Top Rated Documentary Movies on Kanopy - Page 247

Habeas Corpus

2015

Habeas Corpus

2015
After the coup d’état in 1973, employees at the Vicariate for Solidarity began the risky road to save the lives of the prosecuted and find the fate of the detained. With time, they understood there was a politics of extermination in place against the dissidents, and that, in order to decipher its functioning and those directly responsible, they had to turn into a sophisticated intelligence team.
The Bible's Buried Secrets

2008

The Bible's Buried Secrets

2008
The film presents the latest archaeological scholarship from the Holy Land to explore the beginnings of modern religion and the origins of the Hebrew Bible, also known as the Old Testament. This archaeological detective story tackles some of the biggest questions in biblical studies: Where did the ancient Israelites come from? Who wrote the Bible, when, and why? How did the worship of one God—the foundation of modern Judaism, Christianity, and Islam—emerge? The producers surveyed the evidence and take positions that are mainstream among archaeologists and historians, although they continue to raise objections among both Christians who believe in the bible as either literal or historical truth and minimalists who assert that the Bible has no historical validation.
Land of the Morning Star

2003

Land of the Morning Star

2003
The western half of the island of New Guinea has been known by many names including Netherlands New Guinea, West Papua, Irian Jaya and Papua. It is an extraordinary place where snow-capped mountains drain into massive rivers and 250 languages are spoken. For centuries, the world has jostled for control of this rugged, isolated region, with its abundant natural resources and strategic position. Through eyewitness accounts and rare archival film, this fascinating documentary paints a picture that is intimate in detail but epic in scope. It is a sweeping saga of colonial ambitions, cold war sellouts and fervent nationalism, which highlights the role of players such as Australia and the UN at crucial points.
Mary: The Mary MacKillop Story

1994

Mary: The Mary MacKillop Story

1994
7
MARY is based on the true life story of Mary MacKillop who in the 1860s began an order of nuns to teach poor Catholic children in rural Australia. When she refused to obey the local Bishop, she was ex-communicated. More than 100 years later, in 1995, she was beatified as Australia's first saint. The film follows her tumultuous journey.
70 Acres in Chicago: Cabrini Green

2015

70 Acres in Chicago: Cabrini Green

2015
Documenting the demolition of Cabrini Green, Chicago's most infamous public housing development, through the stories of three public housing residents whose lives are turned upside down in the name of progress.
Janey Makes A Play

2015

Janey Makes A Play

2015
Follow 90-year-old Janey as she writes and directs her latest original, socially relevant community theatre production for her small town.
Rock the Box

2015

Rock the Box

2015
Seeking to storm the man-fortress of the DJ booth, a 29-year-old university grad is forced to deal with an old feminist dilemma: use your sexuality and get noticed, or refuse to and linger in the shadows.
Genoveva

2015

Genoveva

2015
A photograph of an unknown Mapuche great-grandmother is the starting point of this documentary essay. Through the analysis of said picture, conversations with family members, a trip to southern Chile cities, and an actress who re-enacts the photo, we see the existing prejudice against indigenous people.
Nero's Golden House

2001

Nero's Golden House

2001
Feminists Insha'allah! The Story of Arab Feminism

2014

Feminists Insha'allah! The Story of Arab Feminism

2014
The struggle for Muslim women’s emancipation is often portrayed stereotypically as a showdown between Western and Islamic values, but Arab feminism has existed for more than a century. This groundbreaking documentary recounts Arab feminism’s largely unknown story, from its taboo-shattering birth in Egypt by feminist pioneers up through viral Internet campaigns by today’s tech-savvy young activists during the Arab Spring.
Waiting for John

2014

Waiting for John

2014
If you had never heard of an airplane, would you think it was a miracle when one arrived? Waiting for John tells the story of America's incredible impact on a remote island in the South Pacific and the birth of an extraordinary religion, the John Frum Movement, considered the last surviving cargo cult. We follow the John Frum believers today as they struggle to preserve a culture in danger of being lost to the modern world.
Personal Gold: An Underdog Story

2015

Personal Gold: An Underdog Story

2015
Four underdog women become America's medal hope at the London Olympics when the men's team is banned during the Lance Armstrong drug scandal.
Family Business

1982

Family Business

1982
Howie Snyder is an archetype: a retired Marine colonel in his mid-40s, a prototypical American entrepreneur struggling to make his business go. Howie's Shakey's Pizza franchise in Muncie, Indiana employs his whole family: wife, nine children and Howie himself. He is the representative of the American Dream: the chance to invest long hours and hard work in exchange for financial security for oneself and family.
James Salter: A Sport and a Pastime

2011

James Salter: A Sport and a Pastime

2011
This 54-minute documentary traces the writer James Salter's lifelong love affair with France, unforgettably expressed in his 1967 masterpiece, A Sport and a Pastime. Salter's own reflections on his writing and life offer rich insights for reader and writer alike.
All By Myself: The Eartha Kitt Story

1982

All By Myself: The Eartha Kitt Story

1982
Documentary profile of singer-actress Eartha Kitt.
When You Wore a Tulip and I Wore a Big Red Rose

1983

When You Wore a Tulip and I Wore a Big Red Rose

1983
In the early 1980s, documentary filmmaker Stephen Schaller was instrumental in the rediscovery and restoration of The Lumberjack (1914), the oldest surviving film made in Wisconsin, and produced by a group of itinerant filmmakers who traveled from town to town making "local talent" pictures. Schaller's lovely and sometimes deeply emotional, 63-minute journal/essay film offers a look at the making of the Wausau, Wisconsin classic, including interviews with the one surviving cast member and the relatives of others who appeared in the movie.
Return to the Philippines, the Leon Cooper Story

2015

Return to the Philippines, the Leon Cooper Story

2015
A World War II veteran returns to the Philippines to boost efforts to recover the remains of American GIs still listed as missing in action.
The Trials of Spring

2015

The Trials of Spring

2015
When 24-year-old Hend Nafea is arrested and tortured for demonstrating peacefully in Cairo's Tahrir Square, her pursuit of justice reflects post-revolution Egypt at an uncertain crossroads.
10 Buildings That Changed America

2013

10 Buildings That Changed America

2013
10 Buildings that Changed America presents 10 trend-setting works of architecture that have shaped and inspired our American landscape. These aren’t just historic structures by famous architects. These buildings have dramatically influenced our built environment in many ways – and in one case, for over two centuries.
Guido Models

2015

Guido Models

2015
Guido Fuentes, a middle aged Bolivian immigrant, runs a modelling agency and academy in Villa 31, the biggest slum in Buenos Aires, Argentina.