Popular Documentary Movies on Kanopy - Page 233

Comet Encounter

2013

Comet Encounter

2013
Comets have fascinated, even terrified us for thousands of years. For scientists though, comets are a great opportunity. This year, 2013, a particularly massive chunk of ice and rock is coming our way, an object that will fascinate billions and should create the space show of the century. Right now Comet ISON, somewhere between one and 10 kilometers in diameter, is just beyond the orbit of Jupiter. As it races past us toward the sun it should develop a tail that will light up the skies brighter than a full moon. Then the comet will slingshot around the back of the sun and could emerge brighter than ever, treating the entire northern hemisphere to an unforgettable sight. In this program, scientists all over the world follow a once-in-a-lifetime event and shoot breathtaking images, spewing its essence into the void. But there is jeopardy too; the comet could evaporate completely or the sun's massive gravity could tear it apart.
Orange Witness

2012

Orange Witness

2012
Orange Witness documents the marginalized voices of people who have been exposed to, and affected by Agent Orange. The film paints a bleak picture of the damage caused by the use of herbicides 2,4-D, 2,4,5-T and TCCD internationally. Historically, Agent Orange has been associated with war, but the industrial and domestic of use of the chemical is a story that has yet to reach the masses, until now.
To Be Heard

2011

To Be Heard

2011
A verité film intimately shot over four years, To Be Heard is the story of three teens from the South Bronx whose struggle to change their lives begins with writing poetry. As writing and reciting become vehicles for their expressions of love, friendship, frustration, and hope, these three youngsters emerge as accomplished self-aware artists, who use their creativity to alter their circumstances.
Los Años de Fierro

2013

Los Años de Fierro

2013
This documentary tells the story of César, the oldest Mexican prisoner on death row in the United States. César has waited for his execution date for more than 30 years, always insisting that he is innocent. Los años de Fierro is a reflection on justice, imprisonment, punishment, guilt and brotherly love, through the eyes of César and his bother, Sergio.
Maestra

2012

Maestra

2012
Cuba, 1961: 250,000 volunteers taught 700,000 people to read and write in one year. 100,000 of the teachers were under 18 years old. Over half were women. MAESTRA explores this story through the personal testimonies of the young women who went out to teach literacy in rural communities across the island - and found themselves deeply transformed in the process.
Bajarí

2013

Bajarí

2013
Flamenco is one of the world's few art forms that is believed to be passed down exclusively through bloodlines. For Barcelona's Gypsy community, it cannot be learned at a school or on paper. It is lived within the home, created at the bar and perfected on the street corner. Bajari goes to all those places with the dancer Karime Amaya-who is working with some of the most talented up-and-coming musicians and dancers to create an innovative show-and little 5-year old Juanito Manzano who takes his first steps to dance in it and earn his white flamenco boots. Their experiences form a journey of discovery of this living tradition and create an intimate portrait of how flamenco's legacy is kept alive within Barcelona's tight-knit Gypsy community.
The United States of Autism

2013

The United States of Autism

2013
Follow one man's 11,000 mile, 40 day journey across the American landscape to visit twenty families and individuals affected by autism while searching for answers for his own son. With interviews from around the nation that include the widest spectrum of backgrounds - each conducted in the participants' original language - the film weaves a broad and compelling tapestry across the spectrum of American life in all its faiths, disparities, colors, and cultures. What he learns along the way will change not only his life, but the lives of those he meets, forever. It's a story about the best days that still lie ahead for our nation, the families, and the people who give America its heart.
Soul in the Sea

2013

Soul in the Sea

2013
The true story of one woman's quest to befriend and protect and extroverted wild dolphin, Moko. Filmed in the 6 months leading up to Moko's death, Soul in the Sea follows a journey of discovery, devastating loss, and resolution. It's a love story with a difference; breaking through the invisible wall between people and animals, celebrating the incredible experience of friendship with a lone wild dolphin, and questioning whether we are truly aware of these souls in the sea. The greatest friendships can come out of the blue...
Griefwalker

2008

Griefwalker

2008
Documentary about Harvard-trained theologian Stephen Jenkinson, a grief counselor who teaches that death empowers us to live and that we must not only accept death but embrace it.
Survival Prayer

2013

Survival Prayer

2013
'Survival Prayer' explores the power of food, nature and culture. On a remote archipelago in Western Canada, an uncommon abundance of wildlife has sustained the Haida people for countless generations. Here, a last speaker frames a moving portrait of these sacred food systems at risk. Rich with spectacular scenery of the North Pacific coastline and detailed views of wild food gathering and preservation, 'Survival Prayer' is a story of possibility amid deep loss.
A Girl and a Gun

2013

A Girl and a Gun

2013
A Girl and A Gun shows the female perspective on an object whose history is deeply bound to men and masculinity. The classic Hollywood portrayals of pistol packin' mamas, tomboy sharp shooters, sexually twisted femme fatales, and high-heeled, cold-blooded assassins are caricatures. In truth, the typical woman who hangs out at rifle ranges and keeps ammo in her purse is the girl-next-door, the single mom, a hard working sister or aunt. Maybe she's a realist or has learned tough lessons from life; either way, she cares about her personal safety and may even find salvation, comfort or something satisfying in possessing a gun. In a word, she is empowered. Breaking through the caricatures, A Girl and a Gun reveals America's diverse and far-ranging female gun community. It depicts how this community is portrayed by the media and targeted by the gun industry; and shows, through personal stories, how guns change women's lives.
Released

2013

Released

2013
In “Released,” drawn from an Off Broadway play, four New Yorkers recount their criminal pasts and their struggles to stay out of jail.
The Raw and the Cooked

2012

The Raw and the Cooked

2012
The Raw and The Cooked is a culinary journey around the gourmets paradise, Taiwan. The film makes seven stops along the way. In the islands capital, Taipei, we visit a traditional Taiwanese restaurant, a legendary dim-sum palace, and one of the city's lively night markets. Next, we encounter the hearty cuisine of the Hakka, Taiwan's largest ethnic community; were introduced to the pure and delicious seafood specialties of the Ami indigenous tribe; and we get a glimpse of the Buddhist influences on Taiwanese cuisine. Finally, we are invited to a banquet by one of the islands most creative chefs. Combining traditional cuisine and best organic ingredients, he weaves a culinary magic to create spectacular and novel dishes. On our travels, we witness the efforts of Taiwan's young environmental movement to resist the rapid pace of urbanization, which is destroying much of the islands beautiful countryside. The Raw and The Cooked is an island tour that celebrates fine food.
The War of 33: Letters from Beirut

2008

The War of 33: Letters from Beirut

2008
The War of 33 is an intimate, personal and powerful telling of the story of the 2006 war in Lebanon. A series of letters written by Hanady Salman--a mother living through the war in Beirut--carve a narrative arc through the intense and haunting images of conflict. She tells the stories of her family and the people she lives the war with--the refugees, the wounded, and the everyday Lebanese, struggling to maintain their sanity and their humanity during a time of war.
You Don't Need Feet to Dance

2013

You Don't Need Feet to Dance

2013
In the film "You Don't Need Feet to Dance," African immigrant Sidiki Conde, having lost the use of his legs to polio at fourteen, balances his career as a performing artist with the almost insurmountable obstacles of life in New York City, from his fifth-floor walk up apartment in the East village, down the stairs with his hands and navigating in his wheelchair through Manhattan onto buses and into the subway. Sidiki struggles to cope with his disability and to earn a decent living, but he still manages to teach workshops for disabled kids, busk on the street, rehearse with his musical group, bicycle with his hands, and prepare for a baby naming ceremony, where he plays djembe drums, sings, and dances on his hands.
Getting Back to Abnormal

2013

Getting Back to Abnormal

2013
What happens when America's most joyous, dysfunctional city rebuilds itself after a disaster? New Orleans is the setting for Getting Back to Abnormal, a film that serves up a provocative mix of race, corruption and politics to tell the story of the re-election campaign of Stacy Head, a white woman in a city council seat traditionally held by a black representative. Supported by her irrepressible African-American aide Barbara Lacen-Keller, Head polarizes the city as her candidacy threatens to diminish the power and influence of its black citizens. Featuring a cast of characters as colorful as the city itself, the film presents a New Orleans that outsiders rarely see.
Last Chance

2012

Last Chance

2012
This feature documentary tells the stories of 5 asylum seekers who flee their native countries to escape homophobic violence. They face hurdles integrating into Canada, fear deportation and anxiously await a decision that will change their lives forever.
The Ultimate Wish: Ending The Nuclear Age

2012

The Ultimate Wish: Ending The Nuclear Age

2012
This new documentary focuses on the moving, unforgettable stories of Nagasaki and Fukushima survivors. Their stories are interlaced with expert commentary illuminating the largely unknown connection between nuclear weapons and nuclear power plants.
Let Fury Have the Hour

2012

Let Fury Have the Hour

2012
A documentary chronicling the rise of art as a response to political change that defined the 1980s. A mixed media documentary incorporating art, music, animation, and spoken work Let Fury Have the Hour is told through the voices of the artists of the day.
Downeast

2012

Downeast

2012
Explores Italian immigrant Antonio Bussone's use of federal grants to return factory work to the United States.