What's the best documentary you've seen?

superelliptic

This is a great thread, I'll be watching doc's for ages because of this! Heres a few Docs I'v seen over the past year or two that I though were good;

Deep Water (2006)- Documentary about the ill fated 1969 round the world voyage of Donald Crowhurst. Very moving, documentary and well put together. Also available for viewing on Youtube.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rs3Be0klAvA&feature=related


In the Shadow of the Moon (2007) - History of the US space race, as told by 11 of the 12 men who walked on the moon. Very very very good documentary, given the perspective of the interviewees. Also available on youtube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nRusDqEK4aI


Touching the Void (2003) - An old reliable. Documenatry about Joe Simpsons mountain ordeal. Other people have mentioned this one already though. Youtube Link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qjD6Y_YMxZg


Inside Job (2010) - Considered to be the definitive account of how the economic meltdown was created in the US. A very good film, which makes me wish there was one made about the Irish finacial sector:mad: Not available on youtube, but heres a link to the trailer:

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


The Bridge (2006) - Very interesting, but equally very sad documentary about suicide, and how the Golden Gate Bridge is a popular destination for people chosing to end it all. Controversial, but worth the watch if your in the mood for something deep. Not available on YT, but heres the trailer:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zwl-Pa_QT0M

BrianJD

The Bear Family and Me

I could not recommend it enough.

El Weirdo

Jesus Christ. 3 pages in and no one has even mentioned American Movie?! Shame on you After Hours, shame on you.

You will not be disappointed.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P7N2Jz1en4w

ascanbe

'Hoop Dreams', as mentioned by a previous commenter, is the best documentary i've ever seen. The film-makers had set out to make a documentary about the culture of inner-city high-school sports in America. They ended up following two young men from their early teens to high-school graduation age and, almost inadvertently, making a documentary that is an incredible look at American society at that time and young people growing up in general.
Roger Ebert, probably the most well-known American film-critic, picked it as the best American film of the 1990's; to some consternation, as documentaries are not normally compared to/considered 'films', per se.
It really is that good.

Dudess

Fourteen Days In May - so powerful and heart-rending I wouldn't be surprised if it changed some death penalty supporters' minds...

Capt'n Midnight

Seanchai wrote: »

The Revolution Will Not Be Televised
...

Watching that documentary on RTÉ was extraordinary television.

Watching it on TG4 just brought home how lackluster TV3 is

General General

Love American M ovie... but The Corporation... Naomi Klein... mmmm... if I wasn't a happily married alien life form...

Excellent-est is, however, The Century of Self.

F for Fake is a blast (of piss, if you think it is too f-arty).

However, mockumentary is where it is at... as it is a kind of documentary...

Spinal Tap & Mr. Bob Roberts.

AskMyChocolate

Einhard wrote: »

The American Civil War by Ken Burns. Over ten hours long so you might want to give yourself more than a single evening!

Well, I know what I'll be voting for, next time The Star Wars Trilogy or The Godfather Trilogy are suggested for a weekend veg-fest. (Btw, not that either are bad, but I've seen them a few times.)

I haven't read the whole thread, so, sorry if this has already been suggested, but, Horizon's documentary on Andrew Wiles' solving of Fermat's last Theorem is a cracker (even if you're not into Maths).

Think "A Beautiful Mind" without the beefcake, or Jennifer Connelly (Raaar).:pac:

joe stodge

ANVIL: the story of anvil

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FF4H8lB2Y_o

a glorious tale of failure and success!!!

Rachiee

cave of forgotten dreams was spectacular plus the only 3D film i've seen where the 3D wasnt just a superfluous novelty factor i feel sorry for everyone who didint see it and for myself that I only saw it once

dark crystal

The Dying Rooms was a 1995 BBC documentary I'll never forget.

It told of the appalling neglect suffered by babies and children in Chinese orphanages. I still have nightmares to this day about some of the images I witnessed in that film.

Heartbreaking stuff.

Paparazzo

2 Muhammad Ali documentarys:
When we were kings
Trilla in Manila

First makes Ali out to be a hero, second one paints a much darker picture of him.

Smiley G

Louis Theroux's Docs ... almost all of them, but especially the one on the most hated family in america.

It is crazy!

major bill

love anything channel 4 comes out with.

a couple of ones that i enjoyed....

the boy whos skin fell off
my beutiful face
Britains worst clamper
louis theroux(all of them)
britains toughest men
Rte's documentry on the Irish roots of the yorkshire ripper
donal mcyntiers(spelling) documentry on the chelsea headhunters(made a show of them)

krudler

Reefer Madness.



:pac:

SpatialPlanning

http://documentarystorm.com/ <--- Brilliant site. Hundreds of documentaries to watch on it, including many of the previously mentioned ones.

My fav. documentaries:

ESPN's 30 for 30 series. 30 documentaries about famous happenings in the world of sport and beyond.

Once brothers - about two outstanding Yugoslavian basketballers (both played in teh NBA) whose friendship was torn apart by war.

The Fab 5 - Most famous college basketball team in history. 5 freshmen started on the same team for the first time ever and changed the face of college basketball forever.

Jordan Rides The Bus - Story about why Micheal Jordan quit basketball during his prime years to play baseball, and what he had to go through.

The Two Escobars - Story of Andreas Escobar (Columbian player murdered for scoring an own goal at USA 1994) and Pablo Escobar (funded the national team with drug money for years) and what was happening in Columbia at that time.

June 17th, 1994 - Documentary about all of the amazing events that happened in America on this day. It isn't narrated, it's actual TV footage that happened on the day. News broadcasts couldn't follow one story so they kept switching between stories and events. OJ Simpson car chase, Arnold Palmer's last US Open round, Kick Off of the world cup, world series win by rangers, NBA finals. Enthralling stuff!

Restrepo - Following soldiers in one of the worst areas in Afghanistan.

Hoop Dreams - Following two promising, inner city, black kids as they try and make it to the NBA.

Spunge

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zwl-Pa_QT0M

This one is great.

Also watching Cosmos: A Personal Voyage with Carl Sagan at the moment, great stuff, even though its like 30 years old.

firefly08

Great thread...loads of cool stuff to look up now! Some awesome documentaries recently seen that spring to mind are

The Secret Rulers Of The World by Jon Ronson. This was the first 'crazy people' thing he did (before The Men Who Stare At Goats). The Ruby Ridge segment was one of the most disturbing things I've ever seen.

Senna - the 2010 documentary by Asif Kapadia. I promise you don't have to be an F1 fan to enjoy it (I'm not) - it's just the story of one remarkably talented buy with a really big heart. Huge loss to the world.

The World At War is still my favourite though, and probably always will be. That is an epic film that captures the very best and the very worst of mankind's capability, and everything in between. Not to mention being a priceless historical archive of one of the most important events in centuries. Already, less than a century later there seems to be an increasing number of people worldwide who would be surprised by it's content, or would not even believe it.

Surrender

Capturing the Friedmans
Could be my favorite doc ever
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0342172/

The Tillman Story
Pat Tillman never thought of himself as a hero. His choice to leave a multimillion-dollar football contract and join the military wasn't done for any reason other than he felt it was the right thing to do. The fact that the military manipulated his tragic death in the line of duty into a propaganda tool is unfathomable and thoroughly explored in Amir Bar-Lev's riveting and enraging documentary.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1568334/

Exit Through the Gift Shop
The story of how an eccentric French shop keeper and amateur film maker attempted to locate and befriend Banksy
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1587707/

Send a Bullet
Brazil - Kidnapping.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0912590/

Murderball
Wheelchair Rugby
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0436613/

Irish docs that rawk:

His and Hers
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1550533/

Pyjama Girls
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1667473/

Deliver us from Evil
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0814075/

Caoimhín

The Fog of War: Eleven Lessons from the Life of Robert S. McNamara.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Fog_of_War

A 2003 American documentary film about the life and times of former U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert S. McNamara as well as illustrating his observations of the nature of modern warfare.

Orando Broom

Spunge wrote: »

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zwl-Pa_QT0M

This one is great.

Also watching Cosmos: A Personal Voyage with Carl Sagan at the moment, great stuff, even though its like 30 years old.

The Bridge is good but seriously depressing.

crazygeryy

dear zachary

the devil and daniel johnston

human planet

GrizzlyMan

The Cove
Grizzlyman
The Human Planet
The Story of Anvil
anything by louis theroux
David attenborough - Life in the undergrowth

Scotty #

The one in my sig is excellent. Really worth the watch. It's a f**king scandal what's going on!!

ibarelycare

solerina wrote: »

The Boy Whose Skin fell off
about Jonny Kennedy who had EB.....sad but inspirational.

This is the most moving documentary I've ever seen. So sad, but also quite funny.

If anyone hasn't seen it, it's well worth a watch. It's available here on 4oD. It's about a man who suffers with EB, a horrible skin disorder. I remember the first time it was ever aired on Channel 4. I signed up to Debra (the charity for the disorder) the next day!



Channel 4 also did a great documentary on the Indonesian Tsunami called Tsunami Caught on Camera. It's mainly amateur footage of the tsunami as it happened and it's amazing. They interview survivors of it too, including some who lost family members. Very very sad.

sensibleken

Heavy Metal parking lot was a work of genius

skinsseries3

Swansea Love Story

Padraig Mor

The Battle of Chernobyl, just shown last night on Discovery (repeat). Fascinating insight into the events and clean up that took place in the months after the accident. Amazing footage of soldiers donned up in lead shovelling highly radioactive graphite off the reactor roof, and having only 45 seconds to do so before receiving a dangerous dose of radiation.

Mr. Death: The Rise and Fall of Fred A. Leuchter Jr. by Erroll Morris (Thin Blue Line, Fog of War) details the conversion of an apparently pretty nice guy to the holocaust revisionism cause and his subsequent persecution.

Da Shins Kelly

Smiley G wrote: »

Louis Theroux's Docs ... almost all of them, but especially the one on the most hated family in america.

It is crazy!

I've got mad love for Louis Theroux, I think I've seen all of his documentaries. I watched Dig! about the Brian Jonestown Massacre too, and thought it was fantastic. Interesting to see up close someone like Anton Newcombe - super talented, but completely self-destructive. I think I'm definitely gonna give Hoop Dreams a watch after all the recommendations here too.

Nodin

"Manafacturing Consent" - old, but well worth a goo.

"Revolution Will Not Be Televised" - Excellent and Irish made too.


Some off-beat recommends -

"Arms in Action" is a good one for ye with an interest in medieval weaponry, though old now.

"Weapons that made Britain" likewise, and is more recent.

"Surviving the Battle" - three documentaries about historic battles. Quite good.