19 Essential Documentaries

In Michoacán, Mexico, Dr. Jose Mireles, a respected local doctor known as "El Doctor," leads a popular movement against the Knights Templar, a brutal drug cartel that has plagued the area for years. Simultaneously, in Arizona's Altar Valley – a…

This documentary chronicles the life of Amy Winehouse, a supremely gifted singer whose career was tragically cut short. It follows her journey from adolescence, where her vocal talent was evident, through her rise to fame and subsequent struggles with alcohol…

Former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld recounts his career in Washington D.C., spanning from his early years as a congressman in the 1960s to his role in planning the 2003 invasion of Iraq.

In 1983, John Hull lost his sight and began recording audio diaries, offering a powerful account of his experience with blindness – loss, adaptation, and finding new ways to live. This project expands on the Emmy-winning short film of the…

Comedian Russell Brand chases happiness through drugs, sex, and celebrity, but finds it constantly out of reach. In his search for answers, he examines influential figures like Gandhi, Malcolm X, Che Guevara, and Jesus, gradually evolving into a controversial political…

In the summer of 1993, the Wu-Tang Clan burst onto the hip-hop scene from Staten Island, New York, and quickly dominated the music world. Over the next decade, they sold over 20 million albums, achieving legendary status through their talent…

Isolated in a Lower East Side apartment, the Angulo brothers discover the world through cinema. Known as "The Wolfpack," they recreate their favorite movies with homemade props and costumes. Their lives are disrupted when one brother escapes, leading to unforeseen…

Just before the first activation of the Large Hadron Collider, scientists stand at a pivotal moment: potentially the most significant scientific breakthrough ever achieved, or a monumental disappointment.

"The Ecstasy of Wilko Johnson" presents a remarkable story about facing mortality with courage. Legendary musician Wilko Johnson, diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and given a short time to live, chose to embrace his fate with optimism and embarked on a…

Following a six-year prison sentence and a twenty-year ban from filmmaking and foreign interviews for his support of the 2009 Iranian election opposition, acclaimed director Jafar Panahi secretly filmed this movie. His close friend Mojtaba Mirtahmasb captured Panahi's daily life…

A humorous and sharp look at the global financial crisis. This follows Russell Brand's rise to activism, beginning with his 2014 book *Revolution*, where he criticized "corporate tyranny, ecological irresponsibility, and economic inequality."

With South Sudan newly independent from North Sudan and its leader, Omar al-Bashir, a small, privately built plane arrives from France. The pilot is Hubert Sauper, a documentary filmmaker searching for stories in a country caught between its history and…

Narrated by Ethan Hawke, Welcome Nowhere tells the true story of a Roma community living in abandoned train boxcars in Sofia, Bulgaria, after being forced from their homes. Over 200 people struggle to survive with no access to basic sanitation,…

Michael Dowd was the most corrupt police officer in New York City's history. During the 1980s, while on duty in Brooklyn, he engaged in theft and drug dealing.

Amidst revolution and war in Ukraine, a man who survived the Chornobyl disaster uncovers a disturbing secret. He is then faced with a difficult choice: risk everything to reveal this secret and become involved in the fight for change.

In 2013, news outlets worldwide covered a violent clash between European climbers and Sherpas on a high mountain. Filmmakers Jennifer Peedom and her team planned to document the 2014 climbing season from the Sherpas' perspective, seeking to understand the cause…

A growing discontent with corporate brands is fueling a global movement. *No Logo* emerged as a key statement for those critical of unchecked capitalism over the past decade. Now, as the world confronts economic hardship, the book's examination of our…

Eight individuals are afflicted by sleep paralysis, a terrifying state where they are conscious but physically unable to move, speak, or respond to their surroundings.

In 1994, a 13-year-old boy vanished from his home in San Antonio, Texas. Three and a half years later, he's discovered alive in a Spanish village, recounting a harrowing tale of kidnapping and torture. His family rejoices at his return.…