D for Documentaries
by scoros14 | created - 30 Oct 2013 | updated - 12 Oct 2014 | PublicDocumentaries you must see before you die
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1. 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: 50,779 | Gross: $0.89M
2. 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: 62,267 | Gross: $3.17M
3. 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: 5,657
4. 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: 41,001 | Gross: $0.49M
5. 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: 43,993 | Gross: $3.23M
6. After Porn Ends (2012)
Not Rated | 94 min | Documentary
An exploration of the lives of several former adult performers who have retired from the porn industry.
Director: Bryce Wagoner | Stars: Amber Lynn, Asia Carrera, Bobby Slayton, Crissy Moran
Votes: 8,182
7. The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters (2007)
PG-13 | 79 min | Documentary, Biography, Sport
Die-hard gamers compete to break world records on classic arcade games.
Director: Seth Gordon | Stars: Steve Wiebe, Billy Mitchell, Mark Alpiger, Adam Wood
Votes: 37,831 | Gross: $0.68M
8. Final Cut: The Making and Unmaking of Heaven's Gate (2004)
Not Rated | 78 min | Documentary
An inside look at the hectic production of Heaven's Gate (1980), the media circus that turned it into a synonym for movie flop and how it added to the tectonic change that occurred in Hollywood film studios after it infamously flopped.
Director: Michael Epstein | Stars: Steven Bach, Hal Ashby, Sandy Berke Jordan, Jeff Bridges
Votes: 539
9. Amish: A Secret Life (2012 TV Movie)
60 min | Documentary
Miriam and Dave Lapp are a charming young couple with a brood of adorable children. Dave works in and part owns a construction company. They are also members of the 'Old Order' Amish ... See full summary »
Director: Lynn Alleway | Stars: Michael Alan Collette, Lindsay Duncan, David Lapp, Miriam Lapp
Votes: 148
10. The Killing of America (1981)
R | 90 min | Documentary, Crime
A documentary of the decline of America. It features footage (most exclusive to this film) from race riots to serial killers and much, much more.
Director: Sheldon Renan | Stars: Chuck Riley, Ed Dorris, Thomas Noguchi, Sirhan Sirhan
Votes: 2,390
11. Mugabe and the White African (2009)
Not Rated | 90 min | Documentary
An intimate and moving account of one family's extraordinary courage in the face of overwhelming injustice and brutality.
Directors: Lucy Bailey, Andrew Thompson
Votes: 982 | Gross: $0.00M
12. 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: 149,519 | Gross: $21.58M
13.
Frontline (1983– )
Episode:
Ghosts of Rwanda
(2004)
TV-MA | 120 min | Documentary, News
Story of Rwandian genocide in 1994, 800.000 people were slaughtered by their own goverment.
Director: Greg Barker | Stars: Madeleine Albright, Gromo Alex, Kofi Annan, Henry Anyidoho
Votes: 244
14. La Vida Loca (2008)
90 min | Documentary
"La Vida Loca" reflects a depressing and hopeless reality. The documentary, by photojournalist and filmmaker Christian Poveda, follows some of the members of "la dieciocho", the so-called ... See full summary »
Director: Christian Poveda | Stars: José Roberto Martínez, Silvia Portillo López, Ana Burgos Arévalo, José Luis Rosales
Votes: 949
15. 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: 26,077 | Gross: $1.21M
16. 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: 24,555 | Gross: $1.33M
17. The Meerkats (2008)
G | 83 min | Documentary
An inspiring exploration of one family's resilience and fortitude shot using innovative and groundbreaking filming techniques.
Director: James Honeyborne | Stars: Paul Newman, Rufus Beck
Votes: 1,687
18. 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: 73,291 | Gross: $3.97M
19. Benda Bilili! (2010)
PG-13 | 85 min | Documentary, Music
Kinshasa, DRCongo, 2005: Benda Bilili, poor paraplegic street musicians, get noticed by a French film team. Studio recordings get their music out on album and 2009, they have concerts in Europe.
Directors: Renaud Barret, Florent de La Tullaye | Stars: Leon Likabu, Roger Landu, Coco Ngambali, Cubain Kabeya
Votes: 822
20. This Is the Zodiac Speaking (2008 Video)
102 min | Documentary, Crime
Retrospective documentary covering aspects of the Zodiac investigation, including interviews with the original investigators and surviving victims.
Director: David Prior | Stars: Pierre Bidou, Russell T. Butterbach, Les Lundblad, Richard Hoffman
Votes: 352
21. The Devil Came on Horseback (2007)
85 min | Documentary
A documentary that exposes the genocide raging in Darfur, Sudan as seen through the eyes of a former U.S. marine who returns home to make the story public.
Directors: Ricki Stern, Anne Sundberg | Stars: Nicholas Kristof, Brian Steidle
Votes: 1,631 | Gross: $0.13M
22. Boogie Man: The Lee Atwater Story (2008)
Not Rated | 86 min | Documentary, Biography
The Murrow, Polk, and IDA Award-winning documentary Boogie Man is about Lee Atwater, a blues-playing rogue whose rise from the South to Chairman of the GOP made him a political rock star. ... See full summary »
Director: Stefan Forbes | Stars: Lee Atwater, Tucker Eskew, Joe Sligh, Eric Alterman
Votes: 830 | Gross: $0.06M
23. Cropsey (2009)
Not Rated | 84 min | Documentary, Crime, Horror
Realizing that the urban legend of their youth has actually come true, two filmmakers delve into the mystery surrounding five missing children and the real-life boogeyman linked to their disappearances.
Directors: Barbara Brancaccio, Joshua Zeman | Stars: Joshua Zeman, Barbara Brancaccio, Bill Ellis, Dorothy D'Eletto
Votes: 9,222 | Gross: $0.05M
24. 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: 27,202 | Gross: $3.12M
25. 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: 28,948 | Gross: $0.90M
26. Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son About His Father (2008)
Not Rated | 95 min | Documentary, Biography, Crime
A filmmaker decides to memorialize a murdered friend when his friend's ex-girlfriend announces she is expecting his son.
Director: Kurt Kuenne | Stars: Kurt Kuenne, Andrew Bagby, David Bagby, Kathleen Bagby
Votes: 40,893 | Gross: $0.02M
27. 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: 14,193 | Gross: $0.15M
28. Bus 174 (2002)
R | 122 min | Documentary, Crime
On June 12, 2000, a young man with a gun took the passengers aboard Bus 174 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil hostage. This documentary examines the event itself, the resulting media frenzy, the police response, and the perpetrator's background.
Directors: José Padilha, Felipe Lacerda | Stars: Sandro do Nascimento, Rodrigo Pimentel, Luiz Eduardo Soares, Anonymous
Votes: 8,671 | Gross: $0.22M
29. Resurrect Dead: The Mystery of the Toynbee Tiles (2011)
Not Rated | 86 min | Documentary
An urban mystery unfurls as one man pieces together the surreal meaning of hundreds of cryptic tiled messages that have been appearing in city streets across the U.S. and South America.
Director: Jon Foy | Stars: Justin Duerr, Marc Duerr, Kevin Riley, Abby Miller
Votes: 2,326 | Gross: $0.01M
30. An Unreasonable Man (2006)
Not Rated | 122 min | Documentary, Biography
A look at the career of consumer advocate Ralph Nader.
Directors: Henriette Mantel, Steve Skrovan | Stars: Ralph Nader, Pat Buchanan, Howard Zinn, Eric Alterman
Votes: 1,780 | Gross: $0.18M
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: 25,211 | Gross: $4.20M
32. 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: 11,199 | Gross: $0.03M
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