The world through a screen - Top documentaries
by aekengren | created - 09 May 2012 | updated - 03 Dec 2021 | PublicList of my favorite documentaries, no particular order.
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1. The Emperor's Naked Army Marches On (1987)
Not Rated | 122 min | Documentary
A documentary following Kenzo Okuzaki, a 62-year-old WW2 veteran notorious for his protests against Emperor Hirohito, as he tries to expose the needless executions of two Japanese soldiers during the war.
Director: Kazuo Hara | Stars: Kenzo Okuzaki, Riichi Aikawa, Masaichi Hamaguchi, Toshio Hara
Votes: 2,124
2. A Dog's Life (1962)
Approved | 108 min | Documentary, Horror
A "shockumentary" consisting of a collection of mostly real archive footage displaying mankind at its most depraved and perverse, displaying bizarre rites, cruel behavior and bestial violence.
Directors: Paolo Cavara, Gualtiero Jacopetti, Franco Prosperi | Stars: Stefano Sibaldi, Rossano Brazzi, Yves Klein, Henning Skaarup
Votes: 4,405
3. 7 Plus Seven (1970 TV Movie)
52 min | Documentary, Biography
Director Michael Apted revisits the same group of British-born children after a seven-year wait. The subjects are interviewed as to the changes that have occurred in their lives during the last seven years.
Director: Michael Apted | Stars: Bruce Balden, Jacqueline Bassett, Symon Basterfield, Andrew Brackfield
Votes: 3,218
Check out the rest of the series as well.
4. Land of Silence and Darkness (1971)
Not Rated | 85 min | Documentary
Through examining Fini Straubinger, an old woman who has been deaf and blind since adolescence, and her work on behalf of other deaf and blind people, this film shows how the deaf and blind... See full summary »
Director: Werner Herzog | Stars: Fini Straubinger, M. Baaske, Elsa Fehrer, Heinrich Fleischmann
Votes: 3,197
5. Dark Days (2000)
Not Rated | 82 min | Documentary
A cinematic portrait of the homeless population who live permanently in the underground tunnels of New York City.
Director: Marc Singer | Star: Marc Singer
Votes: 7,176 | Gross: $0.43M
6. If a Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front (2011)
Unrated | 85 min | Documentary, Biography, Crime
A rare behind-the-curtain look at the Earth Liberation Front, the radical environmental group that the FBI calls America's 'number one domestic terrorist threat.'
Directors: Marshall Curry, Sam Cullman | Stars: Daniel McGowan, Lisa McGowan, Tim Lewis, Kirk Engdall
Votes: 3,315 | Gross: $0.06M
7. Koyaanisqatsi (1982)
Not Rated | 86 min | Documentary, Music
A collection of expertly photographed phenomena with no conventional plot. The footage focuses on the relationship between nature, humanity, and technology.
Director: Godfrey Reggio | Stars: Edward Asner, Pat Benatar, Jerry Brown, Johnny Carson
Votes: 41,466 | Gross: $1.72M
8. Nanook of the North (1922)
Passed | 78 min | Documentary
In this silent predecessor to the modern documentary, film-maker Robert J. Flaherty spends one year following the lives of Nanook and his family, Inuits living in the Arctic Circle.
Director: Robert J. Flaherty | Stars: Allakariallak, Alice Nevalinga, Cunayou, Allegoo
Votes: 13,446
9. South of the Border (2009)
Not Rated | 78 min | Documentary
A road trip across five countries to explore the social and political movements as well as the mainstream media's misperception of South America while interviewing seven of its elected presidents.
Director: Oliver Stone | Stars: Tariq Ali, Tony Blair, Wolf Blitzer, Nelson Bocaranda
Votes: 3,097 | Gross: $0.17M
10. Keep the River on Your Right: A Modern Cannibal Tale (2000)
R | 93 min | Documentary, Adventure, Romance
A retired gay anthropologist revisits the native cultures he studied in his youth.
Directors: David Shapiro, Laurie Gwen Shapiro | Stars: Tobias Schneebaum, Norman Mailer, Michael Rockefeller
Votes: 850 | Gross: $0.35M
11. Psywar (2010)
99 min | Documentary
Psywar explores the evolution of propaganda and public relations in the United States, with an emphasis on the elitist theory of democracy; and the relationship between war, propaganda, and class.
Director: Scott Noble | Stars: George Bush, George W. Bush, Noam Chomsky, Bill Clinton
Votes: 231
12. When the Mountains Tremble (1983)
Not Rated | 83 min | Documentary
A documentary on the war between the Guatemalan military and the Mayan population, with firsthand accounts by Nobel Peace Prize winner Rigoberta Menchu.
Directors: Newton Thomas Sigel, Pamela Yates | Stars: Rigoberta Menchú, Susan Sarandon
Votes: 178
13. Liberia: An Uncivil War (2004 TV Movie)
102 min | Documentary
"Liberia, a nation burdened by its past. America, a nation with no memory at all." In Liberia, the summer of 2003 was pure insanity. A rebel army attempts to overthrow a government run by ... See full summary »
Directors: Jonathan Stack, James Brabazon | Stars: George W. Bush, Zubin Cooper, Charles Taylor
Votes: 95
14. The Vice Guide to Travel (2006– )
Not Rated | Documentary
The show follows Vice employees as they travel to dangerous, weird, and offbeat locations throughout the globe.
Stars: Thomas Morton, Shane Smith, Sarah Harris, Myles Estey
Votes: 306
15. Mr. Death: The Rise and Fall of Fred A. Leuchter, Jr. (1999)
PG-13 | 91 min | Documentary, Biography
A cinematic portrait of the life and career of the infamous American execution device designer and holocaust denier.
Director: Errol Morris | Stars: Fred A. Leuchter Jr., Robert Jan Van Pelt, David Irving, Caroline Leuchter
Votes: 5,780 | Gross: $0.50M
16. Marwencol (2010)
Not Rated | 83 min | Documentary, Biography, Fantasy
Documentary about Mark Hogancamp. After a vicious attack leaves him brain-damaged and broke, Mark seeks recovery in "Marwencol", a 1/6th scale World War II-era town he creates in his backyard. Inspired the movie Welcome to Marwen (2018)
Director: Jeff Malmberg | Stars: Mark Hogancamp, Emmanuel Nneji, Edda Hogancamp, Tom Neubauer
Votes: 3,704 | Gross: $0.11M
17. A (1998)
136 min | Documentary
Aum Shinrikyo, the Buddhist sect led by Shoko Asahara and responsible for the 1995 Sarin gas attack on a Tokyo subway, becomes the subject of this documentary.
Director: Tatsuya Mori | Star: Hiroshi Araki
Votes: 305
18. Surplus: Terrorized Into Being Consumers (2003)
54 min | Documentary
Looks at the arguments for capitalism and technology, such as greater efficiency, more time and less work, and argues that these are not being fulfilled, and they never will be.
Director: Erik Gandini | Stars: John Zerzan, George W. Bush, Fidel Castro, Kalle Lasn
Votes: 1,517
19. Cocaine Cowboys (2006)
R | 118 min | Documentary, Crime, History
The story of how Miami became the cocaine capital of the United States in the early 1980's and the police officers who turned the tide on crime.
Director: Billy Corben | Stars: Jon Roberts, Al Sunshine, Sam Burstyn, Mickey Munday
Votes: 14,089 | Gross: $0.15M
20. Fishing with John (1991)
Not Rated | 152 min | Documentary, Comedy, Sport
Musician John Lurie knows nothing about fishing, but that doesn't stop him from embarking on fishing in exotic locations with friends.
Stars: John Lurie, Willem Dafoe, Robb Webb, Dennis Hopper
Votes: 1,774
21. Vernon, Florida (1981)
Not Rated | 55 min | Documentary
A documentary on the eccentric residents of Vernon, Florida.
Director: Errol Morris | Stars: Albert Bitterling, Roscoe Collins, George Harris, Joe Payne
Votes: 3,585
22. The Harder They Come (1972)
R | 120 min | Crime, Drama, Music
Wishing to become a successful reggae singer, a young Jamaican man finds himself tied to corrupt record producers and drug pushers.
Director: Perry Henzell | Stars: Jimmy Cliff, Janet Bartley, Carl Bradshaw, Ras Daniel Hartman
Votes: 7,031
23. Africa: Blood and Guts (1966)
R | 122 min | Documentary, Horror
The cruel acts of animal poaching and violence, executions, and tribal slaughtering, all taking place on the African continent.
Directors: Gualtiero Jacopetti, Franco Prosperi | Stars: Sergio Rossi, Gualtiero Jacopetti, Jomo Kenyatta, Julius Nyerere
Votes: 1,876
24. Life in a Day (2011)
PG-13 | 95 min | Documentary, Drama
A documentary shot by film-makers all over the world that serves as a time capsule to show future generations what it was like to be alive on the twenty-fourth of July, 2010.
Directors: Tegan Bukowski, Loressa Clisby, Kevin Macdonald, Hiroaki Aikawa, Natalia Andreadis, Jack Attridge, Cristina Bocchialini, Zillah Bowes, Andrea Dalla Costa, Lisa Cottrell-Bentley, Alejo Crisóstomo, Sócrates Cuadri, Ayman El Gazwy, Shawn Gadberry, Seth Grant, Jane Haubrich, Soma Helmi, Jennifer M. Howd, Clementine Isaac, Aditya Kolli, Gabor Kukucska, Francesco La Regina, Frederic Lumiere, Marek Mackovic, Zuqy Cruz Marquez, Linda Matarasso, Kevin McMahon, Joseph Michael, Joaquin Montalvan, Lilit Movsisyan, Emmanuelle Pickett, Christopher Redmond, Alejandro Romeo, Alaa Sheikh Hassan, Marcus Tedenryd | Stars: Hiroaki Aikawa, Cindy Baer, Teagan Bentley, Ester Brym
Votes: 15,562 | Gross: $0.25M
25. Slippin': Ten Years with the Bloods (2005)
Not Rated | 84 min | Documentary
A documentary on five members of one of the world's most notorious gangs, the Bloods.
Directors: Joachim Schroeder, Tommy Sowards | Stars: K.K. Calvin, Jumbo Chris, Dig Dug Douglas, C.K. Michael Johnson
Votes: 285
26. 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: 58,671 | Gross: $2.96M
27. 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: 28,774 | Gross: $0.90M
28. 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
29. Anarchism in America (1983)
75 min | Documentary
A colorful and provocative survey of anarchism in America, the film attempts to dispel popular misconceptions and trace the historical development of the movement. The film explores the ... See full summary »
Directors: Steven Fischler, Joel Sucher | Stars: Paul Avrich, Jello Biafra, Murray Bookchin, Emma Goldman
Votes: 180
30. Hoop Dreams (1994)
PG-13 | 170 min | Documentary, Drama, Sport
A film following the lives of two inner-city Chicago boys who struggle to become college basketball players on the road to going professional.
Director: Steve James | Stars: William Gates, Arthur Agee, Emma Gates, Curtis Gates
Votes: 28,014 | Gross: $7.83M
31. The Fog of War (2003)
PG-13 | 107 min | Documentary, Biography, History
The story of America as seen through the eyes of the former Secretary of Defense under President John F. Kennedy and President Lyndon B. Johnson, Robert McNamara.
Director: Errol Morris | Stars: Robert McNamara, John F. Kennedy, Fidel Castro, Richard Nixon
Votes: 25,045 | Gross: $4.20M
32. 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: 61,867 | Gross: $3.17M
33. Winged Migration (2001)
G | 89 min | Documentary
Documentary on the migratory patterns of birds, shot over the course of three years on all seven continents.
Directors: Jacques Perrin, Jacques Cluzaud, Michel Debats | Stars: Jacques Perrin, Philippe Labro
Votes: 12,367 | Gross: $10.76M
34. Metal: A Headbanger's Journey (2005)
R | 96 min | Documentary, Music
An examination of the heavy metal music subculture that tries to explain why, despite the longevity and popularity of the genre, fans are marginalized and ridiculed for their passion.
Directors: Sam Dunn, Scot McFadyen, Jessica Joy Wise | Stars: Tom Araya, Gavin Baddeley, Blasphemer, Randy Blythe
Votes: 12,483
35. The Times of Harvey Milk (1984)
Not Rated | 90 min | Documentary, Biography, History
A documentary of the successful career and assassination of San Francisco's first elected gay city supervisor.
Director: Rob Epstein | Stars: Harvey Fierstein, Harvey Milk, Anne Kronenberg, Tory Hartmann
Votes: 6,573 | Gross: $0.01M
36. Being Elmo: A Puppeteer's Journey (2011)
PG | 80 min | Documentary, Biography
The Muppet Elmo is one of the most beloved characters among children across the globe. Meet the unlikely man behind the puppet - the heart and soul of Elmo - Kevin Clash.
Directors: Constance Marks, Philip Shane | Stars: Kevin Clash, Whoopi Goldberg, Frank Oz, Bill Barretta
Votes: 7,220 | Gross: $0.30M
37. Savage Man Savage Beast (1975)
Unrated | 94 min | Documentary, Adventure, Drama
A notorious mondo film depicting unbelievable and bizarre rituals, animal killing and cruelty, and people being killed and eaten, all by either animals or humans against each other or themselves.
Directors: Antonio Climati, Mario Morra | Stars: Giuseppe Rinaldi, Pit Dernitz, Ilona Staller, Michele Starck
Votes: 395
38. Big River Man (2009)
100 min | Documentary
Martin Strel attempts to cover 3,375 miles of the Amazon River, the longest continuous swim in history.
Director: John Maringouin | Stars: Matthew Mohlke, Borut Strel, Martin Strel
Votes: 1,608
39. 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: 19,248 | Gross: $0.94M
40. Wheel of Time (2003)
Not Rated | 80 min | Documentary
Wheel of Time is Werner Herzog's photographed look at the largest Buddhist ritual in Bodh Gaya, India.
Director: Werner Herzog | Stars: The Dalai Lama, Lama Lhundup Woeser, Takna Jigme Sangpo, Matthieu Ricard
Votes: 2,736
41. The City (I) (1939)
43 min | Documentary, Short
A prescient documentary about city planning, which presents idyllic suburbs and nuclear families as a solution to the chaos, poverty and social decay of industrialized inner cities.
Directors: Ralph Steiner, Willard Van Dyke | Star: Morris Carnovsky
Votes: 369
42. 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: 51,438 | Gross: $0.87M
43. 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
44. The Thin Blue Line (1988)
Not Rated | 101 min | Documentary, Crime
A film that successfully argued that a man was wrongly convicted for murder by a corrupt justice system in Dallas County, Texas.
Director: Errol Morris | Stars: Randall Adams, David Harris, Gus Rose, Jackie Johnson
Votes: 25,921 | Gross: $1.21M
45. Into the Abyss (2011)
PG-13 | 107 min | Documentary, Crime, Drama
Conversations with death row inmate Michael Perry and those affected by his crime serve as an examination of why people - and the state - kill.
Director: Werner Herzog | Stars: Werner Herzog, Richard Lopez, Michael Perry, Damon Hall
Votes: 17,348 | Gross: $0.22M
46. Restrepo (2010)
R | 93 min | Documentary, Biography, History
A year with one platoon in the deadliest valley in Afghanistan.
Directors: Tim Hetherington, Sebastian Junger | Stars: The Men of Battle Company 2nd of the 503rd Infantry Regiment 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team, Juan 'Doc Restrepo, Dan Kearney, LaMonta Caldwell
Votes: 24,423 | Gross: $1.33M
47. Armadillo (2010)
Not Rated | 105 min | Documentary, War
Danish soldiers are sent to Afghanistan in 2009 for 6 months, to help stabilize the country against the Taliban. They're stationed on Armadillo military base in Helman province. Unlike other war movies, this is the real deal - no actors.
Director: Janus Metz
Votes: 10,330 | Gross: $0.01M
48. The War Tapes (2006)
Not Rated | 97 min | Documentary, War
Called up for service in Iraq, several members of the National Guard were given digital video cameras. This film, edited from their footage, provides a perspective on a complex and troubled conflict.
Director: Deborah Scranton | Stars: Zack Bazzi, Duncan Domey, Ben Flanders, Mike Moriarty
Votes: 1,314 | Gross: $0.25M
49. Iraq for Sale: The War Profiteers (2006)
Not Rated | 75 min | Documentary, War
Robert Greenwald looks at war profiteering in Iraq by private contracting companies Halliburton, CACI, and KBR.
Director: Robert Greenwald | Stars: Katy Helvenston-Wettengal, Scott Helvenston, Donna Zovko, Jozo Zovko
Votes: 1,667
50. 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: 4,302
51. Baraka (1992)
Not Rated | 96 min | Documentary
A collection of expertly photographed scenes of human life and religion.
Director: Ron Fricke | Star: Patrick Disanto
Votes: 40,976 | Gross: $1.33M
52. Megacities (1998)
Not Rated | 90 min | Documentary
A look at the people who live precariously, but with an unusual level of resourcefulness and imagination, in four gigantic urban agglomerations: Mumbai, New York City, Moscow and Mexico City.
Director: Michael Glawogger
Votes: 1,028
53. Shoah (1985)
Not Rated | 566 min | Documentary, History, War
Claude Lanzmann's epic documentary recounts the story of the Holocaust through interviews with witnesses - perpetrators as well as survivors.
Director: Claude Lanzmann | Stars: Simon Srebnik, Michael Podchlebnik, Motke Zaïdl, Hanna Zaïdl
Votes: 10,546 | Gross: $0.02M
54. Crossing the Line (2006)
Not Rated | 94 min | Documentary
A British documentary about US Army defector James Dresnok currently living in North Korea after having defected during the 60s.
Director: Daniel Gordon | Stars: Damion Cruzz, Bruce Cumings, James Joseph Dresnok, Charles Robert Jenkins
Votes: 866 | Gross: $0.01M
55. 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: 17,786 | Gross: $5.23M
56. Mondo Cane 2 (1963)
Approved | 102 min | Documentary, Horror
The official sequel to the original shockumentary, presenting new and bizarre behavior from around the world, including cruelty, graphic gore, and strange rituals.
Directors: Gualtiero Jacopetti, Franco Prosperi | Stars: Stefano Sibaldi, Henning Skaarup, Peter Ustinov, Arnaldo Caivano
Votes: 989
57. Jonestown: The Life and Death of Peoples Temple (2006)
86 min | Documentary, History
Featuring never-before-seen footage, this documentary delivers a startling new look at the Peoples Temple, headed by preacher Jim Jones who, in 1978, led more than 900 members to Guyana, where he orchestrated a mass suicide via tainted punch.
Director: Stanley Nelson | Stars: Rebecca Moore, Janet Shular, Tim Carter, Stanley Clayton
Votes: 5,641
58. Devil's Playground (2002)
77 min | Documentary
Amish teenagers experience and embrace the modern world as a rite-of-passage before deciding which life they will choose.
Director: Lucy Walker | Stars: Velda Bontrager, Mark Bontrager, Dewayne Chupp, Dylan Cole
Votes: 2,703
59. One Day in September (1999)
R | 94 min | Documentary, History, Sport
The Palestinian terrorist group Black September holds Israeli athletes hostage at the 1972 Summer Olympic Games in Munich.
Director: Kevin Macdonald | Stars: Michael Douglas, Ankie Spitzer, Jamal Al Gashey, Gerald Seymour
Votes: 6,243 | Gross: $0.16M
60. American Movie (1999)
R | 107 min | Documentary, Comedy
Documentary about an aspiring filmmaker's attempts to finance his dream project by finally completing the low-budget horror film he abandoned years before.
Director: Chris Smith | Stars: Mark Borchardt, Mike Schank, Tom Schimmels, Monica Borchardt
Votes: 19,331 | Gross: $1.16M
61. Spellbound (2002)
G | 97 min | Documentary, Comedy, Thriller
Spellbound follows eight teenagers on their quest to win the 1999 National Spelling Bee.
Director: Jeffrey Blitz | Stars: Angela Arenivar, Ubaldo Arenivar, Jorge Arenivar, Scott McGarraugh
Votes: 12,461 | Gross: $5.73M
62. Grey Gardens (1975)
PG | 95 min | Documentary, Comedy, Drama
Meet 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.
Directors: Ellen Hovde, Albert Maysles, David Maysles, Muffie Meyer | Stars: Edith Bouvier Beale, Edith 'Little Edie' Bouvier Beale, Brooks Hyers
Votes: 15,276 | Gross: $0.03M
63. Waco: The Rules of Engagement (1997)
Not Rated | 165 min | Documentary, History
A reassessment of the tragedy at Waco that left 76 members of the Branch Davidian religious sect dead.
Director: William Gazecki | Stars: Dan Gifford, Jim Cavanaugh, Dick DeGuerin, Clive Doyle
Votes: 3,731
64. Buck (2011)
PG | 88 min | Documentary
An examination of the life of acclaimed 'horse whisperer' Buck Brannaman, who recovered from years of child abuse to become a well-known expert in the interactions between horses and people.
Director: Cindy Meehl | Stars: Buck Brannaman, Gary Myers, Bibb Frazier, Betty Staley
Votes: 3,432 | Gross: $4.02M
65. State of Dogs (1998)
91 min | Documentary
In Ulan Bator, Mongolia, the cur Baatar is shot by a hunter hired by the authorities to get rid off the dogs in the city. Its soul recalls its life, when it was a shepherd dog of a family ... See full summary »
Directors: Peter Brosens, Dorjkhandyn Turmunkh | Stars: Nyam Dagyrantz, Banzar Damchaa, Baatar Galsansukh, Purevdavaa Oyungerel
Votes: 164
66. Harlan County U.S.A. (1976)
PG | 103 min | Documentary
A heartbreaking record of the thirteen-month struggle between a community fighting to survive and a corporation dedicated to the bottom line.
Director: Barbara Kopple | Stars: John L. Lewis, Carl Horn, Norman Yarborough, Logan Patterson
Votes: 6,624
67. 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: 18,003 | Gross: $3.41M
68. Burden of Dreams (1982)
Not Rated | 95 min | Documentary
A documentary following German auteur Werner Herzog as he deals with difficult actors, bad weather and getting a boat over a mountain, all in an effort to make his film Fitzcarraldo (1982).
Director: Les Blank | Stars: Werner Herzog, Klaus Kinski, Claudia Cardinale, Jason Robards
Votes: 8,130
69. 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: 11,647 | Gross: $1.57M
70. Sherman's March (1985)
Not Rated | 157 min | Documentary, Biography, Comedy
Documentary filmmaker Ross McElwee sets out to make a movie about Union General Sherman's March to the Sea towards the end of the American Civil War, but keeps getting sidetracked by his own love life.
Director: Ross McElwee | Stars: Ross McElwee, Dede McElwee, Ross McElwee Jr., Patricia Rendleman
Votes: 2,709
71. Nostalgia for the Light (2010)
Not Rated | 90 min | Documentary
A documentary about two different searches conducted in the Chilean Atacama Desert: one by astronomers looking for answers about the history of the cosmos, and one by women looking for the remains of loved ones killed by Pinochet's regime.
Director: Patricio Guzmán | Stars: Gaspar Galaz, Lautaro Núñez, Luís Henríquez, Miguel Lawner
Votes: 6,107
72. The Godfathers of Mondo (2003 Video)
90 min | Documentary
A look at the careers of Gualtiero Jacopetti and Franco Prosperi who invented the mondo genre with MONDO CANE in 1962. It follows their career until their split in following the making of GOODBYE UNCLE TOM in 1971.
Director: David Gregory | Stars: David Flint, Benito Frattari, Gualtiero Jacopetti, David Kerekes
Votes: 200
73. Cane Toads: An Unnatural History (1988)
47 min | Documentary, Comedy
A documentary detailing the spread of Hawaiian sugar-cane toads through Australia in a botched effort to introduce them as counter pests.
Director: Mark Lewis | Stars: Tip Byrne, H.W. Kerr, Glen Ingram, Bill Freeland
Votes: 1,410
74. Samsara (I) (2011)
PG-13 | 102 min | Documentary, Music
Filmed over nearly five years in twenty-five countries on five continents, and shot on seventy-millimetre film, Samsara transports us to the varied worlds of sacred grounds, disaster zones, industrial complexes, and natural wonders.
Director: Ron Fricke | Stars: Balinese Tari Legong Dancers, Ni Made Megahadi Pratiwi, Puti Sri Candra Dewi, Putu Dinda Pratika
Votes: 38,029 | Gross: $2.67M
75. 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: 50,431 | Gross: $0.89M
76. 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: 13,700 | Gross: $2.40M
77. Titicut Follies (1967)
Unrated | 84 min | Documentary
Documentary filmmaker Frederick Wiseman takes us inside the Massachusetts Correctional Institution Bridgewater where people stay trapped in their madness.
Director: Frederick Wiseman
Votes: 5,105
78. Triumph of the Will (1935)
Not Rated | 110 min | Documentary, History
The infamous propaganda film of the 1934 Nazi Party rally in Nuremberg, Germany.
Director: Leni Riefenstahl | Stars: Adolf Hitler, Hermann Göring, Max Amann, Martin Bormann
Votes: 18,318
79. Surviving Progress (2011)
Not Rated | 86 min | Documentary
Theorists consider the evolution of human society and question the sustainability of the current paradigm.
Directors: Mathieu Roy, Harold Crooks | Stars: Ronald Wright, Mark Levine, Robert Wright, Marina Silva
Votes: 1,899 | Gross: $0.05M
80. The Light Bulb Conspiracy (2010)
75 min | Documentary
This is the story of companies who engineered their products to fail.
Director: Cosima Dannoritzer | Stars: Richard Jones, Molly Malcolm, Steve Bunn, Markus Krajewski
Votes: 2,315
81. No Impact Man: The Documentary (2009)
Not Rated | 93 min | Documentary
Follow the Manhattan-based Beavan family as they abandon their high consumption 5th Avenue lifestyle and try to live a year while making no net environmental impact.
Directors: Laura Gabbert, Justin Schein | Stars: Colin Beavan, Michelle Conlin
Votes: 1,587 | Gross: $0.10M
82. Crack House USA (2010)
90 min | Documentary, Crime
Summer 2005: federal agents and police record over a thousand hours of surveillance footage inside a crack house in Rockford Illinois. For six weeks the gang smoke weed, play with guns and ... See full summary »
Director: Anthony Wonke | Stars: Michael Iasparro, Dominic Iasparro, James Randall, Barry Cunningham
Votes: 105
83. Latcho Drom (1993)
103 min | Documentary, Music
The journey of the Romany people told through musicians and dancers of India, Egypt, Turkey, Romania, Hungary, Slovakia, France, and Spain.
Director: Tony Gatlif | Star: La Caita
Votes: 2,143 | Gross: $1.03M
84. Taxicab Confessions (1995– )
TV-MA | 60 min | Comedy, Reality-TV
A taxi was rigged with six lipstick-size hidden cameras. The passengers are real and talk about their personal life, sometimes sexual, to the driver. The passengers did not know they were being videotaped until after the ride had ended.
Stars: Chris Moriarty, Rita Scott, Eddie Ramey, Brenda Roman
Votes: 459
85. Our Daily Bread (2005)
Not Rated | 92 min | Documentary
OUR DAILY BREAD is a wide-screen tableau of a feast which isn't always easy to digest - and in which we all take part. A pure, meticulous and high-end film experience that enables the audience to form their own ideas.
Director: Nikolaus Geyrhalter | Stars: Claus Hansen Petz, Arkadiusz Rydellek, Barbara Hinz, Renata Wypchlo
Votes: 2,689
86. Bully (I) (2011)
PG-13 | 98 min | Documentary
A documentary on peer-to-peer bullying in schools across America.
Director: Lee Hirsch | Stars: Alex Libby, Lona Johnson, Kelby Johnson, Bob Johnson
Votes: 10,542 | Gross: $4.04M
87. Good Hair (2009)
PG-13 | 96 min | Documentary, Comedy
Chris Rock explores the wonders of African-American hairstyles.
Director: Jeff Stilson | Stars: Chris Rock, Maya Angelou, Al Sharpton, Tanya Crumel
Votes: 6,214 | Gross: $4.16M
88. 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: 6,638 | Gross: $0.11M
89. General Idi Amin Dada: A Self Portrait (1974)
Not Rated | 92 min | Documentary
A documentary on the military dictator of Africa's Uganda.
Director: Barbet Schroeder | Stars: Idi Amin, Fidel Castro, Golda Meir
Votes: 2,018
90. Capturing the Friedmans (2003)
Not Rated | 107 min | Documentary, Biography, Crime
Documentary on the Friedmans, a seemingly typical, upper-middle-class Jewish family whose world is instantly transformed when the father and his youngest son are arrested and charged with shocking and horrible crimes.
Director: Andrew Jarecki | Stars: Arnold Friedman, Jesse Friedman, David Friedman, Elaine Friedman
Votes: 27,102 | Gross: $3.12M
91. Girl Model (2011)
Not Rated | 78 min | Documentary, Thriller
A documentary on the modeling industry's 'supply chain' between Siberia, Japan, and the U.S., told through the experiences of the scouts, agencies, and a 13-year-old model.
Directors: David Redmon, Ashley Sabin | Stars: Ashley Arbaugh, Rachel Blais, Olivia Arben, Tigran Khachatrian
Votes: 2,306 | Gross: $0.02M
92. Brother's Keeper (1992)
R | 104 min | Documentary, Crime, Mystery
This compelling documentary details the strange-but-true murder trial of Delbert Ward, accused of the mercy killing of his brother in rural upstate NY. This real-life murder mystery won the Audience Award at Sundance.
Directors: Joe Berlinger, Bruce Sinofsky | Stars: Delbert Ward, Roscoe Ward, Lyman Ward, Walt Geisler
Votes: 4,281 | Gross: $1.31M
93. When the Levees Broke: A Requiem in Four Acts (2006–2007)
TV-MA | 51 min | Documentary
An examination of the U.S. government's response to Hurricane Katrina.
Stars: Darleen Asevedo, Jay Asevedo, Shelton Shakespear Alexander, Lee Arnold
Votes: 4,825
94. Why We Fight (2005)
PG-13 | 98 min | Documentary, History, War
Is American foreign policy dominated by the idea of military supremacy? Has the military become too important in American life? Jarecki's shrewd and intelligent polemic would seem to give an affirmative answer to each of these questions.
Director: Eugene Jarecki | Stars: Gore Vidal, John McCain, Ken Adelman, John Ashcroft
Votes: 10,231 | Gross: $1.44M
95. Lake of Fire (2006)
Unrated | 152 min | Documentary
A graphic documentary on both sides of the abortion debate.
Director: Tony Kaye | Stars: Noam Chomsky, Bill Baird, Flip Benham, Dallas Blanchard
Votes: 2,735 | Gross: $0.02M
96. Life After People (2008 TV Movie)
108 min | Documentary, Sci-Fi
Visit the ghostly villages surrounding Chernobyl (abandoned by humans after the 1986 nuclear disaster), travel to remote islands off the coast of Maine to search for abandoned towns that ... See full summary »
Director: David de Vries | Stars: Struan Rodger, John Anderson, David Brin, Bill Bruninga
Votes: 3,193
97. When Clouds Clear (2008)
TV-G | 77 min | Documentary
A documentary about the history and struggle of the remote Ecuadorian town, Junín and the conflicts that have arisen due to international mining interests.
Directors: Danielle Bernstein, Anne Slick
Votes: 32
98. En construcción (2001)
125 min | Documentary
An author spent a year and a half filming what happened as a new apartment building was built in the El Chino neighborhood of Barcelona. En Construccion focuses less on the practicalities ... See full summary »
Director: José Luis Guerín | Stars: Juana Rodríguez Molina, Iván Guzmán Jiménez, Juan López López, Juanma López
Votes: 851
99. 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
100. Vice (2013–2021)
TV-MA | 30 min | Documentary, News
Documentary series featuring startling, groundbreaking stories from around the world.
Stars: Shane Smith, Gianna Toboni, Thomas Morton, Ben Anderson
Votes: 4,380
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