What's the best documentary you've seen?

ed2hands

Here's one for Chomsky fans. Best doc i've ever seen about Corporate Media.

http://vimeo.com/33442989

Wattle

Just been to Laser and rented out 'Shake Hands With The Devil' about a UN commander in Rwanda at the time the massacres started.

Seanchai

A surprisingly great documentary which I've seen lately was on TG4. Its subject matter is not everybody's cup of tea but it was done very poignantly.

It was called Fearaibh Fionntrá and it went around Corca Dhuibhne in south-west Kerry interviewing men about their lives. A really simple idea, but it was done so well it had brilliant results. I only saw the last of the programmes out of four.

Men spoke about their lives, about how they faced up to the death of their wives and parents, about how they remarried, about how they dealt with bad health and with a hard life. It was so honest it was refreshing in a world saturated with commercialised television.


More, please!

Here's the first episode from the TG4 Player:

Fearaibh Fionntrá

tdv123

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LlzX2u6W_uw

KyussBishop

Just read through the entire thread there, and have quite a few things on my queue for watching now


One not yet listed:
This Film Is Not Yet Rated: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0493459/
Brilliant (and sometimes very funny) film about how the movie industry in the US censors films through their ratings board; get your film rated as NC-17, and it will decimate the profitability of your movies (the most inane/minor things can get a film such a rating).

Some great movie nametips as well.


And other things that are already listed:
Louis Theroux - Every single documentary of his is worth watching, brilliant stuff

Adam Curtis - As above, every single documentary is worth watching

Dark Days: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0235327/
Depressing, but very good documentary about homeless people living in subway tunnels in New York

Our Daily Bread: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0765849/
An unusual and hypnotic documentary, with no narrative, which gives an uncensored look into the industries where our food comes from

skylight1987

Deus Ex Machina wrote: »

The weirdest, saddest, most frightening and beautiful documentary I've ever seen:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dear_Zachary:_A_Letter_to_a_Son_About_His_Father

just followed the link and read about this , how tragic ,what an utter tradgedy .

Borboletinha

Great thread! Lots of interesting stuff!

I second Dear Zachary(so sad but beautiful at the same time)

Also anything by Louis Theroux(my favorite is the one he meets the nazi!)

Michael Moore's stuff is also very good(Bowling for columbine, Capitalism, sicko)

One of the best I watched lately was NIM, about the monkey they tried to teach sign language to. Very touching...

MANUTD99

Putin, Russia and the West. I watch more documentaries than films and the 4 episodes in this series on BBC blew me away.

cocalolaman

102 minutes that changed America - A 9/11 documnetary that does not have a narrator and only uses footage from peoples video camera's and the sounds from their voices and the fire departments radio chatter.Some of the stuff is pretty grim at times (the jumpers). But it's amazing anyway.

Senna - Well I'm a motorsport fan anyway but it's a great story, even if it makes some people out to be the 'bad guys' of the film.

sunshine22

The wild and Wonderful Whites of West Virginia is one of the best that iv ever seen

marwelie

Knuckle (Documentary, filmed over a 12 year period, about Irish Travellers bareknuckle fighting) was on RTE last night. Facinating stuff, well worth catching on the RTE Player

token101

Checkpoint. Fly on the wall, no narration. About Israeli soldiers dealing with Palestinians at varying checkpoints throughout the country. Made by an Israeli. Very interesting.

Inside Job. Film last year about the banking crisis narrated by Matt Damon. Very good film.

The Fall of Yugoslavia. Interesting film about the Yugoslavian wars.

There was a BBC series a while back, the history of terrorism, I think it was called. Once was about the IRA, the others were about various Islamic fundamentalists throughout the last 60-70 years.

Top documentary film is a great site, you'll find loads there.

benway

KyussBishop wrote: »

Adam Curtis - As above, every single documentary is worth watching

+1

I suppose if I had to pick one it'd be Century of the Self, but they're all essential.

Might be a bit controversial here, but I hate Louis Theroux ... find his faux-naive sneering pretty grating after anything more than five minutes. Jon Ronson does the same kind of style, only with a bit of genuine warmth and empathy, the results are a million times better ... imho.

44leto

benway wrote: »

+1

I suppose if I had to pick one it'd be Century of the Self, but they're all essential.

Might be a bit controversial here, but I hate Louis Theroux ... find his faux-naive sneering pretty grating after anything more than five minutes. Jon Ronson does the same kind of style, only with a bit of genuine warmth and empathy, the results are a million times better ... imho.

I don't think you are being controversial, a lot of feel that way about both of them. It was fresh and interesting on the first few outings, now its old and its awkward to watch.

Borboletinha

One of the most amazing documentaries I've ever watched: WASTE LAND
Its got great well deserved reviews. It will make you appreciate your life, no matter how bad you think you have it in ireland.

emzolita

I love shockumentaries or basically anything with fats or freaks in it. my faves include Fat Girls and Feeders, Half Tonne Son, Catfish (although that's rumoured to be faked) Guys and Dolls (about the men who have the real-life dolls)

I sound like such a perve


oh the new channel 4 guy Seyi Rhodes is really good, he did docs on witchcraft in Africa, and the millionaire preachers in Nigeria.

Ironman76

Have seen some brilliant documentaries over the last few months (many thanks to this thread). Below are the best ones Ive seen.

The Two Escobars
- The story of Anders Escober (Columbian Footballer)and Pablo Escobar and how they crossed paths at various times in their lives. Incredible piece of cinema.

Capturing the Friedmans
- A seemingly normal look at a normal family which all turns horribly dark.

Dear Zachary
- This is the one I cant get out of my head. Insane. (mentioned it in an earlier post). An emotional rollercoaster.

Once In A Lifetime
- The story of the New York Cosmos in the late 70s. Went from a handful of people turning up to selling out 78000 seater stadiums.

The Nazis
- The BBCs six part documentary series. Brilliant, but for all the wrong reasons of course. The best I have seen on the subject.

Murderball
- The story of the US paraplegic rugby team. A great watch. The US V Canada is one of the most bitter rivaliries Ive seen in any sport.

Senna
- Just when I thought nothing could top the docs I had already seen over the last few months this one blows me away.

Paradise Lost
- Classic example of the justice system gone wrong.

Man on Wire
- Very original look at man obsessed with his art. Serious vertigo watching this.

fundlebundle

Don't know if it has been mentioned already but 'Being Elmo' is a great doc. Such a feel-good documentary about a guy following his dream.

Spacedog

Anything by Adam Curits, especially:

'The Century of the Self' (the origin of PR industry in 1930s America)
'The Power of Nightmares' (post 9-11 and the politics of fear of terrorism in the west)

'The_Virtual_Revolution' by Dr. Aleks Krotoski (the psychological effect of 20 years of the internet on humanity)

'Funk me Up Scotty' by John Peel (rare archive footage of music made by cast members of star trek, very funny)

Steal This Film 2 - (free to download story of the history of file sharing tha the underlying nature of the internet)

'Privacy is Dead, Get over It' - Steve Rambam, (more of a presentation than a documentary, Veteran Private Investigator shows how he and law enforcement use modern data retention technology and cross referenced data collected largely for marketing reasons, to track individuals)

'What makes us Human' - Study of the many aspects of human intelligence, some of which can be seen in various animals.

Mal-Adjusted

The end of the line. Amazing documentary showing how bad the fish crisis has gone and how governments turn a blind eye.

I am pie

Helvetica and Grizzly Man are both really interesting docu's - possible already listed. Love the post rock soundtrack to Helvetica, it's a great take into the clash between modernism / post modernism and beyond explained in an understandable and relatable vehicle....fonts, in particular Helvetica.

nacho libre

Two good ones I've seen recently are: Which Way Home and Taxi to the Dark Side.

Also William Kunstler: Disturbing the Universe is fairly good too.

starch4ser

Black Tar Heroin:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_OYsnH8zjIs

buyer95

For any of you sporting fans, look up " Guro of Go " a truly touching story, by espn

carfiosaoorl

My favourite documentary is "Occupation 101" I think I posted that all ready. It touched my heart completely. I also want to share this video, I know its not a documentary (sorry op) but I love it. No child should feel this pain:(

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sc4bP88oVXk

Smidge

The Cove
Conspiracy of Silence

Max_Charger

Every Heart Beats True - The Jim Stynes Story

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HUy7F1eBez4


A great documentary for a great man. R.I.P Jim.

Alexis2kool

The Union

kupus

Supersize me, is interesting for me.

Viale Volta

I watched Into Eternity by Michael Madsen (no, not that Madsen). Excellent film even if a little pretentious at times. It's about a nuclear waste repository in the heart of Finland. Very immersive and thought provoking stuff. Have a gander:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1194612/