Your Favorite Documentary?

War Photographer
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0309061/

a great documentary about world famous war photographer James Nachtwey. You're gonna be in shock after watching this - and not be able to comprehend how Nachtwey can live with what he must have been through.


Full Metal Village
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0954937/

a sometimes hilarious and sometimes surprising docu about the little German village Wacken, where once a year Europe's largest heavy metal festival takes place (Wacken Open Air). The director is Korean Sung Hyung Cho who has been living in Germany since 1989.
 
Last edited:
"Capturing the Friedmans" is another very very good documentary I've watched recently. The author had the chance to edit old footage shot by the family he was filming.
 
A few faves:
"Iraq In Fragments" (shot on the DVX, beautiful color correction, sharply edited, three excellent stories)
"Rivers and Tides" (artist sculpts in nature with rock, ice, wood, then nature washes/blows his works away)
"The Corporation" (you can't escape them)
"Harlan County USA" (classic)
"Endless Summer" (no Endless Summer, no Dogtown)
"Riding Giants" (from the origins of surfing in Hawaii to riding 70 ft giant waves today. Excellent use of Aftereffects to create 3D effects of film of waves and archival photos)
"Who Killed the Electric Car?" (as the price of gas soars, who pulled the plug on GM's electric car? GM, that's who)
"Burden of Dreams" (making of Herzog's Fitzcarraldo in the Amazon jungle. Can you say obsessed madman?)
"Outfoxed: Rupert Murdoch's War on Journalism" (Not fair, not balanced, just a well done, critical doc on the effect of Fox news.)
"Paradise Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills" (follows case of three teens accused of killing three boys. Gripping.)
 
The Cruise (by Bennett Miller of Capote fame)
March of the Penguins
Jesus Camp
No Direction Home (Bob Dylan)
American Movie
No End in Sight (not overly amazing, but very important and informative)
 
Last edited:
Hahahahaha, John that's what I came in here to post. Fog of War is incredible. Informed and enlightened my whole perspective on the last hundred years of U.S. history and oddly enough made me a better person, I think. McNamara is one of my personal "role models." I would so love to meet him.

Besides which, this is a cinematic treat. The slow-motion setups, the rare stock footage, the visual illustrations of the bombing statistics, with Philip Glass's kickass score...man, I think I'm going to go watch it right now. :)



Another fantastic documentary (on a completely different topic) is:

Favela Rising

Saw it at a film festival a couple years ago. It's gotten virtually zero exposure but it's so worth the time and money to check it out. Buy it if you have to. Even if you hate docs, I don't see how you could not love this and be moved by the experience...

Check it out.
 
Last edited:
anything by errol morris is pretty awesome. but no one has mentioned my favortie of his - 'vernon florida'

"it's not a turtle, it's a gopher!" classic doc.
 
The Corporation
- Well structured
- real good interviews
- amazing case studies from so many different facets of the topic

Its very informing, so as a documentary it accomplishes its main job
 
Watch some Docs recently, "Born Into Brothels" "Jesus Camp" and "King of Kong"

I must say I liked all three, but the King of Kong was amazing. I had no idea a documentary about video games could be so powerful. At times it didn't feel like I was watching a documentary it felt like an actual movie with bad guys villians, and all the other good things that come with a narative.

This is the first documentary I've watched that actually touched my heart, weird I know, but I loved it.
 
I was really impressed and moved by "War Dance" and "Taxi to the Dark Side". I also like "Roving Mars" a lot. One of my all-time favorites is "Fast, Cheap, and Out of Control".
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top