Documentary
2011

Popular Documentary Movies

Vito
Vito
In the aftermath of Stonewall, a newly politicized Vito Russo found his voice as a gay activist and critic of LGBTQ+ representation in the media. He went on to write "The Celluloid Closet", the first book to critique Hollywood's portrayals of gays on screen. During the AIDS crisis in the 1980s, Vito became a passionate advocate for justice via the newly formed ACT UP, before his death in 1990.
Vito 2011
Family Band: The Cowsills Story
Family Band: The Cowsills Story
The story of the Cowsills, an American band consisting of family members who rose to fame in the 1960s and served as the real-life inspiration for the “The Partridge Family” TV series.
Family Band: The Cowsills Story 2011
Titanic Arrogance
Titanic Arrogance
One hundred years ago the Titanic was launched. We bring you a new and never broadcast HD doc revealing the litany of human error, from the building process, to the tragic events that led her to be rammed into the iceberg that sank her.
Titanic Arrogance 2011
The Pink Room
The Pink Room
After selling herself at fourteen to a brothel inside her home town of Svay Pak, Mien takes an undesired path all over Cambodia for the remainder of her teenage life. At twenty, her path crosses with a group of people fighting to make a difference, bringing her long and onerous journey back to face where it all began. The Pink Room is an intertwined story of the heart-rending, epic battle to end sex slavery, from rescue to prevention, and experiencing first hand, the need to change not just individuals, but the communities they come from. Most documentaries on trafficking only bring awareness to the problem. This film bring awareness to the solutions.
The Pink Room 2011
Bahrain: Shouting in the Dark
Bahrain: Shouting in the Dark
As the "Arab Spring" protests for justice and democracy spread through the middle east in early 2011, people long repressed by the Bahrain monarchy spontaneously gathered at the central Pearl Square to join in the call for their rights.
Bahrain: Shouting in the Dark 2011
Motown Mafia: The Story of Eddie Jackson and Courtney Brown
Motown Mafia: The Story of Eddie Jackson and Courtney Brown
Eddie 'The Fat Man' Jackson and Courtney 'The Field Marshal' Brown were labeled 'Kingpins' in an era where their names reigned supreme in Detroit. Accumulating more than a million dollars a month in heroin sales.
Motown Mafia: The Story of Eddie Jackson and Courtney Brown 2011
Absent
Absent
Documentary on the social pandemic of fatherlessness afflicting today's societies.
Absent 2011
Under Fire: Journalists in Combat
Under Fire: Journalists in Combat
Journalism in times of war has become an increasingly lethal and traumatic endeavor for the men and women who face constant threats to their lives and psyches. With the death toll skyrocketing from only two reporters killed in World War I to almost a journalist a week being killed in the last two decades, UNDER FIRE weaves together portraits, battlefield accounts and combat footage to reveal what the reporters see, think and feel. Martyn Burke, documentary filmmaker whose work has brought him to battlefields around the world, and Anthony Feinstein, the psychiatrist who works with journalists to heal the trauma, delve into the experiences of top tier correspondents from AP, New York Times, BBC, and LA Times, among others, bringing a unique understanding and insight into the psychological cost of covering war
Under Fire: Journalists in Combat 2011
Wiebo's War
Wiebo's War
WIEBO'S WAR tells the story of a Christian community, at war with the oil and gas industry. Wiebo Ludwig is a suspect in a series of pipeline bombings near his farm. The bombings echo a campaign of sabotage he waged 10 years ago: barricading roads, blowing up wells, culminating in the unsolved death of a teen aged girl. The Ludwigs live according to their religious values. They are self-sufficient in food and energy, but isolated, with seven unmarried adult children, and 38 grandchildren. They believe that those who don't share their beliefs, like filmmaker David York, are living in terrible darkness.
Wiebo's War 2011
Rocket Compulsion
Rocket Compulsion
ROCKET COMPULSION is the story of a tenacious Australian Pilot, David Mayman, as he strives to achieve his childhood dream of building and free-flying his very own Rocket Belt, only to discover he faces a nearly impossible task
Rocket Compulsion 2011
Mighty Uke
Mighty Uke
Mighty Uke travels the world to discover why so many people of different nations, cultures, ages and musical tastes are turning to the ukulele to express themselves, connect with the past, and with each other.
Mighty Uke 2011
National Parks Exploration Series: Yellowstone
National Parks Exploration Series: Yellowstone
On March 1, 1872 President Ulysses S. Grant signed into existence the world's first national park, Yellowstone National Park. The 2.2 million acres of wilderness is the only complete mid-latitude ecosystem left on the planet.
National Parks Exploration Series: Yellowstone 2011
Sins of the Father
Sins of the Father
Dominic Noonan is released from prison and tries to regain control of his criminal empire.
Sins of the Father 2011
The Road Uphill
The Road Uphill
Following Leopard Trek and the Schleck Brothers, focusing upon the team's participation in the prestigious 2011 Tour de France and upon their physical and mental preparation for the biggest cycling event in the world.
The Road Uphill 2011
Cape Spin: An American Power Struggle
Cape Spin: An American Power Struggle
Cape Spin! An American Power Struggle tells the surreal, fascinating, tragicomic story of the battle over America's most scandalous clean energy project. Cape Wind would be the U.S.'s first offshore windfarm...But strange alliances formed for and against: Kennedys, Kochs, and everyday folks do battle with the developer and green groups over the future of American power. With full access to both sides, a commitment to impartial storytelling and fueled by a satiric 'revolutionary' soundtrack, Cape Spin! is "a gripping and entertaining study of eco-capitalism and grassroots democracy".
Cape Spin: An American Power Struggle 2011
James Salter: A Sport and a Pastime
James Salter: A Sport and a Pastime
This 54-minute documentary traces the writer James Salter's lifelong love affair with France, unforgettably expressed in his 1967 masterpiece, A Sport and a Pastime. Salter's own reflections on his writing and life offer rich insights for reader and writer alike.
James Salter: A Sport and a Pastime 2011
Summer Pasture
Summer Pasture
An intimate glimpse into the experiences of a young Tibetan family struggling to reconcile their traditional way of life with a rapidly modernizing world.
Summer Pasture 2011
Cambodia, Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge
Cambodia, Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge
Between April, 1975 and January, 1979, Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge were responsible for the deaths of 1.7 million people in Cambodia. A quarter of the population were wiped out in one of the most brutal and virulent genocides of the twentieth century. This new film explores the life of Pol Pot, the ever-smiling, obsessively secretive leader of the Khmer Rouge. What drove him to inflict such a radical experiment on his own people? How did the Khmer Rouge turn from a band of nationalist revolutionaries into a ruthless killing machine? And why did the West stand by and let it happen?
 As an international tribunal in Cambodia finally brings the surviving leaders of the Khmer Rouge to justice, it's time to re-examine the gruesome legacy of Pol Pot.
Cambodia, Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge 2011
Bhopali
Bhopali
BHOPALI documents the experience of second generation children affected by the Union Carbide gas disaster of 1984, the worst industrial disaster in history, and subsequent contamination of groundwater by Union Carbide Corporation (an American company now owned by Dow Chemical, the second largest chemical company in the world). It follows several children as they and their families cope with the ongoing medical and social disaster, as well as their memories of that traumatizing night that shocked the world and changed Bhopal forever. Set against the backdrop of vehement protests for the 25th anniversary of the disaster, the Bhopalis continue to fight for justice, proving to be anything but victims. Set against a backdrop of high stakes activism, global politics, and human rights advocacy, this film explores the ongoing struggle for justice against Union Carbide, the American corporation responsible for the disaster. Featuring Noam Chomsky, Satinath Sarangi, and attorney Rajan Sharma.
Bhopali 2011
Beijing Taxi
Beijing Taxi
BEIJING TAXI is a timely, uncensored and richly cinematic portrait of China’s ancient capital as it undergoes a profound transformation. The film takes an intimate and compelling look at the lives of three cab drivers as they confront modern issues and changing values against the backdrop of the 2008 Summer Olympic Games. Through their daily struggles infused with humor and quiet determination, BEIJING TAXI reveals the complexity and contradictions of China’s shifting paradigm.
Beijing Taxi 2011
John Portman: A Life of Building
John Portman: A Life of Building
Once a maverick who was nearly run out of the American Institute of Architects, John Portman is now recognized as one of the most innovative and imitated architects ever. Over 45 years, Portman's iconic urban statements and eye-popping interiors have risen in 60 cities on four continents to redefine cityscapes in America, and skylines in China and the rest of Asia. The film captures Portman's approach in an intimate portrait that, by turn, assesses and appreciates Portman's work. Dramatic time-lapse footage shows off Portman's buildings at their best- often in moving sunlight that washes over his facades and spaces.
John Portman: A Life of Building 2011
Bull Runners of Pamplona
Bull Runners of Pamplona
This fast-paced documentary captures the thrill of the annual running of the bulls in Pamplona, Spain. With red bandanas tied to their bodies, people scatter as the bulls make chase. Injuries are common, but the runners think it's worth the risk.
Bull Runners of Pamplona 2011
The Four Year Plan
The Four Year Plan
In 2007 Queens Park Rangers, a small Football Club of West London, were bottom of England's Second League and 2 hours from bankruptcy. Just as the club faced liquidation, they were bought by billionaire businessmen. Filmed in an observational fashion from a poetic distance, the documentary follows the larger than life and high profile characters who put their money and reputations on the line through 4 tumultuous years of enormous ups and downs. For 98 dramatic minutes we are given unprecedented access and remarkable insight into the worlds of sport, business, finance, power and ego - culminating in success in 2011, when QPR won promotion to the Premier League and the four year plan - set out by the owners in 2007 - was spectacularly achieved.
The Four Year Plan 2011
Surfing and Sharks
Surfing and Sharks
In South Africa between Durban and J.Bay lies approx 1000kms of untamed topographical and oceanic paradise, locally called 'Wild Coast'. For local surfers Lungani Memani, Andrew Lange and Avuyile Ndamase, it's their home. Every Year in June the ocean swells to it's peak, hosting the countries largest surf conditions and also becomes host to the sardine run bringing together a huge marine bio-diversity including many species of sharks. This documentary goes up close with Pro Surfers Lungani, Andrew and Avuyile, the family traditions and tribulations alongside a hand selected group of the best shark experts from the region to uncover the real secrets and stories that surround the shark stigma that exists in South Africa.
Surfing and Sharks 2011
Florent: Queen of the Meat Market
Florent: Queen of the Meat Market
Let Julianne Moore, Isaac Mizrahi, Michael Musto and other famous (and infamous) faces take you on a fantastic voyage to New York City's legendary Florent diner. For 23 years, the all-night eatery in the city's Meat Packing District was prime stomping ground for a surprising mix of A-list celebrities, tourists, families and club kids. This wildly entertaining documentary chronicles the history and final days of this outrageous icon.
Florent: Queen of the Meat Market 2011
When a City Falls
When a City Falls
2010 on the Canterbury Plains and all is well. Lambs, blue skies and daffodils. In Cathedral Square choir boys sing to their God. Punts push new season's tourists along the Avon. They photograph the 'Garden city'; the 'most English city outside of England'. We get hit with a 7.1 earthquake. We stand up, wave our fists at the heavens and compliment ourselves on our ability to recover. And then we get hit even harder. Now the city has fallen. Many are dead. Many injured. Many narrowly escape. A fragile people reappear in the following days. We have learnt from the first earthquake and once again a response is growing. Once again adrenaline is taking over. Now the whole country is rallying for Christchurch. It's the energy of the people that's unprecedented. Communities are rising from the sand. People are holding tight to each other. A year later and the quakes keep rolling. Now the Canterbury earthquakes are the most ever quakes recorded in a series. And we're still counting....
When a City Falls 2011
Once Upon a Time in the East
Once Upon a Time in the East
In the 90s Bulgaria joined the Eastern Bloc's race for freedom. But as thousands flooded the streets calling for democracy the shadows were giving birth to criminal enterprise. And before anyone could realise, the criminals had taken over the new 'democratic' society. The street gangs dominated, a steel hand of fear was forced on the population. And freedom had come to Bulgaria! They quietly privatised everything in their own interests.
Once Upon a Time in the East 2011
Looking for Lenny
Looking for Lenny
In-depth documentary that uses Lenny Bruce's legacy to explore the present condition of the fear of words and expression.
Looking for Lenny 2011
Patriocracy
Patriocracy
An examination of the current state of political polarization in the United States of the America.
Patriocracy 2011
Make Believe
Make Believe
A coming of age journey set in the quirky subculture of magic, this film follows six of the world’s best young magicians as they battle for the title of Teen World Champion.
Make Believe 2011