Popular Documentary Movies on Kanopy - Page 17

Prescription Thugs

2016

Prescription Thugs

2016
6.4
Americans consume 75% of the world’s prescription drugs. After losing his own brother to the growing epidemic of prescription drug abuse, documentarian Chris Bell sets out to demystify this insidious addiction. Bell’s examination into the motives of big pharma and doctors in this ever-growing market leads him to meet with experts on the nature of addiction, survivors with first-hand accounts of their struggle, and whistleblowers who testify to the dollar-driven aims of pharmaceutical corporations. Ultimately his investigation will point back to where it all began: his own front door.
The Green Prince

2014

The Green Prince

2014
7.3
This real-life thriller tells the story of one of Israel’s prized intelligence sources, recruited to spy on his own people for more than a decade. Focusing on the complex relationship with his handler, The Green Prince is a gripping account of terror, betrayal, and unthinkable choices, along with a friendship that defies all boundaries.
Videocracy

2009

Videocracy

2009
6.4
In a country where bella figura is a national pastime, Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi is the maestro of media manipulation. Having risen to political primacy with the aid of his Mediaset empire, he now controls 90% of the bel paese’s television channels including the state-run RAI network. Quantity, it seems, does not equal quality. Fed on a diet of semi-naked dancing girls, inane competitions and rickety reality shows built around the most ridiculous of premises, is it any wonder that Italians are becoming a nation of fame-hungry wannabes?
Caravaggio: The Soul and the Blood

2018

Caravaggio: The Soul and the Blood

2018
6.7
An exciting and unsettling cinematic journey through the life, work and torments of Caravaggio.
Bitcoin: The End of Money as We Know It

2015

Bitcoin: The End of Money as We Know It

2015
6.7
A documentary exploring how money and the trading of value has evolved, culminating in Bitcoin.
We Were Here

2011

We Were Here

2011
7
A reflective look at the arrival and impact of AIDS in San Francisco and how individuals rose to the occasion during the first years of the crisis.
Frida. Viva la Vida

2019

Frida. Viva la Vida

2019
6.5
The two sides of Frida Kahlo's spirit: on one side the revolutionary, pioneering artist of contemporary feminism and on the other, the human being, victim of her tortured body and a tormented relationship.
Woman

2020

Woman

2020
7.8
The film is based on interviews with 2,000 women from 50 countries, and covers the status of women all over the world. The topics covered include forced marriages, sexual assault, female genital mutilation, acid attacks, motherhood, sexuality, menstruation, education and the professional success of women.
Learning to Skateboard in a Warzone (If You're a Girl)

2020

Learning to Skateboard in a Warzone (If You're a Girl)

2020
7.3
The story of young Afghan girls learning to read, write and skateboard in Kabul.
Harry Dean Stanton: Partly Fiction

2013

Harry Dean Stanton: Partly Fiction

2013
6.6
An impressionistic portrait of the iconic actor Harry Dean Stanton comprised of intimate moments, film clips from some of his 250 films and his renditions of American folk songs.
We Are Twisted Fucking Sister!

2016

We Are Twisted Fucking Sister!

2016
6.5
In 1984, American heavy metal band Twisted Sister became a global sensation. For 30 years, they been synonymous with hairspray, women's clothing and tasteless album covers. Until now. Ten years ago, director Andrew Horn was granted access to the archives of Twisted Sister founder Jay French and he explores the decade that preceded their breakthrough.
National Gallery

2014

National Gallery

2014
7.3
A portrait of the day-to-day operations of the National Gallery of London, that reveals the role of the employees and the experiences of the Gallery's visitors. The film portrays the role of the curators and conservators; the education, scientific, and conservation departments; and the audience of all kinds of people who come to experience it.
Dear Mr. Watterson

2013

Dear Mr. Watterson

2013
6.5
20 years after Calvin and Hobbes stopped appearing in daily newspapers, filmmaker Joel Allen Schroeder has set out to explore the reasons behind the comic strip's loyal and devoted following.
First Position

2011

First Position

2011
7.4
A documentary that follows six young dancers from around the world as they prepare for the Youth America Grand Prix, one of the most prestigious ballet competitions in the world.
The Lovely Month of May

1963

The Lovely Month of May

1963
8
Candid interviews of ordinary people on the meaning of happiness, an often amorphous and inarticulable notion that evokes more basic and fundamentally egalitarian ideals of self-betterment, prosperity, tolerance, economic opportunity, and freedom.
Hitler Versus Picasso

2018

Hitler Versus Picasso

2018
7.3
In 1937 the Nazi regime held two exhibitions in Munich: one to stigmatize “Degenerate Art” (which they systematically looted and destroyed) and one, personally curated by Hitler, to glorify “Classic Art”. This immersive new documentary reveals the Nazi’s complicated relationship with classical and modern art, displaying an incredible number of masterpieces by Botticelli, Klee, Matisse, Monet, Chagall, Renoir and Gauguin amongst others, intertwined with human stories from the most infamous period of the twentieth century. A state-of-the-art detective story exploring the Nazis’ obsession with creative expression, Hitler versus Picasso combines history, art and human drama for an unforgettable cinema experience.
Strike a Pose

2016

Strike a Pose

2016
6.8
In 1990, seven young male dancers joined Madonna on her most controversial world tour. Their journey was captured in Truth or Dare. As a self-proclaimed 'mother' to her six gay dancers plus straight Oliver, Madonna used the film to make a stand on gay rights and freedom of expression. The dancers became paragons of pride, inspiring people all over the world to dare to be who you are. 25 years later, the dancers share their own stories about life during and after the tour. What does it really take to express yourself?
The Birth of Saké

2015

The Birth of Saké

2015
7.1
Through the unrelenting winter in the north of Japan, a small group of workers must brave unusual working conditions to bring to life a 2,000-year-old tradition known as sake. A cinematic documentary, The Birth of Sake is a visually immersive experience of an almost-secret world in which large sacrifices must be made for the survival of a time-honored brew.
Drew: The Man Behind the Poster

2013

Drew: The Man Behind the Poster

2013
7
A documentary on legendary movie-poster artist Drew Struzan.
The Most Dangerous Man in America

2009

The Most Dangerous Man in America

2009
7.3
"The Most Dangerous Man in America" is the story of what happens when a former Pentagon insider, armed only with his conscience, steadfast determination, and a file cabinet full of classified documents, decides to challenge an "imperial" presidency – answerable to neither Congress, the press, nor the people – in order to help end the Vietnam War.