Popular Documentary Movies on Kanopy - Page 48

Serving in Secret: Love, Country, and Don't Ask, Don't Tell

2023

Serving in Secret: Love, Country, and Don't Ask, Don't Tell

2023
Tracing the U.S. military's long history of discrimination against the gay community and one couple's personal journey for acceptance.
A Black Jesus

2020

A Black Jesus

2020
8
In Siculiana, a small Sicilian town full of flaking facades, religiosity is lived out as a matter of course. And of course the figure of Jesus Christ worshipped here is black, and always has been. However, some people cannot get used to their dark-skinned neighbours in the refugee camp. The camera accompanies locals and stranded people along their paths, which often lead to the church, but not necessarily together, and draws a kind of map of the city in black-on-black contrasts.
Orlando, My Political Biography

2023

Orlando, My Political Biography

2023
6.9
Virginia Woolf's 1928 novel "Orlando: A Biography" follows the centuries-spanning life of a young nobleman who awakens to find that they are a woman. Almost a century after its publication, Paul B. Preciado claims that fiction has become reality and Orlando's story lies at the root of all contemporary trans and non-binary life.
Studio One Forever

2024

Studio One Forever

2024
7.8
A documentary film about Studio One which, from 1974 to 1994, was the center of queer nightlife in West Hollywood as well as the staging ground for the rise of the LGBTQ rights movement and fight against the AIDS crisis.
Getting to Know Jon Scieszka

2013

Getting to Know Jon Scieszka

2013
5.4
A light-hearted romp with beloved, award winning author/illustrator and the first National Ambassador for Young People's Literature. Get to know him as he discusses his life and aspirations.
Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work

2010

Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work

2010
6.9
A documentary on the life and career of Joan Rivers, made as the comedienne turns 75 years old.
Chavela

2017

Chavela

2017
6.9
Inspired by an exclusive interview and performance footage of Chavela Vargas shot in 1991 and guided by her unique voice, the film weaves an arresting portrait of a woman who dared to dress, speak, sing, and dream her unique life into being.
Exposed

2013

Exposed

2013
4
Beth B takes us into the 21st century underground and reveals a secret world where cutting-edge performers are taking hold of a taboo art form, Burlesque, and driving it to extremes that most people have never seen. It's satire. It's parody. It's a populist blend of art and entertainment that gives new meaning to the word "transgression." Above all, it's a lot of fun, and it will blow your mind.
Language Matters with Bob Holman

2015

Language Matters with Bob Holman

2015
10
There are over 6,000 languages in the world. We lose one every two weeks. Hundreds will be lost within the next generation. By the end of this century, half of the world's languages will have vanished. Language Matters with Bob Holman is a two hour documentary that asks: What do we lose when a language dies? What does it take to save a language?
Space Station 3D

2002

Space Station 3D

2002
6.4
Some 220 miles above Earth lies the International Space Station, a one-of-a-kind outer space laboratory that 16 nations came together to build. Get a behind-the-scenes look at the making of this extraordinary structure in this spectacular IMAX film. Viewers will blast off from Florida's Kennedy Space Center and the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Russia for this incredible journey -- IMAX's first-ever space film. Tom Cruise narrates.
Kim's Video

2023

Kim's Video

2023
7
Since 1987, and for almost three decades, New York cinephiles had access to a vast treasure trove of rare films thanks to Kim's Video, a small empire run by Yongman Kim, an enigmatic character who amassed more than fifty thousand VHS tapes.
Caligula: 1400 Days of Terror

2012

Caligula: 1400 Days of Terror

2012
5.4
This two-hour History Channel special examines controversial new theories about the man who ruled the world's mightiest Empire with sadistic brutality. His reign of terror lasted just 1,400 days. Yet even today everyone knows his name. Most have said he was crazy. But was he? This is the story few know behind one of the most infamous figures of the Ancient World--Caligula.
For Madmen Only: The Stories of Del Close

2020

For Madmen Only: The Stories of Del Close

2020
6.7
Comedy guru Del Close, mentor to everyone from Bill Murray to Tina Fey, sets out to write his autobiography for D.C. Comics. As he leads us through sewers, mental wards, and his peculiar talent for making everyone famous but himself, Close emerges as a personification of the creative impulse itself. He's a muse with BO and dirty needles, offering transcendence despite (or because of) the trail of wreckage behind him.
Raise Hell: The Life & Times of Molly Ivins

2019

Raise Hell: The Life & Times of Molly Ivins

2019
7.4
Molly Ivins was six feet of flame-haired Texas trouble. She was a prescient political journalist, best-selling author, and Bill of Rights warrior. She took no prisoners, leaving both sides of the aisle laughing and craving more of her razor-sharp wit. It's time to raise hell like Molly!
The Lost Arcade

2015

The Lost Arcade

2015
7
Chinatown Fair opened as a penny arcade on Mott Street in 1944. Over the decades, the dimly lit gathering place, known for its tic-tac-toe playing chicken, became an institution, surviving turf wars between rival gangs, changing tastes and the explosive growth of home gaming systems like Xbox and Playstation that shuttered most other arcades in the city. But as the neighborhood gentrified, this haven for a diverse, unlikely community faced its strongest challenge, inspiring its biggest devotees to next-level greatness.
Thanks Girls and Goodbye

1988

Thanks Girls and Goodbye

1988
Documentary using archival footage, newsreels and contemporary interviews with women of the WW2 Australian Women's Land Army.
The Hobby: Tales from the Tabletop

2024

The Hobby: Tales from the Tabletop

2024
4
Are games the meaning of life? The Hobby is a funny, affectionate, character-driven portrait of the massive subculture of modern board games, featuring a fascinating and diverse group of subjects who find deep meaning in “meaningless” pursuits.
After Tiller

2013

After Tiller

2013
6.5
Since the assassination of Dr. George Tiller in Kansas in 2009, only four doctors in the United States continue to perform third-trimester abortions. These physicians, all colleagues of Dr. Tiller, sacrifice their safety and personal lives in the name of their fierce, unwavering conviction to help women.
Crestone

2020

Crestone

2020
5.3
In the desert of Crestone, Colorado, a group of SoundCloud rappers live in solitude, growing weed and making music for the internet. When an old friend arrives to make a movie, reality and fiction begin to blur.
Strand, Under the Dark Cloth

1989

Strand, Under the Dark Cloth

1989
6.2
This documentary studies the life and artwork of photographer Paul Strand, using his own compelling photography as well as interviews with his friends, acquaintances and third wife. Documentarian John Walker explores the various influences Strand encountered throughout his life that helped him to develop as an artist. His personal life and relationships are examined and shed light on the inner working of this man who achieved great renown while hiding "under the dark cloth."