Top Rated Documentary Movies on Free Services - Page 397

The Peacekeepers

2005

The Peacekeepers

2005
10
With unprecedented access to the UN Department of Peacekeeping, The Peacekeepers provides an intimate and dramatic portrait of the struggle to save "a failed state" The film follows the determined and often desperate maneuvers to avert another Rwandan disaster, this time in the Democratic Republic of Congo (the DRC). Focusing on the UN mission, the film cuts back and forth between the UN headquarters in New York and events on the ground in the DRC. We are with the peacekeepers in the "Crisis Room" as they balance the risk of loss of life on the ground with the enormous sums of money required from uncertain donor countries. We are with UN troops as the northeast Congo erupts and the future of the DRC, if not all of central Africa, hangs in the balance. In the background, but often impinging on peacekeeping decisions, are the painful memory of Rwanda, the worsening crisis in Iraq, global terrorism, and American hegemony in world affairs.
Unhinged: Surviving Jo'burg

2010

Unhinged: Surviving Jo'burg

2010
6.5
Unhinged: Surviving Jo'burg is an honest, quirky and sometimes frenzied documentary about Johannesburg, South Africa's biggest city and the world's gateway to Southern Africa. With rapid narrative, dry humour, trivial factoids, insightful observations and a highly enjoyable soundtrack, the film tells a slice-of-city-life story. It's a personal video snapshot of today's city, providing a unique opportunity for viewers to get a glimpse inside a place that the world has a very fuzzy sense of. Written by Adrian Loveland
Liahona

2013

Liahona

2013
5
Liahona is an experimental documentary examining the culture, history, and lived experience of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, often referred to as the Mormon faith. The film creates a portrait of Mormonism through documentation of LDS cultural dominance in Utah, the suppressed history of folk magic in the early church, landmark Mormon life experiences, and my personal history and connection to the church. Found media with the voices of outsiders and insiders illuminate a religion that intrigues many, but is seen as mysterious or inaccessible. Liahona shifts through perspectives on the faith – from reverence to questioning, presenting the complexities of the vast institution of Mormonism contrasted with the tenuity of individual faith.
Plaster Caster

2003

Plaster Caster

2003
6
Portrait of legendary artist and groupie Cynthia Plaster Caster famous for plaster casting the penises of rock stars.
Grounded

2013

Grounded

2013
7
Grounded is the high flying adventure of Pittsburgh marijuana smuggling brothers Terry and Jimmy Dougherty. Jimmy worked the ground crew and Terry was the pilot whose skills helped expand the smuggling operation beyond their wildest expectations. Their adventures stretched from the farmers fields of rural Alabama and Florida to the dirt runways of Colombia and back again. The film is packed with hair-raising tales of smuggling aviation keeping the audience on the edge of their seats. Getting the marijuana was easy, delivering it was the adventure.
Cirque du Soleil: A Thrilling Ride Through Kooza

2008

Cirque du Soleil: A Thrilling Ride Through Kooza

2008
10
Cirque du Soleil presents A thrilling ride through Kooza, a captivating documentary that looks at the creative process of Kooza, the latest and critically acclaimed touring show from Cirque du Soleil. Embark on a journey that starts at the humble beginnings of some of Cirque's creative pioneers as they share their personal voyage - and a few revealing anecdotes - that highlight the multiple stages of the creation of a live show.
The Beatles: Love Me Do - A Documentary

2005

The Beatles: Love Me Do - A Documentary

2005
8
On October 5th 1962, the Beatles released their first single, Love Me Do. It was a moment that changed music history and popular culture forever. It was also an extraordinary year in social and cultural history, not just for Liverpool but for the world, with the Cuban missile crisis, John Glenn in space and beer at a shilling a pint. Stuart Maconie explores how the Beatles changed from leather and slicked back hair to suits and Beatle mops, and how their fashion set the pace for the sixties to follow. Pop artist Sir Peter Blake, Bob Harris and former Beatles drummer Pete Best join friends to reflect on how the Beatles evolved into John, Paul, George and Ringo - the most famous band in the world.
Rihanna: No Regrets

2013

Rihanna: No Regrets

2013
6
Rihanna is one of the most diverse superstars in modern music. Her catchy melodies and vibrant charisma has allured fans all around the world. This documentary tells the story of the multi-award winning artist's triumphant journey from poverty and obscurity to becoming a worldwide pop sensation. To date she has sold over 100 million records worldwide, making her one of the best selling music artists of all time. We take an in-depth look into her off stage life and learn about her love hate relationship with R&B singer Chris Brown and how they plan to move on from the abusive past and on to a positive future.
The Politics of Competitive Board Gaming Amongst Friends

2012

The Politics of Competitive Board Gaming Amongst Friends

2012
8
Through first hand accounts and dramatic recreations, director Jay Cheel examines the mental breakdown of a man who loses his cool during a friendly night of board games, proving that even the most trivial things sometimes have the highest stakes.
I Am Secretly An Important Man

2010

I Am Secretly An Important Man

2010
8
A portrait of the writer and poet Steven J. Bernstein (aka Jesse Bernstein), one of Seattle's most celebrated and troubled voices. His angry, surprisingly fresh, lyrical writings are about sensitive souls, drifters and drug addicts, people alienated by a society that refuses to understand them. Bernstein was an integral part of the legendary Seattle rock scene of the late 80's and early 90s, and in 1991 was dubbed the 'Godfather of Grunge.'
The Wick: Dispatches from the Isle of Wonder

2013

The Wick: Dispatches from the Isle of Wonder

2013
10
Two film-makers arrive in the post industrial wasteland known as Hackney Wick. Their aim is to document this 'Isle of Wonder' as it falls under the shadow of the Olympic behemoth.
Forbidden City, U.S.A.

1989

Forbidden City, U.S.A.

1989
6
A documentary about Forbidden City, a San Francisco Chinese-American nightclub open from the 1930s to the 1960s.
Race For Glory

2013

Race For Glory

2013
10
Stock car racing is one of America's most popular sports with more than 75 million fans nationwide, and growing. For many racers, the winning values of team, family and faith inspire them on and off the track. Featuring never-before-seen interviews with some of the sport's most popular personalities - including Danica Patrick, Juan Pablo Montoya, Jamie McMurray and Chip Ganassi - Race for Glory is an in-depth look at the sport's road to victory!
The Matter of Angels & Demons

2009

The Matter of Angels & Demons

2009
8
This probing analysis of the popular Dan Brown novel Angels and Demons explores the many contentious issues raised by the book - like the politics of the Catholic church, and the perceived conflict between science and religion.
London Orbital

2002

London Orbital

2002
6
A filmmaker sets out to make a voyage of discovery on London's orbital motorway, the M25. He enlists the help of several others to film the motorway from several points, drive endlessly around it and dig up stories and potential beauty behind the motorway.
Something to Do with the Wall

1991

Something to Do with the Wall

1991
7
In 1986, Ross McElwee (Sherman's March) and Marilyn Levine were making a film about the 25th anniversary of the Berlin Wall, when the imposing structure was still very much intact as the world’s most visible symbol of hardline Communism and Cold War lore. They thought they were making a documentary on the community of tourists, soldiers, and West Berliners who lived in the seemingly eternal presence of the graffiti emblazoned eyesore. But in 1989, as the original film neared completion, the Wall came down, and McElwee and Levine returned to Berlin, this time to capture the radically different atmosphere of the reunified city.
30 Ghosts

2013

30 Ghosts

2013
30 GHOSTS chronicles rural Ontario horse farmer and paranormal-investigator-on-the-side, Kim Hadfield, over a year of intense struggle as she pursues her dream of proving to mankind that ghosts exist.
Central State: Asylum for the Insane

2006

Central State: Asylum for the Insane

2006
7
Filmmaker Dan T. Hall gains unprecedented access to the Central State Hospital in Indianapolis, Indiana and launches a comprehensive paranormal investigation in order to explore rumors that the grounds are haunted. As the filmmaker and his fearless crew explore miles of underground corridors, former hospital workers and one previous inmate discuss reports of unusual occurrences and sightings that have left many convinced that something supernatural is happening at the hospital
The Restaurateur

2010

The Restaurateur

2010
6
Documentary about the grueling construction of not one but two world class restaurants. In this food-driven documentary, director Roger M. Sherman shadows restaurateur Danny Meyer, the culinary brains behind Eleven Madison Park, Tabla, Union Square Cafe and Gramercy Tavern in an attempt to find out what fuels his business cravings.
Mahalia Jackson: The Power and the Glory

1997

Mahalia Jackson: The Power and the Glory

1997
10
Documentary narrated by Paul Winfield, this documentary follows the course of Mahalia Jackson's extraordinary life - from her humble beginnings as a sickly child singing in New Orleans churches to her breakthrough with Columbia Records and her ascendancy to Carnegie Hall and Europe's great stages. Her story's told through archival footage and interviews with those who knew her best.