Top Rated Documentary Movies on Kanopy - Page 157

No Maps on My Taps

1979

No Maps on My Taps

1979
7
The remarkable spirit of tap dancers and their history provides a joyous backdrop for intimate portraits of hoofers Sandman Sims, Chuck Green, and Bunny Briggs.
Hot to Trot

2017

Hot to Trot

2017
1
Inside the fascinating but little-known world of same-sex competitive ballroom dance, Hot to Trot follows a small international cast of four men and women, on and off the dance floor, over a four-year period.
Cruel and Unusual

2017

Cruel and Unusual

2017
5
"Cruel and Unusual" is the story of three men who have spent longer in solitary confinement than any other prisoners in the US because of the murder of a prison guard in 1972 at Angola, the Louisiana state penitentiary. Robert King, Herman Wallace and Albert Woodfox were convicted by bribed and blind eye witnesses and with no physical evidence. Targeted as members of the Black Panther party the film follows their struggle against the miscarriage of justice and their cruel and unusual treatment. Their story culminated in 2016 with the release of Albert Woodfox after 43 years in solitary confinement.
A Day on the Grand Canal with the Emperor of China or: Surface Is Illusion But So Is Depth

1988

A Day on the Grand Canal with the Emperor of China or: Surface Is Illusion But So Is Depth

1988
8
Director Philip Haas and artist David Hockney invite you to join them on a magical journey through China via a marvelous 72-foot long 17th-century Chinese scroll entitled The Kangxi Emperor's Southern Inspection Tour (1691-1698), scroll seven . As Hockney unrolls the beautiful and minutely detailed work of art, he traces the Emperor Kangxi’s second tour of his southern empire in 1689.
Reggae in a Babylon

1978

Reggae in a Babylon

1978
7
The young, gifted and black generation of the '70s who started the British Reggae movement is captured in this unique documentary. Groove to the smooth sounds and see rare footage.
Crazywise

2017

Crazywise

2017
6
Western culture treats mental disorders primarily through biomedical psychiatry, but filmmakers Phil Borges and Kevin Tomlinson reveal a growing movement of professionals and survivors who are forging alternative treatments that focus on recovery and turning mental “illness” into a positive transformative experience.
Minecraft: Through the Nether Portal

2017

Minecraft: Through the Nether Portal

2017
4
Minecraft: Through the Nether Portal takes you on a journey through the ever-evolving, epic game of Minecraft. Its popularity is opening up a whole new world for this generation, with millions of new players signing up each week. With exclusive interviews from industry experts and Minecraft’s biggest YouTube players, Dan TDM and Ali-A, we look at how the game is now being used as a tool for education and teaching while digging deeper into the creativity behind the game.
Jane: An Abortion Service

1995

Jane: An Abortion Service

1995
1
This fascinating political look at a little-known chapter in women's history tells the story of "Jane", the Chicago-based women's health group who performed nearly 12,000 safe illegal abortions between 1969 and 1973 with no formal medical training. As Jane members describe finding feminism and clients describe finding Jane, archival footage and recreations mingle to depict how the repression of the early sixties and social movements of the late sixties influenced this unique group. Both vital knowledge and meditation on the process of empowerment, Jane: An Abortion Service showcases the importance of preserving women's knowledge in the face of revisionist history. JANE: AN ABORTION SERVICE was funded by the Independent Television Service (ITVS) with funds provided by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
The Black Press: Soldiers Without Swords

1999

The Black Press: Soldiers Without Swords

1999
5
The history of black newspapers in America.
A Crushing Love

2009

A Crushing Love

2009
1
Sequel to Sylvia Morales' film, "Chicana," which documents how five Chicanas balance their family and work.
Strangers On The Earth

2017

Strangers On The Earth

2017
6
A musician walks the Camino de Santiago with a cello on his back.
Men in the Arena

2017

Men in the Arena

2017
8
A touching story of friendship, struggle and triumph, the film follows the journey of two Somali national soccer team friends chasing their dreams in the face of impossible odds. After surviving two decades of war, Saadiq, 17, and Sa’ad, 19, the team’s most promising stars, enter the only televised match of the year hoping scouts will be watching. With passports of no value on the world stage, soccer may be their only shot to escape a growing terror threat, persecution and poverty. Against the backdrop of fear and shared sacrifice, they embark on separate but equally improbable journeys. In the opportunity of a lifetime, Saadiq sets off for America with dreams of an education and a soccer career. Sa’ad continues his career in Mogadishu with the hopes of someday being reunited with his friend. Their biggest dream is shared – to be symbols of hope to generations who have only known war.
The Road Forward

2017

The Road Forward

2017
9
The Road Forward is an electrifying musical documentary that connects a pivotal moment in Canada’s civil rights history—the beginnings of Indian Nationalism in the 1930s—with the powerful momentum of First Nations activism today. Interviews and musical sequences describe how a tiny movement, the Native Brotherhood and Sisterhood, grew to become a successful voice for change across the country. Visually stunning, The Road Forward seamlessly connects past and present through superbly produced story-songs with soaring vocals, blues, rock, and traditional beats.
Bogdan's Journey

2017

Bogdan's Journey

2017
5.5
Documentary about the pogrom that took place in Kielce, Poland in July 1946.
The Artist’s Garden: American Impressionism

2017

The Artist’s Garden: American Impressionism

2017
8.5
Taking its lead from French artists like Renoir and Monet, the American impressionist movement followed its own path which over a forty-year period reveals as much about America as a nation as it does about its art as a creative power-house. It’s a story closely tied to a love of gardens and a desire to preserve nature in a rapidly urbanizing nation. Travelling to studios, gardens and iconic locations throughout the United States, UK and France, this mesmerising film is a feast for the eyes. The Artist’s Garden: American Impressionism features the sell-out exhibition The Artist’s Garden: American Impressionism and the Garden Movement, 1887–1920 that began at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts and ended at the Florence Griswold Museum, Old Lyme, Connecticut.
Brimstone & Glory

2017

Brimstone & Glory

2017
5.5
Tultepec, Mexico is known for just one thing: fireworks. The city manufactures more than half of all fireworks made in Mexico, a good percentage of which will be set off at the small town’s annual festival for San Juan de Dios.
Catching Hell in the City of Angels

2013

Catching Hell in the City of Angels

2013
6
A feature length documentary film representing the 'B' side to the 2012 release 'Something from Nothing: The Art of Rap'. A hard hitting story of life and death in South Central Los Angeles. A struggle beyond the nearby Hollywood limelight among people for whom state intervention comes mostly with a siren attached. Amsterdam Film Festival Winner World Cinema Documentary Editing Award 2014.
A Small Good Thing

2015

A Small Good Thing

2015
7
We've sought ease, comfort and wealth - but are people happier with more money? What is the science behind a good life? Following several people over a typical year, "A Small Good Thing" looks at the simple sources of human happiness.
Love, Sweat and Tears

2017

Love, Sweat and Tears

2017
8
Dr. Pamela Dee is on a mission to "Save The Menopausal Vaginas of America!" Her goal is to de-stigmatize Menopause and start the "Menopause Romance Revolution."
Pencils Down! The 100 Days of the Writers Guild Strike

2014

Pencils Down! The 100 Days of the Writers Guild Strike

2014
8.5
In 2007, the Writers Guild of America, the Screenwriters Union, hit an impasse in their contract negotiations with the Studios. At the center of the dispute was jurisdiction over the internet. Unable to make progress, the WGA called a strike which brought Hollywood to a halt for 100 days.