History Documentaries
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- DirectorJ.J. HartingStarsMark VonnegutNanny VonnegutDonald FarberA Man Without a Country, based on Kurt Vonnegut's last book, shows his worldview, humor and life story, through his best friends. It is as close as it gets to his very essence.
- DirectorRob HarperStarsRick DoblinAmanda FeildingGraham HancockExplore three psychedelic trips by three world-famous authors that together changed them, and Western culture, forever. Let go and be taken on an animated journey into the depths of the human mind with three brave pioneers of the 1950's/60's - Aldous Huxley, Timothy Leary and Alan Watts. Combining stylish, minimalist animation with a rich, immersive soundscape, Journeys creates a unique cinematic spectacle, inviting you to relive the highs - and the lows - of the psychedelic experience from the edge of your seat. Sixty years later we put these historic trips into a modern context, framing them via an ongoing conversation with twelve major current thinkers, including Graham Hancock, Gabor Maté, Amanda Feilding and Dennis McKenna. Together we explore the question: "What can expanded states of mind teach us about ourselves, the world and our place in it?"
- DirectorStorm ThorgersonStarsBernard HillPhil DanielsThom BookerHow drugs have influenced artistic production in the course of the last 200 years, focusing on major European and American literary figures and visual artists.
- DirectorMorgan NevilleStarsFred RogersMargaret WhitmerTom JunodAn exploration of the life, lessons, and legacy of iconic children's television host Fred Rogers.
- DirectorBob FosseStarsDustin HoffmanValerie PerrineJan MinerThe story of acerbic 1960s comic Lenny Bruce, whose groundbreaking, no-holds-barred style and social commentary was often deemed by the Establishment as too obscene for the public.
- DirectorTerry ZwigoffStarsRobert CrumbAline Kominsky-CrumbCharles CrumbAn intimate portrait of controversial cartoonist Robert Crumb and his traumatized family.
- DirectorJulie CohenBetsy WestStarsRuth Bader GinsburgAnn KittnerHarryette HelselThe exceptional life and career of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who has developed a breathtaking legal legacy while becoming an unexpected pop culture icon.
- CreatorRichard MullinsDub CornettMike JudgeStarsMike JudgeKinky FriedmanShooter JenningsThe raucous adventures of musicians such as Johnny Paycheck, Jerry Lee Lewis, George Jones and Tammy Wynette, as told by those who knew them best. Season 2 covers the legends of funk.
- StarsVernon GosneyLeslie Wagner-WilsonTim CarterDocuseries looking back on the Jonestown Massacre on the 40th anniversary.
- DirectorSteve JamesStarsRoger EbertChaz EbertGene SiskelThe life and career of the renowned film critic and social commentator, Roger Ebert.
- DirectorMark AchbarPeter WintonickStarsNoam ChomskyMark AchbarKarin Aguilar-San JuanA film about the noted American linguist/political dissident and his warning about corporate media's role in modern propaganda.
- DirectorRob EpsteinStarsHarvey FiersteinHarvey MilkAnne KronenbergA documentary of the successful career and assassination of San Francisco's first elected gay city supervisor.
- DirectorRoss McElweeStarsRoss McElweeDede McElweeRoss McElwee Jr.Documentary filmmaker Ross McElwee sets out to make a movie about Union General Sherman's March to the Sea towards the end of the American Civil War, but keeps getting sidetracked by his own love life.
- DirectorRobert B. WeideStarsRobert De NiroSteve AllenHoney Bruce FriedmanComedian Lenny Bruce struck a subversive chord in an era of change in America. After getting his start as a conventional stand-up comic, Bruce's increasingly iconoclastic act transformed him into a leading figure of the 1960s counterculture. This is his story.
- DirectorJeff GarlinStarsJohn WatersJeff Garlin's documentary on the work of John Waters.
- StarsCem Yigit UzümogluTuba BüyüküstünAlp IlkmanOttoman Sultan Mehmed II wages an epic campaign to take the Byzantine capital of Constantinople and shapes the course of history for centuries.
- StarsPeter CoyoteHuy DucJames WillbanksA comprehensive history of the United States' involvement in the bitterly divisive armed conflict in Southeast Asia.
- StarsLaurence OlivierAverell HarrimanAnthony EdenA groundbreaking 26-part documentary series narrated by the actor Laurence Olivier about the deadliest conflict in history, World War II.
- DirectorPeter JacksonStarsThomas AdlamWilliam ArgentJohn AshbyA documentary about World War I with never-before-seen footage to commemorate the centennial of the end of the war.
- StarsRobert PowellSwaylee LoughnaneRecounts the events of world War II in color.
- DirectorGeorge StevensStarsDwight D. EisenhowerOmar N. BradleyGeorge S. PattonProduced and presented as evidence at the Nuremberg war crimes trial of Hermann Göring and twenty other Nazi leaders.
- DirectorStanley NelsonStarsBlair AndersonOmar BarbourJulian BondThis documentary tells the rise and fall of the Black Panther Party, one of the 20th century's most alluring and controversial organizations that captivated the world's attention for nearly 50 years.
- DirectorBarbara KoppleStarsJohn L. LewisCarl HornNorman YarboroughA heartbreaking record of the thirteen-month struggle between a community fighting to survive and a corporation dedicated to the bottom line.
- StarsShane SmithGianna ToboniThomas MortonDocumentary series featuring startling, groundbreaking stories from around the world.
- DirectorMichael Paul StephensonStarsGeorge HardyPita RayMicki KnoxA look at the making of the film Troll 2 (1990) and its journey from being crowned the "worst film of all time" to a cherished cult classic.
- StarsPaul SchradePeter EdelmanHarry BelafonteThis four-part documentary series weaves together rare and exclusive footage of attorney general, U.S. senator, and presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy in the 1960s.
- StarsDorothy Christenson WiliamsonDonald WorsterTimothy EganA documentary about the 1930s drought of North American prairie farm land, and its consequences during the great depression.
- DirectorWilliam GazeckiStarsDan GiffordJim CavanaughDick DeGuerinA reassessment of the tragedy at Waco that left 76 members of the Branch Davidian religious sect dead.
- DirectorAlex GibneyStarsHunter S. ThompsonJohnny DeppJoe CairoA portrait of the late gonzo journalist Hunter S. Thompson.
- StarsTony CallDan BittnerGeoffrey CantorTHIRD REICH: THE RISE & FALL tells the story of Hitler's Germany through rarely seen films of the people who were there. Immersive and evocative, it takes viewers inside the Germany of the 20s, 30s, and early 40s, through the use of rare and never-before-seen home movies, Nazi propaganda films and other contemporaneous material. The narrative consists of personal recollections culled from German's diaries, journals and letters. The end result is an intimate, richly nuanced and authentic portrait of the Third Reich and its people.
- DirectorJake WestStarsJulian PetleyMarc MorrisAndy NymanA documentary analyzing the furore which so-called "video nasties" caused in Britain during the 1980s.
- DirectorLisa D'ApolitoStarsAndrew AlexanderAnne BeattsChevy ChaseIn her own words, comedienne Gilda Radner looks back and reflects on her life and career. Weaving together recently discovered audiotapes, interviews with her friends, rare home movies and diaries read by modern day comediennes (including Amy Poehler), LOVE Gilda offers a unique window into the honest and whimsical world of a beloved performer whose greatest role was sharing her story.
- DirectorDouglas TirolaStarsDanny AbelsonJudd ApatowKevin BaconA look at the history of the American comedy publication and production company, National Lampoon, from its beginning in the 1970s to 2010, featuring rare and never-before-seen footage.
- DirectorDavid WeissmanBill WeberStarsEd WolfDaniel GoldsteinGuy ClarkA deep and reflective look at the arrival and impact of AIDS in San Francisco and how individuals rose to the occasion during the first years of this unimaginable crisis.
- StarsTempestt BledsoeEdward BurnsDean CainOriginal Vietnam War footage presented in high definition along with narrations by war veterans and the voices of Hollywood stars.
- DirectorMarina ZenovichStarsAndrew BraunsbergRichard BrennemanDouglas DaltonExamines the public scandal and private tragedy which led to legendary filmmaker Roman Polanski's sudden flight from the United States.
- DirectorSteven OkazakiStarsHarold AgnewShuntaro HidaKiyoko ImoriUsing extensive interviews with survivors and archival footage, an examination reveals the aftermath of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
- DirectorRory KennedyStarsRichard NixonHenry KissingerStuart HerringtonDuring the final days of the Vietnam War, North Vietnamese forces closed in on Saigon as South Vietnamese resistance crumbled. An unlikely group of heroes emerged as Americans and South Vietnamese took matters into their own hands.
- DirectorRichard BergeBonni CohenNicole NewnhamStarsJoan AllenE. Randol SchoenbergMaria AltmannThe story of Nazi Germany's plundering of Europe's great works of art during World War II and Allied efforts to minimize the damage.
- DirectorBrian OakesStarsJames FoleyUnai AranzadiZac BaillieAn in-depth look at the life and work of American journalist James Foley, who was killed by ISIS terrorists in 2014.
- DirectorBrett WhitcombStarsEmily DoleDee BooherLarry WhistlerGLOW: The Story of The Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling chronicles the rise and fall of the first ever all-female wrestling show through the stories of those who lived it.
- DirectorNick BroomfieldStarsAileen WuornosNick BroomfieldArlene Pralle1992, Florida, USA. Aileen Wuornos is claimed to be the world's first female serial killer.
- DirectorIan CheneyStarsSusan CarterIan CheneyPhilip ChiangWho was General Tso, and why are we eating his chicken? This feature documentary explores the origins and ubiquity of Chinese-American food through the story of an iconic sweet and spicy chicken dish.
- DirectorEmile de AntonioStarsHarry S. AshmoreDaniel BerriganJoseph ButtingerA documentary chronicling the background to, and history of, the Vietnam War.
- DirectorAdam SimonStarsGeorge A. RomeroJohn CarpenterTom SaviniAn examination into the nature of 1960s-'70s horror films, the artists involved, and how they reflected contemporary society.
- DirectorKim BartleyDonnacha O'BriainStarsHugo ChávezPedro CarmonaJesse HelmsIn April 2002, an Irish film crew is making a documentary about Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, when a coup from the opposition is made.
- CreatorAlex BeltmanStarsAlex BeltmanAlan BaghRalph SepeAlex Beltman, the host of I Hate Everything (IHE), goes the IMDb's bottom 100 rated films (or other films he knows will be terrible) to find the worst film of all time.
- DirectorRichard SchickelStarsCharles ChaplinSydney PollackBill IrwinNarrated by Sydney Pollack, film critic Richard Schickel's dazzling two-hour plus documentary to one of the towering figures in film: Charles Chaplin. Hardcore Chaplin fans may not find much new material here, but more unfamiliar admirers will gain some valuable information about one of the most famous personalities of the 20th century. Schickel has constructed the documentary as a chronological survey of Chaplin's work, starting with his most significant shorts and covering all of his features. Schickel supports his narration with testimony from artists familiar with Chaplin's work and family members who offer personal insights into the comedian's life. The documentary plays down but doesn't ignore the controversies that swirled around Chaplin's private life. But the main focus is on the films. They include some of the best-loved movies of all time. Clips from "Kid Auto Races at Venice," the 1914 Keystone short in which Chaplin first used his Tramp costume, reveal a startlingly modern technique and sensibility, as if the filmmakers were predicting and mocking reality TV. Subsequent shorts show Chaplin refining his 'Little Tramp' character while absorbing the essentials of filmmaking. By the time he made "Easy Street," in 1917, Chaplin had perfected a combination of knockabout farce and Victorian sentiment that still proves irresistible. Chaplin's early features, including "The Kid," "The Gold Rush" and "City Lights," were such blockbuster hits that he could essentially ignore the coming of sound for almost a decade. Those making appearances on the program include Woody Allen, Richard Attenborough, Jeanine Basinger, Claire Bloom, Geraldine Chaplin. Sydney Chaplin, Johnny Depp, Robert Downey Jr., Milos Forman, Bill Irwin, Norman Lloyd, Marcel Marceau, David Raksin, David Robinson, Andrew Sarris, Martin Scorsese and Jeffrey Vance.
- DirectorKevin DunnStarsAbdullah the ButcherDonna AdamoBill AlfonsoA documentary on the rise and fall of cult wrestling federation ECW
- StarsPeter CoyoteMarty StuartVince GillThe story of the creation of modern Country music.
- StarsPeter CoyoteGeorge F. WillGeoffrey C. WardA documentary that weaves together the stories of Theodore, Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt, three members of one of the most prominent and influential families in American politics.
- StarsPeter CoyotePete HamillCatherine Gilbert MurdockThe story of the American activist struggle against the influence of alcohol, climaxing in the failed early 20th century nationwide era when it was banned.
- StarsKeith DavidKatharine PhillipsTom HanksA seven-part series focusing on the many ways in which the Second World War impacted the lives of American families.
- DirectorKen BurnsStarsKeith DavidKevin ConwayPhilip BoscoA biographical film about the acclaimed American humourist and author.
- StarsGwyneth PaltrowSam WaterstonMichael PottsA biographical film about The United States' influential and profoundly enigmatic Founding Father.
- StarsDavid McCulloughSam WaterstonJulie HarrisA comprehensive survey of the American Civil War.
- StarsDerek JacobiGeoffrey WawroJames HollandA series of colorized archive footage of important events during World War II.
- DirectorKen BurnsArtemis JoukowskyStarsMarina GoldmanTom HanksDefying the Nazis: The Sharps' War: Waitstill Sharp, a Unitarian minister, and Martha Sharp, a trained social worker, in February 1939, boldly commit to a life-threatening mission in Europe to assist refugees.
- 20091h 36mUnrated7.1 (2.9K)DirectorAndrew MonumentStarsLance HenriksenLarry CohenJoe DanteAn exploration of the appeal of horror films, with interviews of many legendary directors in the genre.
- CreatorCraig MazinStarsJessie BuckleyJared HarrisStellan SkarsgårdIn April 1986, the city of Chernobyl in the Soviet Union suffers one of the worst nuclear disasters in the history of mankind. Consequently, many heroes put their lives on the line in the following days, weeks and months.
- DirectorAva DuVernayStarsMelina AbdullahMichelle AlexanderCory BookerAn in-depth look at the prison system in the United States and how it reveals the nation's history of racial inequality.
- DirectorAdriana BarbaroJeremy EarpStarsDaniel AcuffEnola AirdMichael BrodyConsuming Kids throws desperately needed light on the practices of a relentless multi-billion dollar marketing machine that now sells kids and their parents everything from junk food and violent video games to bogus educational products and the family car. Drawing on the insights of health care professionals, children's advocates, and industry insiders, the film focuses on the explosive growth of child marketing in the wake of deregulation, showing how youth marketers have used the latest advances in psychology, anthropology, and neuroscience to transform American children into one of the most powerful and profitable consumer demographics in the world. Consuming Kids pushes back against the wholesale commercialization of childhood, raising urgent questions about the ethics of children's marketing and its impact on the health and well-being of kids.
- DirectorMauro HerceThe freighter Fair Lady crosses the ocean. The hypnotic rhythm of its gears reveals the continuous movement of machinery devouring its workers: the last gestures of the old sailors' trade disappearing under the mechanic and impersonal pace of 21st century neocapitalism. Perhaps it is a boat adrift, or maybe just the last example of an endangered species. Although we don't know it, the engines are still running, unstoppable.
- DirectorJohn BorowskiStarsJohn DiMaggioTom LodewyckDavid SalmonsonThe true story of lifelong criminal and serial killer, Carl Panzram who wrote his autobiography for a jail guard in 1928.
- DirectorFederico CaddeoStarsDario ArgentoLamberto BavaBarbara BouchetA celebration of the genre with interviews by many contributors - a gialli filmmakers.
- DirectorElijah DrennerStarsRobert ForsterEric SchaeferEddie MullerA documentary about the history of exploitation movies, from the silent-film era to the 1970s.
- DirectorBryan FogelStarsJamal KhashoggiOmar AbdulazizIrfan FidanWhen Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi disappears in Istanbul, his fiancée and dissidents around the world piece together the clues to a murder and expose a global cover up.
- DirectorDavid A. WeinerStarsTom AtkinsDoug BradleyJohn BloomAn exploration of '80s horror movies through the perspective of the actors, directors, producers and SFX craftspeople who made them, and their impact on contemporary cinema.
- DirectorJoshua OppenheimerAnonymousChristine CynnStarsAnwar CongoHerman KotoSyamsul ArifinA documentary which challenges former Indonesian death-squad leaders to reenact their mass-killings in whichever cinematic genres they wish, including classic Hollywood crime scenarios and lavish musical numbers.