Top Rated Documentary Movies on Kanopy - Page 110

For Madmen Only: The Stories of Del Close

2020

For Madmen Only: The Stories of Del Close

2020
6.7
Comedy guru Del Close, mentor to everyone from Bill Murray to Tina Fey, sets out to write his autobiography for D.C. Comics. As he leads us through sewers, mental wards, and his peculiar talent for making everyone famous but himself, Close emerges as a personification of the creative impulse itself. He's a muse with BO and dirty needles, offering transcendence despite (or because of) the trail of wreckage behind him.
The Poison Squad

2020

The Poison Squad

2020
8
The story of government chemist Dr. Harvey Wiley who, determined to banish dangerous substances from dinner tables, took on the powerful food manufacturers and their allies.
My Comic Shop Country

2020

My Comic Shop Country

2020
7.3
My Comic Shop Country is a feature-length documentary film exploring the business, fandom, and community of comic book stores across the United States. In 2015, New York's Alternate Realities closed after 23 years in operation, setting filmmaker-and former AR employee-Anthony Desiato on a quest to explore the comics retail industry from coast to coast. Comic book characters are box office gold, but why isn't the same necessarily true for comic stores? See how the 20 shops featured in the film are turning the tide, one customer at a time, seven days a week. Plus: Learn the fate (and future?) of Alternate Realities.
McCarthy

2020

McCarthy

2020
8
"McCarthy" chronicles the rise and fall of Joseph McCarthy, the Wisconsin senator who came to power after a stunning victory in an election no one thought he could win. Once in office, he declared that there was a vast conspiracy threatening America — emanating not from a rival superpower, but from within. Free of restraint or oversight, he conducted a crusade against those he accused of being enemies of the state, a chilling campaign marked by groundless accusations, bullying intimidation, grandiose showmanship and cruel victimization. With lawyer Roy Cohn at his side, he belittled critics, spinning a web of lies and distortions while spreading fear and confusion. After years in the headlines, he was brought down by his own excesses and overreach. But his name lives on linked to the modern-day witch hunt we call “McCarthyism.”
Silicon Valley, Baby.

2020

Silicon Valley, Baby.

2020
5.3
Finnish award-winning barista Kalle Freese travels to San Francisco with his girlfriend to start an instant coffee start-up with big goals. At stake are Kalle's health, relationship and the newly formed start-up.
This Little Land of Mines

2019

This Little Land of Mines

2019
7.7
During the Vietnam War, the US bombed Laos more heavily than any other country had been bombed before. Today, the Lao people live among, and risk their lives to clear, over 80 million unexploded bombs on their doorsteps. With great beauty and empathy, this documentary reveals the unbelievable stories of the men and women at the forefront of this monumental task.
Sunless Shadows

2022

Sunless Shadows

2022
6
In an Iranian juvenile detention center, a group of adolescent girls serve their sentence for the grave crime of murdering their father, their husband or another male family member.
The Village Detective: A Song Cycle

2021

The Village Detective: A Song Cycle

2021
4
Atlantic Ocean, off the coast of Iceland, July 9, 2016. The surprising discovery of a canister —containing four reels of The Village Detective (Деревенский детектив), a 1969 Soviet film—, caught in the nets of an Icelandic trawler, is the first step in a fascinating journey through the artistic life of film and stage actor Mikhail Ivanovich Zharov (1899-1981), icon and star of an entire era of Russian cinema.
Shade Grown Coffee

2020

Shade Grown Coffee

2020
5.7
In “Shade Grown Coffee” you’ll learn about the coffee-making process, all the way from harvesting the ripe cherries to preparing your favourite cup of coffee. Visiting the passionate farmers, roasters and baristas you’ll get rarely shared insights on the business of coffee, and learn how you can enjoy a more sustainable cup – and a brighter tomorrow. A documentary film for coffee enthusiasts and nature lovers alike, “Shade Grown Coffee” aims to deepen your understanding and appreciation of your next cup of coffee.
NOVA: Poisoned Water

2017

NOVA: Poisoned Water

2017
7.3
The water crisis in Flint, Michigan, brings awareness to the vulnerabilities of water systems across the U.S.
The Ringmaster

2019

The Ringmaster

2019
8.3
An aging chef from Minnesota has his life turned upside down when a relentless filmmaker from Las Vegas tries to make the chef's onion rings world famous.
Sorokin Trip

2019

Sorokin Trip

2019
7.3
Documentary about Vladimir Sorokin, one of the most prominent Russian writers.
Leap of Faith: William Friedkin on The Exorcist

2023

Leap of Faith: William Friedkin on The Exorcist

2023
7.3
A lyrical and spiritual cinematic essay on The Exorcist, the last film of Alexandre O. Philippe explores the uncharted depths of William Friedkin’s mind’s eye, the nuances of his filmmaking process, and the mysteries of faith and fate that have shaped his life and filmography.
Queer Japan

2020

Queer Japan

2020
5
Trailblazing artists, activists, and everyday people from across the spectrum of gender and sexuality defy social norms and dare to live unconventional lives in this kaleidoscopic view of LGBTQ+ culture in contemporary Japan.
Secrets in the Sky: The Untold Story of Skunk Works

2019

Secrets in the Sky: The Untold Story of Skunk Works

2019
8
In 1943, in a circus tent in Burbank, CA, a bunch of revolutionary thinkers first gathered together in secrecy to build America's first jet fighter. They were rule benders, chance takers, corner cutters-people who believed that nothing was impossible. I
Cuba's Wild Revolution

2019

Cuba's Wild Revolution

2019
7.7
As the largest island in the Caribbean, Cuba is host to spectacular wildlife found nowhere else on the planet: from the jumping crocodiles of the Zapata swamp to the world's tiniest hummingbird, from thousands of migrating crabs to giant, bat-eating boas that lie in wait for easy prey. Decades of a socialist, conservation-minded government, American embargoes and minimal development have left the island virtually unchanged for 50 years. As international relations ease, what will become of this wildlife sanctuary?
Recovering Paradise

2017

Recovering Paradise

2017
5
A look at the experience of an indigenous community in Michoacán who fought to reclaim their land from occupation by the Knights Templar drug cartel.
The Invisible Vegan

2019

The Invisible Vegan

2019
9.7
The Invisible Vegan is a 90-minute independent documentary that explores the problem of unhealthy dietary patterns in the African-American community, foregrounding the health and wellness possibilities enabled by plant-based vegan diets and lifestyle choices.
Our Time Machine

2019

Our Time Machine

2019
8
When influential Chinese artist Ma Liang (a.k.a. Maleonn) realizes that his father Ma Ke, an accomplished Peking Opera director, is suffering from Alzheimer's disease, he invites his father to collaborate on his most ambitious project to date - a haunting, magical, autobiographical stage performance featuring life-size mechanical puppets called "Papa's Time Machine". Through the creation of this play, the two men confront their mortality before time runs out and memories are lost forever.
Red, White & Wasted

2019

Red, White & Wasted

2019
6
An unapologetic immersion into Florida's redneck mudding culture. Video Pat is a mudding enthusiast who must question his passion, and maybe his entire way of life, when the last mudhole in Orlando is shut down.