Top Rated Documentary Movies on Kanopy - Page 311

Speak

2012

Speak

2012
About the fear of public speaking and chronicles several characters as they prepare for the World Championships of Public Speaking. One leaves behind a job and his wife and 6 kids on his quest to be the best. Another spends 6 weeks writing and rewriting his speech only to write it once more 72 hours before the contest. For another, it is a fight for life that gives her the strength to speak and tell her story while she still has time. They all want to share with the world their very personal stories of triumph over adversity. But only one will be named the World's Best Speaker.
The Curators of Dixon School

2012

The Curators of Dixon School

2012
Public schools don’t have to be a minefield of metal detectors, minimal expectations, and mind-numbing routine. An alternative exists right here in Chicago, at the Dixon Elementary Public School in the Chatham neighborhood, where former principal Joan Crisler and her successor Sharon Dale have implemented the idea that art should be an integral part of the learning environment, with museum-quality works openly adorning the halls. The results, in terms of student performance and morale, have been spectacular, but, as this inspiring but pragmatic documentary demonstrates, there are no miracle solutions: Crisler’s protégé Carol Briggs has an uphill battle applying the same approach at another school, and recent budget cuts have left even the most successful programs vulnerable to the axe.
Calling the Ghosts

1996

Calling the Ghosts

1996
Movie about tortured and humiliated women in concentration camps in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The Visual Language of Herbert Matter

2010

The Visual Language of Herbert Matter

2010
Feature length documentary film about graphic designer, photographer and visual artist Herbert Matter.
Living for 32

2010

Living for 32

2010
Living for 32 is the inspirational story of Colin Goddard, a survivor of the tragic gun shooting massacre which occurred on the Virginia Tech campus, April 16th, 2007. The winning combination of Colin's passion, charisma and optimism has commanded the attention of the American public and media since the devastating incident which left 32 dead and 17 injured. In Living for 32, Colin shares an intimate account of terror he and his classmates endured and the courageous journey of renewal and hope he chose to pursue.
Ordinary Miracles: The Photo League’s New York

2012

Ordinary Miracles: The Photo League’s New York

2012
Ordinary Miracles: The Photo League's New York, narrated by Campbell Scott, chronicles the life and times of the Photo League, a legendary organization of amateur and professional photographers that flourished in New York between 1936 and 1951.
War Don Don

2010

War Don Don

2010
This gripping documentary follows the trial of Issa Sesay, a leader in Sierra Leone's civil war who stands accused of crimes against humanity. Can the trial of one man uncover the truth of a traumatic past?
In the Garden of Sounds

2010

In the Garden of Sounds

2010
«Nel giardino dei suoni» («In The Garden of Sounds») is a touching, poetic exploration of the relationship between mind, body and sound, and a cinematic journey to the borders of communication. Nicola Bellucci tells the extraordinary story of Wolfgang Fasser, a blind musician and soundscape artist who works with severely handicapped children, helping them to find their place in a world not made for them. On his own way into the darkness, Fasser discovered the world of sounds, a parallel universe to our visual world. His far-reaching explorations of sound’s effect on mind and body led him to the field of music therapy.
You're Looking At Me Like I Live Here and I Don't

2012

You're Looking At Me Like I Live Here and I Don't

2012
In Danville, California, Lee Gorewitz wanders on a soul-searching odyssey through her Alzheimer’s & Dementia care unit. Confined by the limits of her physical boundaries, she scavenges for reminders of her life in the outside world. Yet her search is for more than a word, or a memory, or a familiar face. It is a quest for understanding.
Hollywood Chinese

2007

Hollywood Chinese

2007
Hollywood Chinese is a captivating look at cinema history through the lens of the Chinese American experience. Directed by triple Sundance award-winning filmmaker, Arthur Dong, this documentary is a voyage through a century of cinematic delights, intrigues, and treasures. It weaves together a wondrous portrait of actors, directors, writers, and movie icons who have defined American feature films, from the silent era to the current new wave of Asian American cinema. At once entertaining and enlightening, Hollywood Chinese reveals long-untold stories behind the Asian faces that have graced the silver screen, and weaves a rich and complicated tapestry, one marked by unforgettable performances and groundbreaking films, but also by a tangled history of race and representation.
Lads & Jockeys

2011

Lads & Jockeys

2011
In a small village near Paris, 14-year-old boys and girls enter the training center for future lads and jockeys. For these young pupils, the transition between the family environment and this new world is brutal. Though sharing the world of teenagers -- flirting, cell phones and PlayStation -- they enter a world where the comfort of the horses comes before that of the human.
Kapyong

2011

Kapyong

2011
On April 24, 1951, following a rout of the South Korean army, the Chinese People Volunteer Army pursued their enemy to the lines of Australian and Canadian troops still digging fall-back defences, 39 kilometres to the rear. Here, sometimes at the length of a bayonet, often in total darkness, individual was pitted against individual in a struggle between a superpower and a cluster of other nations from across the world. They fought for a valley, the ancient and traditional invasion route to Seoul. If it fell the southern capital and the war, was lost. The United Nations troops had the military advantage of the high ground and artillery support: the Chinese relied entirely on vastly superior numbers. As a result, young men from both sides found a battle which was very close and very personal. The Battle of Kapyong became the turning point of China's Fifth Offensive in that Korea spring... Written by John Lewis
Liquid Vinyl

2005

Liquid Vinyl

2005
Superstar DJs discuss the history, culture, technology, spirituality and the future of electronic dance music - the music that catapulted the Club DJ to "rock star" status and united dance floors across the globe. LIQUID VINYL brings together the DJ's, the people behind the scene, and the dancers from the floor that all ultimately share in the magic of the music
New Muslim Cool

2009

New Muslim Cool

2009
Puerto Rican American rapper Hamza Pérez ended his life as a drug dealer 12 years ago, and started down a new path as a young Muslim. Now he's moved to Pittsburgh's tough North Side to start a new religious community, rebuild his shattered family, and take his message of faith to other young people through his uncompromising music as part of the hip-hop duo M-Team.
Živeli! Medicine for the Heart

1987

Živeli! Medicine for the Heart

1987
This little-known Blank gem is a portrait of the Serbian-American communities of Chicago and California, highlighting their history in this country, their music, dancing, and religion.
Advise & Dissent

2012

Advise & Dissent

2012
Behind the lines in the Supreme Court confirmation wars... where justice and politics collide.
Wild Wheels

1992

Wild Wheels

1992
A documentary spotlighting "car-art" in America.
Automorphosis

2007

Automorphosis

2007
AUTOMORPHOSIS looks into the minds and hearts of a delightful collection of eccentrics, visionaries, and just plain folks who have transformed their autos into artworks.
Advertising and the End of the World

1998

Advertising and the End of the World

1998
Focusing directly on the world of commercial images, Sut Jhally asks some basic questions about the cultural messages emanating from this market-based view of the world: Do our present arrangements deliver what they claim -- happiness and satisfaction? Can we think about our collective as well as our private interests? And, can we think long-term as well as short-term?
Omar & Pete

2005

Omar & Pete

2005
Omar and Pete are determined to change their lives. Both have been in and out of prison for more than 30 years — never out longer than six months. This intimate and penetrating film follows these two longtime African-American friends after what they hope will be their final release. Their lives take divergent paths in their native Baltimore as one wrestles with addiction and fear while the other finds success and freedom through helping others. With extraordinary cooperation from Maryland's innovative reentry programs — many run by former drug addicts and convicts themselves — Omar & Pete also provides a rare glimpse into an intense and very personal web of support.