New Documentary Movies on The Roku Channel - Page 139

Pretend You're Wearing a Barrel

1978

Pretend You're Wearing a Barrel

1978
Lynn Ryan, 35, is a tough-minded single mother of five. After help from employment counsellors and a course in welding, she got off welfare for a good job as an apprentice engineer in a Vancouver shipyard.
Reggae in a Babylon

1978

Reggae in a Babylon

1978
7
The young, gifted and black generation of the '70s who started the British Reggae movement is captured in this unique documentary. Groove to the smooth sounds and see rare footage.
Home for Christmas

1978

Home for Christmas

1978
7
"Here is the quintessential Hancox 'personal documentary,' a film in which both the production and role of traditional documentary and autobiographical filmmaking are thrown into question. Using his camera to record a visit out east by train to spend Christmas with the family, Hancox .... used his familiarization with the annual ritual as a form of a script... Although we see the journey through the subjective judgment of Hancox’s eyes, it is his intent to transfer the material from original event to camera, to editing, and finally to the audience, so that the personal content of the film... becomes universal.” Michael Wade, Ontario Film Studies, Cinema Parallel “It is the honesty of portrayal which is staggering, for instead of an idyllic image which many filmmakers present of themselves, Hancox presents (and thus, sees) himself without cinematic make-up... with ‘wild sync’ sound (reminiscent of an early film), and with the use of only available natural light.” Richard Stanford
Punk in London

1977

Punk in London

1977
6.6
A visual record of London punk life in the late '70s, filled with never-before-seen live concert footage and commentary from the Clash, the Jam, X-Ray Spex and the Electric Chairs.
The Force Beyond

1977

The Force Beyond

1977
4.3
Speculative "documentary" about alien visitations on Earth, UFO sightings and how aliens are responsible for pretty much every conspiracy theory, paranormal encounter and cryptozoological sighting in history. (Also Jesus. No, really.)
La Soufrière: Waiting for an Inevitable Catastrophe

1977

La Soufrière: Waiting for an Inevitable Catastrophe

1977
7.3
Werner Herzog takes a film crew to the island of Guadeloupe when he hears that the volcano on the island is going to erupt. Everyone has left, except for one old man who refuses to leave.
Heavy Horse Pull

1977

Heavy Horse Pull

1977
This short documentary offers a humorous look at horse-pulling contests in Ontario and the people who prepare for them. We travel from the farm to the contest, where excitement runs high and the quips do not lack in local colour. Which of these magnificent creatures will be able to pull the heaviest load and win the prize?
How Much Wood Would a Woodchuck Chuck

1976

How Much Wood Would a Woodchuck Chuck

1976
6.3
A documentary short examining the language and performance of auctioneering, filmed at the World Livestock Auctioneer Championship in Pennsylvania.
The Mysterious Monsters

1976

The Mysterious Monsters

1976
5.8
One of the many notorious 70's "unknown" documentaries, The Mysterious Monsters covers topics such as Bigfoot and the Loch Ness Monster. Pictures, sounds, and videos of these two monsters are examined by Peter Graves, the host. Psychics, hypnotism, and the history of Bigfoot in many ancient cultures is also scrutinized.
Esta es mi Argentina

1974

Esta es mi Argentina

1974
A geographical-musical walk through Argentina. Beautiful landscapes and the popular festivals of each region.
The Paradox of Norval Morrisseau

1974

The Paradox of Norval Morrisseau

1974
In this revealing study of Norval Morrisseau, filmed as he works among the lakes and woodlands of his ancestors, we see a remarkable Indigenous artist who emerged from a life of obscurity in the North American bush to become one of Canada's most renowned painters. Morrisseau the man is much like his paintings: vital and passionate, torn between his Ojibway heritage and the influences of the white man's world.
Thunderbirds in China

1974

Thunderbirds in China

1974
In this documentary, the members of the University of British Columbia's Thunderbirds hockey team travel to China to demonstrate their skills to the new teams in the East. While hockey there still has a long way to go, this film leaves no doubt that the Chinese players are up to the challenge. A film propelled by discoveries, it goes a long way to providing insight into the differences between East and West.
The Great Ecstasy of Woodcarver Steiner

1974

The Great Ecstasy of Woodcarver Steiner

1974
7.2
A study of the psychology of a champion ski-flyer, whose full-time occupation is carpentry.
Land of Silence and Darkness

1973

Land of Silence and Darkness

1973
7.4
Through examining Fini Straubinger, an old woman who has been deaf and blind since her teens, and her work on behalf of other deaf-blind people, this film shows how the deaf-blind struggle to understand and accept a world from which they are almost wholly isolated.
The Innocent Door

1973

The Innocent Door

1973
A short documentary about urban planning and the harmonisation of old and new building elements in Jerusalem of the 1970's, led by the architect Moshe Safdie.
Marjoe

1972

Marjoe

1972
7.7
Part documentary, part expose, this film follows one-time child evangelist Marjoe Gortner on the "church tent" Revivalist circuit, commenting on the showmanship of Evangelism and "the religion business", prior to the start of "televangelism". Preserved by the Academy Film Archive in 2005.
Fata Morgana

1972

Fata Morgana

1972
6.6
Shot under extreme conditions and inspired by Mayan creation theory, the film contemplates the illusion of reality and the possibility of capturing for the camera something which is not there. It is about the mirages of nature—and the nature of mirage.
The Second Arctic Winter Games

1972

The Second Arctic Winter Games

1972
The Games included many sports seen in Olympic competition, plus others--for example, pirautaqturniq, the Inuit skill of hitting an object with a ten meter-long sled dog whip. This film captures the all-out participation in the week-long events hosted by Whitehorse, capital of the Yukon, with competitors from all over the Arctic including Alaska, and with observers from the Soviet Union.
When I Go - That's It!

1972

When I Go - That's It!

1972
Ex-fisherman Billy Crane in Brampton, Ontario, at an industrial job with regular hours. Here he tells why he left Fogo Island and says he has no regrets. (See also Billy Crane Moves Away.)
The Other Side of the Ledger: An Indian View of the Hudson's Bay Company

1972

The Other Side of the Ledger: An Indian View of the Hudson's Bay Company

1972
The Hudson's Bay Company's 300th anniversary celebration was no occasion for joy among the people whose lives were tied to the trading stores. This film, narrated by George Manuel, president of the National Indian Brotherhood, presents the view of spokesmen for Canadian Indian and Métis groups. There is a sharp contrast between the official celebrations, with Queen Elizabeth II among the guests, and what Indians have to say about their lot in the Company's operations.