Top Rated Documentary Movies on Kanopy - Page 240

Adele and Everything After

2017

Adele and Everything After

2017
The moving story of a lonely, isolated woman with a heart condition whose life is transformed by a service dog, and what happens when she has to let go of the loyal companion who changed her life.
Richard Wright: Native Son, Author and Activist

2009

Richard Wright: Native Son, Author and Activist

2009
RICHARD WRIGHT was an African-American author of novels, short stories and non-fiction that dealt with powerful themes and controversial topics. Much of his works concerned racial themes that helped redefine discussions of race relations in America in the mid-20th century. Born on a plantation in Mississippi, Wright was a descendent of the first slaves who arrived in Jamestown Massachusetts. This program follows his arduous path from sharecropper to literary giant. Through authors like H.L. Menken, Sinclair Lewis, Theodore Dreiser, he discovered that literature could be used as a catalyst for social change. In 1937 Wright moved to New York and his work began to garner national attention for it's political and social commentary. Much of Wright's writing focused on the African American community and experience; his novel Native Son won him a Guggenheim Fellowship and was adapted to the Broadway stage with Orson Welles directing in 1941.
Will Work for Views: The Lo-Fi Life of Weird Paul

2017

Will Work for Views: The Lo-Fi Life of Weird Paul

2017
A film exploring the life of “Weird Paul.” After 30 years, 2000 videos, 800 songs, & 42 albums, he’s still not giving up on his dream.
Frans Lanting: The Evolution of LIFE

2015

Frans Lanting: The Evolution of LIFE

2015
A dazzling journey through time via the remarkable images of National Geographic photographer Frans Lanting and his epic "LIFE" project, which presents a stunning interpretation of life on Earth, from the Big Bang through the present.
Offshore: Elmer and the Swiss Bank Secrecy

2016

Offshore: Elmer and the Swiss Bank Secrecy

2016
While managers of Swiss banks in the USA ruefully apologize for their tax evasions practices and customer data is disclosed to the American authorities, Rudolf Elmer, former auditor at bank Julius Bär, is indicted for violating the Swiss banking secrecy law on the Cayman Islands. Rudolf Elmer: from insider to critic.
The Red Orchestra

2003

The Red Orchestra

2003
The Red Orchestra was a Berlin-based resistance group that fought against the Third Reich within Germany. The Gestapo labeled them Communists and traitors, and so did the Allies. Only recently have historians recognized them as one of the most important resistance groups. This movie, made by the son of one of the survivors, tells their story for the first time to an American audience.
Mind/Game: The Unquiet Journey of Chamique Holdsclaw

2015

Mind/Game: The Unquiet Journey of Chamique Holdsclaw

2015
Women's college basketball player Chamique Holdsclaw battles mental illness.
The High Cost of Cheap Gas

2015

The High Cost of Cheap Gas

2015
The environmental problems caused by fracking in America have been well publicized but what's less known are the gas industry's plans for expansion in other countries. This investigation, filmed in Botswana, South Africa and North America, reveals how gas companies are quietly invading some of the most protected places on the planet.
Imagining Indians

1992

Imagining Indians

1992
With an all Indian crew, Victor Masayesva visited tribal communities in Arizona, Montana, New Mexico, South Dakota, Washington and the Amazon to produce this film.
Kandinsky

1986

Kandinsky

1986
Colour, form, area - this is the formula of the greatest pioneer of abstract painting. Kandinsky came to art late in life, but his impact through Der Blaue Reiter (The Blue Rider) and Bauhaus paved the way for modern art. In 1913, he created one of the first abstract pictures, the theoretical basis of which was inspired by his essay Uber das Geistige in der Kunst (On the Spiritual in Art). Accompanied by Mussorgsky's Pictures From An Exhibition Labarthe goes on a sensual journey which makes the soul resound with colours and forms. "A picture has to resound and must be bathed in an inner glow." Kandinsky
Just One Drop

2017

Just One Drop

2017
Just One Drop takes a no-holds-barred look at the most controversial form of medicine ever invented. Homeopathy treats the entire person, not just the disease. It’s a specific form of medicine that uses minute doses of a highly diluted substance that stimulates the body to cure itself. It is these tiny doses that causes the most controversy. Researchers believe there is a release of energy in water that becomes mysteriously dynamic. Others think it’s purely psychological or worse, a form of deception or quackery. Yet millions claim homeopathy cures even though there is not yet a satisfying scientific explanation. It remains a mystery.
Shaun Micallef's Stairway to Heaven

2014

Shaun Micallef's Stairway to Heaven

2014
In his youth Shaun Micallef almost joined the priesthood. Now he wonders if he may have missed his one shot at the answers to life’s big questions. Heading to India, a country where spirituality and the search for meaning is very much a national past time, he immerses himself in the Hindu world of Gods, Gurus and the Ganges. In a bid to get to the heart of the faith, Shaun pushes well beyond his comfort zone on a physical, mental and spiritual adventure. He journeys to the source of the Ganges high in the Himalayas - all the while offering his own unique observations on his quest to find the meaning of life.
Nervous Laughter

2017

Nervous Laughter

2017
When winter swells collide with a chunk of reef off the north shore of Maui, massive waves up to 60 feet rise and crash to create the best big wave on earth. It’s called Peahi, or “Jaws,” and every year it attracts dozens of elite surfers from around the world to attempt the lethal wave. More and more, however, it’s the local crew that steals the show. An eclectic group childhood friends that followed each other into the Jaws lineup as teenagers, and through peer pressure and rivalries, pushed each other to unprecedented performances in the ensuing years. Then came the El Niño of 2016, which promised to serve up the largest swells in big-wave history. Follow the crew for an inside look at a season rife with nerves, injury, triumph and friendship.
Architects Herzog and deMeuron: The Alchemy of Building & The Tate Modern

2001

Architects Herzog and deMeuron: The Alchemy of Building & The Tate Modern

2001
Visiting examples of Herzog and de Meurons ground-breaking style, this film reflects their capacity to astonish and explore the way in which they transform what might otherwise be ordinary through new treatments and techniques.
The Gateway Bug

2017

The Gateway Bug

2017
Over 2 billion people on earth eat insects for protein. The Gateway Bug explores how changing daily eating habits can feed humanity in an uncertain age, one meal at a time.
Looking for Infinity: El Camino

2017

Looking for Infinity: El Camino

2017
The film offers an intimate and fascinating insight into the pilgrim's journey, seeking to probe some of the timeless questions confronting humanity.
Amerikanuak

2010

Amerikanuak

2010
A documentary about Basque inmigrants who went to USA looking for work and a better future. Basically, Amerikanuak talks about feeling homesick, about struggling in a different country to make a decent living and about being part of a comunity.
Ocean Driven

2017

Ocean Driven

2017
Making a big wave dream come true. Ocean Driven is a true and gripping story that chronicles the development of South African big wave surfer Chris Bertish. His single minded pursuit of his dreams and refusal to let seemingly insurmountable obstacles stand in his way, culminates with his winning the world's premiere big wave surfing competition at Mavericks in California 2010. Moments after nearly drowning, Bertish takes the world by storm in the largest waves ever seen there. Ocean Driven is a tale of overcoming obstacles and fears, redefining possible, and empowering viewers to never give up in pursuit of their dreams. Ocean Driven features countless big wave legends, ocean specialists, and breathtaking images.
The Days of the Dead

1988

The Days of the Dead

1988
A documentary exploring the varying cultural practices of the Day of the Dead in both Mexico and Chicano/a communities in the United States.
Masculinity/Femininity

2015

Masculinity/Femininity

2015
Masculinity/Femininity is an experimental film project interrogating normative notions of gender, sexuality and performance. Shot primarily on Super 8, the project merges academic and creative critique -- a document of gender de-construction rather than a documentary about gender construction.