Best docs hidecol, a list by Adam Braithwaite

8.1

/17696/

80

/1363/

77

/212/

4.0

/31730/

99

/156/

95

/98/

78

/35/

3.5

age 15+

A short kid from a Canadian army base becomes the international pop culture darling of the 1980s—only to find the course of his life altered by a stunning diagnosis. What happens when an incurable optimist confronts an incurable disease?

80

7.7

/18967/

75

/681/

75

/201/

3.7

/49180/

96

/23/

96

/106/

76

/5/

3.0

age 15+

In candid conversations with actor Jonah Hill, leading psychiatrist Phil Stutz explores his early life experiences and unique, visual model of therapy.

80

7.6

/16279/

74

/678/

75

/251/

4.0

/86920/

92

/167/

75

/210/

83

/34/

3.5

age 14+

A cinematic odyssey featuring never-before-seen footage exploring David Bowie's creative and musical journey.

84

7.6

/16350/

74

/835/

75

/233/

4.1

/115515/

98

/182/

84

/85/

84

/39/

4.0

age 10+

A doomed love triangle between intrepid French scientists Katia and Maurice Krafft, and their beloved volcanoes.

79

8.0

/5234/

78

/416/

76

/64/

3.9

/12595/

96

/23/

91

/21/

75

/8/

2.5

age 15+

A wide-ranging, definitive look at Hawk’s life and iconic career, and his relationship with the sport with which he’s been synonymous for decades, featuring unprecedented access, never-before-seen footage, and interviews with Hawk and prominent figures in the sport including Stacy Peralta, Rodney Mullen, Mike McGill, Lance Mountain, Steve Caballero, Neil Blender, Andy MacDonald, Duane Peters, Sean Mortimer, and Christian Hosoi.

82

8.2

/7329/

81

/349/

83

/363/

4.1

/18360/

91

/54/

93

/7/

75

/16/

3.0

A portrait of Ennio Morricone, the most popular and prolific film composer of the 20th century, the one most loved by the international public, a two-time Oscar winner and the author of over five hundred unforgettable scores.

84

7.9

/6651/

79

/482/

77

/77/

3.9

/10065/

92

/92/

91

/24/

81

/26/

4.0

Tina Turner overcame impossible odds to become one of the first female Black artists to reach a mainstream international audience. Her road to superstardom is an undeniable story of triumph over adversity. It’s the ultimate story of survival – and an inspirational story of our times.

84

7.8

/6496/

76

/361/

73

/92/

3.9

/28226/

95

/164/

98

/69/

80

/33/

4.0

age 14+

Take a musical odyssey through five weird and wonderful decades with brothers Ron & Russell Mael, celebrating the inspiring legacy of Sparks: your favorite band’s favorite band.

83

8.2

/5967/

78

/444/

75

/78/

3.9

/18454/

100

/31/

88

/92/

82

/8/

Storyteller and Conceptual Magician Derek DelGaudio attempts to understand the illusory nature of identity and answer the deceptively simple question 'Who am I?'

83

81

8.1

/6165/

80

/347/

76

/72/

3.9

/13544/

96

/53/

93

/55/

78

/12/

The story of the triumphs and hurdles of brothers Barry, Maurice, and Robin Gibb, otherwise known as the Bee Gees. The iconic trio, who found early fame in the 1960s, went on to write over 1,000 songs and have 20 No. 1 hits throughout their career, transcending more than five decades of changing tastes and styles.

87

8.2

/5779/

81

/340/

76

/81/

4.3

/27415/

97

/143/

85

/46/

93

/28/

4.0

age 12+

A filmed version of David Byrne's Broadway show, a unifying musical celebration that inspires audiences to connect to each other and to the global community.

80

7.5

/5930/

74

/549/

70

/112/

3.9

/34650/

95

/83/

82

/15/

79

/18/

3.5

age 15+

When indie comic character Pepe the Frog becomes an unwitting icon of hate, his creator, artist Matt Furie, fights to bring Pepe back from the darkness and navigate America's cultural divide.

83

8.1

/6434/

79

/472/

78

/142/

4.1

/29347/

98

/59/

85

/24/

79

/10/

3.5

age 16+

An investigation of how Hollywood's fabled stories have deeply influenced how Americans feel about transgender people, and how transgender people have been taught to feel about themselves.

80

7.8

/5215/

77

/364/

73

/127/

3.9

/17594/

100

/46/

88

/47/

77

/12/

3.0

age 13+

Amid shifting times, two women kept their decades-long love a secret. But coming out later in life comes with its own set of challenges.

83

7.7

/8654/

77

/435/

72

/156/

4.1

/33179/

100

/100/

90

/49/

86

/29/

3.5

age 15+

Down the road from Woodstock in the early 1970s, a revolution blossomed in a ramshackle summer camp for disabled teenagers, transforming their young lives and igniting a landmark movement.

82

7.6

/6143/

73

/495/

71

/106/

4.0

/35723/

95

/153/

91

/37/

84

/34/

3.5

age 13+

This raucous journey into the heart of democracy captures an unusual rite of passage: 1,100 teenage boys from across Texas coming together to build a representative government from the ground up.

89

8.5

/13675/

84

/647/

82

/298/

4.4

/27125/

98

/102/

92

/48/

89

/19/

4.0

age 15+

A love letter from a young mother to her daughter, the film tells the story of Waad al-Kateab’s life through five years of the uprising in Aleppo, Syria as she falls in love, gets married and gives birth to Sama, all while cataclysmic conflict rises around her. Her camera captures incredible stories of loss, laughter and survival as Waad wrestles with an impossible choice– whether or not to flee the city to protect her daughter’s life, when leaving means abandoning the struggle for freedom for which she has already sacrificed so much.

80

7.7

/19123/

76

/840/

74

/414/

4.0

/27323/

91

/86/

94

/27/

78

/14/

3.0

age 12+

Constructed from over 500 hours of never-before-seen footage, this documentary centers on the personal life and career of the controversial football player Diego Maradona who played for SSC Napoli and Argentina in the 1980s.

75

7.5

/8517/

74

/330/

70

/141/

3.9

/26649/

92

/96/

81

/29/

87

/27/

2.0

Part documentary, part concert film, part fever dream, this film captures the troubled spirit of America in 1975 and the joyous music that Dylan performed during the fall of that year.

78

8.0

/9716/

81

/547/

75

/161/

3.7

/12542/

91

/100/

95

/418/

73

/27/

2.5

age 8+

The successes and failures of a couple determined to live in harmony with nature on a farm outside of Los Angeles are lovingly chronicled by filmmaking farmer John Chester, in this inspiring documentary.

80

7.5

/7740/

75

/405/

72

/161/

3.8

/16137/

98

/102/

86

/53/

85

/25/

3.0

age 17+

Through interviews with both victims and instigators, Nanfu Wang, a first-time mother, breaks open decades of silence on a vast, unprecedented social experiment that shaped — and destroyed — countless lives in China.

87

8.1

/14150/

78

/492/

75

/178/

4.0

/23070/

99

/134/

89

/37/

95

/24/

4.0

In the aftermath of a tragic fire in a Romanian club, burn victims begin dying in hospitals from wounds that were not life threatening. A team of investigative journalists move into action uncovering the mass corruption of the health system and of the state institutions. Collective follows journalists, whistle blowers, and authorities alike. An immersive and uncompromising look into a dysfunctional system, exposing corruption, propaganda, and manipulation that nowadays affect not only Romania, but societies around the world.

80

7.7

/8845/

77

/309/

75

/132/

3.9

/16537/

99

/126/

80

/34/

84

/28/

3.0

age 16+

Alexander McQueen's rags-to-riches story is a modern-day fairy tale, laced with the gothic. Mirroring the savage beauty, boldness and vivacity of his design, this documentary is an intimate revelation of McQueen's own world, both tortured and inspired, which celebrates a radical and mesmerizing genius of profound influence.

85

7.8

/6184/

78

/319/

75

/148/

4.0

/11224/

98

/107/

86

/38/

87

/24/

4.0

age 8+

Drawing from never-before-seen footage that has been tucked away in the National Geographic archives, director Brett Morgen tells the story of Jane Goodall, a woman whose chimpanzee research revolutionized our understanding of the natural world.

85

7.8

/14347/

77

/446/

76

/404/

4.2

/46592/

99

/144/

89

/56/

94

/23/

3.5

Director Agnès Varda and photographer/muralist JR journey through rural France and form an unlikely friendship.

86

8.0

/5916/

81

/439/

77

/125/

3.9

/6751/

100

/33/

89

/50/

86

/13/

4.0

age 9+

Coral reefs are the nursery for all life in the oceans, a remarkable ecosystem that sustains us. Yet with carbon emissions warming the seas, a phenomenon called “coral bleaching”—a sign of mass coral death—has been accelerating around the world, and the public has no idea of the scale or implication of the catastrophe silently raging underwater.

79

7.6

/5050/

78

/778/

74

/183/

3.7

/5957/

100

/30/

82

/72/

74

/8/

3.0

age 13+

The life of Mr. Spock, as well as that of Leonard Nimoy, the actor who played him for almost fifty years, written and directed by his son: Adam.

88

8.2

/5772/

82

/204/

79

/101/

4.2

/10066/

100

/27/

92

/21/

92

/14/

4.0

Andrew Dominik's One More Time With Feeling is a remarkable black and white documentary which chronicles the creation of Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds' album Skeleton Tree. Originally a performance based concept, the film evolved into something much more significant as Dominik delved into the tragic backdrop of the writing and recording of the album. The result is stark, fragile and raw, and a true testament to an artist trying to find his way through the darkness. It documents the writing, recording and performing of Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds’ sixteenth studio album, Skeleton Tree.

85

7.9

/8555/

78

/565/

76

/199/

4.0

/16536/

99

/101/

89

/70/

92

/22/

3.5

age 14+

Combining archival footage with rotoscopic animation, Tower reveals the action-packed untold stories of the witnesses, heroes and survivors of America’s first mass school shooting, when the worst in one man brought out the best in so many others.

81

56

8.1

/6504/

78

/15/

76

/18/

3.7

/267/

91

/135/

81

/657/

86

/34/

Drama, documentary

82

79

7.6

/5647/

74

/322/

75

/58/

3.9

/5487/

98

/41/

82

/38/

93

/9/

In 2013, the world's media reported on a shocking mountain-high brawl as European climbers fled a mob of angry Sherpas. Director Jennifer Peedom and her team set out to uncover the cause of this altercation, intending to film the 2014 climbing season from the Sherpa's point-of-view. Instead, they captured Everest's greatest tragedy, when a huge block of ice crashed down onto the climbing route...

82

8.3

/21375/

82

/988/

79

/308/

4.0

/15447/

89

/28/

92

/91/

79

/12/

3.0

age 16+

Over 93 days in Ukraine, what started as peaceful student demonstrations became a violent revolution and full-fledged civil rights movement.

80

7.6

/6677/

76

/343/

72

/144/

3.8

/8623/

93

/120/

86

/106/

77

/25/

3.5

A documentary about the legendary series of nationally televised debates in 1968 between two great public intellectuals, the liberal Gore Vidal and the conservative William F. Buckley Jr. Intended as commentary on the issues of their day, these vitriolic and explosive encounters came to define the modern era of public discourse in the media, marking the big bang moment of our contemporary media landscape when spectacle trumped content and argument replaced substance. Best of Enemies delves into the entangled biographies of these two great thinkers, and luxuriates in the language and the theater of their debates, begging the question, "What has television done to the way we discuss politics in our democracy today?"

83

8.1

/8148/

72

/259/

75

/162/

4.0

/8338/

95

/105/

88

/79/

87

/27/

3.5

With exclusive access to his extraordinary unseen and unheard personal archive including hundreds of hours of audio recorded over the course of his life, this is the definitive Marlon Brando cinema documentary. Charting his exceptional career as an actor and his extraordinary life away from the stage and screen with Brando himself as your guide, the film will fully explore the complexities of the man by telling the story uniquely from Marlon's perspective, entirely in his own voice. No talking heads, no interviewees, just Brando on Brando and life.

80

7.5

/6614/

77

/322/

74

/138/

3.8

/6788/

93

/72/

85

/96/

77

/29/

3.5

age 15+

A startling expose of rape crimes on US campuses, their institutional cover-ups, and the devastating toll they take on students and their families. The film follows the lives of several undergraduate assault survivors as they attempt to pursue—despite incredible push back, harassment and traumatic aftermath—both their education and justice.

79

78

8.2

/8423/

74

/523/

78

/192/

3.7

/2429/

82

/17/

83

/40/

81

/5/

age 13+

An unlikely team of activists and innovators hatches a bold mission to save endangered species.

78

7.6

/15301/

76

/737/

73

/381/

3.9

/26202/

90

/51/

85

/105/

75

/12/

3.0

age 15+

The film chronicles Nina Simone's journey from child piano prodigy to iconic musician and passionate activist, told in her own words.

82

7.6

/7411/

74

/336/

73

/155/

3.8

/4300/

92

/99/

85

/116/

83

/33/

4.0

age 9+

A documentary highlighting the Soviet Union's legendary and enigmatic hockey training culture and world-dominating team through the eyes of the team's Captain Slava Fetisov, following his shift from hockey star and celebrated national hero to political enemy.

80

7.8

/8798/

80

/524/

72

/163/

3.8

/7582/

90

/118/

86

/216/

76

/32/

3.5

Tim Jenison, a Texas based inventor, attempts to solve one of the greatest mysteries in all art: How did Dutch Master Johannes Vermeer manage to paint so photo-realistically 150 years before the invention of photography? Spanning a decade, Jenison's adventure takes him to Holland, on a pilgrimage to the North coast of Yorkshire to meet artista David Hockney, and eventually even to Buckingham Palace. The epic research project Jenison embarques on is as extraordinary as what he discovers.

85

8.2

/5205/

81

/197/

73

/64/

4.0

/2489/

96

/46/

94

/77/

79

/15/

4.0

age 15+

The Crash Reel tells the story of a sport and the risks that athletes face in reaching the pinnacle of their profession. This is Kevin Pearce’s story, a celebrated snowboarder who sustained a brain injury in a trick gone wrong and who now aims, against all the odds, to get back on the snow.

82

8.0

/9549/

79

/321/

76

/158/

3.9

/6800/

100

/70/

89

/140/

84

/21/

3.0

age 16+

The Square looks at the hard realities faced day-to-day by people working to build Egypt’s new democracy. Cairo’s Tahrir Square is the heart and soul of the film, which follows several young activists. Armed with values, determination, music, humor, an abundance of social media, and sheer obstinacy, they know that the thorny path to democracy only began with Hosni Mubarak’s fall. The life-and-death struggle between the people and the power of the state is still playing out.

81

7.9

/5471/

79

/216/

75

/75/

3.9

/3254/

94

/65/

85

/143/

77

/24/

3.5

age 16+

In the past 40 years, the War on Drugs has accounted for 45 million arrests, made America the world's largest jailer, and destroyed impoverished communities at home and abroad. Yet drugs are cheaper, purer, and more available today than ever. Where did we go wrong?

79

7.7

/8999/

80

/465/

75

/164/

3.8

/3987/

96

/70/

85

/277/

75

/15/

3.0

age 13+

When National Geographic photographer James Balog asked, “How can one take a picture of climate change?” his attention was immediately drawn to ice. Soon he was asked to do a cover story on glaciers that became the most popular and well-read piece in the magazine during the last five years. But for Balog, that story marked the beginning of a much larger and longer-term project that would reach epic proportions.

81

76

7.8

/6676/

80

/195/

73

/138/

3.9

/12544/

96

/47/

88

/67/

74

/18/

Performance artist Marina Abramovic prepares for a major retrospective of her work at the Museum of Modern Art in New York.

80

7.7

/8269/

78

/401/

70

/118/

3.9

/6701/

92

/76/

86

/161/

79

/20/

3.5

In 1989, five black and Latino teenagers from Harlem were arrested and later convicted of raping a white woman in New York City's Central Park. They spent between 6 and 13 years in prison before a serial rapist confessed that he alone had committed the crime, leading to their convictions being overturned. Set against a backdrop of a decaying city beset by violence and racial tension, this is the story of that horrific crime, the rush to judgment by the police, a media clamoring for sensational stories and an outraged public, and the five lives upended by this miscarriage of justice.

82

7.9

/14907/

78

/556/

75

/272/

3.8

/6776/

95

/110/

90

/570/

82

/32/