy' CamalierStarsRick HallAretha FranklinKeith RichardsA documentary that celebrates Rick Hall, the founder of FAME Studios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, and the signature sound he developed in songs such as "I'll Take You There", "Brown Sugar", and "When a Man Loves a Woman".
- DirectorRichard PressStarsBill CunninghamAnna WintourMichael KorsA profile of the noted and extraordinarily cheerful veteran New York City fashion photographer.
- DirectorLucy BaileyAndrew ThompsonAn intimate and moving account of one family's extraordinary courage in the face of overwhelming injustice and brutality.
- DirectorJulien NitzbergStarsJ. Parker Bazzle IIBig & RichPonty's CamperA year in the life of the White family, well known for Jesco White, the star of the "Dancing Outlaw" documentary.
- DirectorJacob YoungStarsWattie GreenDorsey WhiteJerry WhiteThis documentary short, produced for West Virginia public TV's "Different Drummer" series, introduces us to Jesco White, a hard-living, tap-dancing Boone County resident whose repeated run-ins with the law have interfered with his dream of becoming as renowned a "mountain dancer" as his late father, D. Ray White. We meet Jesco's three distinct personalities; the gentle and loving Jesse, the violent and dangerous Jesco, and the extremely strange Elvis. We also encounter various members of Jesco's family, all nearly as eccentric as Jesco himself. You will ask, "Are these people for real?" Yes, they are.
- DirectorMalik BendjelloulStarsRodriguezStephen 'Sugar' SegermanDennis CoffeyTwo South Africans set out to discover what happened to their unlikely musical hero, the mysterious 1970s rock n roller, Rodriguez.
- DirectorLeon GastStarsMuhammad AliGeorge ForemanDon KingBoxing documentary on the 1974 world heavyweight championship bout between defending champion, George Foreman, and the underdog challenger, Muhammad Ali.
- DirectorRoss WilsonStarsStephen FryAndy BehrmanJo BrandStephen Fry presents this documentary exploring the disease of manic depression; a little understood but potentially devastating condition affecting an estimated two percent of the population. Stephen embarks on an emotional journey to meet fellow sufferers, and discuss the literal highs and lows of being bi-polar. Celebrities such as Carrie Fisher and Richard Dreyfuss invite the comedian into their home to relate their stories. Plus Stephen looks into the lives of ordinary people trying to deal with the illness at work and home, and of course to the people studying manic depression in an effort to better control it. A fascinating, moving and ultimately very entertaining Emmy Award-winning program.
- DirectorTerry ZwigoffStarsRobert CrumbAline Kominsky-CrumbCharles CrumbAn intimate portrait of controversial cartoonist Robert Crumb and his traumatized family.
- DirectorNathaniel KahnStarsEdmund BaconEdwina Pattison DanielsBalkrishna DoshiDirector Nathaniel Kahn searches to understand his father, noted architect Louis Kahn, who died bankrupt and alone in 1974.
- DirectorHenriette MantelSteve SkrovanStarsRalph NaderPat BuchananHoward ZinnA look at the career of consumer advocate Ralph Nader.
- DirectorZach HeinzerlingStarsUshio ShinoharaNoriko ShinoharaAlex ShinoharaThis candid New York love story explores the chaotic 40-year marriage of famed boxing painter Ushio Shinohara and his wife, Noriko. Anxious to shed her role as her overbearing husband's assistant, Noriko finds an identity of her own.
- DirectorKen BurnsStarsKeith DavidKevin ConwayPhilip BoscoA biographical film about the acclaimed American humourist and author.
- StarsGwyneth PaltrowSam WaterstonMichael PottsA biographical film about The United States' influential and profoundly enigmatic Founding Father.
- DirectorPatrick CollertonStarsEdna KennedyJonny KennedyNell McAndrewA year ago, 36-year-old Jonny Kennedy died. He had a terrible genetic condition called Dystrophic Epidermolysis Bullosa (EB) - which meant that his skin literally fell off at the slightest touch, leaving his body covered in agonizing sores and leading to a final fight against skin cancer. In his last months Jonny decided to work with filmmaker Patrick Collerton to document his life and death, and the result was a film, first broadcast in March, that was an uplifting, confounding and provocatively humorous story of a singular man. Not shying away from the grim reality of EB, the film was also a celebration of a life lived to the full.
- DirectorNick BroomfieldJoan ChurchillStarsSarah PalinNick BroomfieldBarbara AdamsNick Broomfield goes in pursuit of Sarah Palin, interviewing her family and friends, for a decidedly unauthorized perspective on this growing force in American politics.
- DirectorNick BroomfieldStarsNick BroomfieldHsiao-Hung PaiNick Broomfield met Hsiao Hung Pai, a journalist who was working for the Guardian, when making his feature film 'Ghosts' (about the Morecambe Bay Chinese Cockle Pickers ). As an experiment and using the latest in undercover technology, Nick worked with Hsiao to make a Undercover film set in a Chinese brothel in Finchley. There are over 2000 'illegal' brothels in London,largely ignored by the police and the authorities, which employ 80% foreign nationals, mostly illegal, that are easily exploited by the brothel owners. The film has a very different feel from the normal undercover film. This is due to the camera being mounted in the center of spectacles, which causes the participants to look directly into the camera, achieving a great intimacy and the possibility of making a character lead undercover film. This is also a very subjective story, told through the eyes of Hsiao Hung Pai, an immigrant herself, who though a very experienced undercover reporter went through great personal trauma revisiting this territory.
- DirectorChristian TrumbleStarsPaul Thornley
- DirectorChris HegedusD.A. PennebakerStarsJames CarvilleGeorge StephanopoulosHeather BeckelA documentary of the Bill Clinton 1992 presidential campaign and the organization who ran it.
- 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.
- 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.
- DirectorAmir Bar-LevStarsPat TillmanJosh BrolinMary TillmanChronicles the life of the late Pat Tillman, who walked away from a multimillion-dollar contract with the NFL's Arizona Cardinals in 2002 to join the Army but died from friendly fire in Afghanistan.
- DirectorKeven McAlesterStarsByron ColeyPaul Drummond13th Floor ElevatorsDocumentary about rock pioneer Roky Erickson, detailing his rise as a psychedelic hero, his lengthy institutionalization, his descent into poverty and filth, and his brother's struggle with their religious mother to improve Roky's care.
- DirectorMichel NegroponteStarsMaggie CoganKatina CommingsMichel Negroponte, a documentary filmmaker, meets Maggie one day in Central Park. Maggie claims to be married to the god Jupiter and the daughter of actor Robert Ryan. Michel gets to know Maggie over the next couple of years, and attempts to use her often outlandish stories as clues to reconstruct her past.
- CreatorAgnes NixonStarsJack PerkinsPeter GravesHarry SmithThe life stories of various historical figures and celebrities are told.
- DirectorRobert DrewStarsAlec BaldwinJacqueline KennedyJohn F. KennedyA documentary combining rare personal footage and well-known archive footage of President John F. Kennedy.
- DirectorShivaun O'CaseyThis film paints a fascinating portrait of Sean O'Casey: controversial playwright and one of the great figures of the Irish literary renaissance. Narrated and directed by Shivaun O'Casey - his daughter - the film profiles the writer's life of hardship and triumph, idealism and disenchantment. Topics under discussion include O'Casey's grim formative years; his activities in various socialist movements and in the movements for Irish independence; his satiric and often violent tragicomedies The Shadow of a Gunman, Juno and the Paycock, and The Plough and the Stars; and his later years in self-imposed exile in Britain