Popular Documentary Movies on Kanopy - Page 28

Born to Fly: Elizabeth Streb vs. Gravity

2014

Born to Fly: Elizabeth Streb vs. Gravity

2014
5.2
Born to Fly pushes the boundaries between action and art, daring us to join choreographer Elizabeth Streb and her dancers in pursuit of human flight.
The Magic Pill

2017

The Magic Pill

2017
6.8
Doctors, scientists and chefs around the globe combat illness with dietary changes, believing fat should be embraced as a source of fuel.
Light in the Water

2018

Light in the Water

2018
5
In 1982, soon after the first Gay Games, 'West Hollywood Swim Club,' as it was known then, registered as the first openly gay masters swim and water polo club. This feature documentary film follows their battle for acceptance: from their humble beginnings, to how these men and women have become a renowned force fighting injustice in the world of competitive sports.
Brilliant Moon: Glimpses of Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche

2010

Brilliant Moon: Glimpses of Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche

2010
7
Brilliant Moon chronicles the life of the writer, poet, and meditation master Khyentse Rinpoche, one of Tibet's most revered 20th-century Buddhist teachers. Spiritual guide to His Holiness the Dalai Lama and the Royal Family of Bhutan, his life and teachings were an inspiration to all who encountered him. Richard Gere and Lou Reed provide the narration for his dangerous journey out of China, the subsequent spread of his influence and the search for his reincarnation after his death.
Chang: A Drama of the Wilderness

1927

Chang: A Drama of the Wilderness

1927
6.7
Elephants disrupt the lives of a family deep in the jungles of Northern Siam, and an entire village.
Three Songs About Lenin

1934

Three Songs About Lenin

1934
6
This documentary, made up of 3 episodes, is based on three songs sung by anonymous people in Soviet Russia about Vladimir Ilyich Lenin.
Vernon, Florida

1981

Vernon, Florida

1981
6.7
Early Errol Morris documentary intersplices random chatter he captured on film of the genuinely eccentric residents of Vernon, Florida. A few examples? The preacher giving a sermon on the definition of the word "Therefore," and the obsessive turkey hunter who speaks reverentially of the "gobblers" he likes to track down and kill.
NOVA: Ground Zero Supertower

2013

NOVA: Ground Zero Supertower

2013
7
NOVA returns to Ground Zero to witness the completion of One World Trade Center.
Friedkin Uncut

2018

Friedkin Uncut

2018
7
An introspective insight into the life and artistic journey of William Friedkin, an extraordinary and offbeat director of cult films such as The French Connection, The Exorcist, Sorcerer, Cruising, To Live and Die in L.A. and Killer Joe. For the first time Friedkin opens up, guiding the audience on a fascinating journey through the themes and the stories that have influenced his life and his artistic career.
The King of North Sudan

2021

The King of North Sudan

2021
8
Danny Abel’s documentary tells the incredible, all-American story of Jeremiah Heaton and his geographical conquest. It all starts in 2014, when Heaton lays claim to 500,000 acres of desert land between Egypt and Sudan; his initial aim is to establish a kingdom so that his daughter can be made a princess. What follows is media attention, a movie deal with Disney, and a shift in motivation: Heaton decides to create a bonafide nation, with industry, a military, and more.
Lydia Lunch: The War Is Never Over

2019

Lydia Lunch: The War Is Never Over

2019
6.8
The first career-spanning documentary retrospective of Lydia Lunch's confrontational, acerbic and always electric artistry. As New York City's preeminent No Wave icon from the late 70's, Lunch has forged a lifetime of music and spoken word performance devoted to the utter right of any woman to indulge, seek pleasure, and to say "fuck you!" as loud as any man. In this time of endless attacks on women this is a rallying cry to acknowledge the only thing that is going to bring us together - ART...as the universal salve to all of our traumas.
Sit-In

1960

Sit-In

1960
SIT-IN (1960) is filmmaker Robert M. Young’ (Nothing But A aman, The Ballad of Gregorio Cortez) seminal documentary on how the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee and Students of Fisk University desegregated the lunch counters in Nashville, TN.
Remembering Port Chicago

2017

Remembering Port Chicago

2017
In California's Bay Area, a painful memory lingers of the Port Chicago disaster of WWII, when hundreds of the Navy's first Black Sailors perished, and the White officers in charge were protected by the chain of command.
Lennox Lewis: The Untold Story

2020

Lennox Lewis: The Untold Story

2020
7.2
Dr. Dre narrates the story of Lennox Lewis' rise from humble beginnings to become the greatest Undisputed Heavyweight Champion in the modern era.
Writing Hawa

2025

Writing Hawa

2025
9
Afghan documentary maker Najiba Noori offers not only a loving and intimate portrait of her mother Hawa, but also shows in detail how the arduous improvement of the position of women is undone by geopolitical violence. The film follows the fortunes of Noori’s family, who belong to the Hazaras, an ethnic group that has suffered greatly from discrimination and persecution.
William Holden: The Golden Boy

1989

William Holden: The Golden Boy

1989
It was said of him that in more than 70 films, he never once gave a bad performance.
Sexology

2016

Sexology

2016
4.3
In a post-sexual revolution world, roughly one-third of all women have never experienced an orgasm. Armed with shocking sexual data, a bunch of insecurities and a determination to unlock the key to feminine sexual energy, filmmakers Catherine Oxenberg and Gabrielle Anwar seek out sexual experts, tantric masters, researchers, and everyday women to unearth feminism's full potential.
The First Year

2001

The First Year

2001
7
This fascinating documentary chronicles the emotional turmoil of five Los Angeles schoolteachers charged with educating inner-city youth, making it clear that the teachers helping these disadvantaged children are real heroes.
The Gig Is Up

2021

The Gig Is Up

2021
7.2
A very human tech doc, uncovers the real costs of the platform economy through the lives of workers from around the world for companies including Uber, Amazon and Deliveroo. From delivering food and driving ride shares to tagging images for AI, millions of people around the world are finding work task by task online. The gig economy is worth over 5 trillion USD globally, and growing. And yet the stories of the workers behind this tech revolution have gone largely neglected. Who are the people in this shadow workforce? It brings their stories into the light. Lured by the promise of flexible work hours, independence, and control over time and money, workers from around the world have found a very different reality. Work conditions are often dangerous, pay often changes without notice, and workers can effectively be fired through deactivation or a bad rating. Through an engaging global cast of characters, it reveals how the magic of technology we are being sold might not be magic at all.
Making Dances: Seven Post-Modern Choreographers

1980

Making Dances: Seven Post-Modern Choreographers

1980
Made in 1980, this film explores the contemporary dance scene through the work of seven New York-based choreographers. They discuss the nature of dance and the evolution of their own work. Filmed at rehearsals, performances, and during interviews, the film is a unique primary source. The artistic roots of these seven artists can be found in Martha Graham's concern with modern life as a subject for dance and in Merce Cunningham's emphasis on the nature of movement. In the 1960s, the interaction of art forms generated choreographic innovations. Especially influential was John Cage, whose radical ideas served as a point of departure for much of the new choreography. Each of the choreographers in Making Dances draws inspiration from the Graham/Cunningham tradition, yet each makes a highly distinctive statement. Structure, movement in non-fictive time and space, and the nature of movement itself are recurring themes.