Popular Documentary Movies on Kanopy - Page 248

Sprayed

2017

Sprayed

2017
This documentary explores what happens when different communities get sprayed from above. Whether it is Naled sprayed on Miami residents for the War on Zika, or the neurotoxin Agent Orange sprayed over the Vietcong in the War on Vietnam, or the release of GMO mosquitoes over Brazilians with pyriproxyfen added to their drinking water in the War on Dengue, what are the results for nature and humanity? Sprayed brings the viewer to the Vietnamese detoxification and rehabilitation centers to meet Agent Orange survivors, parents of babies born with microcephaly that triggered the global response to Zika, and to sprayed Florida residents. Perspectives of doctors, scientists, and politicians are balanced with voices of ordinary citizens and victims to explore their concerns about the potential impact on future generations.
Leaving Home, Coming Home: A Portrait of Robert Frank

2004

Leaving Home, Coming Home: A Portrait of Robert Frank

2004
6
A documentary on the photographer Robert Frank.
Diller Scofidio + Renfro: Reimagining Lincoln Center and the High Line

2013

Diller Scofidio + Renfro: Reimagining Lincoln Center and the High Line

2013
Diller Scofidio + Renfro has long been at the forefront of design with provocative exhibitions that blurred the boundaries between art and architecture. This film captures their extraordinary evolution and unique process in reimagining the public identities of Lincoln Center and the once derelict High Line railroad tracks.
The Legacy of Jedwabne

2005

The Legacy of Jedwabne

2005
This film tells a shocking and brutal story that has been kept a secret in Poland for over 60 years. It tells the story of a pogrom in 1941 in Jedwabne, Poland and explores the implications of the past for present constructions and negotiations of personal, national and religious identity.
In Search of Ancient Mysteries

1974

In Search of Ancient Mysteries

1974
6
An examination of mysteries of the ancient world and their connection to the possibility that aliens visited Earth.
James Baldwin: The Price of the Ticket

1989

James Baldwin: The Price of the Ticket

1989
1.3
James Baldwin was at once a major 20th century American author, a Civil Rights activist and, for two crucial decades, a prophetic voice calling Americans, black and white, to confront their shared racial tragedy.
The Real Dirt on Farmer John

2006

The Real Dirt on Farmer John

2006
7
An outcast in his community, Farmer John bravely stands amidst a failing economy, vicious rumors, and violence. By melding the traditions of family farming with the power of art and free expression, this powerful story of transformation and renewal heralds a resurrection of farming in America. Through highly personal interviews and 50 years of beautifully textured footage, filmmaker Taggart Siegel shares Farmer John’s haunting and humorous odyssey, capturing what it means to be wildly different in a rural community.
Chasing Pluto

2015

Chasing Pluto

2015
5
NOVA captures New Horizons' historic flyby of Pluto, the culmination of the spacecraft's nine-year, three-billion-mile journey to reveal the first ever detailed images of this strange, icy world at the very edge of our solar system.
How to Eat Your Watermelon in White Company (and Enjoy It)

2005

How to Eat Your Watermelon in White Company (and Enjoy It)

2005
7
Melvin Van Peebles was one of the first black directors to challenge the white establishment in his films, which include "Watermelon Man" and "Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song." In this documentary, the life of Van Peebles is discussed, including his work not only in film, but also as a novelist, actor, musician, stock trader and even Air Force pilot. Interview subjects include Gil Scott-Heron, Spike Lee and Melvin's son and fellow filmmaker, Mario Van Peebles.
My Mother's Village

2001

My Mother's Village

2001
In a documentary that spans two continents and several generations, acclaimed director John Paskievich delves into the experience of exile and its impact on the human spirit. Almost fifty years after his family fled Ukraine for freedom in Canada, the filmmaker visits his parents' homeland. It's a place both familiar and foreign. Drawing on his years growing up in Winnipeg, Paskievich explores how children of refugees and immigrants are caught between two worlds. While they struggle to put down roots in a new country, they must also preserve traditions of a distant land they have never known. Paskievich's journey through Ukraine is interwoven with stories of displacement from other prominent Ukrainian Canadians--authors George Melnyk and Fran Ponomarenko, filmmaker Bohdana Bashuk, director Halya Kuchmij and dancer Lecia Polujan. A rich tapestry of memory and history, My Mother's Village brings to light the humour, anger, joy and complexity of living between borders.
For Walter and Josiah

2020

For Walter and Josiah

2020
The Flathead Indian Reservation in Montana is shaken to its core by a teen suicide epidemic that claims 22 Native lives in a single year - including two high school basketball team members. 'For Walter And Josiah' follows the team during their season as the surviving members play to honor their fallen brothers and uplift their community.
Living the Change: Inspiring Stories for a Sustainable Future

2018

Living the Change: Inspiring Stories for a Sustainable Future

2018
8
Sometimes it can feel like the environmental, economic and social issues the world is currently facing are too big, too overwhelming, to be dealt with by individuals. Climate change, resource limits, economic downturn, social disconnection. Surely these issues can only be properly managed by our governments? Living the Change explores solutions to the global crises we face today – solutions any one of us can be part of – through the inspiring stories of people pioneering change in their own lives and in their communities in order to live in a sustainable and regenerative way.
Kim Swims

2017

Kim Swims

2017
7.7
The inspiring true story of an accomplished open water swimmer's attempt to become the first woman to swim 30 miles through a stretch of cold, rough and shark-inhabited waters off of the San Francisco coast.
Musical Outsiders: An American Legacy

1994

Musical Outsiders: An American Legacy

1994
6
American composers have long struggled against the momentum of the Western European classical tradition and the prestige it has held in America's cultural life. "I did not want to have any stricture at all, I wanted to be completely free." So spoke Harry Partch, describing not only his own path, but also that of two other influential American composers: Lou Harrison and Terry Riley. They were attracted to musical ideas and sounds outside of the surrounding classical mainstream. Together they offer a deeper understanding of what those alternatives are and how they have affected American culture.
Great Directors

2009

Great Directors

2009
5.9
Features conversations with ten of the world's greatest living directors: Bernardo Bertolucci, David Lynch, Liliana Cavani, Stephen Frears, Agnes Varda, Ken Loach, Todd Haynes, Catherine Breillat, Richard Linklater and John Sayles. The film documents Ismailos' voyage of discovering the creative personalities behind the camera.
Putin: The Return of the Bear in the Dance

2022

Putin: The Return of the Bear in the Dance

2022
6.5
After twenty years in power, Vladimir Putin continues to implement his geopolitical strategy with Russia’s comeback on the big stage of world politics. He already announced his ambitions in 2007 – and still, it seems like the western governments were hit completely unprepared. What is behind this repeat of the Cold War?
Alaskan Nets

2021

Alaskan Nets

2021
In Alaska's last native reserve, two cousins lead their local basketball team to its first state championship in more than thirty years. That quest is the only thing that will bring life back to a remote island that has been rocked by tragedy.
Theatre Girls

1978

Theatre Girls

1978
In her final piece at film school, Longinotto and her partner take us into the "Theatre Girls Club" in Soho, London–a hostel for elderly and destitute women and the only shelter in London that would take in any woman at any time. The filmmakers lived in the hostel for more than two months, establishing an extraordinary level of trust with their “cast” —from the home’s feisty cook to an elderly resident who was a terminal alcoholic. In what will later be recognized as a signature style, Longinotto films without judgement and finds the humor and humanity in situations and characters that might otherwise be seen as tragic. This stunning film debut earned awards at several European festivals and screened to acclaim in the US and Asia.
Miracle on 19th Street

2021

Miracle on 19th Street

2021
Nothing captures the magic of Christmas like a visit to Santa Claus. This beloved NYC store Santa, after nearly 30 years, is heading to the North Pole, leaving behind an indelible mark on generations of children and families. To them, he is the real deal.
Hurricane Helene's Deadly Warning

2025

Hurricane Helene's Deadly Warning

2025
FRONTLINE and NPR investigate why the U.S. is more vulnerable than ever to climate change-related storms and how Hurricane Helene became an ominous warning about America’s lack of preparedness. In “Hurricane Helene’s Deadly Warning,” Laura Sullivan goes on the ground in North Carolina in the days after the 2024 storm and speaks with survivors who describe the devastation, fear and shock they experienced at seeing entire communities washed away. She revisits Houston, Texas, where thousands of homes remain in an area that already flooded during Harvey in 2017. Sullivan also returns to Staten Island, where, according to a former FEMA director, the billion dollar rebuilding process may not have been enough to prevent mass destruction should another Superstorm Sandy hit.