Top Rated Documentary Movies on Kanopy - Page 87

See What I'm Saying: The Deaf Entertainers Documentary

2010

See What I'm Saying: The Deaf Entertainers Documentary

2010
7
This inspirational documentary follows four deaf entertainers: a comic, drummer, actor and a singer as they attempt to cross over to mainstream audiences. These uniquely talented entertainers overcome great challenges to celebrate success.
American Cannibal

2006

American Cannibal

2006
4.6
This film documents the train-wreck production and sudden shutdown of American Cannibal, the reality TV show produced by the promoter behind the Paris Hilton sex tape.
Sisters in Law

2005

Sisters in Law

2005
6.6
Set in Kumba in South West Cameroon Sisters in Law follows Adultery, Rape and Abuse cases led by a Female Judge.
The Unknown Soldier

2006

The Unknown Soldier

2006
7
In the wake of World War II, most Germans have been raised with the mistaken belief that the Holocaust had been planned and executed by just a tiny minority of Nazis, namely, the Gestapo and the SS. The sad truth, however, is that Hitler's philosophy of ethnic cleansing, as the Fuhrer so brazenly espoused in his frightening manifesto, "Mein Kampf," had been enthusiastically embraced not only by the entire military but also by most of the civilian population. The long-suppressed proof of their widespread collaboration and participation was unveiled in The Wehrmacht Exhibition, a damning collection of photographs and film footage that toured Deutschland between 1999 and 2004. The show shook the country to its core because it forced folks to face up to the fact that it took much more than a madman and his henchmen to wipe out six million.
Picasso and Braque Go to the Movies

2008

Picasso and Braque Go to the Movies

2008
4.4
The influence that artists Pablo Picasso and George Braque had on the world of cinema is the subject of this documentary from filmmaker Arne Glimcher. A lifelong lover of film, Picasso was intrigued by the machines used to create moving pictures, as well as the images they produced. In this film, artists such as Martin Scorsese, Julian Schnabel, Chuck Close, and the late Robert Rauschenberg reveal how Picasso and Braque's shared love of film helped to create some of the greatest art of the 20th Century. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
Putin's Kiss

2011

Putin's Kiss

2011
4.9
Masha Drokova is a rising star in Russia's popular nationalistic youth movement, Nashi. A smart, ambitious teenager who – literally – embraced Vladimir Putin and his promise of a greater Russia, her dedication as an organizer is rewarded with a university scholarship, an apartment, and a job as a spokesperson. But her bright political future falters when she befriends a group of liberal journalists who are critical of the government, including blogger Oleg Kashin, who calls Nashi a "group of hooligans," and she's forced to confront the group's dirty – even violent – tactics.
Pink Saris

2010

Pink Saris

2010
4.6
Sampat Pal Devi, founder of India’s Gulabi (“Pink”) Gang and fearless defender of the rights of untouchable women, challenges husbands, fathers-in-law and policemen in this immersive study by acclaimed documentarian Kim Longinotto. More than a profile of an everyday heroine, the film captures the courage and sacrifice necessary for social progress.
Becoming Santa

2011

Becoming Santa

2011
6.6
The story of one man entering the culture and character of Santa Claus for a single season.
The Green Wave

2012

The Green Wave

2012
7.7
Green was the symbol of recognition among the supporters of Iranian presidential candidate Mir-Hossein Mousavi. This documentary-collage illustrates with animated blogs and tweets the story of democracy under fire and the dramatic events before and after the 2009 presidential elections in Iran.
An Ecology of Mind

2010

An Ecology of Mind

2010
4.6
A portrait of Gregory Bateson, celebrated anthropologist, philosopher, author, naturalist, and systems theorist. His story is lovingly told by his youngest daughter, Nora, with footage from Gregory's own films shot in the 1930s with his wife Margaret Mead in Bali and New Guinea, along with photographs, filmed lectures, and interviews.
Camp Victory, Afghanistan

2010

Camp Victory, Afghanistan

2010
7.9
Camp Victory, Afghanistan is the true story of the American Exit Strategy. Using 300 hours of footage shot over the course of three years, the film follows a battle-tested Afghan General and the steady stream of U.S. National Guard soldiers deployed to train the men of his newly formed battalion. It is the first film to examine the reality of building a functioning Afghan military-- but it is also a story about friendship and the unlikely bonds that form across cultural, political and social barriers.
Mickey Mouse Monopoly: Disney, Childhood & Corporate Power

2002

Mickey Mouse Monopoly: Disney, Childhood & Corporate Power

2002
7.6
Mickey Mouse Monopoly takes a close and critical look at the world these films create and the stories they tell about race, gender and class and reaches disturbing conclusions about the values propagated under the guise of innocence and fun. This daring new video insightfully analyzes Disney's cultural pedagogy, examines its corporate power, and explores its vast influence on our global culture. Including interviews with cultural critics, media scholars, child psychologists, kindergarten teachers, multicultural educators, college students and children, Mickey Mouse Monopoly will provoke audiences to confront comfortable assumptions about an American institution that is virtually synonymous with childhood pleasure.
Phil Ochs: There But for Fortune

2011

Phil Ochs: There But for Fortune

2011
6.6
From civil rights to the anti-war movement to the struggles of workers, folksinger Phil Ochs wrote topical songs that engaged his audiences in the issues of the 1960s and 70s. In this biographical documentary, veteran director Kenneth Bowser shows how Phil's music and his fascinating life story and eventual decline into depression and suicide were intertwined with the history-making events that defined a generation. Even as his contemporaries moved into folk-rock and pop music, Phil followed his own vision, challenging himself and his listeners. Not one to pull punches, Ochs never achieved the commercial success he desperately desired. But his music remains relevant, reaching new audiences in a generation that finds his themes all too familiar.
Media Malpractice: How Obama Got Elected and Palin Was Targeted

2009

Media Malpractice: How Obama Got Elected and Palin Was Targeted

2009
5.4
This conservative documentary from John Ziegler poses a conspiratorial theory that President Obama was elected through mischievous actions by the media. As part of his theory, Ziegler posits that the press had to put forth a partisan agenda in order to portray vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin as inept and pandering.
The Cool School

2008

The Cool School

2008
5.9
How LA Learned to Love Modern Art. A lesson in how a few renegade artists built an art scene from scratch.
Nollywood Babylon

2009

Nollywood Babylon

2009
6.1
Nigeria's film industry, Nollywood, is the third-largest in the world--an unstoppable economic and cultural force that has taken the continent by storm and is now bursting beyond the borders of Africa. "Nollywood Babylon" is a feature documentary detailing the industry's phenomenal success. Propelled by a booming 1970s soundtrack of African underground music, the movie presents an electric vision of a modern African metropolis and a revealing look at the powerhouse that is Nigerian cinema.
Billy the Kid

2007

Billy the Kid

2007
6.3
"I'm not black, I'm not white, not foreign, just different in the mind. Different brains, that's all," explains 15-year-old Billy in Jennifer Venditti's provocative coming of age film. Following Billy as he bicycles through the quiet streets of small town Maine, we watch him traverse the frustrating gap between imagination and reality, grappling with isolation and first-time young love. By turns exhilarating and disturbing, we see the world from the intimate view of an expressive and seemingly fearless outsider.
Africa, I Will Fleece You

1992

Africa, I Will Fleece You

1992
5.8
This documentary of repressive political realities in Cameroon begins with the 1990 publication of an open letter to President Biya calling for a national conference - and the immediate arrest of the letter's author and publisher. The narration then examines the nation's colonial history, beginning with the first German missionary in 1901, the establishment of schools, French occupation following World War I, the paucity of books written by and published by Cameroonians, and the repression of the CPU, a leftist organization of the 1950s and 1960s. Cameroon and its people are the lark, its feathers plucked first by colonialism and then by native strongmen: 'Alouette, je te plumerai.'
Blood and Oil

2008

Blood and Oil

2008
6
The notion that oil motivates America's military engagements in the Middle East is often disregarded as nonsense or mere conspiracy theory. In Blood and Oil, bestselling author and Nation magazine defense correspondent Michael T. Klare challenges this conventional wisdom and corrects the historical record. The film unearths declassified documents and highlights forgotten passages in prominent presidential doctrines to show how concerns about oil have been at the core of American foreign policy for more than 60 years -- rendering our contemporary energy and military policies virtually indistinguishable. In the end, Blood and Oil calls for a radical re-thinking of US energy policy, warning that unless we change direction, we stand to be drawn into one oil war after another as the global hunt for diminishing world petroleum supplies accelerates.
Tales of the Rat Fink

2006

Tales of the Rat Fink

2006
5.3
This is an interesting look at the Life and Times of car customizer/cartoonist Ed "Big Daddy" Roth. Through the use of many graphically enhanced photographs and "talking" cars, it is a loving look at the car culture in Southern California from the Early 50's to Ed's Passing in 2001.