Top Rated Documentary Movies on Kanopy - Page 241

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.
Mind Over Matter

2017

Mind Over Matter

2017
A young man born with Cerebral Palsy battles a paralyzed left hand, bullies and stereotypes about the disabled to defy the odds and make it as a rock and roll guitarist. Ultimately, sharing the stage with the very band that inspired him to start (or to achieve the impossible).
Reunification

2015

Reunification

2015
Filmed over a 17 year period, director Alvin Tsang reflects on his family’s migration from Hong Kong to Los Angeles in the early 1980s—fraught with betrayal from his parents’ divorce, economic strife and a communication meltdown.
Black Dandy: A Political Beauty

2015

Black Dandy: A Political Beauty

2015
"Black Dandy," directed by Ariel Wizman and Laurent Lunetta, traces the history of "black dandyism" and the reinvention of "masculine chic." The film pays tribute to the black men who fight against the stigma that comes with being a man of color who pays very special attention to his appearance and his style. The filmmakers also explore "black dandyism" as a form of protest and as a sign of affirmation of black men's existence.
Nude Portraits – Gundula Schulze

1984

Nude Portraits – Gundula Schulze

1984
Photographer Gundula Schulze wrote her graduate thesis on "nude photography of women in East Germany". It's a subject she continues to pursue in her photography. She considers the stereotype of superficial nude photography anachronistic, and talks vividly about being at pains to develop a relationship of trust with the women she photographs. Schulze wants to show what makes up the "whole woman", living up to her position in East Germany. Scenes of women in the professional world have been edited into the film.
Who's Afraid of the Bogeyman

1989

Who's Afraid of the Bogeyman

1989
Portrait of a private coal company in East Berlin's Prenzlauer Berg district in 1988/89. The feisty woman boss runs the business with humour and understanding. Her seven male employees respect her. To the outside world, they are all tough guys, but as they describe their jobs and personal situations, above and beyond the hard manual labour, their vulnerability starts to come to light.
The Street

1996

The Street

1996
The Street is a gritty portrait of 3 homeless men living on the streets near Guy metro in Montreal. Made over a period of 6 years, the film follows the ups and downs of these deteriorating lives and is an intense, intimate portrait of street life.
East LA Interchange

2015

East LA Interchange

2015
East L.A. Interchange follows the evolution of working-class, immigrant Boyle Heights, the oldest neighborhood in East Los Angeles from multiethnic to predominately Latino and a cradle of Mexican-American culture in the U.S. The documentary tells the story of how one neighborhood managed to survive the construction of the largest and busiest freeway interchange in the nation and explores the shifting face of community in the United States today arguing why it should matter to us all.
A Star-Spangled Story: Battle for America

2014

A Star-Spangled Story: Battle for America

2014
"The Star-Spangled Banner" is known by all, treasured for its powerful melody and stirring lyrics. And yet, only about 40% of U.S. citizens know all the words. And even fewer know their meaning. Join us as we travel back to 1814, when Washington D.C. was under British attack during the "Second War of Independence," and the very bricks and mortar of American democracy were reduced to smoking rubble. We examine the battle that inspired witness Francis Scott Key to immortalize its final moments, then reveal how his poem transformed into an anthem.
Final Offer

1985

Final Offer

1985
The filmmakers were given remarkable freedom to record the historic 1984 contract negotiations between the United Auto Workers and General Motors Corporation. Bob White, labour leader of the Canadian branch of the UAW, must also confront his American counterpart from Detroit and succeeds in arriving at a contract that is significantly Canadian. His members had already given him a mandate to fight for independence from the American union. This is an invaluable document for anyone interested in the complexities of United States-Canada relations. It's an extraordinary film about revolutionary events.
Exit: Music

2017

Exit: Music

2017
Five composers have their careers cut short by the rise of the Third Reich.
Sermons and Sacred Pictures

1989

Sermons and Sacred Pictures

1989
"An experimental documentary on Reverend L.O. Taylor, a black Baptist minister from Memphis, Tennessee who was also an inspired filmmaker with an overwhelming interest in preserving the social and cultural fabric of his own community in the 1930′s and 40s. I combine his films and music recordings with my own images of Memphis neighborhoods and religious gatherings" -Sachs
Composed

2017

Composed

2017
Through the lens of professional classical musicians, Composed explores the many ways we experience and can address performance anxiety.
Maurice Pialat, l'amour existe

2007

Maurice Pialat, l'amour existe

2007
A documentary about the life and career of Maurice Pialat produced by his widow, the accomplished film producer Sylvie Pialat. The film interweaves clips from his films with interview footage of Pialat, who speaks of growing up as an only child, his interest in painting, his early influences in cinema from Yasujiro Ozu to John Ford, his disaffection with the French New Wave, and the theme of abandonment in his films. Pialat’s remarks offer insights into his aesthetic strategies and hint at his reputation as a challenging, irascible director, known for having pushed his actors to deliver raw and powerful performances.
Do You Dream in Color?

2017

Do You Dream in Color?

2017
Do You Dream in Color? in this documentary follows four courageous blind high school students. This coming-of-age story see's the students as they strive to prove that their disability will not hold them back from achieving their dreams.
Butoh: Piercing the Mask

1991

Butoh: Piercing the Mask

1991
This documentary pierces the mystery and mystique of a dance movement adored by the West and largely ignored by the Japanese. It uses archival and modern footage of leading Butoh performers and interviews Butoh specialists to throw light on the essential Butoh themes of darkness, violence and eroticism to get to the core of the nature of Butoh.
COINTELPRO 101

2010

COINTELPRO 101

2010
COINTELPRO 101 exposes illegal surveillance, disruption, and outright murder committed by the US government in the 1950s, 60s, and 70s. “COINTELPRO” refers to the official FBI COunter INTELigence PROgram carried out to surveil, imprison, and eliminate leaders of social justice movements and to disrupt, divide, and destroy the movements as well. Many of the government's crimes are still unknown. Through interviews with activists who experienced these abuses first-hand, with rare historical footage, the film provides an educational introduction to a period of intense repression and draws relevant lessons for the present and future.
The Other Side of the Moon

1990

The Other Side of the Moon

1990
The Other Side of the Moon features eight Apollo astronauts who intimately share their experience of going to the moon, describing what happened to them while they were there, and how their lives have been shaped by the experience in the 20 years after.