Top Rated Documentary Movies on Kanopy - Page 54

Peace, Propaganda & the Promised Land

2004

Peace, Propaganda & the Promised Land

2004
6.4
This video shows how the foreign policy interests of American political elites-working in combination with Israeli public relations stratgies-influence US news reporting about the Middle East conflict. Combining American and British TV news clips with observations of analysts, journalists and political activists, Peace, Propaganda & the Promised Land provides a brief historical overview, a striking media comparison, and an examination of factors that have distorted U.S. media coverage and, in turn, American public opinion.
Reel Bad Arabs: How Hollywood Vilifies a People

2006

Reel Bad Arabs: How Hollywood Vilifies a People

2006
5.8
This documentary dissects a slanderous aspect of cinematic history that has run virtually unchallenged form the earliest days of silent film to today's biggest Hollywood blockbusters. The film explores a long line of degrading images of Arabs--from Bedouin bandits and submissive maidens to sinister sheikhs and gun-wielding "terrorists"--along the way offering devastating insights into the origin of these stereotypic images, their development at key points in US history, and why they matter so much today.
Breaking and Entering

2011

Breaking and Entering

2011
6.2
The Guinness World of Records contains the most bizarre human achievements imaginable. But who are the crazy people behind the feats? From the grape catchers, to the hula hoopers and the ‘jogglers’, this humorous, but strikingly insightful documentary introduces us to the colourful characters who devote their lives to the oddest frontiers of human excellence. A delightfully eccentric human odyssey that is not to be missed.
Bonobos: Back to the Wild

2011

Bonobos: Back to the Wild

2011
5.6
The critically important work by renowned naturalist Claudine Andre to save the endangered bonobo apes of the Congo is presented in this visually stunning feature film.
Square Grouper

2011

Square Grouper

2011
6
A colorful portrait of Miami's pot smuggling scene of the 1970s, populated with redneck pirates, a ganja-smoking church, and the longest serving marijuana prisoner in American history.
Harvard Beats Yale 29-29

2008

Harvard Beats Yale 29-29

2008
6.8
Filmmaker Kevin Rafferty takes viewers to 1968 to witness a legendary college football game and meet the people involved, interweaving actual gridiron footage with the players' own reflections. The names may be familiar (Tommy Lee Jones and friends of Al Gore and George W. Bush are among the interviewees), but their views on the game's place in the turbulent history of the 1960s college scene add an unexpected dimension.
Marlene

1984

Marlene

1984
7
Retrospective on the career of enigmatic screen diva Marlene Dietrich.
Chevolution

2008

Chevolution

2008
5.8
Examines the history and legacy of the photo Guerrillero Heroico taken by famous Cuban photographer Alberto Díaz Gutiérrez. This image has thrived for the decades since Che Guevara's death and has evolved into an iconic image, which represents a multitude of ideals. The documentary film explores the story of how the photo came to be, its adoption of multiple interpretations and meanings, as well as the commercialization of the image of Ernesto "Che" Guevara.
Gunnin' for That #1 Spot

2008

Gunnin' for That #1 Spot

2008
6.2
The film follows 8 of the top high school basketball players in the US at the time of filming, in 2006. The plot centers around the first annual Boost Mobile Elite 24 Hoops Classic game at the legendary Rucker Park in Harlem.
The Magic of Flight

1996

The Magic of Flight

1996
6.7
Take a technological thrill ride The Magic of Flight takes you on a technological thrill ride faster, higher and wider than modern science or even your imagination! Relive the first flight of the Wright Brothers, then soar with the Blue Angels as they defy the laws of gravity. Narrated by Tom Selleck.
Last Man Standing: Suge Knight and the Murders of Biggie and Tupac

2021

Last Man Standing: Suge Knight and the Murders of Biggie and Tupac

2021
6.7
Last Man Standing takes a look at Death Row and how L.A.’s street gang culture had come to dominate its business workings, as well as an association with corrupt LA police officers who were also gang affiliated. It would be this world of gang rivalry and dirty cops that would claim the lives of the world’s two greatest rappers: Tupac Shakur and Biggie Smalls.
My Journey Through French Cinema

2016

My Journey Through French Cinema

2016
7.5
Famous French director Tavernier tells us about his fantastic voyage through the cinema of his country.
The Choice 2020: Trump vs. Biden

2020

The Choice 2020: Trump vs. Biden

2020
7.2
A look into what has shaped President Donald Trump and presidential candidate Joe Biden, where they came from and how they lead.
The Artist's Studio: E.W. NAY

2012

The Artist's Studio: E.W. NAY

2012
3.8
A visit to the studio of Ernst Wilhelm Nay, a remarkable, if somewhat solitary German artist, who established his status at age 30, just before the advent of the Nazi takeover. Nay belonged to the persecuted generation of German artists who, just as their work began to blossom, were forced out by Hitler's art dictatorship. Labeling the art "decadent", the Hitler regime called for the removal of Nay's paintings from museum collections and the artist was banned from showcasing his new work. After the end of World War II, Nay returned to painting and worked tirelessly to make up for lost time, producing new pieces year after year and quickly becoming one of Germany's leading painters. Ernst Wilhelm Nay died in 1968 at the age of 65 yet his studio, still intact, offers a retrospective of his work starting from the 1920s. His wife, Elisabeth Nay walks us through the studio, offering insights into her husband's process and creative intent.
Chichinette: The Accidental Spy

2019

Chichinette: The Accidental Spy

2019
6.4
When it seems that all the stories about World War II have already been told, a new one is often found. Marthe Cohn is a French Jew, whose life resembles a real-world blockbuster. During the war, she took the cover name Chichinette, became a spy, and gathered intel that helped organize an important military operation. Chichinette suffered many losses during the war, having been born in a Jewish family in a small industrial town close to the border between France and Germany. Now Marthe is 98 years old. Despite her age, she is savvy in modern technology and loves traveling the globe - she is often invited to go abroad and tell the story of her military achievements.
Cunningham

2019

Cunningham

2019
6.5
The iconic Merce Cunningham and the last generation of his dance company is profiled in Alla Kovgan's 3D documentary, through recreations of his landmark works and archival footage of Cunningham, John Cage, Robert Rauschenberg, and more.
Nazis on Drugs: Hitler and the Blitzkrieg

2019

Nazis on Drugs: Hitler and the Blitzkrieg

2019
6.4
For all its talk of racial, spiritual, and physical purity, the self-anointed “Master Race” harbored a secret…theirs was an axis of drug addicts. This two-hour special explores the origin, impact, and lasting effects of the state-sponsored drug use that helped build—and eventually burned—the Third Reich. Incredible new sources of information, including a detailed journal maintained by Hitler’s personal physician, reveal the extent of not just his, but the entire Nazi Party’s reliance on drugs to power their war effort.
Carmine Street Guitars

2018

Carmine Street Guitars

2018
7.2
Five days in the life of fabled Greenwich Village guitar store Carmine Street Guitars.
Silence Is a Falling Body

2017

Silence Is a Falling Body

2017
5.6
The film follows Agustina as she finds the videotapes that her father Jaime recorded before the accident that took his life. The family secrets surrounding Jaime push Agustina to get involved. Her search will reveal a story marked by sexuality and political activism.
Far from the Tree

2019

Far from the Tree

2019
7.4
Parents of children who have Down syndrome, dwarfism or autism share intimate stories of the challenges they face. Tracing their joys, challenges, tragedies, and triumphs.