Popular Documentary Movies on Kanopy - Page 256

The Bible's Buried Secrets

2008

The Bible's Buried Secrets

2008
The film presents the latest archaeological scholarship from the Holy Land to explore the beginnings of modern religion and the origins of the Hebrew Bible, also known as the Old Testament. This archaeological detective story tackles some of the biggest questions in biblical studies: Where did the ancient Israelites come from? Who wrote the Bible, when, and why? How did the worship of one God—the foundation of modern Judaism, Christianity, and Islam—emerge? The producers surveyed the evidence and take positions that are mainstream among archaeologists and historians, although they continue to raise objections among both Christians who believe in the bible as either literal or historical truth and minimalists who assert that the Bible has no historical validation.
Genocide in the Wildflower State

2024

Genocide in the Wildflower State

2024
10
“Genocide in the Wildflower State” is a documentary about a violent, state-run system of eugenics, racial absorption, and social assimilation in twentieth century, Western Australia.
Saul & Ruby's Holocaust Survivor Band

2020

Saul & Ruby's Holocaust Survivor Band

2020
In this utterly heart-affecting and enthralling film, two Holocaust survivors in South Florida form a klezmer band and begin an extraordinary musical journey that celebrates life and the transcendent power of music to heal.
The Atlanta Child Murders

2001

The Atlanta Child Murders

2001
The Atlanta murders of 1979–1981, sometimes called the Atlanta child murders, were a series of murders committed in Atlanta, Georgia, between July 1979 and May 1981. Over the two-year period, at least 28 children, adolescents, and adults were killed. Wayne Williams, an Atlanta native who was 23 years old at the time of the last murder, was arrested, tried, and convicted of two of the adult murders and sentenced to two consecutive life terms.
Agnes Martin Before the Grid

2016

Agnes Martin Before the Grid

2016
Agnes Martin is one of the most important artists of the twentieth century. Before she died in 2004 at the age of 92, her paintings sold for millions of dollars and were displayed in the world's greatest museums. Through interviews with her friends, lovers, and classmates who knew her well, insight is gained into Agnes Martin's personality and the development of her creative process before she became known for her grid paintings.
The Power of Big Oil

2022

The Power of Big Oil

2022
In an epic three-part documentary series, FRONTLINE investigates the decades-long failure to confront the threat of climate change and the role of the fossil fuel industry. Part, One charts the fossil fuel industry’s early research on climate change and investigates industry efforts to sow seeds of doubt about the science. Part Two explores the industry’s efforts to stall climate policy, even as evidence about climate change grew more certain in the new millennium. And as leading climate scientists issue new warnings about climate change, Part Three examines how the fossil fuel industry worked to delay the transition to renewable energy sources — including by promoting natural gas as a cleaner alternative.
Wochiigii lo: End of the Peace

2021

Wochiigii lo: End of the Peace

2021
The many environmental, social, legal and human perils of BC’s controversial Site C hydro dam project are explored in Heather Hatch’s documentary.
The Artist's Studio: E.W. NAY

2012

The Artist's Studio: E.W. NAY

2012
3.8
A visit to the studio of Ernst Wilhelm Nay, a remarkable, if somewhat solitary German artist, who established his status at age 30, just before the advent of the Nazi takeover. Nay belonged to the persecuted generation of German artists who, just as their work began to blossom, were forced out by Hitler's art dictatorship. Labeling the art "decadent", the Hitler regime called for the removal of Nay's paintings from museum collections and the artist was banned from showcasing his new work. After the end of World War II, Nay returned to painting and worked tirelessly to make up for lost time, producing new pieces year after year and quickly becoming one of Germany's leading painters. Ernst Wilhelm Nay died in 1968 at the age of 65 yet his studio, still intact, offers a retrospective of his work starting from the 1920s. His wife, Elisabeth Nay walks us through the studio, offering insights into her husband's process and creative intent.
Volcanoes: The Fires of Creation

2018

Volcanoes: The Fires of Creation

2018
7.7
Volcanoes: The Fires of Creation is a tale of science, culture, and thrilling adventure! Earth is a planet born of fire. For billions of years, volcanoes have helped create the world we know. From the continents to the air we breathe and even life itself, all have their origins in fire. With over 500 active volcanoes, Earth is bursting at the seams with these forces of mass construction. The story of volcanoes is the story of the planet’s creation, and the story of us.
The City that Sold America

2018

The City that Sold America

2018
7
At the threshold of the 20th Century, a melting pot of adventurous immigrants, creative mavericks, and freedom-seeking African Americans shaped consumerism as we now know it. The new documentary THE CITY THAT SOLD AMERICA reveals, with intriguing insights and wistful nostalgia, the confluence of Chicago's creative talent, business savvy, grit and determination that changed the country and our relationship with popular culture.
I Used to Be a Filmmaker

2003

I Used to Be a Filmmaker

2003
6.5
A film about fatherhood and the bond between a father and his infant daughter. The filmmaker documents the first eighteen months of the child’s life, showing the progression from newborn to infant to toddler.
Penny Slinger: Out of the Shadows

2017

Penny Slinger: Out of the Shadows

2017
"Penny Slinger - Out Of The Shadows" is the incredible, untold story of the British artist Penny Slinger and the traumatic events that led to the creation of her masterpiece, the 1977 photo-romance, 'An Exorcism'.
The Power of Thought

2014

The Power of Thought

2014
7
For generations, researchers have been trying to unravel the nature of human thought. Thoughts are invisible but have great effect, evidently reaching beyond our own bodies. Through each decision we direct the course of our lives & decide our fate.
Red Dot on the Ocean: The Matt Rutherford Story

2014

Red Dot on the Ocean: The Matt Rutherford Story

2014
7
Red Dot on the Ocean is the story of Matt Rutherford, a severely troubled youth, who became a sailing legend. Departing Annapolis, MD in a scrappy old 27-foot fiberglass sloop without fanfare, 30-year-old Rutherford braved the icebergs of the arctic and mountainous waves of Cape Horn to become the only person to ever sail single-handed, non-stop around the Americas; a 27,000 mile journey many professional sailors declared "a suicide mission."
Asmara, Eritrea

2008

Asmara, Eritrea

2008
10
Asmara - capitol of the East African nation of Eritrea - is recognized as an architectural gem. In this film Asmarinos from different walks of life guide us through the streets of their city and bring us to places of their choice. In doing so, and by talking about 'their own' Asmara, each person locates personal memories in public spaces investing the urban environment with individual meanings. Through their narrations - a chorus of different experiences embodying the nation - the country's history from colonialism to independence comes to life.
Yell Once a Week

1982

Yell Once a Week

1982
The film’s title is taken from a song, used here as a leitmotif, written by Günter Jordan and the East German rock group Pankow. This sensitive report about rebellious teenagers in Berlin’s “wild East” was banned before its first screening.
California Dreams

2017

California Dreams

2017
6.3
Five unique individuals in pursuit of a big life change. Through auditions set up in small towns across Southern California, the film shows genuine characters with big Hollywood aspirations who, for various reasons, have never had the opportunity to pursue their dreams.
Actors of Sound

2016

Actors of Sound

2016
6
Since the 1930’s, sound gurus referred to as Foley artists have recreated the sounds that infuse a film with life. During a film’s post-production, Foley artists recreate sound that will match the moving image on-screen, using whatever objects are at their fingertips, from hundreds of pairs of old shoes to clunky old tools and squeaky mattresses. But how will Hollywood’s low-tech sound artists survive as digital technology consumes modern movie-making?
The Dark Matter of Love

2012

The Dark Matter of Love

2012
6.3
Eleven year old Masha Kulabokhova is about to be adopted into fourteen year old Cami Diaz's family. Masha grew up in a Russian orphanage; Cami was born and raised in Wisconsin and has been the exclusive focus of her parents' love her whole life. The process of Masha becoming part of the Diaz family is going to change both girls forever. The Dark Matter of Love follows Masha as she leaves Russia to the spend her first year as part of the Diaz family, who have also adopted five year old twin boys Marcel and Vadim. When the reality of bonding with children who have grown up in institutions turns out to be more difficult than they ever imagined, the Diaz's hire two of the world's best developmental psychologists to help them build their new family - through science. Sometimes hilarious, sometimes heartbreaking, The Dark Matter of Love melds the story of the Diaz family learning to love, with rare archive footage of science experiments exploring parent-child love.
In Balanchine's Classroom

2021

In Balanchine's Classroom

2021
IN BALANCHINE’S CLASSROOM takes us back to the glory years of George Balanchine’s New York City Ballet through the remembrances of his former dancers and their quest to fulfill the vision of a genius. Opening the door to his studio, Balanchine’s private laboratory, they reveal new facets of the groundbreaking choreographer: taskmaster, mad scientist, and spiritual teacher. Today, as his former dancers teach a new generation, questions arise: what was the secret of his teaching? Can it be replicated? Filled with never before seen archival footage of Balanchine at work during rehearsals, classes, and in preparation for his most seminal works, along with interviews with many of his adored and adoring dancers and those who try to carry on his legacy today, this is Balanchine as you have never seen him, and a film for anyone who loves ballet and the creative process.