Popular Documentary Movies on Kanopy - Page 81

Houdini: Unlocking the Mystery

2005

Houdini: Unlocking the Mystery

2005
7.3
This special program, hosted by renowned magician Lance Burton, explores the life and magic of the great escape artist through his most prized possessions--the Chinese Water Torture Cell, the Milkcan, his straitjackets and handcuffs, and lockpicks that were "key" to his handcuff escapes--all revealed to the public for the first time. HOUDINI also unlocks secrets of the man--brash showman, fierce competitor, loyal son and husband. Interviews include his great-nephew and the last surviving member of his magic troop.
Noble Sissle's Syncopated Ragtime

2018

Noble Sissle's Syncopated Ragtime

2018
Combining footage unseen since WWI with original scores from the era, this film tells the story of Noble Sissle's incredible journey that spans "The Harlem Hellfighters" of World War I, Broadway Theatre, the Civil Rights movement, and decades of Black cultural development.
Matisse

2014

Matisse

2014
MOMA & Tate Modern's landmark show explores the final chapter of Matisse's career when he began 'carving into colour,' creating his signature cut-outs. Audiences are invited to enjoy an intimate, behind-the-scenes documentary about this blockbuster exhibition with contributions from curators, historians and those who knew Matisse personally. Beautifully filmed footage of the exhibition featuring works including The Snail, Memory of Oceania, Large Composition with Masks and Blue Nudes is interwoven with Matisse's biography and behind-the-scenes material. Featuring special guests including Tate director Nicholas Serota; MoMA director Glenn Lowry; jazz musician Courtney Pine and Royal Ballet principal dancer Zenaida Yanowsky.
The Thin Blue Line

1988

The Thin Blue Line

1988
7.6
Errol Morris's unique documentary dramatically re-enacts the crime scene and investigation of a police officer's murder in Dallas.
Crazy Love

2007

Crazy Love

2007
6.4
Filmmaker Dan Klores examines the strange love affair of Burt Pugach and Linda Riss. Pugach is a successful attorney in 1950s New York when he meets much-younger Riss. The pair date, but Riss breaks off contact with Pugach upon learning his claims of divorce are false. Discovering that Riss was engaged to another man, Pugach hires some men to throw lye in her face, and he serves 14 years in prison for the crime.
A Murder in the Park

2015

A Murder in the Park

2015
7.2
Documentary filmmakers assert that Anthony Porter - a former death-row inmate who was spared the death penalty thanks to the efforts of a college journalism program - was actually guilty, and an innocent man was sent to prison.
Brooklyn Bridge

1981

Brooklyn Bridge

1981
7.6
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.
Shadows of a Leader: Qaddafi's Female Bodyguards

2004

Shadows of a Leader: Qaddafi's Female Bodyguards

2004
7
The documentary investigates the phenomenon of Qaddafi's elite female bodyguard corps and the tensions these women embody: tensions between Islam, modernisation in a nomadic society, a militarist feminism and an urban dictatorship.
The Reason Why

2021

The Reason Why

2021
In 1993, 16-year-old Hanit Kikos disappeared from Ofakim, Israel. A few days later, Suleiman al-Obeid Hoda was arrested, confessing that he raped and murdered her but gave conflicting confessions to investigators. 30 years after his imprisonment, the films with those involved in the affair shine a new light on the case.
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.
Deceptive Practice: The Mysteries and Mentors of Ricky Jay

2012

Deceptive Practice: The Mysteries and Mentors of Ricky Jay

2012
6.9
The life and career of renowned magician and sleight of hand artist Ricky Jay.
Yuriy Norshteyn: Making the Overcoat

2019

Yuriy Norshteyn: Making the Overcoat

2019
Yuriy Norshteyn, Russia’s most renowned animator, has crafted many brilliant works, including his award-winning Tale of Tales and Hedgehog in the Fog. He is revered by animation creators across the globe, most notably Japanese masters Osamu Tezuka, Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata. Forty years ago, Norshteyn began work on an ambitious adaptation of Nikolai Gogol’s The Overcoat, but after completing 25 minutes of the film, the project stalled and has been shelved for many years. A crew visits Norshteyn’s studio and finds there mountains of sketches, character studies and a shooting table covered with dust. Norshteyn himself talks about its current status and the anguish and passion that has gone into its creation.
November's Children: Revolution in Prague

1991

November's Children: Revolution in Prague

1991
3
A first-hand account of the tumultuous events of 1989 when a student-led revolution succeeded in overthrowing Czechoslovakia's repressive Communist regime. The film, which includes rare government and underground footage, follows the lives of three Czechoslovak students whose leadership helped ignite the 'Velvet Revoution' and eventually establish a democratic government. Directed by Oscar-winner Allan Miller, it features interviews with students, activists and the country's new president, Vaclav Havel.
Complaints of a Dutiful Daughter

1994

Complaints of a Dutiful Daughter

1994
6
This Academy Award-nominated film takes a moving personal story, illuminates it with insight and humor, and makes it universal. In recounting her attempts to come to terms with her mother's advancing Alzheimer's disease, Deborah Hoffmann explores the relationship between mother and daughter, parent and child, and the tenacity of love.
Down in Shadowland

2014

Down in Shadowland

2014
7.8
A seven year project involving filming on NYC subway. Camera observes people and events unaware they are being filmed. Emotional, intimate and deeply human. All done by director Tom DiCillo. He shot, edited and mixed the film by himself with the aim of making a film without any financial or marketing restrictions.
David Macaulay: Pyramid

1989

David Macaulay: Pyramid

1989
How did ancient Egyptians build the Great Pyramid at Giza, joining two million blocks of heavy stone with amazing precision? Who were the leaders who built these enormous structures, and what did these tombs signify? Host David Macaulay explores the history, mythology, and religions of Egypt's people, combining live footage and animation. Take a rare look at the mummy of Ramses II and buried treasure in the sacred Valley of the Kings.
N-Men: The Untold Story

2023

N-Men: The Untold Story

2023
In 1975, in Northern California, a diverse crew of skateboarders met at a paved embankment under the freeway. They had no idea their underground movement would have a global impact on the world of skateboarding. Their story has never been told. Until now. In 2011, the N-Men’s founder, John O’Shei, finally gave permission to filmmaker James Sweigert to tell their story. Sweigert spent 11 years digging through attics, basements and garages unearthing 86 minutes of never before seen footage and photos of the undocumented Northern California skate scene.
Daughters of Wisdom

2007

Daughters of Wisdom

2007
7
An intimate portrait of the nuns of Kala Rongo, a rare and exceptional Buddhist Monastery exclusively for women situated in Nangchen, in remote and rural northeastern Tibet. These nuns are receiving religious and educational training previously unavailable to women, and playing an unprecedented role in preserving their rich cultural heritage even as they slowly reshape it. They graciously allow the camera a never-before-seen glimpse into their vibrant spiritual community and insight into their extraordinary lives. Some shy, some outspoken, all are committed to the often difficult life they have chosen, away from the yak farms and herding families of their birth. It is the story of their spiritual community, one that couldn't have existed 20 years ago but is thriving today.
Von Werra

2002

Von Werra

2002
7.5
Documentary about a German Luftwaffe fighter pilot, Franz von Werra, the only German soldier of the Second World War who managed to escape from captivity as a prisoner of war and return to Germany.
Trump's Comeback

2025

Trump's Comeback

2025
7
FRONTLINE examines defining moments over Donald Trump’s life and career, his 2020 election loss, felony convictions and his historic comeback.