Top Rated Documentary Movies on Kanopy - Page 151

Part One: China in Revolution 1911–1949

1989

Part One: China in Revolution 1911–1949

1989
8
The first film, China in Revolution, describes the epic upheaval that began in China with the fall of the last emperor in 1911. Over the next four decades, the Chinese people were caught up in struggles with warlords, foreign invasion and a bitter rivalry between the Chinese Communist Party and the Nationalist Party. The film highlights the two figures who came to shape events, Chang Kai-shek and Mao Zedong. First they worked as allies to unite the country and then they fought a bloody civil war that was won by the Communists in 1949.
The Walrus and the Whistleblower

2020

The Walrus and the Whistleblower

2020
7.5
A documentary following the legal battles between Phil Demers and Marineland, and exposing the mistreatment of animals in theme parks.
Alex's Wedding

2003

Alex's Wedding

2003
5.5
Chronicle of a rather particular afternoon during which the lives of three people change dramatically: Alex, the husband, goes to his in-laws' to bring home his second wife. Elise, Alex's childhood sweetheart and first wife, accompanies him--as she must, according to tradition. And Josephine, the young bride, leaves her parents to begin a new life.
Lifeline: Clyfford Still

2019

Lifeline: Clyfford Still

2019
8
Jackson Pollock said, “he makes the rest of us look academic,” Mark Rothko acknowledged him as a “myth-maker” and Clement Greenberg called him “a highly influential maverick and an independent genius.” Clyfford Still, one of the strongest, most original contributors to abstract expressionism, walked away from the commercial art world at the height of his career. Extremely disciplined, principled, and prolific, Still left behind a treasure trove of works like no other major artist in history. With a wonderful mosaic of archival material, found footage and audio recorded by the artist himself, Lifeline paints a picture of a modern icon, his uncompromising creative journey and the price of independence.
Secrets of the Surface: The Mathematical Vision of Maryam Mirzakhani

2020

Secrets of the Surface: The Mathematical Vision of Maryam Mirzakhani

2020
6
Filmed in Canada, Iran, and the United States, Secrets of the Surface: The Mathematical Vision of Maryam Mirzakhani examines the life and mathematical work of Maryam Mirzakhani, an Iranian immigrant to the United States who became a superstar in her field. In 2014, she was both the first woman and the first Iranian to be honored by mathematics' highest prize, the Fields Medal. Mirzakhani's contributions are explained by leading mathematicians and illustrated by animated sequences. Her mathematical colleagues from around the world, as well as former teachers, classmates, and students in Iran today, convey the deep impact of her achievements. The path of her education, success on Iran's Math Olympiad team, and her brilliant work, make Mirzakhani an ideal role model for girls looking toward careers in science and mathematics. Written by George Csicsery
The Dalai Lama: Scientist

2019

The Dalai Lama: Scientist

2019
6
In "The Dalai Lama -- Scientist", the Dalai Lama tells the unknown story, in his own words, of his lifelong journey into the world of science and technology, and how the world has changed as a result. With extensive, rare, and never before seen footage, this film tells the very human story of the Dalai Lama that no one knows.
Skin Deep: The Battle Over Morgellons

2019

Skin Deep: The Battle Over Morgellons

2019
9
A nurse journeys to discover the truth behind a disease so bizarre, patients who suffer from it are regularly written off as delusional by doctors and loved ones.
East Lake Meadows: A Public Housing Story

2020

East Lake Meadows: A Public Housing Story

2020
7.5
The history of the East Lake Meadows public housing project in Atlanta and the people who lived there from 1970 to its demolition in 2000, with special emphasis on the activism of Eva Davis asserting the rights of the tenants.
Beyond the Bolex

2018

Beyond the Bolex

2018
7
Filmmaker Alyssa Bolsey stumbles on a treasure trove of vintage cameras, old film reels, fading photos, technical drawings and boxes of documents that belonged to her great-grandfather Jacques Bolsey. Among the many boxes, she spots an old movie camera with the word "Bolex" embossed on its side and a dangling tag with the date, "1927." Entranced, she embarks on a journey to reveal how Jacques aimed to disrupt the early film industry with a motion picture camera for the masses.
We Are As Gods

2022

We Are As Gods

2022
6.5
“We are as gods and might as well get good at it.” This is the audacious opening line of the Whole Earth Catalog, a compendium of wonderful tools compiled by counterculture legend Stewart Brand. A psychedelic experimenter, cyberspace pioneer, and environmentalist, he is now urging humanity to use our god-like powers to reframe our relationship with time and life itself. Today, Stewart is using biotech to resurrect extinct species. He and a team of scientists travel to Siberia to collect ancient DNA in an effort to make a hybrid Woolly Mammoth. Former allies in the environmental movement vow to stand in his way, but Stewart forges ahead in his life-long mission to conserve the whole earth.
The Dilemma of Desire

2020

The Dilemma of Desire

2020
6.5
The Dilemma of Desire explores the work of four women who are shattering myths and lies that women are being told about their sexual desire and their bodies. Coined by artist Sophia Wallace, “Cliteracy” is the understanding that the clitoris is fundamental to the female orgasm. Through her art, Wallace is changing culture. Dr. Stacey Dutton, a neuroscientist, studies the biology of the clitoris; Dr. Lisa Diamond is dismantling outdated notions about women’s arousal; and Ti Chang, an industrial designer, creates elegant vibrators for women. Providing the embodiment of their work are the real life stories of Umnia, Becca, Jasmine, Sunny, and Coriama.
My Year of Living Mindfully

2020

My Year of Living Mindfully

2020
7.5
Shannon Harvey was working in her dream job as a radio news journalist when, at the age of 24 she was diagnosed with a devastating auto-immune disease. Determined to find a solution, she began researching cutting-edge mind-body medicine. Is it really possible, she wonders, that a simple practice that can be done anywhere, any time, by anyone, can ease suffering and promote physical and mental healing? Synthesizing the work of leading scientists with the ways of mystics, she undertakes a year-long experiment, with herself as the subject. Will meditation revolutionize her health and well-being, or is it just another over-hyped self-help fad? This compelling account of her journey provides fascinating insights about how to be well and happy in the modern world.
The Hoy Boys

2019

The Hoy Boys

2019
4.5
Brings alive - through archival footage and other never before seen treasures alongside interviews with Carl Bernstein and other luminaries - the world of photojournalism as it used to be. Frank Hoy and Tom Hoy, twin brothers managed to secure jobs at the two most prominent DC newspapers: The Washington Post and The Evening Star.
Tierra de Patagones: Six Months in Patagonia

2015

Tierra de Patagones: Six Months in Patagonia

2015
6
The 'Gauchos del Mar' brothers pursue their goal of surfing at the Isla de los Estados. They wander the Patagonia for six months, sharing their experiences with the locals, getting to know their ways. They face hard weather conditions before getting to Ushuaia and later they sail through the Beagle Channel and the Strait of Le Maire on their way to the uninhabited island.
Koshien: Japan's Field of Dreams

2019

Koshien: Japan's Field of Dreams

2019
7
Baseball is life for the die-hard competitors in Koshien, Japan’s national high school baseball championship, whose alumni include US baseball stars Shohei Ohtani and former Yankee Hideki Matsui. As popular as America’s World Series, the stakes are beyond high in this single-elimination tournament. For Coach Mizutani, cleaning the grounds and greeting guests are equally important as honing baseball skills, however, demonstrating discipline, sacrifice and unwavering dedication. Director Ema Ryan Yamazaki follows Mizutani and his team on their quest to win the 100th annual Koshien, and, in the process, goes beyond baseball to reveal the heart of the Japanese national character.
Polar Extremes

2020

Polar Extremes

2020
5
Renowned paleontologist Kirk Johnson takes us on an epic adventure through time at the polar extremes of our planet. Following a trail of strange fossils found in all the wrong places—beech trees in Antarctica, hippo-like mammals in the Arctic—Johnson uncovers the bizarre history of the poles, from miles-high ice sheets to warm polar forests teeming with life. What caused such dramatic changes at the ends of the Earth? And what can the past reveal about our planet’s climate today—and in the future?
A Worm in the Heart

2020

A Worm in the Heart

2020
1
Shot in six cities along the Trans-Siberian Railway, this documentary details the current state of the Russian queer community - giving both broad societal overviews and deeply personal accounts from activists and non-activists alike. The film follows Paul Rice and Liam Jackson Montgomery, a gay couple from Ireland, as they travel on the Trans-Siberian Railway, meeting with a diverse range of LGBT+ people-from Nobel Peace prize nominees and drag queens to those who have suffered brutal homophobic and transphobic attacks.
Spain in Two Trenches

2016

Spain in Two Trenches

2016
4.8
The extraordinary and moving story of the convulsive years of the Spanish Civil War (1935-1939) is explained as never seen before. Thanks to the latest digital techniques, this first-of-its-kind production in Spain has restored and colored over 150,000 spectacular frames and sequences in order to depict the great tragedy to take place in Spain. It was three years of fighting, destruction and death, which transformed the country forever and led up to the Second World War.
Sovereign Soil

2019

Sovereign Soil

2019
7
Built on a layer of frozen earth, Dawson City, Yukon, Canada has subarctic winters where temperatures routinely drop below −40°C. Meet the four season food producers who engage in small-scale agriculture, and those who support their back-to-the-land movement. These resilient unassuming farmers have carved out small patches of fertile soil, in an otherwise unforgiving expanse of isolated wilderness, to make a living and a life.
The Good Wife of Tokyo

1993

The Good Wife of Tokyo

1993
6
Kazuko Hohki goes back to Tokyo with her band, the ‘Frank Chickens’, after living in England for 15 years. This wry and delightful film records her re-experiencing of Japan after a long absence, examining traditional attitudes to women and those of Kazuko’s friends who are trying to live differently.