Top Rated Documentary Movies on Kanopy - Page 258

Hearts & Hands

1988

Hearts & Hands

1988
The film chronicles the lives of ordinary women as well as individuals such as Harriet Tubman, Elizabeth Keckley, Frances Willard, and Abigail Scott Duniway through the great 19th century events: industrialization, abolition, the Civil War, westward movement, temperance, and suffrage. For nineteenth century women, quilts were the podium, the pulpit and the judges' gavel, which their society denied them. Their quilts speak the language of abolition, patriotism, politics, social justice, and westward expansion.
Man Oh Man

1987

Man Oh Man

1987
Man Oh Man takes a loving, curious look at the forces which mold young boys into men. Men from all walks of life speak with humor and sadness about what is expected of them. This film explores personal definitions of masculinity, inter-gender communications, self-worth, gender stereotyping, and changing roles. As an honest representation of one filmmaker's glimpse into the male world, it is guaranteed to spark audience interest and stimulate discussion.
Investigating The Historical Jesus

2016

Investigating The Historical Jesus

2016
This thought provoking documentary follows the historical path of Jesus from birth to his crucifixion. Created by a culturally and religiously diverse cast and crew, this film looks to explore the real locations behind the stories. With a eye for education and an open heart, this often touching journey is one of impact and emotionally stirring.
The Greatest Bond

2020

The Greatest Bond

2020
An inspirational and heartwarming one-hour documentary, highlighting the journey of disabled veterans whose lives are transformed through the unconditional love of service dogs that have been expertly trained by female prison inmates.
Hopi: Songs of the Fourth World

1983

Hopi: Songs of the Fourth World

1983
A compelling study of the Hopi that captures their deep spirituality and reveals their integration of art and daily life. Amidst beautiful images of Hopi land and life, a variety of Hopi — a farmer, a religious elder, a grandmother, a painter, a potter, and a weaver — speak about the preservation of the Hopi way. Their philosophy of living in balance and harmony with nature is a model to the Western world of an environmental ethic in action.
Niagara Falls: Raging Rapids

2004

Niagara Falls: Raging Rapids

2004
Now, in an inspiring film, we probe the secrets of Niagara Falls. From helicopter and speedboat, at high-tech labs and at rope's end, we join earth scientists as they struggle to piece together the epic life story of North America's most celebrated natural wonder. We experience the Falls that daredevils and stunters could never tame -- the Niagara that is a vertical battleground between water and rock. Most think of it as a vision eternal, but in fact, Niagara's life has been a geological blink of the eye. Only a hundred and twenty five centuries ago it was unleashed, born of the last glacial surge that swept the continent. Since then, it has traveled more than seven miles upriver, cutting the Earth's crust like a knife. Its relentless procession has granted scientists a breathtaking window into the past.
Something In The Water: A Kinston Basketball Story

2020

Something In The Water: A Kinston Basketball Story

2020
1 in 52 players from Kinston High make it to the NBA, the most per capita in the world. Where basketball provides a way out for many with otherwise limited opportunities, something is definitely in the water in Kinston, NC.
Antietam: A Documentary Film

2000

Antietam: A Documentary Film

2000
Re-enactments illustrate the details of the three principle stages of the battle of Antietam, fought November 17th, 1862. Also features animated tactical maps, dramatic readings of personal papers, and expert narrative commentary.
Harder Than Everest

1987

Harder Than Everest

1987
A high adventure film about Tim Macartney-Snape's incredible expedition to climb Gasherbrum IV - an 8000 metre symmetrical pyramid mountain of rock and ice on the border of Pakistan and China in the Karakoram Range of the western Himalaya. Tim, as part of the US team, was the first in the team to reach the summit, and as he says "the climb was harder than Everest".
The Scent of Fear

2021

The Scent of Fear

2021
The film is a journey around the world where we meet people who are frozen in fear, people who search for them, who find them, who love them. Along the way we meet experts in neuroscience, psychology and politics who show us how society is controlled by messages of fear. The film analyzes the universal question of what fear is and why we are so afraid of it.
How It Feels to Be Free

2021

How It Feels to Be Free

2021
Tells the inspiring story of how six iconic African American female entertainers – Lena Horne, Abbey Lincoln, Nina Simone, Diahann Carroll, Cicely Tyson and Pam Grier – challenged an entertainment industry deeply complicit in perpetuating racist stereotypes, and transformed themselves and their audiences in the process.
Nazi Law: Legally Blind

2016

Nazi Law: Legally Blind

2016
Sobering look at how Hitler and the Nazi party manipulated laws to further their hate-filled agenda. People who were considered physically or racially inferior or disloyal to the state were deprived of their rights and often their lives under these Nazi laws. When Germany was ultimately defeated, Nazi leaders were charged with crimes against humanity in the Nuremberg Trials, in an attempt by the world community to restore the rule of law.
Me To Play

2021

Me To Play

2021
As their bodies give way to Parkinson's disease, two New York actors put their hearts into one final Off-Broadway production of Beckett's "Endgame," the play that posits, "there's nothing funnier than unhappiness."
New Yorkers

1971

New Yorkers

1971
Set in and around E. 77th St., New Yorkers follows inhabitants of the neighborhood, documenting their small businesses, daily encounters and commentary on New York in the 1970s. With the neighborhood experiencing changes in culture, cost and character we get to know a wide range of residence each vastly different from the last.
On The Wild Side

2019

On The Wild Side

2019
What drives people all over the world to hunt animals, often driving them towards extinction? How does hunting affect our relationship with nature and impact fragile ecosystems? And how do hunting lobbies influence law makers and the media? Through the personal story of one ex-hunter, ’On The Wild Side’ unites the global anti-hunting movement, while also providing an overview of hunting throughout history. Featuring interviews with activists, politicians and organisations all over the world, this documentary sheds light on the psychology of hunting and the methods of the saboteurs. Is it possible to end hunting forever?
Laura Ingalls Wilder: Prairie to Page

2020

Laura Ingalls Wilder: Prairie to Page

2020
Laura Ingalls Wilder: Prairie to Page presents an unvarnished look at the unlikely author whose autobiographical fiction helped shape American ideas of the frontier and self-reliance. A Midwestern farm woman who published her first novel at age 65, Laura Ingalls Wilder transformed her frontier childhood into the best-selling “Little House” series. The documentary delves into the legacy of the iconic pioneer as well as the way she transformed her early life into enduring legend, a process that involved a little-known collaboration with her daughter Rose.
18th & Grand: The Olympic Auditorium Story

2021

18th & Grand: The Olympic Auditorium Story

2021
A raucous, visceral Los Angeles tale—seen through the story of a 20th Century fight palace and the remarkable woman who ran it-—reveals battles over race, gender and identity that still roil America.
Target: Philadelphia

2019

Target: Philadelphia

2019
The history of police militarization and black militancy are explored through the 1985 MOVE bombing.
A Tiny Ripple of Hope

2021

A Tiny Ripple of Hope

2021
A charismatic activist works to build a better Chicago for the teens in his neglected community even if it comes at the cost of his home, his family, and his safety.
Angel Wagenstein: Art Is a Weapon

2017

Angel Wagenstein: Art Is a Weapon

2017
As a teenager in wartime Bulgaria, Wagenstein commanded a daredevil Jewish partisan brigade, surviving capture and torture by fascist police. At 94 years old, screenwriter, author and revolutionary Angel Wagenstein offers an account of his life in film and politics. Film clips contextualize historical moments and history contextualizes the films as Wagenstein provides witty and insightful commentary throughout.