Documentary

Documentary filmmaking is a pinnacle of cinematic storytelling, focusing on real-world events, people and places. The Angelika continues to shine the light on diverse topics - from music to the environment to social issues and more. This category highlights some of the best in documentary filmmaking from the last three decades.

Boasting a near-perfect 98% fresh critic score on Rotten Tomatoes Emily and Sarah Kunstler's documentary centers lawyer Jeffrey Robinson
Who We Are: A Chronicle of Racism in America
  • 2022
"A gratifying, conventional, heartfelt documentary that tells the story of one of the great pop groups..." -Variety
The Bee Gees: How Can You Mend a Broken Heart
  • 2020
“A film whose intent is to kindle youthful compassion for living things and inspire action to protect Earth and its creatures” (USA Today).
Arctic Tale
  • 2007
Julie Cohen and Betsy West deliver "an apt tribute to a life well-lived and well-fed" (New York Times)
Julia
  • 2021
Director David Fairhead offers the definitive life story of Neil Armstrong: from his childhood in Ohio to his first steps on the Moon, and beyond.
Armstrong
  • 2019
Werner Herzog's remarkable documentary examines the calling that drove Timothy Treadwell to live among wild grizzly bears.
Grizzly Man
  • 2005
Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School gun violence survivors & activists create the largest youth protest in American history, March for Our Lives.
Us Kids
  • 2021
Director R.J. Cutler takes us on a deep-dive into the inner workings of the most iconic fashion magazine in the world
The September Issue
  • 2009
A brilliant documentary about the careers and lives of iconic Stax Records artists of the 60s and 70s
Only the Strong Survive
  • 2002
"No mere music doc, Barbara Kopple's celebration of soul queen Sharon Jones captures the tiny singer's incredible strength in the face of cancer."
Miss Sharon Jones!
  • 2016
Filmmaker Stephanie Soechtig's "movie that will change the way people thing about eating" (USA Today)
Fed Up
  • 2014
Oscar nominated filmmaker Julian Schnabel brings Lou Reed's 2006 live concert performance of his 1973 concept album "Berlin" to the big screen
Lou Reed's Berlin
  • 2008
Director Selina Miles expertly captures a brilliant portrait of photographer, and cultural icon, Martha Cooper.
Martha: A Picture Story
  • 2019
Documentary following singer Madonna on her controversial Blond Ambition tour in 1990.
Madonna: Truth or Dare
  • 1991
Kirby Dick’s documentary is an exposé of rape crimes and culture on college campuses across the United States
The Hunting Ground
  • 2015
A story about people whose lives are connected by typewriters. A meditation on creativity and technology from Director Doug Nichol
California Typewriter
  • 2017
What if we are living in a simulation, and the world as we know it is not real? Acclaimed filmmaker Rodney Asher attempts to find out.
A Glitch in the Matrix
  • 2020
A real life thriller, giving audiences unprecedented access to filmmaker Laura Poitras and journalist Glenn Greenwald’s encounters with Edward Snowden
Citizenfour
  • 2014
A jaw-dropping doc. Director Ryan White goes beyond the headlines to question every angle of the audacious murder of the brother of Kim Jong-Un.
Assassins
  • 2020
Daniel Lindsay and T.J. Martin's doc "chronicles a championship season but covers turf that extends miles beyond the football field" (USA Today)
Undefeated
  • 2012
"A scrumptious cinematic journey" (Variety) with unprecedented access to the elusive truffle hunters, from filmmakers Michael Dweck & Gregory Kershaw
The Truffle Hunters
  • 2020
Director Elizabeth Lo’s award-winning film is a critical observation of human civilization through the unfamiliar gaze of dogs.
Stray
  • 2020
President Mohamed Nasheed of the Maldives takes up the fight against the ravages of climate change, in this eye-opening portrait.
The Island President
  • 2011
Hao Wu and Weixi Chen's raw and intimate portrait of the onslaught of the COVID-19 pandemic in Wuhan.
76 Days
  • 2020
Filmmaker Kevin Macdonald unravels the mystery behind “The Voice,” who thrilled millions even as she struggled to make peace with her troubled past
Whitney
  • 2018
At once awe-inspiring and accessible, a cultural landmark like no other - an in-depth documentary that chronicles the story of Fiddler On The Roof
Fiddler: A Miracle of Miracles
  • 2019
Godfrey Reggio's experimental audio-visual experience, a portrait of our contemporary world, including globalized technology and violence.
Naqoyqatsi
  • 2002
Rob Gordon Bralver's surrealist biographical documentary about trailblazing electronic musician and animal rights activist Moby.
Moby Doc
  • 2021
A humorous, emotional and enlightening look into the unimaginable world of coffee competitions
Barista
  • 2015
"An engaging and cumulatively exhilarating debut from ...Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin" (Hollywood Reporter)
Meru
  • 2015
Academy Award winner for Best Documentary. "It grabs you like a thriller with an ending that will haunt your dreams" (Rolling Stone).
An Inconvenient Truth
  • 2006
Featuring breathtaking cinematography, Chase Ogden's doc is both heart-racing and inspirational.
Super Frenchie
  • 2020
Filmmaker Jason Wise delves into the wine world in his delicious documentary that follows four sommeliers.
Somm
  • 2012
Director Mary McDonagh Murphy sifts through the facts and speculation surrounding Harper Lee and both her novels
Harper Lee: From Mockingbird to Watchman
  • 2015
Katrine Philp's SXSW Grand Jury Award winner delivers an enlightening look at a grief counseling center for children who have lost their parents
Beautiful Something Left Behind
  • 2020
Academy Award nominated doc from Morgan Spurlock. "An anti-junk-food screed that manages to entertain even as it informs & alarms" (Washington Post)
Super Size Me
  • 2004
Jethro Waters captures the life and artistry of this most unique American photographer, Burk Uzzle
F11 and Be There
  • 2018
"Spellbinding. A complex saga of intrigue, secrets, lies and tearful reunions" (Toronto Star), from filmmakers Alon and Shaul Schwarz
Aida's Secrets
  • 2016
"The harrowing, heartbreaking, ultimately affirming story of Kenny Scharf" (Film Threat) from Directing/Writing team Max Basch and Malia Scharf
Kenny Scharf: When Worlds Collide
  • 2021
An intimate and emotionally-charged documentary from Colin Hanks that examines the explosive trajectory, tragic demise, & the legacy of Tower Records
All Things Must Pass: The Rise and Fall of Tower Records
  • 2015
Oscar winner for Best Documentary Feature. Director Morgan Neville shines a spotlight on backup singers behind some of the music industry's greatest.
20 Feet From Stardom
  • 2013
The deliciously scandalous story of Scotty Bowers, who lands in Hollywood and becomes a legendary escort and sexual procurer to closeted celebrities
Scotty and the Secret History of Hollywood
  • 2017
An intimate and humanizing look into the world of adult films from a never before seen perspective.
The Girl Next Door
  • 1999
Director/Writer Elizabeth Carroll cooks up "cinematic comfort food of the first order" (Variety) of the two-time James Beard Award winner
Diana Kennedy: Nothing Fancy
  • 2019
A vivid look at one of America's oldest magazines. Barbara Kopple's "spectacular, crowd-pleasing masterwork" (RogerEbert.com)
Hot Type: 150 Years of The Nation
  • 2015
Academy Award winning filmmaker Alex Gibney crafts "a stunning must-see" with this depiction of the strange case of Mikhail Khodorkovsky.
Citizen K
  • 2019
A fast-paced, real-time detective story from director Alexander Nanau, and deemed by Rolling Stone as "a full on masterpiece."
Collective
  • 2019
Filmmaker Raymond Depardon casts an affectionate eye on a small community of farmers."Superb, affectionate and astute!," raves Evening Standard.
Modern Life
  • 2008
"In his directing debut, Dave Grohl shows the instincts of a real filmmaker. Sound City hits you like a shot in the heart" (Rolling Stone)
Sound City
  • 2013
A look at an era that saw youth culture and politics join forces. Mary Wharton's incisive, often-rollicking doc features illuminating new interviews.
Jimmy Carter: Rock & Roll President
  • 2020
Chris Rock explores the wonders of African-American hairstyles in this Sundance Film Festival Special Jury Prize winner.
Good Hair
  • 2009
Follows the celebrated Chef David Kinch and his team from the 3 Star Michelin restaurant in a unique collaborative journey with 3 French chefs.
A Chef's Voyage
  • 2020
Soul-stirring doc from Director Lee Hirsch. Interviews and performances highlight the role of music in the South African struggle against apartheid.
Amandla! A Revolution in Four Part Harmony
  • 2002
An intimate portrait and a vibrant celebration of Diana Vreeland's fifty year reign as the "Empress of Fashion"
Diana Vreeland: The Eye Has To Travel
  • 2011
Deemed by Variety as "jazzy and illuminating," Director Dan Wechsler chronicles the life and times of street photographer Matt Weber
More Than the Rainbow
  • 2012
Directed by Academy Award winning filmmaker Freida Mock, this is the intimate story of a woman who spoke truth to power.
Anita: Speaking Truth to Power
  • 2013
"A documentary for anyone who can still look at a book and see a dream, a magic teleportation device, an object that contains the world." -Variety
The Booksellers
  • 2019
Jillian Schlesinger's debut feature follows 14-year-old Laura Decker, who sets out to become the youngest person ever to sail around the world alone.
Maidentrip
  • 2013
Portrait of Argentina's most famous musical artist, "a skylark who sang truth to power in Argentina" (New York Times). Dir. Rodrigo H. Vila
Mercedes Sosa: The Voice of Latin America
  • 2013
A unique film about food, society and culture on the island of Cuba from director Asori Soto
Cuban Food Stories
  • 2018
Ron Howard puts audiences front row center for an exploration of The Voice...The Man...The Legend.
Pavarotti
  • 2019
Meditative concert doc shot over a two-night performance by Neil Young at Nashville's Ryman Auditorium.
Neil Young: Heart Of Gold
  • 2006
Master documentarian Barbara Kopple reveals the story behind one of the most daring rescues in modern US history
Desert One
  • 2019
Director Sacha Jenkins' fascinating chronicle of hip-hop and urban fashion - a Sundance Film Festival Official Selection
Fresh Dressed
  • 2015
An exploration into the career, music and influence of the iconic musician.
Gordon Lightfoot: If You Could Read My Mind
  • 2019
From the director of the acclaimed FOR THE BIBLE TELLS ME SO comes a gripping stories of those caught in the cross-hairs of scripture & sexuality.
For They Know Not What They Do
  • 2019
A gripping examination of the current state of education in America today, from Director Davis Guggenheim.
Waiting for "Superman"
  • 2010
A career-spanning documentary on The Rolling Stones, from iconic filmmaker Martin Scorsese.
Shine a Light
  • 2008
The inspiring story of Grammy Award-winning singer/songwriter/activist Harry Chapin, from Director Rick Korn
Harry Chapin: When in Doubt, Do Something
  • 2020
Director Scott Crawford's "sharp, hip piece of rock history" (San Francisco Chronicle) that explores the seminal music magazine.
Creem: America’s Only Rock 'n’ Roll Magazine
  • 2019
David LaChapelle's brilliant doc exuberantly demonstrates the rise of Clowning and Krumping, a startling new hip-hop dance subculture.
Rize
  • 2005
Paris Is Burning meets Larry Clark’s KIDS, this is a love letter to New York—examining race, society, fashion, and street culture.
All the Streets are Silent: The Convergence of Hip Hop and Skateboarding (1987-1997)
  • 2021