Popular Documentary Movies on Kanopy - Page 234

The Believers

2012

The Believers

2012
March 1989: two respected chemists from the University of Utah stand in front of a wall of reporters. Flashbulbs pop as they announce they have solved the world's energy problems using seawater, batteries and a mysterious glass contraption. 'Cold Fusion' is born. Within days, Stanley Pons and Martin Fleischmann are on the cover of Time Magazine. But three short months later, their careers in tatters and their reputations ruined, they flee the US as Cold Fusion becomes synonymous with 'bad science.' Twenty-two years later, despite continued disdain from mainstream science, a group of scientists, entrepreneurs and one high school student are confident that Cold Fusion will save the world, and that we're closer than ever to the Holy Grail of civilization. They're The Believers.
A Lot Like You

2012

A Lot Like You

2012
What happens when a woman goes in search of her identity and discovers that the cycle of violence she's been working hard to break in the US is part of her family history and culture on another continent?
Raw Faith

2011

Raw Faith

2011
This surprisingly open and revealing documentary follows two years in the private life of a minister. Marilyn Sewell is successful and beloved in the pulpit, but behind the scenes she is lonely and yearning for change. As she considers leaving the ministry, she realizes she will be leaving her only social network. Yet when she falls in love for the first time, she realizes she does not trust intimacy. A study in contrasts, Marilyn must rely on raw faith as she questions her future, her difficult past, her God, and most importantly... her ability to love.
Broken on All Sides

2012

Broken on All Sides

2012
The project began as a way to explore, educate about, and advocate change around the overcrowding in the Philadelphia jail system. It has come to focus on mass incarceration across the nation and the intersection of race, poverty, and the criminal justice and penal systems. The documentary centers around Michelle Alexander's theory in her book, The New Jim Crow: since the rise of the drug war and explosion of prison populations, because discretion within the system allows for prosecution of people of color at disproportionately high rates, mass incarceration is a new version of Jim Crow. The movie also dissects the War on Drugs and 'tough on crime' movement, and offers possible reforms and solutions to ending mass incarceration and this new racial caste system.
The Curators of Dixon School

2012

The Curators of Dixon School

2012
Public schools don’t have to be a minefield of metal detectors, minimal expectations, and mind-numbing routine. An alternative exists right here in Chicago, at the Dixon Elementary Public School in the Chatham neighborhood, where former principal Joan Crisler and her successor Sharon Dale have implemented the idea that art should be an integral part of the learning environment, with museum-quality works openly adorning the halls. The results, in terms of student performance and morale, have been spectacular, but, as this inspiring but pragmatic documentary demonstrates, there are no miracle solutions: Crisler’s protégé Carol Briggs has an uphill battle applying the same approach at another school, and recent budget cuts have left even the most successful programs vulnerable to the axe.
Innocents Abroad

1991

Innocents Abroad

1991
A warmly amusing look at a bus-full of American tourists on a whirlwind tour of Europe. The eclectic soundtrack includes Mozart, Bob Dylan, Sandy Denny, Jonathan Richman, others.
Wild Wheels

1992

Wild Wheels

1992
A documentary spotlighting "car-art" in America.
Generation M

2012

Generation M

2012
Despite the achievements of the women's movement over the past four decades, misogyny remains a persistent force in American culture. In this important documentary, Thomas Keith, professor of philosophy at California State University-Long Beach, looks specifically at misogyny and sexism in mainstream American media, exploring how negative definitions of femininity and hateful attitudes toward women get constructed and perpetuated at the very heart of our popular culture.
Where Do You Stand? Stories from an American Mill

2004

Where Do You Stand? Stories from an American Mill

2004
Traces the story of the 25-year struggle of Fieldcrest-Cannon textile workers to form a union in the face of modernization and globalization.
Screenwriters on Screenwriting

2008

Screenwriters on Screenwriting

2008
This documentary premiered at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC. Explore the challenging world of the screenwriter with renowned industry writers.
A Sizwe Bansi Workshop

1981

A Sizwe Bansi Workshop

1981
The play, Sizwe Bansi is Dead, follows the main character, Sizwe, as he writes to his wife after an unsuccessful search for a new job and better life for his family. This film places the viewer in the discussions between the writers of the play: Athol Fugard, John Kani and Winston Ntshona as they attempt to explain and re-write the play.
John Hejduk: Builder of Worlds

1992

John Hejduk: Builder of Worlds

1992
A poet among architects and an innovator among educators, John Hejduk converses with poet David Shapiro at The Cooper Union about the mystery and spirit of architecture. His own sketches and structures are shown
Solid States: Concrete in Architecture and Structural Engineering

2009

Solid States: Concrete in Architecture and Structural Engineering

2009
"Solid States: Concrete in Architecture and Structural Engineering" offers examples and insights into the ever-adapting possibilities of concrete. With the participation of prominent architects and engineers such as Steven Holl, Toshiko Mori and Bernard Tschumi, the lectures consist of footage and theories pertaining to the developments of concrete as a material within the architectural world.
Christo: Wrapped Coast

1969

Christo: Wrapped Coast

1969
In 1969, Christo and Jeanne-Claude wrapped 2.5 kilometers of coast and cliffs up to 26 metres along the coast of Little Bay, in Southeast Sydney, Australia.
Boran Women

1974

Boran Women

1974
Traditionally confined to the roles of life-givers, nurturers and homemakers, Boran women of Kenya are slowly realizing the importance of education and the difference it can make in their lives. They attach great importance to the traditional role of women in a herding society and perform dawn to dusk tasks with little deviation from customary ways. Remarkable though is the obvious independence they demonstrate in performing tasks which normally would fall under the male domain, like building their own houses. The film is principally observational with occasional segments in which the women speak directly to the camera.
Piaget’s Developmental Theory: an Overview

1989

Piaget’s Developmental Theory: an Overview

1989
The work of Jean Piaget has become the foundation of current developmental psychology and the basis for changes in educational practice. David Elkind, author of The Hurried Child and Miseducation, and a student of Jean Piaget, explores the roots of Piaget’s work and outlines important vocabulary and concepts that structure much of the study of child development. Using both archival film of Dr. Piaget and newly shot sequences of Dr. Elkind conducting interviews with children of varying ages, this film presents an overview of Piaget’s developmental theory, its scope and content.
Alice Waters and Her Delicious Revolution

2003

Alice Waters and Her Delicious Revolution

2003
Every great cook secretly believes in the power of food. Alice Waters just believes this more than anybody else. She is certain that we are what we eat, and she has made it her mission in life to make sure that people eat beautifully. Waters is creating a food revolution, even if she has to do it one meal at a time.
Bernard Tschumi: Architect and Theorist

2003

Bernard Tschumi: Architect and Theorist

2003
Filmed at his final lecture as Dean of Columbia University's Graduate School of Architecture, Bernard Tschumi: Architect and Theorist documents a compelling and driven discussion of space, time, and movement.
Carry Me Home

2009

Carry Me Home

2009
For over two centuries, African-American funeral homes have passed down an untold, elaborate tradition of burying the dead in grand flair. Carry Me Home, a short documentary, witnesses this tradition touch one widow's life and transforms her grief into celebration. After the loss of her husband, Lessie Thompson surrounds herself with her family and prepares for the funeral, opening a window into the rich, vivid history of African-American funeral traditions that span from segregation and slavery all the way back to West Africa. Horse drawn carriages carrying the coffin, brightly colored funeral garments and open expressions of grief and celebration color many African-American funeral services. These stylish and celebratory ceremonies have been passed down through generations old family-run funeral homes, and continue today.
J. Pierpont Morgan: Emperor of Wall Street

1996

J. Pierpont Morgan: Emperor of Wall Street

1996
He single-handedly saved the United States from bankruptcy on two occasions, but was often accused of being a monopolist. He wielded as much power as the president and turned Wall Street into his personal playground. John Pierpont Morgan had an aptitude for acquisition. He assembled one of America's largest fortunes and purchased an art collection to rival any in the world. BIOGRAPHY tells the complete, compelling story of the celebrated deal maker and money man. See rare footage of the financier in his element on Wall Street, and trace his rise to power and prominence through interviews with biographers and historians. Hear how he brokered an agreement between two competing railroads by inviting both presidents for a cruise on his yacht and refusing to let them off until they came to terms! And get a privileged look at his private life.