Top Rated Documentary Movies on Kanopy - Page 251

Paraiso For Sale

2011

Paraiso For Sale

2011
In a case of indigenism verses corporate greed, this compelling documentary chronicles the ongoing battle between the locals of Panama's Bocas del Toro and the commercial developers and migrating Americans who have seized upon the tropical paradise.
The Man from Coxs River

2014

The Man from Coxs River

2014
Can a mission to save a mob of brumbies in an inaccessible wilderness bring fiercely independent horseman and feral control National Parks Ranger to see the world through each other's eyes?
Whispers of Angels: A Story of the Underground Railroad

2002

Whispers of Angels: A Story of the Underground Railroad

2002
Combining archival photographs, interviews with historians and dramatic reenactments starring Blair Underwood and Ed Asner, this documentary recounts the gripping story of the Civil War-era Underground Railroad that shepherded slaves to freedom. Harriet Tubman, Thomas Garrett and William Still, whose tireless public efforts and clandestine activities kept the Railroad running, are among the abolitionist personalities highlighted.
Rickover: The Birth of Nuclear Power

2014

Rickover: The Birth of Nuclear Power

2014
Dive into the life of the father of the nuclear Navy: Hyman Rickover. Combative, provocative, and blunt, Admiral Hyman G. Rickover was a flamboyant maverick and a unique American hero. When few thought it possible, then-Captain Rickover harnessed the power of the atom to drive the first nuclear-powered submarine, the USS Nautilus, whose trip under the polar ice pack was one of the great adventure stories of the 1950s. Later, Rickover built the world's first nuclear aircraft carrier and the first commercial nuclear power plant at Shippingport, PA. Rickover's achievements made him into a national celebrity, and he appeared on the cover of Time magazine. Many wonder whether America can maintain its technological pre-eminence and whether we can still build and manage large-scale projects. To understand these issues, Rickover considers the story of the man who created the nuclear Navy as well as the civilian nuclear power industry: Hyman G. Rickover.
Miss Hill: Making Dance Matter

2014

Miss Hill: Making Dance Matter

2014
Miss Hill: Making Dance Matter tells the inspiring and largely unknown story of a woman whose life was defined by her love for dance. Martha Hill emerges as dance's secret weapon, someone who fought against great odds to establish dance as a legitimate art form in America. Through archival footage, lively interviews with friends and intimates, and rare footage of the spirited subject, the film explores Hills's arduous path from a Bible Belt childhood in Ohio to the halls of academe at NYU and Bennington College to a position of power and influence as Juilliard's founding director of dance (1952-1985). Peppered with anecdotal material delivered by dance notables who knew her, this revelatory story depicts her struggles and successes, including the battle royal that accompanied her move to the Lincoln Center campus.
Daughters of Dolma

2013

Daughters of Dolma

2013
Dolma is the Tibetan name of Tara, a Buddhist female deity, and means 'she who saves'. Dolma is regarded as a Bodhisattva of compassion and action. She is known as the mother of all buddhas. Our team felt that Dolma relates to the message we would like to convey via our movie and used her name in the documentary title. One of the main legends about her origin as a bodhisattva tells a story of a young princess who lived in a different world millions of years ago. Her name is Jnanachandra.
The Wandering Muse

2014

The Wandering Muse

2014
Explores the vibrant array of musical interpretations of Jewish identities, from ram's horn to beatbox, from Uganda to Argentina.
Not My Life

2011

Not My Life

2011
Not My Life comprehensively depicts the cruel and dehumanizing practices of human trafficking and modern slavery on a global scale. Filmed on five continents, in a dozen countries, Not My Life takes viewers into a world where millions of children are exploited through an astonishing array of practices including forced labor, sex tourism, sexual exploitation, and child soldiering.
The Paper Mirror

2012

The Paper Mirror

2012
Charissa King O'Brien's intimate short documentary captures this pivotal collaboration between two influential artists, as world-renowned painter Riva Lehrer completes a compelling portrait of Alison Bechdel ("Dykes to Watch Out For," "Are You My Mother," "Fun Home") over the course of two years, yielding a highly satisfying work of psychological insight
Mr. Civil Rights: Thurgood Marshall and the NAACP

2014

Mr. Civil Rights: Thurgood Marshall and the NAACP

2014
Civil rights attorney Thurgood Marshall's triumph in the 1954 Brown v. Board of Education Supreme Court decision to desegregate America's public schools completed the final leg of a journey of over 20 years laying the groundwork to end legal segregation. He won more Supreme Court cases than any lawyer in American history, making the work of civil rights pioneers like the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Rosa Parks possible.
We'll Never Turn Back

1963

We'll Never Turn Back

1963
"We'll Never Turn Back" was filmed in Mississippi in 1963 during the dangerous voter registration drives of that era. Amzie Moore, a Mississippi NAACP activist escorted the film maker through rural Mississippi interviewing share croppers and activists in the voter registration campaign. Appearing in the film are Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) leaders Julian Bond, Bob Moses, Fannie Lou Hamer, Charles McLaurin as well as other local civil rights leaders Curtis Hayes and Hollis Watkins. There are interviews with black farmers and share croppers on their experiences (often bloody) trying to register to vote.
The Love Market

2009

The Love Market

2009
In Vietnam, there is a special market to find a mate. The Hmong people have a long tradition to go to this annual market where all people, married or single, can regain their freedom to love.
Frederick Law Olmsted: Designing America

2014

Frederick Law Olmsted: Designing America

2014
To Olmsted, a park was both a work of art and a necessity for urban life. Olmsted’s efforts to preserve nature created an “environmental ethic” decades before the environmental movement became a force in American politics. With gorgeous cinematography, and compelling commentary this film presents the biography of a man whose parks and preservation are an essential part of American life.
Eagles of Mercy

2014

Eagles of Mercy

2014
D-Day: American medics Robert Wright and Kenneth Moore from the 101st Airborne (Screaming Eagles) set up an aid station inside a small 12th-Century church in Normandy, France. Over 36 hours, Wright and Moore help anyone brought into the church, even German soldiers. Seven decades later, the blood of the injured remains on the pews as a reminder of the compassion, courage and humanity shown there.
Life on the Line

2013

Life on the Line

2013
Gamble on Super Bowl? Here's the riveting inside story of the world's top pro sports bettors in Las Vegas, during the biggest betting event of the year. They bet with their heads - smart & methodical - while the weekend "squares" bet dumb and lose big!
Children of the Camps

1999

Children of the Camps

1999
Documentary following six Americans of Japanese ancestry who were held in U.S. internment camps during World War II.
Philip Johnson: Diary of an Eccentric Architect

1997

Philip Johnson: Diary of an Eccentric Architect

1997
This documentary depicts Johnson at work and the importance of the architectural act, the actual construction, and how the buildings interact with their environment — in this case, the autumn leaves or snow of New Canaan.
15 to Life: Kenneth's Story

2014

15 to Life: Kenneth's Story

2014
Does sentencing a teenager to life without parole serve our society well? The United States is the only country in the world that routinely condemns children to die in prison. This is the story of one of those children, now a young man, seeking a second chance in Florida. At age 15, Kenneth Young received four consecutive life sentences for a series of armed robberies. Imprisoned for more than a decade, he believed he would die behind bars. Now a U.S. Supreme Court decision could set him free. 15 to Life: Kenneth's Story follows Young's struggle for redemption, revealing a justice system with thousands of young people serving sentences intended for society's most dangerous criminals.
Raising Adam Lanza

2013

Raising Adam Lanza

2013
Examine the life of Adam Lanza, the Newtown shooter, and the battle over gun laws and gun culture. Adam Lanza shot and killed 20 first-graders and six adults at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, on December 14, 2012, before shooting himself.
James McNeill Whistler and the Case for Beauty

2014

James McNeill Whistler and the Case for Beauty

2014
Caustic wit, man about town, James McNeill Whistler was the original art star. Famous for his patent leather shoes, monocle, and uptown swagger, Whistler's theatrics attracted the curiosity of buyers and the attention of the critics. But beneath the high gloss and mannered style, the struggle of this pioneering genius to find his own voice resulted in a breakaway style that moved painting towards abstraction and would revolutionize the art world in his time-and beyond. Best known for the groundbreaking portrait of his mother, Whistler had become one of the most recognized artists in Europe by the time of his death. He is now placed in the first rank of modern painters, his work compared to that of Velazquez and Rembrandt. Dramatic re-creations, art, graphics, and interviews combine to profile this fascinating character.