Top Rated Documentary Movies on Kanopy - Page 138

Fighting for Our Lives

1975

Fighting for Our Lives

1975
5.5
Fighting for Our Lives is a 1975 documentary film produced and directed by Glen Pearcy. The film documents the striking of California grape workers from Coachella to Fresno as they negotiate for a United Farm Workers (UFW) contract in 1973. The film also depicts their non-violent struggle against police brutality on the picket lines. It was nominated for the 1976 Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature.
Breath Made Visible: Anna Halprin

2009

Breath Made Visible: Anna Halprin

2009
7.2
BREATH MADE VISIBLE is the first feature length film about the life and career of Anna Halprin, the American dance pioneer who has helped redefine our notion of modern art with her belief in dance's power to teach, heal, and transform at all ages of life. This cinematic portrait blends recent interviews with counterparts such as the late Merce Cunningham, archival footage, including her establishment of the first multiracial dance company in the U.S., and excerpts of current performances such as "Parades and Changes" at the Georges Pompidou Center in Paris, to weave a stunning, inspiring account of one of the most important cultural icons in modern dance.
David Blaine: Drowned Alive

2006

David Blaine: Drowned Alive

2006
10
The Camden 28

2007

The Camden 28

2007
7
The Camden 28 explores how and why 28 individuals intentionally placed themselves at risk of arrest and imprisonment while protesting the war in Vietnam. Featuring a treasure of archival materials and current interviews with former FBI agents involved in the case and scholars such as Howard Zinn, The Camden 28 is a story about a potent form of dissent that has special relevance to our current political climate.
Kestrel's Eye

1998

Kestrel's Eye

1998
6
Swedish filmmaker Mikael Kristersson directs this austere yet beautiful experimental documentary about two European falcons. Shot over the course of two years, Kristersson manages to fashion a narrative without the use of voice-overs or music, showing the falcons as they forage for food and tend to their eggs. Much of this film, though, is spent viewing the world from the falcons' vantage point -- high up on a 13th century church steeple, watching the groundskeeper tending to the village cemetery and the choir boys growing tired of a long religious procession. ~ Jonathan Crow, Rovi
Hellbound?

2012

Hellbound?

2012
6.5
Does hell exist? If so, who ends up there, and why? Featuring an eclectic group of authors, theologians, pastors, social commentators and musicians, HELLBOUND? is a provocative, feature-length documentary that looks at why we are so bound to the idea of hell and how our beliefs about hell affect the world we are creating today.
Earth

2012

Earth

2012
5.2
Let yourself be taken on a fascinating journey around the world. Experience animal and landscape shots as if you were in the middle of it, thanks to modern 3D technology. The diversity of species will astonish you. Experience an iridescent play of colors as only nature can provide. Modern 3D technology takes nature right into your living room. Let the shots impress and captivate you. This real 3D Blu-ray disk in stereoscopic 3D not only accompanies you through our colorful world but also explains the evolution of our planet, the most beautiful of all planets, the blue planet, our home!
American Harmony

2009

American Harmony

2009
8.5
Every year thousands compete in the world's greatest singing competition - that you've never heard of. AMERICAN HARMONY journeys deep into the ultra-obsessive, zany, and heartfelt world of competitive barbershop singing, where passion is equaled only by raw talent, and the reward is not fame or fortune, but simply victory. The film focuses on four quartets vying to win the International Championships of Barbershop Singing, in what turns out to be the closest and most controversial victory in its 70 year history. Max Q is the heavy favorite - a superstar quartet comprised of former Champions. Looking to upset them is OC Times (The Heart-Throbs), Vocal Spectrum (The Rookies) and Reveille, an aging foursome who that has been together for 30 years. In total, fifty quartets duke it out for the coveted gold medal, while facing the pressures of quartet life - from big egos to brain cancer and everything in between. - Written by Colin King Miller
The Empire in Africa

2006

The Empire in Africa

2006
4
The story of the war the international community waged against civil war stricken Sierra Leone.
Libby, Montana

2004

Libby, Montana

2004
3.8
Nestled below the rugged peaks of the Northern Rockies and along the crystal-clear Kootenai River lies the small logging town of Libby, Montana - an ironic setting for a town where many hundreds of people are sick or have already died from asbestos exposure.
Making War Horse

2009

Making War Horse

2009
9.5
The story of how Michael Morpurgo's children's novel became one of the most popular and acclaimed productions in the National Theatre's history.
Patagonia Rising

2012

Patagonia Rising

2012
7
A documentary that chronicles a plan to build five large hydroelectric dams on two of the world's purest free-flowing rivers in Patagonia, Chile.
Off Label

2013

Off Label

2013
4.8
A road trip through medicalized America, examining the pervasiveness of pharmaceutical drugs through the lives of eight very unique characters.
Beijing Taxi

2011

Beijing Taxi

2011
10
BEIJING TAXI is a timely, uncensored and richly cinematic portrait of China’s ancient capital as it undergoes a profound transformation. The film takes an intimate and compelling look at the lives of three cab drivers as they confront modern issues and changing values against the backdrop of the 2008 Summer Olympic Games. Through their daily struggles infused with humor and quiet determination, BEIJING TAXI reveals the complexity and contradictions of China’s shifting paradigm.
In Organic We Trust

2012

In Organic We Trust

2012
6.5
What’s “organic” really? Are people better off eating organic foods? Are organic farms better for the environment? This film looks into the organic food industry and explore its shortcomings. We will explore cost, access, and health. Most importantly, it will examine paths towards a truly organic, self-sustaining agriculture system with local farmer’s markets, urban farmers, and school gardens inspiring new solutions.
You See Me Laughin'

2002

You See Me Laughin'

2002
4
You See Me Laughin' is a personal journey into the lives and music of the last of the hill country bluesmen who've kept their music alive on the back porches and in the tiny juke joints of the Mississippi backwoods.
In the Bathtub of the World

2001

In the Bathtub of the World

2001
5.5
On January 1st, 1999, Caveh Zahedi started a one-year video diary. The idea was to shoot one minute each day. This is the result.
The Trail Of Tears: Cherokee Legacy

2006

The Trail Of Tears: Cherokee Legacy

2006
4.5
Explore America’s darkest period: President Andrew Jackson’s Indian Removal Act of 1830 and the forced removal of the Cherokee Nation to Oklahoma in 1838. Nearly a quarter of the Cherokee National died during the Trail of Tears, arriving in Indian Territory with few elders and even fewer children.
The Aggressives

2005

The Aggressives

2005
3.5
This acclaimed documentary -- made by one of the fashion world's most sought after casting directors -- picks up where "Paris is Burning" left off, focusing on a group of six NYC lesbians who dress and identify as men, blurring the lines between butch dyke and trans-male identities.
Le Cirque: A Table in Heaven

2007

Le Cirque: A Table in Heaven

2007
5.5
At the end of 2005, New York's famed restaurateur, Sirio Maccioni, closed Le Cirque, destination of the rich and famous. During 2006, he and his three sons, open a new Le Cirque, taking four months longer and $4 million more than planned. The film follows this process, the new restaurant's opening, and the emotional impact of two New York Times reviews over the next few months. Maccioni, in his 70s, seems tired, chained to his work for his sons's sake; then, the restaurant opens and his indefatigable charm returns. It's a roller coaster ride. At the film's end, Maccioni, with a small Gucci bag on his hip, receives communion in a church in his home town of Montecatini Italy.