Top Rated Documentary Movies on Hoopla - Page 122

Don't Look Down

2016

Don't Look Down

2016
6
Don’t Look Down is the untold story behind Sir Richard Branson’s daring attempts to cross the Atlantic and Pacific in the mid 80s and early 90s in the world’s largest hot air balloon. Daniel Gordon captures the intensity and passion of the team that was involved in this ambitious project, as well as the first-hand account from Branson himself. Branson remembers details of his journey with remarkable sharpness and clarity. It’s as if the perilous adventure he embarks upon, with engineer, and Balloonist, Per Lindstrand, just occurred.
Night School

2016

Night School

2016
7
Indianapolis has one of the lowest high school graduation rates in the country. Night School follows three adult students living in the city’s more impoverished neighborhoods as they attempt to earn their diplomas while juggling other difficult responsibilities and realities. Through their stories, the filmmakers explore many issues that low-income Americans deal with, including unjust minimum wage and working conditions, arbitrary legal hindrances, and race and gender inequality.
Declaration of Independence

2003

Declaration of Independence

2003
10
Famous actors and actresses read the Declaration of Independence of the United States.
City of Trees

2015

City of Trees

2015
8
During the Great Recession, joblessness exceeds 20 percent east of the Anacostia River in Washington, DC. City of Trees follows the intimate stories of Charles, Michael and James, three long-term unemployed residents struggling to gain employment through 'shovel ready' green projects. When stimulus dollars run out, short term idealism clashes with day-to-day survival in the struggle to find a sense of purpose and place in a recovering economy.
I Am The Blues

2016

I Am The Blues

2016
6
A musical journey through the swamps of the Louisiana Bayou, the juke joints of the Mississippi Delta and Moonshine soaked BBQs in the North Mississippi Hill Country. Visiting the last original blues devils, many in their 80's, still living in the deep south, working without management and touring the Chitlin' Circuit. Let Bobby Rush, Barbara Lynn, Henry Gray, Carol Fran, Lazy Lester, Bilbo Walker, RL Boyce, Jimmy 'Duck' Holmes, Lil Buck Sinegal, LC Ulmer and their friends awaken the blues in all of us.
Sabena Hijacking: My Version

2015

Sabena Hijacking: My Version

2015
9.5
The Palestinian terror group Black September had hijacked the craft and separated passengers into groups of Jews and non-Jews. They declared that they would blow up the plane if Israel did not release hundreds of Palestinians serving prison terms for charges of terrorism.
Over Ireland

1998

Over Ireland

1998
8.5
Get rare views of Ireland in this unique video tour of the Emerald Isle featuring expert cinematography from an accomplished aerial production team and an original musical score. See the Cliffs of Moher, Dubline, Kilkenny Castle, Trinity College and more!
The Real Story of Christmas

2010

The Real Story of Christmas

2010
6.8
Did you know that the quaint custom of Christmas caroling actually began with drunk and rowdy revelers threatening people door to door looking for food and liquor? Early versions of the heartwarming legend of Santa Claus described him as a horrible devil named Krampus who beat and kidnapped naughty children. In America during the 17th and 18th Centuries, celebrating Christmas was against the law! There's a lot to tell about the history of Christmas, and a lot you may not know. Along the way, meet Ebenezer Scrooge and George Bailey, The Grinch and Rudolph, and learn the true origins of our Christmas traditions. So grab some eggnog and a slice of fruitcake as HISTORY unwraps THE REAL STORY OF CHRISTMAS.
Driving with Selvi

2015

Driving with Selvi

2015
8
Former child bride Selvi escapes her child marriage to become South India's first female taxi driver.
The Spectre of Hope

2002

The Spectre of Hope

2002
6
The Spectre of Hope is based on the latest work of photographer Sebastiao Salgado. Salgado spent 6 years traveling to over 40 countries, taking pictures of globalization and its consequences - most notably, the mass migrations of populations around the world. In the film, Salgado presents his remarkable photographs in conversation with John Berger.
Streets of Plenty

2010

Streets of Plenty

2010
3.5
With the 2010 Olympics approaching, will the world get to know Vancouver's darkest secret? 'Streets of Plenty' chronicles one man's perilous journey to live in Vancouver's downtown east side ghetto. The rules of this twisted social experiment? Starting with only a pair of underwear, he must survive the harsh winter streets for 31 days. He has no money, no friends, no family, and most importantly, no home. He must navigate the institutions, policies and services alongside the thousands of people that call Vancouver's streets home.
Origin Story

2018

Origin Story

2018
6.5
When Kulap Vilaysack was 14, she took her father's side in an argument and her mother replied, "Why are you defending him? He's not your real dad." Twenty years later, she's finally ready to learn what that means. ORIGIN STORY is a feature-length, international quest with stops in Los Angeles, Minnesota, and Laos to meet the biological father she never knew. On the road, unforeseen revelations strike as hilarious or heartbreaking, rarely in between. An avid comic book reader with a vigilante character named after her in the DC Comics universe, she must summon the courage of Katharsis, because each question is another step out on a limb. ORIGIN STORY is a deeply personal but universally relevant tale of immigration, conflict, addiction, and personal responsibility. Interviewees in the film include extended family, husband Scott Aukerman, and close friends, like Sarah Silverman, Casey Wilson, June Diane Raphael and Howard Kremer.
A Midwife's Tale

1998

A Midwife's Tale

1998
7.8
To understand eighteenth-century America through a woman's eyes, historian and author Laurel Thatcher Ulrich spent eight years working through Martha Ballard's massive but cryptic diary. "A Midwife's Tale" chronicles the interwoven stories of two remarkable women: an eighteenth-century midwife and healer and the twentieth-century historian who brought her words to light.
Madame President

2012

Madame President

2012
6.3
Rouva Presidentti is a documentary on Tarja Halonen, the 11th President of Finland. The movie follows Halonen for one and a half years, during her last times as President.
Bending the Light

2014

Bending the Light

2014
3.5
From acclaimed director Michael Apted (The Up Series, Masters of Sex, The World is Not Enough) comes a revealing look at the art of filmmaking and photography. A journey of glass, the documentary explores the relationship between the artisans who create camera lenses and the masters of light who use these lenses to capture their beloved art form. Bending the Light features never-before-seen footage from inside a premier Japanese lens factory, intimate interviews with lens engineers, and a peek into the world of award-winning photographers and cinematographers Stephen Goldblatt, ASC, BSC, Greg Gorman, Simon Bruty, Laura El-Tantawy, and Richard Barnes.
The Black Kung Fu Experience

2012

The Black Kung Fu Experience

2012
4.8
This film focuses on how a group of African American pioneers became respected masters in a subculture dominated by Chinese and white men.
The Big Lonely

2014

The Big Lonely

2014
9
Documenting the 7th season of one man's extraordinary isolation in the wilderness, The Big Lonely captures the essence of loneliness, survival, and resilience of the human spirit in a uniquely filmed manner. Director David Manougian unveils the captivating, intimate and redemptive story of Michael Nelms and his dog Tic, who, after becoming homeless, chose a life in a remote wilderness hideout over "living under a bridge."
Lost Airmen of Buchenwald

2021

Lost Airmen of Buchenwald

2021
8
Chronicles the little-known story of Allied airmen imprisoned at the Buchenwald Concentration Camp in the waning months of World War II. In the summer of 1944, 168 airmen from the US, England, Canada and other Allied countries were captured in Paris by the German Gestapo and sent to the infamous "Koncentration Lager Buchenwald" in Germany. Falsely accused of being "terrorists and saboteurs," the airmen faced a terrifying fight for survival and a race against time to escape their execution. A controversial moment in history that their home countries tried to hush-up, Lost Airmen of Buchenwald tells this harrowing story through interviews with seven surviving members of the group, including their heroic commanding officer. The film follows them from their days hiding with the French Resistance to the darkest corners of the Holocaust, where they struggled to survive as Germany collapsed under the weight of the advancing Russian and Allied armies
The Pantry Ghost Documentary

2013

The Pantry Ghost Documentary

2013
1
A California family filmed strange occurrences in their home. we investigated to get the full story and never before seen footage of the first documented spirit entity ever captured on film.
Every Face Has a Name

2015

Every Face Has a Name

2015
7.8
Recalls the day when Holocaust survivors took their first steps into freedom, unaware of their future. Every Face Has a Name puts a name on those nameless faces and lets them recount their feelings of that day, the 28th of April, 1945.