Popular Documentary Movies on Kanopy - Page 94

Leona's Sister Gerri

1995

Leona's Sister Gerri

1995
6.4
Millions have seen the photograph, and no one who has seen it will ever forget it. A naked woman, dead from a botched illegal abortion, lying on a motel room floor. The picture appeared in Ms. Magazine in April 1973, and quickly became a symbol for the abortion rights movement. LEONA'S SISTER GERRI tells the dramatic story of Gerri Santoro, a mother of two and the "real person" in the now famous photo. Should the media have used this image? What circumstances led to Gerri's tragic death? Powerfully addressing issues of reproductive rights and domestic violence, this video is a moving portrait of Gerri Santoro's life and society's response to her death.
Last Call at Maud's

1993

Last Call at Maud's

1993
3.7
A history of Maud's, a San Francisco lesbian bar that stayed open from 1966 to 1989.
Man without Pigs

1990

Man without Pigs

1990
6.4
John Waiko is the first Papua New Guinea man to graduate with a PhD and be appointed a professor. He returns to the Binandere clan and his small village of Tabara in the Northern Province of PNG. Once there, he has to organise a celebration for his achievements with his family’s help. Since he has been away for most of his life, he has no recognised wealth in the village (the pigs used for gift giving), nor a network of supporters or knowledge of the preparation and rituals for having such a celebration. He wants the event to happen quickly but that’s not the way it works in Tabara. Man without pigs focuses on the antagonism aroused by the clash between traditional customs and Western values in this remote PNG community.
Imagine the Sound

1981

Imagine the Sound

1981
6.6
An examination, shown through both interviews and performances, of the avant-garde free jazz movement which reigned during the 1960s.
Roger Corman: Hollywood's Wild Angel

1978

Roger Corman: Hollywood's Wild Angel

1978
7.4
Documentary examining the life and career of producer/director Roger Corman. Clips from his films and interviews with actors and crew members who have worked with him are featured.
After Winter Comes Spring

1989

After Winter Comes Spring

1989
7.6
A locomotive journey traversing the North to the South of the German Democratic Republic on the eve of its dissolution. Labourers, punks, mothers, intellectuals, young and old are implored to reflect on their life choices, the sacrifices they've made, and their place in the world. Despite everything, hope persists.
Tongpan

1977

Tongpan

1977
7.4
Tongpan is a 1977 Thai 16 mm black-and-white docudrama that re-creates a seminar that took place in Northeast Thailand in 1975 to discuss the proposed Pa-Mong Dam on the Mekong. Interwoven are sequences depicting a poor farmer, Tongpan, who had lost his land to another dam some years before, and his struggles to make ends meet.
The Colours of My Father: A Portrait of Sam Borenstein

1992

The Colours of My Father: A Portrait of Sam Borenstein

1992
6.2
The Colours of My Father: A Portrait of Sam Borenstein is a 1992 short animated documentary directed by Joyce Borenstein about her father, the Canadian painter Sam Borenstein. It was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Documentary Short. In Canada, it was named best short documentary at the 12th Genie Awards.
Deadly Deception: General Electric, Nuclear Weapons and Our Environment

1991

Deadly Deception: General Electric, Nuclear Weapons and Our Environment

1991
6
This 1991 Academy Award®-winning documentary uncovers the disastrous health and environmental side effects caused by the production of nuclear materials by the General Electric Corporation.
Six O'Clock News

1997

Six O'Clock News

1997
6
Filmmaker Ross McElwee trails characters whose stories have been fodder for television news and takes their tales of loss and longing further than the requisite sound bite. In the process, he examines how the medium works and exposes its limitations.
Cinema of Vengeance

1994

Cinema of Vengeance

1994
5.4
A documentary study of martial arts films and their leading protagonists. Included are profiles of such artists as Bruce Lee, Cynthia Rothrock, Jackie Chan, Jean-Claude Van Damme and John Woo favourite Chow Yun Fat.
One Nation Under God

1993

One Nation Under God

1993
5.4
Focusing on the contemporary religious Right Wing proliferation of curative therapies for homosexuality, this riveting documentary offers historical context as well as a political analysis of this frighteningly large movement.
Seeing Red: Stories of American Communists

1983

Seeing Red: Stories of American Communists

1983
6.4
A unique documentary that looks at the political activities of the American Communist Party in the early to mid-twentieth century.
The Line King: The Al Hirschfeld Story

1996

The Line King: The Al Hirschfeld Story

1996
7
The childhood, adolescence, and incredible adult years of Al Hirschfeld, celebrated creator of thousands of line drawings of famous people - many in the entertainment industry - over a span of more than sixty years. He is still drawing in his nineties. His interesting domestic life, political, and cultural views are highlights. In addition, he talks about himself a bit - seriously and lightly.(At one point he he claims that his only form of exercise has been to live in his Manhattan townhouse: stairs). He drives his car around Manhattan - an adventure in itself. Brief interviews with, and reminiscences of many friends and associates.
Small Wonders

1996

Small Wonders

1996
7.4
A dedicated music teacher in East Harlem instructs a gaggle of underprivileged children in the art of the violin. In the climax, they play Carnegie Hall with some of the world's foremost fiddlers.
Privilege

1990

Privilege

1990
4.4
Privilege is an intelligently conceived, boldly anarchic, and wickedly insightful exposition on the culturally ingrained and socially divisive malaise of isms that artificially define and characterize empowerment in contemporary society: ageism, sexism, economic elitism, and racism. Yvonne Rainer conveys texture through the intercutting of archival footage, video, and film - as well as compositional layering through the film-within-a-film structure, elliptical (and self-referential) fusion of past and present, and the filmmaker's idiosyncratic penchant for superimposed typed text.
Say Amen, Somebody

1983

Say Amen, Somebody

1983
6.2
Documentary on modern black gospel music, focusing on the pioneering Rev. Thomas Dorsey and Mother Willie Mae Ford Smith
Model

1981

Model

1981
5.8
MODEL shows male and female models at work on TV commercials, fashion shows, magazine covers, and advertising for a variety of products, including designer collections, fur coats, sports clothes and automobiles. The models are seen at work with photographers whose techniques illustrate different styles of fashion and product photography. The business aspect of running an agency is also shown: interviewing prospective models, career counseling, arranging portfolios, talking with clients, and planning trips. The film presents a view of the intersections of fashion, business, advertising, photography, television and fantasy.
Private Practices: The Story of a Sex Surrogate

1986

Private Practices: The Story of a Sex Surrogate

1986
4.4
A documentary following a sex surrogate and two of her clients.
Fela Kuti: Music Is the Weapon

1982

Fela Kuti: Music Is the Weapon

1982
6.2
Musician Fela Anikulapo Kuti recorded more than 60 albums to promote the magic of Afrobeat but never lost his political voice as an outspoken critic against widespread government corruption in Nigeria. This documentary examines the role that Fela, dubbed "Black President," played in shedding light on atrocities in his homeland and in promoting the ascent of African music worldwide.