Top Rated Documentary Movies on Kanopy - Page 183

The Archivettes

2019

The Archivettes

2019
8.5
This inspiring film profiles the Lesbian Herstory Archives, a non-hierarchical, collectively-run archive that preserves the various expressions of lesbian identity, love, and solidarity. Scrappy and determined, a cross-generational team of women steward the collection from a cramped Manhattan apartment to a building of its own. As memory fades and members depart, the volunteer archivists contemplate the safeguarding and transmission of these invaluable materials — and the stories they document — to future generations.
Canine Soldiers: The Militarization of Love

2016

Canine Soldiers: The Militarization of Love

2016
8
A documentary exploring the experience of going to war with a Military Working Dog, trained to find bombs before they can kill or maim soldiers, often at the expense of the dog's sanity.
The Last Autumn

2020

The Last Autumn

2020
6
If the world has an edge, then it is almost certainly visible from Iceland. On the outermost cape, beyond which there is only the inhospitable Arctic Ocean, lies a farm belonging to Úlfar and his wife. This autumn will be the last time their grandchildren come from the city to drive the sheep back down from the hills. An almost tangible cinematic fabric that weaves a tale of an abandoned place where the mist clings to the steel-blue surface of the sea and where the occasional human visitor is sometimes welcome.
Playing Unfair

2002

Playing Unfair

2002
4
Sports media scholars look at the persistence of heterosexism and homophobia in perpetuating gender stereotypes. They argue for new media images which fairly and accurately depict the strength and competence of female athletes.
My Name Is Pedro

2020

My Name Is Pedro

2020
10
This film explores what public education meant to South Bronx Latino maverick educator, Pedro Santana, and what he, in turn, meant to public education.
Leaving Home, Coming Home: A Portrait of Robert Frank

2004

Leaving Home, Coming Home: A Portrait of Robert Frank

2004
6
A documentary on the photographer Robert Frank.
Ballad of a Righteous Merchant

2017

Ballad of a Righteous Merchant

2017
2
Chronicles the making of director Werner Herzog’s 2009 feature, My Son, My Son, What Have Ye Done, providing profound insight into the director and his craft. My Son, My Son, What Have Ye Done was inspired by the true story of an actor who committed in reality the crime he was supposed to enact on stage: murdering his mother. With longtime friend Herbert Golder behind the lens, Herzog reveals the privacy and deep solitude that defines the director and his art.
Cannabis : quand le deal est légal

2019

Cannabis : quand le deal est légal

2019
8
One Note at a Time

2016

One Note at a Time

2016
6
In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, music can save the soul of the city, but can the musicians save themselves?
Hamilton: Building America

2017

Hamilton: Building America

2017
7
This documentary captures the amazing life and times of our nation's forgotten founding father: Alexander Hamilton. Exploring the iconic American political and financial institutions he helped to create - from the U.S. Mint and Wall Street to the two-party political system - we'll examine Hamilton's enormous influence that still resonates today. Ron Chernow, whose biography of Alexander Hamilton served as the basis for the hit Broadway play, along with other notable names including Tom Brokaw and Maria Bartiromo, contribute to an all-encompassing look at one of our nation's most accomplished leaders.
Long Time Coming: A 1955 Baseball Story

2017

Long Time Coming: A 1955 Baseball Story

2017
10
In 1955, when racial segregation defined the South, two groups of twelve-year-old boys stepped onto a baseball field in a non-violent act of cultural defiance that would change the course of history.
Queen of Lapa

2019

Queen of Lapa

2019
10
Larger-than-life actress, cabaret performer, activist, and proud sex professional since the age of eleven, Luana Muniz - arguably one of Brazil’s most recognizable transgender personalities, shapes a new reality for a new generation of transgender sex workers in her hostel by providing a safe working environment in the dangerous neighborhood of Lapa in Rio de Janeiro. Queen of Lapa explores the day-to-day lives, quests for love, housemate rivalries in a turbulent political climate under matriarch Muniz’s watchful and guiding eye.
I'm Going to Break Your Heart

2019

I'm Going to Break Your Heart

2019
6
The long creative and romantic relationship between Canadian musicians Chantal Kreviazuk and Raine Maida is explored in this profile filmed on France's Saint Pierre et Miquelon island.
Pigeon Kings

2019

Pigeon Kings

2019
7
Pigeons do somersaults in mid-flight, and there is a tight-knit community of pigeon breeders and trainers in South Central L.A. devoted to this phenomenon as a competitive sport.
Heather Booth: Changing the World

2017

Heather Booth: Changing the World

2017
10
Heather Booth is the most influential person you have heard of. The newest film by critically acclaimed filmmaker Lilly Rivlin, HEATHER BOOTH: CHANGING THE WORLD is an urgent response to the recent election of Trump and all that has ensued. At a time when many are wondering how to make their voices heard, when civil and women’s rights are under attack, this empowering documentary is an inspiring look at how social change happens. Heather Booth, a renowned organizer and activist, began her remarkable career at the height of the Civil Rights movement. Through her life and work this inspiring film explores many of the most pivotal moments in progressive movements that altered our history over the last fifty years: from her involvement with Fannie Lou Hamer and the Mississippi Freedom Summer Project, to her founding of the JANE Underground in 1964, to her collaborations with respected leaders such as Julian Bond and Senator Elizabeth Warren.
Life Without Basketball

2018

Life Without Basketball

2018
9
Bilqis Abdul-Qaadir broke records and barriers on her way to become the first Division I athlete to play basketball while wearing hijab. When a controversial ruling ends her chances at playing professionally, she re-examines her faith and identity as a Muslim American.
BOSS: The Black Experience in Business

2019

BOSS: The Black Experience in Business

2019
6
The history of business and entrepreneurship lies at the heart of the American story, but often absent are the names and experiences of African Americans who, from the country’s earliest days, have embodied the qualities of innovation, risk-taking and determination to forge a path toward a better life – which is at the heart of the American entrepreneurial spirit.
The Emoji Story

2020

The Emoji Story

2020
9
Emojis are a worldwide phenomenon, with some arguing that these smiling poops and heart-eyed faces are on the verge of actually becoming their own language. Who, if anyone, is in charge of this new global digital language?
Baobabs between Land and Sea

2015

Baobabs between Land and Sea

2015
8
A scientific adventure to encounter the baobabs of Madagascar and the Vezo, a nomadic tribe of the sea.
Seadrift

2019

Seadrift

2019
6
On August 3rd, 1979, a Vietnamese refugee shoots and kills a white crab fisherman at the town docks in Seadrift, TX. What began as a fishing dispute erupts in violence and ignites a resurgence of the KKK and open hostilities against the Vietnamese along the Gulf Coast. Set during the early days of Vietnamese refugee arrival, “Seadrift” examines the circumstances that led up to the shooting, its tumultuous aftermath, and the unexpected consequences that continue to reverberate today.