Top Rated Documentary Movies on Kanopy - Page 302

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.
SoleJourney

2008

SoleJourney

2008
SoleJourney shows how dedicated and courageous individuals, following in the footsteps of Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Jr., use non-violent resistance and acts of civil disobedience to confront anti-gay rhetoric as well as religious and political oppression. This powerful, inspiring documentary exposes James Dobson's Focus on the Family, a well-funded, politically powerful organization that assaults the civil rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people and their families. Interweaving stories of courage and commitment and interviews with movement leaders such as Mel White of Soulforce, Judy Shepard of the Matthew Shepard Foundation, and actor and activist Chad Allen, SoleJourney shows how a small group of individuals take action against a colossal adversary - including a six-day, 65 mile march from the Colorado State Capitol in Denver to the Focus on the Family's headquarters in Colorado Springs.
Yangsi

2012

Yangsi

2012
Jigme Lhundrup is the "Yangsi", the reincarnation of a greatly revered Tibetan Buddhist spiritual master. In this documentary film, director Mark Elliott follows a journey spanning fourteen years, culminating in the Yangsi's introduction to the world as a young man, when he must fully assume the mantle of his predecessor.
Dear Uncle Adolf: The Germans and Their Führer

2010

Dear Uncle Adolf: The Germans and Their Führer

2010
More than any other historical documents, It is the personal private letters written by a people to "their" dictator that provide the most intimate glimpses of the history of the Third Reich. A treasure of more than 100,000 such letters were recently found, hidden in a secret Russian archive. The uncensored letters reveal the true feelings of the German people - their hopes, longings and fears; also love letters, declarations of loyalty, birthday wishes and the occasional word of protest. Like a seismograph, it mirrors the change in mood in Nazi Germany, providing a reflection of the German spirit in the years from 1932 to 1945. A.K.A. Dear Uncle Adolf.
The Gray Seasons

2013

The Gray Seasons

2013
Saint Louis University women's basketball is a longstanding program with a lack of success. Despite the seemingly insurmountable odds, a young, dynamic coach with a history of playing & coaching success, is brought in to turn things around.
The Hidden Art of Islam

2012

The Hidden Art of Islam

2012
Explore the tradition of figurative art at the heart of Islam with host Rageh Omaar. Muslim belief and tradition specifies that there should be no depictions of God or the Prophet Muhammad. In religious contexts, this constraint on what artists can depict extends to human figures and other living creatures as well. These prohibitions have inspired a rich visual culture based on calligraphy, Arabesque floral designs, and geometry, all of which feature strongly in the art and design found throughout Islam, including in mosques and the Koran. With the help of fine art and religion experts, host Rageh Omaar (The Life of Muhammad) traces the effect of these beliefs over the centuries on the art and artists of the Islamic world and considers why depictions of pilgrims taking part in the Hajj pilgrimage have become part of the accepted tradition of Islamic art, including in work exhibited at the British Museum.
Incest: A Family Tragedy

2007

Incest: A Family Tragedy

2007
An intense documentary investigating the dark and hidden world of sexual molestation of children by trusted family members or friends.
James Thurber: The Life and Hard Times

2014

James Thurber: The Life and Hard Times

2014
The first major documentary film on James Thurber's life and work includes a look at the humorist's accomplishments as a journalist, playwright, cartoonist and social critic.
Funeral Chants from the Georgian Caucasus

2007

Funeral Chants from the Georgian Caucasus

2007
A short film set in the mountainous province of Svaneti, documents the performance of polyphonic men’s funerary laments common to the region.
Jim Dine: London

1970

Jim Dine: London

1970
A concentrated look at one of America's early Pop artists, the film was made during Dine's 4-year residency in London. Actively at work in his studio on several large collages, one can clearly see Dine's masterful balance of artistic freedom and control, as he adds and modifies illusionistic images, written words and real life objects to his compositions. The artist talks about his connections to literature and about his frequent collaboration with poets; he also discusses his own poetry, some of which he reads for the camera. The parks and streets of London are the setting for Dine's frank comments about his voluntary exile in that city. On one walk, Dine encounters Gilbert and George as they endlessly repeat "Underneath the Arches" in bronze make-up, their earliest performance piece.
David Hockney's Diaries

1970

David Hockney's Diaries

1970
Renowned English painter, David Hockney, takes us on a visual journey as he shares with us his treasured photo diaries. Consisting of polaroids Hockney has been collecting since 1967, the diaries act as both a tribute and an artist's notebook, often times including images the painter used for his large canvas works. A fine example of Hockney's pictorial inspiration are several photographs of castles he took during a boat trip down the Rhine that were later adapted for a suite of etchings to accompany six Grimm's fairy tales. Seeing his projects long before the work begins, Hockney used his camera to slow time and capture images that would go on to boast his unique style of realism. In David Hockney's Diaries the artist is seen at work on a large canvas of his friends Celia and Ossie Clark and their cat Percy, commissioned by the Tate Gallery.
A Requiem for Syrian Refugees

2014

A Requiem for Syrian Refugees

2014
Scored to Gabriel Fauré’s well-known Requiem in D-Minor and shot in stark black and white with a crew of refugees who felt the urgency to convey their situation to the world, A REQUIEM FOR SYRIAN REFUGEES is a wrenching portrait of survival, resilience and empowerment in the camps of Northern Iraq. An intimate perspective on the daily lives and emotions of their fellow refugees, REQUIEM is also a poignant reminder of the civilian toll and trauma of 21st Century wars and an alarm sounded against indifference to the suffering and courage of millions, a non-partisan call for humanity and compassion.
Every Three Seconds

2014

Every Three Seconds

2014
A documentary about normal people addressing global problems of hunger and poverty.
The Hadza: Last of the First

2014

The Hadza: Last of the First

2014
A look at human origins in the very place of our origins, Africa's Rift Valley
Moving from Emptiness: The Life and Art of a Zen Dude

2014

Moving from Emptiness: The Life and Art of a Zen Dude

2014
Where does creativity come from? Zen calligraphic painter Alok Hsu Kwang-han proposes that it arises from emptiness, from that silent space where the intelligence prior to thought resides. Armed with rice paper, ink, brush and a collection of Zen koans and teachings, Alok opens the door to a world of magical brush strokes and enchanted students. On the verge of his 75th birthday and with a new love in his life, Alok employs his teachings to confront his own personal history. Through his workshops and his art we share a journey of transformation that becomes possible when we are simply 'present, available, playful, and not knowing.' Through Alok we discover that 'in a clear heart, no mountain hides the moon.'
Children of the Light

2014

Children of the Light

2014
"Children of the Light" tells the life story of Desmond Tutu of South Africa. With extensive archival footage, family photos and never before seen interviews, this film shares the legacy of one of the greatest peacemakers of our time.
My Land

2011

My Land

2011
"My land" gives voice to old Palestinian refugees who fled in 1948 without ever returning to their land, and who have been living in camps in Lebanon for more than 60 years.
At the River I Stand

1993

At the River I Stand

1993
This moving documentary recounts the two months leading to Martin Luther King Jr.'s death in 1968, coinciding with the 65-day strike of 1300 Memphis sanitation workers.
Light from the East

2005

Light from the East

2005
A troupe of American actors travels to the former Soviet Ukraine to participate in the first cultural exchange theatre project in history and find themselves trapped at the epicenter of a political revolution.
The Rule

2014

The Rule

2014
See how the Benedictine monks of Newark Abbey, in the heart of one of America's most dangerous cities, are able to achieve amazing success with the most vulnerable population: inner city African American and Latino teenage males. While Newark, NJ, with a high poverty rate of 32%, has an abysmal high school graduation rate, St. Benedict's Prep has a near 100% COLLEGE ACCEPTANCE rate. The film details how their "recipe for success" follows the 6th century Rule of Saint Benedict and how this rule can serve as a model for whole cities nationwide.