Top Rated Documentary Movies on Kanopy - Page 17

Echo in the Canyon

2019

Echo in the Canyon

2019
6.7
A look at the roots of the historic music scene in L.A.'s Laurel Canyon featuring the music of iconic music groups such as The Byrds, The Beach Boys, Buffalo Springfield, and The Mamas and the Papas.
Caravaggio: The Soul and the Blood

2018

Caravaggio: The Soul and the Blood

2018
6.7
An exciting and unsettling cinematic journey through the life, work and torments of Caravaggio.
Bitcoin: The End of Money as We Know It

2015

Bitcoin: The End of Money as We Know It

2015
6.7
A documentary exploring how money and the trading of value has evolved, culminating in Bitcoin.
We Were Here

2011

We Were Here

2011
7
A reflective look at the arrival and impact of AIDS in San Francisco and how individuals rose to the occasion during the first years of the crisis.
Frida. Viva la Vida

2019

Frida. Viva la Vida

2019
6.5
The two sides of Frida Kahlo's spirit: on one side the revolutionary, pioneering artist of contemporary feminism and on the other, the human being, victim of her tortured body and a tormented relationship.
Woman

2020

Woman

2020
7.8
The film is based on interviews with 2,000 women from 50 countries, and covers the status of women all over the world. The topics covered include forced marriages, sexual assault, female genital mutilation, acid attacks, motherhood, sexuality, menstruation, education and the professional success of women.
Learning to Skateboard in a Warzone (If You're a Girl)

2020

Learning to Skateboard in a Warzone (If You're a Girl)

2020
7.3
The story of young Afghan girls learning to read, write and skateboard in Kabul.
We Are Twisted Fucking Sister!

2016

We Are Twisted Fucking Sister!

2016
6.5
In 1984, American heavy metal band Twisted Sister became a global sensation. For 30 years, they been synonymous with hairspray, women's clothing and tasteless album covers. Until now. Ten years ago, director Andrew Horn was granted access to the archives of Twisted Sister founder Jay French and he explores the decade that preceded their breakthrough.
National Gallery

2014

National Gallery

2014
7.3
A portrait of the day-to-day operations of the National Gallery of London, that reveals the role of the employees and the experiences of the Gallery's visitors. The film portrays the role of the curators and conservators; the education, scientific, and conservation departments; and the audience of all kinds of people who come to experience it.
Dear Mr. Watterson

2013

Dear Mr. Watterson

2013
6.5
20 years after Calvin and Hobbes stopped appearing in daily newspapers, filmmaker Joel Allen Schroeder has set out to explore the reasons behind the comic strip's loyal and devoted following.
Harry Dean Stanton: Partly Fiction

2013

Harry Dean Stanton: Partly Fiction

2013
6.6
An impressionistic portrait of the iconic actor Harry Dean Stanton comprised of intimate moments, film clips from some of his 250 films and his renditions of American folk songs.
The Lovely Month of May

1963

The Lovely Month of May

1963
8
Candid interviews of ordinary people on the meaning of happiness, an often amorphous and inarticulable notion that evokes more basic and fundamentally egalitarian ideals of self-betterment, prosperity, tolerance, economic opportunity, and freedom.
First Position

2011

First Position

2011
7.4
A documentary that follows six young dancers from around the world as they prepare for the Youth America Grand Prix, one of the most prestigious ballet competitions in the world.
Hitler Versus Picasso

2018

Hitler Versus Picasso

2018
7.3
In 1937 the Nazi regime held two exhibitions in Munich: one to stigmatize “Degenerate Art” (which they systematically looted and destroyed) and one, personally curated by Hitler, to glorify “Classic Art”. This immersive new documentary reveals the Nazi’s complicated relationship with classical and modern art, displaying an incredible number of masterpieces by Botticelli, Klee, Matisse, Monet, Chagall, Renoir and Gauguin amongst others, intertwined with human stories from the most infamous period of the twentieth century. A state-of-the-art detective story exploring the Nazis’ obsession with creative expression, Hitler versus Picasso combines history, art and human drama for an unforgettable cinema experience.
Strike a Pose

2016

Strike a Pose

2016
6.8
In 1990, seven young male dancers joined Madonna on her most controversial world tour. Their journey was captured in Truth or Dare. As a self-proclaimed 'mother' to her six gay dancers plus straight Oliver, Madonna used the film to make a stand on gay rights and freedom of expression. The dancers became paragons of pride, inspiring people all over the world to dare to be who you are. 25 years later, the dancers share their own stories about life during and after the tour. What does it really take to express yourself?
The Birth of Saké

2015

The Birth of Saké

2015
7.1
Through the unrelenting winter in the north of Japan, a small group of workers must brave unusual working conditions to bring to life a 2,000-year-old tradition known as sake. A cinematic documentary, The Birth of Sake is a visually immersive experience of an almost-secret world in which large sacrifices must be made for the survival of a time-honored brew.
Drew: The Man Behind the Poster

2013

Drew: The Man Behind the Poster

2013
7
A documentary on legendary movie-poster artist Drew Struzan.
Let There Be Light

1946

Let There Be Light

1946
7.4
The final entry in a trilogy of films produced for the U.S. government by John Huston. Some returning combat veterans suffer scars that are more psychological than physical. This film follows patients and staff during their treatment. It deals with what would now be called PTSD, but at the time was categorised as psychoneurosis or shell-shock. Government officials deemed this 1946 film counterproductive to postwar efforts; it was not shown publicly until 1981.
The Decline of Western Civilization Part III

1998

The Decline of Western Civilization Part III

1998
6.8
The Decline of Western Civilization III is a 1998 documentary film directed by Penelope Spheeris that chronicles the 'gutter punk' lifestyle of homeless teens in Los Angeles.
The Most Dangerous Man in America

2009

The Most Dangerous Man in America

2009
7.3
"The Most Dangerous Man in America" is the story of what happens when a former Pentagon insider, armed only with his conscience, steadfast determination, and a file cabinet full of classified documents, decides to challenge an "imperial" presidency – answerable to neither Congress, the press, nor the people – in order to help end the Vietnam War.