Top Rated Documentary Movies on Kanopy - Page 303

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More than any other historical documents, It is the personal private letters written by a people to "their" dictator that provide the most intimate glimpses of the history of the Third Reich.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.
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.
February One: The Story of the Greensboro Four

2003

February One: The Story of the Greensboro Four

2003
On February 1, 1960, four college students changed American history. Ezell Blair, Jr., David Richmond, Franklin McCain and Joseph McNeil began a sit-in at a white only lunch counter in Greensboro. This act of bravery is noted as one of the vital moments in the American Civil Rights Movement. Offering a portrait of how four young men whose courage at led other non-violent protests through the '60s.
Gurukulam

2013

Gurukulam

2013
Every individual confronts fundamental questions about the nature of reality, self-identity, and elusive happiness, yet few make these their life goal. An international group of students have traveled to a monastery in a remote area of southern India with the single purpose of discovering these answers. GURUKULAM is a journey into their lives, a wisdom tradition, and the contemplative space in which it is carried.
The MindFulness Movie

2013

The MindFulness Movie

2013
An entertaining, secular, and educational look at the benefits of mindful practice, 'The Mindfulness Movie' brings together an unprecedented group of the world's leading neuroscientists, psychiatrists, authors, and others to decode mindfulness. First, they help to define what mindfulness is and how the concept of neuroplasticity plays into the practice. Then, they walk you through eight practical, foundational mindful lessons--like managing stress and mindful eating. Finally, meet some heartwarming veterans and teens who are using mindfulness to overcome issues like PTSD, depression, bi-polar disorder, anxiety, and everyday life stresses. Everyone, regardless of belief system or background, has something to gain from watching ' The Mindfulness Movie.'
Dwarves Kingdom

2015

Dwarves Kingdom

2015
Dwarves Kingdom is a documentary film about a theme park featuring performances by little people with dwarfism who live in a fantasy recreation of a magical empire. Built by a wealthy Chinese businessman, this other-worldly kingdom, officially called World Ecological Garden of Butterfly and Little People Kingdom, is located in the mountains surrounding the city of Kunming in Western China.