TOP 100 Documentaries
by CambelIMDB | created - 01 Nov 2014 | updated - 18 Nov 2014 | Publicfeatures and shorts
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1. Man with a Movie Camera (1929)
Not Rated | 68 min | Documentary
A man travels around a city with a camera slung over his shoulder, documenting urban life with dazzling invention.
Director: Dziga Vertov | Stars: Mikhail Kaufman, Elizaveta Svilova
Votes: 28,007
2. Stories We Tell (2012)
PG-13 | 108 min | Documentary
A film that excavates layers of myth and memory to find the elusive truth at the core of a family of storytellers.
Director: Sarah Polley | Stars: Michael Polley, John Buchan, Mark Polley, Joanna Polley
Votes: 14,121 | Gross: $1.60M
3.
Century of Cinema (1995–1998)
Episode:
A Personal Journey with Martin Scorsese Through American Movies
(1995)
225 min | Documentary, Biography, History
Martin Scorsese describes his initial and growing obsession with films from the 1940s and 50s as the art form developed and grew with clips from classics and cult classics.
Directors: Martin Scorsese, Michael Henry Wilson | Stars: Martin Scorsese, Allison Anders, Kathryn Bigelow, Francis Ford Coppola
Votes: 5,141
4. 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: 68,837 | Gross: $3.29M
5. This Is Not a Film (2011)
Not Rated | 75 min | Documentary
It's been months since Jafar Panahi, stuck in jail, has been awaiting a verdict by the appeals court. By depicting a day in his life, Panahi and Mojtaba Mirtahmasb try to portray the deprivations looming in contemporary Iranian cinema.
Directors: Mojtaba Mirtahmasb, Jafar Panahi | Stars: Jafar Panahi, Igi, Mrs. Gheirat, Mojtaba Mirtahmasb
Votes: 5,646 | Gross: $0.08M
6. Darwin's Nightmare (2004)
107 min | Documentary
A documentary on the effect of fishing the Nile perch in Tanzania's Lake Victoria. The predatory fish, which has wiped out the native species, is sold in European supermarkets, while starving Tanzanian families have to make do with the leftovers.
Director: Hubert Sauper | Stars: Elizabeth 'Eliza' Maganga Nsese, Raphael Tukiko Wagara, Dimond Remtulia, Marcus Nyoni
Votes: 5,663 | Gross: $0.20M
7. 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: 61,936 | Gross: $3.17M
8. 5 Broken Cameras (2011)
Not Rated | 94 min | Documentary, War
A documentary on a Palestinian farmer's chronicle of his nonviolent resistance to the actions of the Israeli army.
Directors: Emad Burnat, Guy Davidi | Stars: Emad Burnat, Soraya Burnat, Mohammed Burnat, Yasin Burnat
Votes: 6,649 | Gross: $0.11M
9. Born Into Brothels: Calcutta's Red Light Kids (2004)
R | 85 min | Documentary, Biography, News
Two documentary filmmakers chronicle their time in Sonagchi, Calcutta and the relationships they developed with children of prostitutes who work the city's notorious red light district.
Directors: Zana Briski, Ross Kauffman | Stars: Kochi, Avijit Halder, Shanti Das, Manik
Votes: 18,007 | Gross: $3.41M
10. Bowling for Columbine (2002)
R | 120 min | Documentary, Crime, Drama
Filmmaker Michael Moore explores the roots of America's predilection for gun violence.
Director: Michael Moore | Stars: Michael Moore, Charlton Heston, Marilyn Manson, Salvador Allende
Votes: 148,775 | Gross: $21.58M
11. The Two Escobars (2010)
104 min | Documentary, Biography, Sport
A look at how the lives of Colombian footballer Andres Escobar and drug lord Pablo Escobar were intertwined, alongside the mysterious events that led to Andres' murder in 1994.
Directors: Jeff Zimbalist, Michael Zimbalist | Stars: María Ester Escobar, Francisco Maturana, Alexis García V., Jaime Gaviria Gómez
Votes: 2,203
12. Jesus Camp (2006)
PG-13 | 87 min | Documentary
A documentary on kids who attend a summer camp hoping to become the next Billy Graham.
Directors: Heidi Ewing, Rachel Grady | Stars: Mike Papantonio, Lou Engle, Becky Fischer, Ted Haggard
Votes: 28,781 | Gross: $0.90M
13. 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: 51,459 | Gross: $0.87M
14. Encounters at the End of the World (2007)
G | 99 min | Documentary
Film-maker Werner Herzog travels to the McMurdo Station in Antarctica, looking to capture the continent's beauty and investigate the characters living there.
Director: Werner Herzog | Stars: Werner Herzog, Scott Rowland, Stefan Pashov, Doug MacAyeal
Votes: 19,261 | Gross: $0.94M
15. Inside Job (2010)
PG-13 | 109 min | Documentary, Crime
Takes a closer look at what brought about the 2008 financial meltdown.
Director: Charles Ferguson | Stars: Matt Damon, Gylfi Zoega, Andri Snær Magnason, Sigridur Benediktsdottir
Votes: 78,999 | Gross: $4.31M
16. The House I Live In (2012)
Not Rated | 98 min | Documentary
From the dealer to the narcotics officer, the inmate to the federal judge, a penetrating look inside America's criminal justice system, revealing the profound human rights implications of U.S. drug policy.
Director: Eugene Jarecki | Stars: Eugene Jarecki, David Simon, Shanequa Benitez, William Julius Wilson
Votes: 5,396 | Gross: $0.21M
17. Microcosmos (1996)
Not Rated | 80 min | Documentary
A documentary on insect life in meadows and ponds.
Directors: Claude Nuridsany, Marie Pérennou | Stars: Kristin Scott Thomas, Jacques Perrin
Votes: 11,656 | Gross: $1.57M
18. WR: Mysteries of the Organism (1971)
Not Rated | 84 min | Comedy, Drama, Fantasy
An homage to the work of psychologist Wilhelm Reich, matched with a story about a Yugoslavian girl's affair with a Russian skater. Sexual repression, social systems and the orgone theory are explored.
Director: Dusan Makavejev | Stars: Milena Dravic, Ivica Vidovic, Jagoda Kaloper, Tuli Kupferberg
Votes: 5,425
19. The Missing Picture (2013)
Not Rated | 92 min | Documentary
Rithy Panh uses clay figures, archival footage, and his narration to recreate the atrocities Cambodia's Khmer Rouge committed between 1975 and 1979.
Director: Rithy Panh | Stars: Randal Douc, Jean-Baptiste Phou
Votes: 3,528 | Gross: $0.05M
20. Sound City (2013)
Not Rated | 107 min | Documentary, Music
A documentary on the fabled recording studio that was located in Van Nuys, California.
Director: Dave Grohl | Stars: Trent Reznor, Tom Petty, Mick Fleetwood, Vinny Appice
Votes: 13,443 | Gross: $0.42M
21. Last Train Home (2009)
Not Rated | 85 min | Documentary, Drama
A couple embarks on a journey home for Chinese new year along with 130 million other migrant workers, to reunite with their children and struggle for a future. Their unseen story plays out as China soars towards being a world superpower.
Director: Lixin Fan | Stars: Changhua Zhang, Yang Zhang, Suqin Chen, Qin Zhang
Votes: 3,717 | Gross: $0.29M
22. How to Survive a Plague (2012)
Not Rated | 110 min | Documentary, History, News
The story of two coalitions -- ACT UP and TAG (Treatment Action Group) -- whose activism and innovation turned AIDS from a death sentence into a manageable condition.
Director: David France | Stars: Peter Staley, Larry Kramer, Iris Long, Bob Rafsky
Votes: 4,358 | Gross: $0.13M
23. Waltz with Bashir (2008)
R | 90 min | Documentary, Animation, Biography
An Israeli film director interviews fellow veterans of the 1982 invasion of Lebanon to reconstruct his own memories of his term of service in that conflict.
Director: Ari Folman | Stars: Ari Folman, Ron Ben-Yishai, Ronny Dayag, Ori Sivan
Votes: 60,427 | Gross: $2.28M
24. Tarnation (2003)
Unrated | 88 min | Documentary, Biography
Filmmaker Jonathan Caouette's documentary on growing up with his schizophrenic mother -- a mixture of snapshots, Super-8 film, answering machine messages, video diaries, early short films, and more - culled from nineteen years of his life.
Director: Jonathan Caouette | Stars: Jonathan Caouette, Renee Leblanc, Adolph Davis, Rosemary Davis
Votes: 6,710 | Gross: $0.59M
25. Marina Abramovic: The Artist Is Present (2012)
Not Rated | 106 min | Documentary, Biography, History
A documentary that follows the Serbian performance artist as she prepares for a retrospective of her work at The Museum of Modern Art in New York.
Directors: Matthew Akers, Jeff Dupre | Stars: Marina Abramovic, Ulay, Klaus Biesenbach, David Balliano
Votes: 6,475 | Gross: $0.09M
26. My Kid Could Paint That (2007)
PG-13 | 82 min | Documentary, Family, Mystery
A look at the work and surprising success of a four-year-old girl whose paintings have been compared to the likes of Picasso and has raked in hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Director: Amir Bar-Lev | Stars: Marla Olmstead, Laura Olmstead, Mark Olmstead, Amir Bar-Lev
Votes: 3,505 | Gross: $0.23M
27. The Act of Killing (2012)
Not Rated | 117 min | Documentary, Biography, Crime
A documentary which challenges former Indonesian death-squad leaders to reenact their mass-killings in whichever cinematic genres they wish, including classic Hollywood crime scenarios and lavish musical numbers.
Directors: Joshua Oppenheimer, Anonymous, Christine Cynn | Stars: Anwar Congo, Herman Koto, Syamsul Arifin, Ibrahim Sinik
Votes: 40,829 | Gross: $0.49M
28. The Gatekeepers (2012)
PG-13 | 101 min | Documentary, History, War
A documentary featuring interviews with all surviving former heads of Shin Bet, the Israeli security agency whose activities and membership are closely held state secrets.
Director: Dror Moreh | Stars: Ami Ayalon, Avraham Shalom, Avi Dichter, Yaakov Peri
Votes: 5,891 | Gross: $2.42M
29. Shut Up & Sing (2006)
R | 93 min | Documentary, Biography, Music
A documentary on the The Chicks (formerly the Dixie Chicks) in the wake of singer Natalie Maines' anti-George W. Bush statement at a 2003 concert.
Directors: Barbara Kopple, Cecilia Peck | Stars: Natalie Maines, Emily Strayer, Martie Maguire, Clayton Allen
Votes: 4,991 | Gross: $1.22M
30. Colony (2009)
Not Rated | 85 min | Documentary
Several beekeepers around the U.S. cope with colony collapse disorder - the phenomenon that has caused millions of bees to mysteriously disappear.
Directors: Carter Gunn, Ross McDonnell
Votes: 156
31. Cutie and the Boxer (2013)
R | 82 min | Documentary, Biography
This 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.
Director: Zach Heinzerling | Stars: Ushio Shinohara, Noriko Shinohara, Alex Shinohara, Ethan Cohen
Votes: 4,738 | Gross: $0.20M
32. Project Nim (2011)
PG-13 | 93 min | Documentary
Tells the story of a chimpanzee taken from its mother at birth and raised like a human child by a family in a brownstone on the upper West Side in the 1970s.
Director: James Marsh | Stars: Nim Chimpsky, Stephanie LaFarge, Herbert Terrace, Wer LaFarge
Votes: 8,600 | Gross: $0.41M
33. Waste Land (2010)
Not Rated | 99 min | Documentary
On the outskirts of Rio de Janeiro is Jardim Gramacho, the world's largest landfill, where men and women sift through garbage for a living. Artist Vik Muniz produces portraits of the workers and learns about their lives.
Directors: Lucy Walker, Karen Harley, João Jardim | Star: Vik Muniz
Votes: 9,362 | Gross: $0.19M
34. Senna (2010)
PG-13 | 106 min | Documentary, Biography, Sport
A documentary on Brazilian Formula One racing driver Ayrton Senna, who won the F1 world championship three times before his death at age 34.
Director: Asif Kapadia | Stars: Ayrton Senna, Reginaldo Leme, John Bisignano, Neyde Senna
Votes: 75,888 | Gross: $1.61M
35. Terror's Advocate (2007)
Unrated | 135 min | Documentary, Biography, History
A documentary on Jacques Vergès, the controversial lawyer and former Free French Forces guerrilla who has defending unpopular figures such as Nazi war criminal Klaus Barbie and Holocaust denier Roger Garaudy.
Director: Barbet Schroeder | Stars: Jacques Vergès, Klaus Barbie, Barbet Schroeder, Bassam Abu Sharif
Votes: 1,699 | Gross: $0.04M
36. Burma VJ: Reporting from a Closed Country (2008)
Unrated | 84 min | Documentary, History, News
Using smuggled footage, this documentary tells the story of the 2007 protests in Burma by thousands of monks.
Director: Anders Østergaard | Stars: George W. Bush, Joshua Min Htut, Ko Muang, Aung San Suu Kyi
Votes: 2,520 | Gross: $0.05M
37. Leviathan (I) (2012)
Not Rated | 87 min | Documentary
A documentary shot in the North Atlantic and focused on the commercial fishing industry.
Directors: Lucien Castaing-Taylor, Verena Paravel | Stars: Brian Jannelle, Adrian Guillette, Arthur Smith, Asterias Vulgaris
Votes: 3,795 | Gross: $1.09M
38. Street Fight (2005)
Not Rated | 83 min | Documentary
This documentary follows the 2002 mayoral campaign in Newark, New Jersey in which a City Councilman, Cory Booker, attempted to unseat longtime mayor Sharpe James.
Director: Marshall Curry | Stars: Jen Bluestein, Cory Booker, Bill Bradley, Chris Christie
Votes: 2,117
39. Tchoupitoulas (2012)
Not Rated | 80 min | Documentary
A documentary that follows three brothers as they discover the scenes of late-night New Orleans.
Directors: Bill Ross IV, Turner Ross | Stars: William Zanders, Bryan Zanders, Kentrell Zandrs
Votes: 318 | Gross: $0.01M
40. Jodorowsky's Dune (2013)
PG-13 | 90 min | Documentary
The story of cult film director Alejandro Jodorowsky's ambitious but ultimately doomed film adaptation of the seminal science fiction novel.
Director: Frank Pavich | Stars: Alejandro Jodorowsky, Michel Seydoux, H.R. Giger, Chris Foss
Votes: 27,597 | Gross: $0.65M
41. Man on Wire (2008)
PG-13 | 94 min | Documentary, Biography, Crime
A look at tightrope walker Philippe Petit's daring, but illegal, high-wire routine performed between New York City's World Trade Center's twin towers in 1974, what some consider, "the artistic crime of the century".
Director: James Marsh | Stars: Philippe Petit, Jean François Heckel, Jean-Louis Blondeau, Annie Allix
Votes: 58,689 | Gross: $2.96M
42. Tierra sublevada: Oro negro (2011)
107 min | Documentary
Director: Fernando E. Solanas
Votes: 36
43. Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry (2012)
R | 91 min | Documentary
A documentary that chronicles artist and activist Ai Weiwei as he prepares for a series of exhibitions and gets into an increasing number of clashes with the Chinese government.
Director: Alison Klayman | Stars: Ai Weiwei, Dan Ai, Lao Ai, Lee Ambrozy
Votes: 4,528 | Gross: $0.53M
44. The Shock Doctrine (2007)
6 min | Documentary, Animation, Short
Drawing surprising connections between market methods and CIA torture techniques developed in the 1950s, the film explores how well-known events of the recent past have been theaters for the shock doctrine, from Pinochet's coup in Chile, to the Tiananmen Square Massacre, to the war in Iraq today.
Director: Jonás Cuarón | Star: Naomi Klein
Votes: 878
45. 20,000 Days on Earth (2014)
Not Rated | 97 min | Documentary, Drama, Music
Writer and musician Nick Cave marks his 20,000th day on the planet Earth.
Directors: Iain Forsyth, Jane Pollard | Stars: Nick Cave, Susie Bick, Warren Ellis, Darian Leader
Votes: 11,973 | Gross: $0.28M
46. Searching for Sugar Man (2012)
PG-13 | 86 min | Documentary, Biography, Music
Two South Africans set out to discover what happened to their unlikely musical hero, the mysterious 1970s rock n roller, Rodriguez.
Director: Malik Bendjelloul | Stars: Rodriguez, Stephen 'Sugar' Segerman, Dennis Coffey, Mike Theodore
Votes: 72,927 | Gross: $3.97M
47. Wordplay (2006)
PG | 94 min | Documentary
An in-depth look at The New York Times' long-time crossword puzzle editor Will Shortz and his loyal fan base.
Director: Patrick Creadon | Stars: Will Shortz, Ken Burns, Jon Stewart, Merl Reagle
Votes: 3,782 | Gross: $3.12M
48. The People vs. George Lucas (2010)
Not Rated | 93 min | Documentary, Comedy
An examination of the widespread fan disenchantment with George Lucas.
Director: Alexandre O. Philippe | Stars: Joe Nussbaum, Daryl Frazetti, Doug Jones, Damian Hess
Votes: 4,875
49. The Shock Doctrine (2009)
Not Rated | 79 min | Documentary, History
An investigation of "disaster capitalism", based on Naomi Klein's proposition that neo-liberal capitalism feeds on natural disasters, war and terror to establish its dominance.
Directors: Mat Whitecross, Michael Winterbottom | Stars: Janine Huard, Ewen Cameron, Naomi Klein, Milton Friedman
Votes: 3,116
50. Tierra sublevada: Oro impuro (2009)
92 min | Documentary
Director: Fernando E. Solanas
Votes: 66
51. 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: 20,552 | Gross: $7.00M
52. Food, Inc. (2008)
PG | 94 min | Documentary, News
An unflattering look inside America's corporate controlled food industry.
Director: Robert Kenner | Stars: Michael Pollan, Eric Schlosser, Richard Lobb, Vince Edwards
Votes: 52,229 | Gross: $4.42M
53. Proti yli (2011)
78 min | Documentary
The state and business corruption in Greece that enriches by the metal recycling at the expense of a social margin which, while implementing the recycling, lives in extreme deprivation.
Director: Hristos Karakepelis | Stars: Spyros Magalios, Houssein Osmanoglou, Plubi Plub, Gogos Resolari
Votes: 87
54. I Wish I Knew (2010)
116 min | Documentary, History
Focuses on the people, their stories and architecture spanning from the mid-1800s, when Shanghai was opened as a trading port, to the present day.
Director: Zhangke Jia | Stars: Michelangelo Antonioni, Yindi Cao, Hsin-i Chang, Danqing Chen
Votes: 835
55. Life Itself (2014)
R | 121 min | Documentary, Biography
The life and career of the renowned film critic and social commentator, Roger Ebert.
Director: Steve James | Stars: Roger Ebert, Chaz Ebert, Gene Siskel, Martin Scorsese
Votes: 16,260 | Gross: $0.81M
56. The Imposter (2012)
R | 99 min | Documentary, Biography, Crime
A documentary centered on a young man in Spain who claims to a grieving Texas family that he is their 16-year-old son who has been missing for 3 years.
Director: Bart Layton | Stars: Adam O'Brian, Nicholas Barclay, Carey Gibson, Bryan Gibson
Votes: 50,476 | Gross: $0.89M
57. Side by Side (2012)
Not Rated | 99 min | Documentary
The documentary investigates the history, process and workflow of both digital and photochemical film creation.
Director: Christopher Kenneally | Stars: Derek Ambrosi, Michael Ballhaus, Andrzej Bartkowiak, Dion Beebe
Votes: 13,719 | Gross: $0.03M
58. Elaine Stritch: Shoot Me (2013)
Not Rated | 81 min | Documentary
The uncompromising Tony and Emmy Award-winner is showcased both on and off stage via rare archival footage and intimate cinema vérité.
Director: Chiemi Karasawa | Stars: Elaine Stritch, Tina Fey, Alec Baldwin, James Gandolfini
Votes: 987 | Gross: $0.30M
59. The Mechanical Bride (2012)
76 min | Documentary, Fantasy, Sci-Fi
The fantasy of creating the perfect woman is as old as Pygmalion, but how close is it to becoming a reality? This provocative documentary reveals the state of the art in artificial ... See full summary »
Director: Allison de Fren | Star: Julie Newmar
Votes: 36
60. Mea Maxima Culpa: Silence in the House of God (2012)
TV-14 | 106 min | Documentary
Alex Gibney explores the charged issue of pedophilia in the Catholic Church, following a trail from the first known protest against clerical sexual abuse in the United States and all the way to the Vatican.
Director: Alex Gibney | Stars: Alex Gibney, Terry Kohut, Gary Smith, Pat Kuehn
Votes: 4,087
61. The Queen of Versailles (2012)
PG | 100 min | Documentary
A documentary that follows a billionaire couple as they begin construction on a mansion inspired by Versailles. During the next two years, their empire, fueled by the real estate bubble and cheap money, falters due to the economic crisis.
Director: Lauren Greenfield | Stars: Jaqueline Siegel, David Siegel, Lorraine Barrett, June Downs
Votes: 13,705 | Gross: $2.40M
62. GasLand (2010)
Not Rated | 107 min | Documentary
An exploration of the fracking petroleum extraction industry and the serious environmental consequences involved.
Director: Josh Fox | Stars: Josh Fox, Dick Cheney, Pete Seeger, Richard Nixon
Votes: 11,105 | Gross: $0.03M
63. The Punk Singer (2013)
Not Rated | 81 min | Documentary, Biography, Music
A look at the life of activist, musician, and cultural icon Kathleen Hanna, who formed the punk band Bikini Kill and pioneered the "riot grrrl" movement of the 1990s.
Director: Sini Anderson | Stars: Kathleen Hanna, Carrie Brownstein, Kim Gordon, Joan Jett
Votes: 3,085 | Gross: $0.12M
64. Tahrir 2011: The Good, the Bad, and the Politician (2011)
90 min | Documentary
Months after Hosni Mubarak stepped down, Egyptians country-wide seem determined to maintain the insurgency until their demands are met.
Directors: Ayten Amin, Tamer Ezzat, Amr Salama, Ahmad Abdalla
Votes: 231
65. An Inconvenient Truth (2006)
PG | 96 min | Documentary
Filmmaker Davis Guggenheim follows Al Gore on the lecture circuit, as the former presidential candidate campaigns to raise public awareness of the dangers of global warming and calls for immediate action to curb its destructive effects on the environment.
Director: Davis Guggenheim | Stars: Al Gore, Billy West, George Bush, George W. Bush
Votes: 85,230 | Gross: $23.81M
66. We Steal Secrets (2013)
R | 130 min | Documentary
A documentary that details the creation of Julian Assange's controversial website, which facilitated the largest security breach in U.S. history.
Director: Alex Gibney | Stars: Julian Assange, Adrian Lamo, John 'FuzzFace' McMahon, Alex Gibney
Votes: 8,179 | Gross: $0.16M
67. Çöpte Dostoyevski buldum (2011)
100 min | Documentary, Biography
This story is about a beggar, a thief, and a child working on the street, a paper garbage collector, a leftist, a Muslim, a father and a second hand book dealer... All of them are the same ... See full summary »
Directors: Enis Riza, Bahriye Kabadayi
Votes: 127
68. Tim's Vermeer (2013)
PG-13 | 80 min | Documentary, History
Inventor Tim Jenison seeks to understand the painting techniques used by Dutch Master Johannes Vermeer.
Director: Teller | Stars: Tim Jenison, Penn Jillette, Martin Mull, Philip Steadman
Votes: 8,557 | Gross: $1.66M
69. On the Way to School (2008)
81 min | Documentary, Drama
One year in the life of a Turkish teacher, teaching the Turkish language to Kurdish children in a remote village in Turkey. The children can't speak Turkish, the teacher can't speak Kurdish... See full summary »
Directors: Özgür Dogan, Orhan Eskiköy | Stars: Emre Aydin, Rojda Huz, Vehip Huz, Zulkuf Huz
Votes: 3,133
70. Shine a Light (2008)
PG-13 | 122 min | Documentary, Biography, Music
A career-spanning documentary on The Rolling Stones, with concert footage from their "A Bigger Bang" tour.
Director: Martin Scorsese | Stars: Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Charlie Watts, Ronnie Wood
Votes: 12,303 | Gross: $5.36M
71. Making the Boys (2011)
Not Rated | 90 min | Documentary, Biography, Romance
On the eve of the 40th anniversary of the Gay Rights Movement, the film explores the drama, struggle and enduring legacy of the first-ever gay play and subsequent Hollywood movie to ... See full summary »
Director: Crayton Robey | Stars: Edward Albee, Joe Allen, Matt Baney, David Carter
Votes: 712 | Gross: $0.03M
72. West of Memphis (2012)
R | 147 min | Documentary, Crime
An examination of a failure of justice in the case against the West Memphis Three.
Director: Amy Berg | Stars: Jason Baldwin, Damien Wayne Echols, Jessie Misskelley, Michael Baden
Votes: 10,958 | Gross: $0.31M
73. Dirty Wars (2013)
Not Rated | 87 min | Documentary, Crime, History
Investigative journalist Jeremy Scahill is pulled into an unexpected journey as he chases down the hidden truth behind America's expanding covert wars.
Director: Rick Rowley | Stars: Jeremy Scahill, Nasser Al Aulaqi, Saleha Al Aulaqi, Muqbal Al Kazemi
Votes: 9,397 | Gross: $0.38M
74. 'Rear Window' Ethics: Remembering and Restoring a Hitchcock Classic (2001 Video)
Not Rated | 56 min | Documentary
A retrospective look at Alfred Hitchcock's Rear Window (1954).
Director: Laurent Bouzereau | Stars: Curtis Hanson, Peter Bogdanovich, Alfred Hitchcock, Herb Steinberg
Votes: 327
75. Blackfish (2013)
PG-13 | 83 min | Documentary
A documentary following the controversial captivity of killer whales, and its dangers for both humans and whales.
Director: Gabriela Cowperthwaite | Stars: Tilikum, Dave Duffus, Samantha Berg, Dean Gomersall
Votes: 72,485 | Gross: $2.07M
76. Waiting for Superman (2010)
PG | 111 min | Documentary
An examination of the current state of education in America today.
Director: Davis Guggenheim | Stars: Charles Adams, Jonathan Alter, Robert Balfanz, Harriet Ball
Votes: 11,635 | Gross: $6.41M
77. Draquila - L'Italia che trema (2010)
93 min | Documentary
An investigation on the management of 2009 L'Aquila earthquake by Berlusconi government and his staff.
Director: Sabina Guzzanti | Stars: Silvio Berlusconi, Sabina Guzzanti
Votes: 696
78. This Is It (2009)
PG | 111 min | Documentary, Music
A compilation of interviews, rehearsals, and backstage footage of Michael Jackson as he prepared for his series of sold-out shows in London.
Director: Kenny Ortega | Stars: Michael Jackson, Alex Al, Alexandra Apjarova, Nick Bass
Votes: 41,911 | Gross: $72.09M
79. Blank City (2010)
Unrated | 94 min | Documentary
During the punk rock stage in the late '70s, downtown New York experienced a wave of "Do it yourself" independent filmmaking.
Director: Celine Danhier | Stars: Amos Poe, Ann Magnuson, Becky Johnston, Beth B
Votes: 835 | Gross: $0.12M
80. Into Eternity: A Film for the Future (2010)
75 min | Documentary
A documentary on the safety of nuclear storage.
Director: Michael Madsen | Stars: Carl Reinhold Bråkenhjelm, Mikael Jensen, Berit Lundqvist, Michael Madsen
Votes: 3,114 | Gross: $0.06M
81. The Wild Blue Yonder (2005)
Not Rated | 80 min | Sci-Fi
An alien narrates the story of his dying planet, his and his people's visits to Earth and Earth's man-made demise, while human astronauts attempt to find an alternate planet for surviving humans to live on.
Director: Werner Herzog | Stars: Brad Dourif, Donald Williams, Ellen Baker, Franklin Chang-Diaz
Votes: 3,889
82. Twenty Feet from Stardom (2013)
PG-13 | 91 min | Documentary, Biography, History
Backup singers live in a world that lies just beyond the spotlight. Their voices bring harmony to the biggest bands in popular music, but we've had no idea who these singers are or what lives they lead, until now.
Director: Morgan Neville | Stars: Darlene Love, Merry Clayton, Lisa Fischer, Judith Hill
Votes: 13,959 | Gross: $4.95M
83. Duch, Master of the Forges of Hell (2011)
Not Rated | 110 min | Documentary, History
Between 1975 and 1979, the Khmer Rouge regime caused the death of some 1.8 million people, representing one-quarter of the population of Cambodia. Kaing Guek Eav, better known as Duch, was ... See full summary »
Director: Rithy Panh | Star: Kaing Guek Eav
Votes: 111
84.
P.O.V. (1988– )
Episode:
My Country, My Country
(2006)
Not Rated | 90 min | Documentary
The director follows a Sunni doctor as he prepares to run for the early 2005 elections in Iraq.
Director: Laura Poitras | Stars: Dr. Riyadh, Aaron Castle, Scott Farren-Price, Renato Gonclaves
Votes: 437 | Gross: $0.03M
85. The Square (2013)
Not Rated | 95 min | Documentary, Drama, History
A group of Egyptian revolutionaries battle leaders and regimes, risking their lives to build a new society of conscience.
Director: Jehane Noujaim | Stars: Ahmed Hassan, Khalid Abdalla, Magdy Ashour, Ramy Essam
Votes: 9,405 | Gross: $0.12M
86. At Berkeley (2013)
244 min | Documentary
The University of California at Berkeley, the oldest and most prestigious member of a ten campus public education system, is also one of the finest research and teaching facilities in the ... See full summary »
Director: Frederick Wiseman | Star: Anahid Modrek
Votes: 709 | Gross: $0.01M
87. March of the Penguins (2005)
G | 80 min | Documentary, Family
In the Antarctic, every March since the beginning of time, the quest begins to find the perfect mate and start a family.
Director: Luc Jacquet | Stars: Morgan Freeman, Romane Bohringer, Charles Berling, Jules Sitruk
Votes: 59,962 | Gross: $77.44M
88. The Most Dangerous Man in America: Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers (2009)
Not Rated | 92 min | Documentary
An exploration of the life and work of Dr. Daniel Ellsberg, former Marine and military strategist, who was responsible for the publication of secret government documents that revealed the truth behind America's involvement in Vietnam.
Directors: Judith Ehrlich, Rick Goldsmith | Stars: Peter Arnett, Ben Bagdikian, Ann Beeson, John Dean
Votes: 2,421 | Gross: $0.45M
89. No More Fear (2011)
72 min | Documentary
Suffering from Tunisia's ills, a character in the film says: "This revolution is not the result of destitution, but rather a cry of despair rising from a generation of graduates. It is ... See full summary »
Director: Murad Ben Cheikh
Votes: 33
90. The Subjection (2010)
87 min | Documentary
Documentary in which director Stefan Jarl has a blood test performed on himself to show the "chemical burden" of trace chemicals in the blood of all people born since World War II.
Director: Stefan Jarl | Stars: Inge Ahlström, Arne Andersson, Peter Andersson, Cecilia Berg
Votes: 165
91. Collapse (II) (2009)
Unrated | 82 min | Documentary
A documentary on Michael Ruppert, a police officer turned independent reporter who predicted the current financial crisis in his self-published newsletter, From the Wilderness.
Director: Chris Smith | Star: Michael Ruppert
Votes: 6,845 | Gross: $0.05M
92. And Everything Is Going Fine (2010)
Not Rated | 89 min | Documentary
A look at the art of Spalding Gray who drew from real life experience to create a compelling and deeply personal series of monologues.
Director: Steven Soderbergh | Stars: Spalding Gray, Forrest Gray, Kathie Russo
Votes: 1,302 | Gross: $0.02M
93. I'm Still Here (I) (2010)
R | 108 min | Comedy, Drama, Music
Documents Joaquin Phoenix's transition from the acting world to a career as an aspiring rapper.
Director: Casey Affleck | Stars: Joaquin Phoenix, Antony Langdon, Carey Perloff, Larry McHale
Votes: 23,904 | Gross: $0.41M
94. Ana dilim nerede (2012)
61 min | Documentary, Drama
A story about a seventy one year old Mustafa feeling delinquent about not teaching his mother tongue to his own children which he decides to do something about it.
Director: Veli Kahraman | Stars: Mustafa Kahraman, Hatice Kahraman, Haydar Akman, Devrim Savas Aktepe
Votes: 74
95. Cave of Forgotten Dreams (2010)
G | 90 min | Documentary, History
Werner Herzog gains exclusive access to film inside the Chauvet caves of Southern France and captures the oldest known pictorial creations of humanity.
Director: Werner Herzog | Stars: Werner Herzog, Jean Clottes, Julien Monney, Jean-Michel Geneste
Votes: 17,797 | Gross: $5.23M
96. The Ballad of Genesis and Lady Jaye (2011)
Not Rated | 72 min | Documentary, Biography, Music
A documentary on artist Genesis Breyer P-Orridge and his wife and collaborator, Lady Jaye, centered around the transformations the pair underwent for their Pandrogyne project.
Director: Marie Losier | Stars: Genesis P-Orridge, Lady Jaye Breyer P'Orridge, Big Boy Breyer P'Orridge, Edley Odowd
Votes: 687
97. Crossing the Bridge: The Sound of Istanbul (2005)
Not Rated | 90 min | Documentary, History, Music
Award-winning director Fatih Akin takes us on a journey through Istanbul, the city that bridges Europe and Asia, and challenges familiar notions of east and west. He looks at the vibrant ... See full summary »
Director: Fatih Akin | Stars: Alexander Hacke, Ahmed Ulug, Cem Yegul, Mehmed Ulug
Votes: 6,498 | Gross: $0.07M
98. Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work (2010)
R | 84 min | Documentary, Biography, Comedy
A documentary on the life and career of Joan Rivers, made as the comedienne turns 75 years old.
Directors: Ricki Stern, Anne Sundberg | Stars: Joan Rivers, Melissa Rivers, Kathy Griffin, Jocelyn Pickett
Votes: 3,820 | Gross: $2.93M
99. The Invisible War (2012)
Not Rated | 93 min | Documentary, Crime
An investigative documentary about the epidemic of rape of soldiers within the US military.
Director: Kirby Dick | Stars: Amy Ziering, Kirby Dick, Kori Cioca, Jessica Hinves
Votes: 7,085 | Gross: $0.07M
100. The Central Park Five (2012)
Not Rated | 119 min | Documentary, Crime, History
A documentary that examines the 1989 case of five black and Latino teenagers who were convicted of raping a white woman in Central Park. After having spent between 6 and 13 years each in prison, a serial rapist confessed to the crime.
Directors: Ken Burns, Sarah Burns, David McMahon | Stars: Antron McCray, Kevin Richardson, Kharey Wise, Raymond Santana
Votes: 7,937 | Gross: $0.27M
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