Popular Documentary Movies on Kanopy - Page 48

Rock Hudson's Home Movies

1992

Rock Hudson's Home Movies

1992
3.5
In this revisionist documentary, actor Eric Farr re-creates the character of Rock Hudson in order to take a look back at his films. It compares the actor's screen (and public) image with his real life and shows certain scenes, lines and situations in his films to insinuate that Hudson may have been gay.
Brooklyn Bridge

1981

Brooklyn Bridge

1981
7.2
Today it's a symbol of strength and vitality. 135 years ago, it was a source of controversy. This documentary examines the great problems and ingenious solutions that marked the construction of the Brooklyn Bridge. From conception to construction, it traces the bridge's transformation from a spectacular feat of heroic engineering to an honored symbol in American culture.
Fifi Howls from Happiness

2013

Fifi Howls from Happiness

2013
6.8
Bahman Mohassess was a celebrated artist at the time of the Shah. Trained in Italy, he created sculptures and paintings in his homeland. But audiences often took offence at the pronounced phalli on his mostly naked bronze figures and his work was regularly censored. All traces of him were lost after the revolution. It was said he destroyed his remaining paintings and disappeared.
Hello World

2020

Hello World

2020
6.6
Delves into the history of software development that started as a woman-led industry but has evolved into a majority white-male and Asian-dominated industry. It tackles the tough topic of why women as well as black and Latinx people don’t pursue software careers. The film aims to shine a light on how amazing a career in software can be and how diversification makes better software and can be a generational change for many.
The Story of Plastic

2019

The Story of Plastic

2019
8.1
The Story of Plastic is a seething expose uncovering the ugly truth behind the current global plastic pollution crisis. Striking footage shot over three continents illustrates the ongoing catastrophe: fields full of garbage, veritable mountains of trash; rivers and seas clogged with waste; and skies choked with the poisonous runoff from plastic production and recycling processes with no end in sight. Original animations, interviews with experts and activists, and never-before-filmed scenes reveal the disastrous consequences of the flood of plastic smothering ecosystems and poisoning communities around the world – and the global movement rising up in response.
Margaret Atwood: A Word After a Word After a Word Is Power

2019

Margaret Atwood: A Word After a Word After a Word Is Power

2019
6.8
The views and thoughts of Canadian writer Margaret Atwood have never been more relevant than today. Readers turn to her work for answers as they confront the rise of authoritarian leaders, deal with increasingly intrusive technologies, and discuss climate change. Her books are useful as survival tools for hard times. But few know her private life. Who is the woman behind the stories? How does she always seem to know what is coming?
Very Ralph

2019

Very Ralph

2019
6.3
The first documentary portrait of fashion icon Ralph Lauren, reveals the man behind the icon and the creation of one of the most successful brands in fashion history.
Dosed

2019

Dosed

2019
8.2
The documentary follows one woman's quest to overcome anxiety, depression, and opioid addiction through the use of psychedelic medicines.
Midnight Traveler

2019

Midnight Traveler

2019
5.9
In 2015, the Taliban put a price on the head of Hassan, a filmmaker, who was forced to flee Afghanistan with his wife and two young daughters. Using their camera phones, the fugitives show first-hand the many dangers refugees face when seeking asylum in a safe place.
The Disappearance of My Mother

2019

The Disappearance of My Mother

2019
5.7
Aging fashion model Benedetta Barzini strives to escape the world of images and disappear for good, but her son’s determination to make a final film about her sparks an unexpected collaboration and confrontation with the camera’s gaze.
American Dharma

2019

American Dharma

2019
6.4
A portrait of controversial Breitbart honcho and Donald Trump advisor, Stephen K. Bannon.
Fiddler: A Miracle of Miracles

2019

Fiddler: A Miracle of Miracles

2019
6.5
The origin story behind one of Broadway's most beloved musicals, Fiddler on The Roof, and its creative roots in early 1960s New York, when "tradition" was on the wane as gender roles, sexuality, race relations and religion were evolving.
Not for Resale

2019

Not for Resale

2019
6.6
A feature-length documentary on local video game stores and the final days of physical media.
Propaganda: The Art of Selling Lies

2019

Propaganda: The Art of Selling Lies

2019
6.7
From ancient cave paintings to Twitter feeds and deep fakes, propaganda's rapid progression hasn't compromised its potency. Tracing its effective use by religious figures, politicians and marketers, director Larry Weinstein crafts a persuasive study of the mechanics behind propaganda. This fascinating investigation confronts us with timely questions: If we grow up surrounded by propaganda, how do we know what is true? What risks are inherited by a society tricked into their perceptions? Freedom of speech is critical to a democracy's survival, yet demagogues have consistently exploited that freedom to coerce willing supporters. Contemporary artists, including Kent Monkman, Shepard Fairey and Ai Weiwei, analyze their politically motivated work, creatively co-opting the conventions of disinformation that have permeated their respective cultures. As our platforms for spreading ideas continue to expand in a digital age, dangerous lies have never been better disguised.
Loving Vincent: The Impossible Dream

2019

Loving Vincent: The Impossible Dream

2019
8
A documentary detailing the journey it took two passionate filmmakers to achieve their impossible dream, creating the world's first fully painted feature film.
The Creepy Line

2018

The Creepy Line

2018
6.2
An eye-opening documentary, The Creepy Line reveals the stunning degree to which society is manipulated by Google and Facebook and blows the lid off the remarkably subtle - hence powerful - manner in which they do it.
Foster

2018

Foster

2018
6.4
With one in eight American children suffering a confirmed case of neglect or abuse by age 18, there are currently more than 400,000 children in foster care in the U.S., a number that continues to grow each year. Drawing on unprecedented access, FOSTER explores the often-misunderstood world of foster care through compelling stories from the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services, the largest county child welfare agency in the country.
Death Dive to Saturn

2017

Death Dive to Saturn

2017
8
After decades of amazing discoveries, spacecraft Cassini embarks on its final - and most daring - mission: a dive below Saturn's rings.
Auto de Resistência

2018

Auto de Resistência

2018
6.8
A documentary about the Rio de Janeiro police killings praticed as so-called "self-defense acts". The film follows people who deal with those deaths in their daily lives, showing how Brazil's Federal Government deals with these cases, from the police investigations to the courtrooms.
Combat Obscura

2018

Combat Obscura

2018
6.5
Former combat videographer Miles Lagoze presents personal footage of U.S. Marines in the Afghan war zone.