Top Rated Documentary Movies on Kanopy - Page 201

Something to Do with the Wall

1991

Something to Do with the Wall

1991
7
In 1986, Ross McElwee (Sherman's March) and Marilyn Levine were making a film about the 25th anniversary of the Berlin Wall, when the imposing structure was still very much intact as the world’s most visible symbol of hardline Communism and Cold War lore. They thought they were making a documentary on the community of tourists, soldiers, and West Berliners who lived in the seemingly eternal presence of the graffiti emblazoned eyesore. But in 1989, as the original film neared completion, the Wall came down, and McElwee and Levine returned to Berlin, this time to capture the radically different atmosphere of the reunified city.
The Restaurateur

2010

The Restaurateur

2010
6
Documentary about the grueling construction of not one but two world class restaurants. In this food-driven documentary, director Roger M. Sherman shadows restaurateur Danny Meyer, the culinary brains behind Eleven Madison Park, Tabla, Union Square Cafe and Gramercy Tavern in an attempt to find out what fuels his business cravings.
Mahalia Jackson: The Power and the Glory

1997

Mahalia Jackson: The Power and the Glory

1997
10
Documentary narrated by Paul Winfield, this documentary follows the course of Mahalia Jackson's extraordinary life - from her humble beginnings as a sickly child singing in New Orleans churches to her breakthrough with Columbia Records and her ascendancy to Carnegie Hall and Europe's great stages. Her story's told through archival footage and interviews with those who knew her best.
Assaulted: Civil Rights Under Fire

2013

Assaulted: Civil Rights Under Fire

2013
8.5
With the original intention of empowering a citizenry's ability to defend themselves against a corrupt or tyrannical government, the concept today may seem farfetched or the makings of a Hollywood blockbuster. However, it has happened throughout U.S. history. And long before gun control was positioned as a "common sense measure" to combat violence, it was used as a means to oppress certain minority groups. Presently, the growing trend in gun control favors the wealthy and privileged, who leverage their connections to ensure their Second Amendment rights and safety, while those of lesser means struggle. Informative and emotionally charged, "Assaulted: Civil Rights Under Fire" is an eye-opening look at the genesis of the Second Amendment to the Constitution, leading the audience to rethink the issues surrounding gun control, and the effect on civil rights and liberty. After all, what you don't know can kill you.
Intimidad

2008

Intimidad

2008
8
Shot over the course of five years, Intimidad is an in-depth portrait of Cecy and Camilo Ramirez, a young couple struggling to make ends meet in Reynosa, Mexico. They have recently left their 2-year old daughter, Loida, with Cecy's mother in Santa Maria in the hopes of building a proper home and after one year, they return to visit her for the Christmas holidays. But their vacation is barely the respite the couple expected, as Loida hardly recognizes her parents, and a sudden tragedy threatens to tear the family apart.
Booked for Safekeeping

1960

Booked for Safekeeping

1960
6
A training film showing police officers how to deal with persons who are mentally ill.
This Ain't No Mouse Music!

2014

This Ain't No Mouse Music!

2014
7
Loving, music-filled tribute to Chris Strachwitz, guiding force behind legendary roots music label Arhoolie Records. With Ry Cooder, Clifton Chenier, Richard Thompson, Flaco Jiménez and a new generation of roots musicians.
Evergreen: The Road to Legalization in Washington

2013

Evergreen: The Road to Legalization in Washington

2013
6
A documentary on how Washington State legalized recreational marijuana and the effects of this decision on the state, the nation and the world.
From Russia to Hollywood: The 100-Year Odyssey of Chekhov and Shdanoff

2002

From Russia to Hollywood: The 100-Year Odyssey of Chekhov and Shdanoff

2002
7
From Czarist Russia's Moscow Art Theatre to Hollywood's biggest film, narrator Gregory Peck joins an A-list of Hollywood stars to take us through the odyssey of two Russian born Hollywood legends: The great acting teacher Michael Chekhov and the amazing director George Shdanoff.
The Mosque in Morgantown

2009

The Mosque in Morgantown

2009
7
One woman's campaign against extremism in her West Virginia mosque throws the community into turmoil, raising questions that cut to the heart of American Islam.
Do the Math

2013

Do the Math

2013
6
It’s simple math: we can burn less than 565 more gigatons of carbon dioxide and stay below 2°C of warming — anything more than that risks catastrophe for life on earth. The only problem? Fossil fuel corporations now have 2,795 gigatons in their reserves, five times the safe amount. And they’re planning to burn it all — unless we rise up to stop them.
We Are Wisconsin

2012

We Are Wisconsin

2012
6
When a Republican Governor's bill threatens to wipe away worker rights and lock out public debate, six (extra)ordinary citizens force their way into the Wisconsin State Capitol, joining thousands of protesters who spend the next twenty-six days launching a popular uprising that not only challenges the bill, but the soul of a nation.
Angels in the Dust

2007

Angels in the Dust

2007
8
ANGELS IN THE DUST is the story of a courageous, self-sacrificing, fiercely loving woman who chooses a spiritual path over a material one; it tells of the life-changing power of one compassionate heart. For a nation overwhelmed by an epidemic of HIV/AIDS, orphans, rape, violence, and Apartheids legacy of social and political unrest, the film offers a clear pathway of hope and a replicable paradigm for the future.
White Scripts and Black Supermen: Black Masculinities in Comic Books

2010

White Scripts and Black Supermen: Black Masculinities in Comic Books

2010
8
Documentary looking at the introduction of the some of the first black superheroes.
Mighty Uke

2011

Mighty Uke

2011
8
Mighty Uke travels the world to discover why so many people of different nations, cultures, ages and musical tastes are turning to the ukulele to express themselves, connect with the past, and with each other.
Brock Enright: Good Times Will Never Be the Same

2009

Brock Enright: Good Times Will Never Be the Same

2009
7.5
Brock Enright, and his girlfriend Kirsten Deirup drive from Brooklyn, NY to her family's cabin in Mendocino, CA to prepare his solo show at a prominent New York gallery. As Enright struggles to produce what could be his most significant work, his relationship with Kirsten, her family, and the gallery is strained by his violent, sexually-explicit, and psychologically challenging creation.
Underground

1976

Underground

1976
6
A documentary about the Weathermen, founded as a militant faction of the Students for a Democratic Society (SDS), who fought to overthrow the U.S. government during the 1960s and 1970s. The film consists of interviews with members of the group after they went underground and footage of the anti-war and civil rights protests of the time. It was directed by Emile de Antonio, Haskell Wexler and Mary Lampson, later subpoenaed by the Federal Bureau of Investigation in an attempt to confiscate the film footage in order to gain information that would help them arrest the Weathermen.
Breath of the Gods

2012

Breath of the Gods

2012
7
A Journey to the Origins of Modern Yoga. Yoga is known to go back to God Shiva, who perfected 8,4 million postures, according to Indian tradition. Far less known is the fact that yoga is at the same time an early 20th century-creation of Indian savant T. Krishnamacharya, which is what this film is about. Krishnamacharya's life and teachings are seen through the eyes of the director on his search for authentic yoga. His journey leads him from students and relatives of Krishnamacharya's such as the legendary teachers Iyengar and Pattabhi Jois to the source of modern yoga: the palace of the Maharaja of Mysore, where Krishnamacharya founded the first ever yoga school. A feature-length documentary including rare historical footage as well as lavish reenactments.
The Champagne Safari

1995

The Champagne Safari

1995
7
The story of Charles E. Bedaux, Franco-American industrial efficiency expert, adventurer, and Nazi collaborator. In 1934, he bankrolled a 1,200-mile expedition across northern Canada, supported by an outrageously equipped entourage. Documentary about a wealthy adventurer whose Nazi ties eventually led to charges of treason.
Slumdog Children of Mumbai

2010

Slumdog Children of Mumbai

2010
10
Shot over 3 months through the Monsoon, Nick Read's film captures the unvarnished reality of life for four children living in the slums and on the streets of Mumbai: seven-year-old Deepa, who lives next to an open rubbish dump and runs barefoot through Mumbai traffic selling flowers to help support her family; 11-year-old Salaam, who, a few weeks after running away from his abusive stepmother lives rough outside the main railway station; and twins Hussan and Hussein, also 11, who risk cholera and infection fishing for scraps in a filthy canal so they can earn money to eat.