Watch or revisit one of these award-winning documentaries that offer up glimpses across the globe from a group of stray cats living in Istanbul to one of the world’s greatest sushi chefs in Tokyo! To find more documentaries, search for documentary films on our catalog and check out streaming titles from Hoopla and Kanopy.
The Act of Killing (2012)
“The filmmakers examine a country where death squad leaders are celebrated as heroes, challenging them to reenact their real-life mass-killings in the style of the American movies they love.”
Amy (2015)
“The incredible story of six-time Grammy winner Amy Winehouse–in her own words. Featuring extensive unseen archival footage and previously unheard tracks, this strikingly modern, moving, and vital film shines a light on our culture and the world we live in today.”
Colectiv (2020)
“In 2015, a fire at Bucharest’s Colectiv club leaves 27 dead and 180 injured. Soon, more burn victims begin dying in hospitals from wounds that were not life-threatening. Then a doctor blows the whistle to a team of investigative journalists. One revelation leads to another as the journalists start to uncover vast health care fraud. When a new health minister is appointed, he offers unprecedented access to his efforts to reform the corrupt system but also to the obstacles he faces.”
Grey Gardens (1975)
“After Grey Gardens spawned everything from a midnight-movie cult following to a Broadway musical to an upcoming Hollywood adaptation, the filmmakers went back to their vaults to create this tribute to both the Beale women and their legion of fans. This edition includes the original 1975 documentary, Grey Gardens along with the unseen archival footage for the 2006 documentary, Beales of Grey Gardens.”
Honeyland (2019)
“Hatidze lives with her ailing mother in the mountains of Macedonia, making a living cultivating honey using ancient beekeeping traditions. When an unruly family moves in next door, what at first seems like a balm for her solitude becomes a source of tension as they, too, want to practice beekeeping, while disregarding her advice.”
I Am Not Your Negro (Also available on Kanopy here) (2016)
“Using James Baldwin’s unfinished final manuscript, Remember This House, this documentary follows the lives and successive assassinations of three of the author’s friends, Medgar Evers, Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr., delving into the legacy of these iconic figures and narrating historic events using Baldwin’s original words and a flood of rich archival material. An up-to-the-minute examination of race in America, this film is a journey into black history that connects the past of the Civil Rights movement to the present of #BlackLivesMatter.”
Jiro Dreams of Sushi (2011)
“The 85-year-old Jiro Ono is considered by many to be the world’s greatest sushi chef. He is the proprietor of a 10-seat sushi-only restaurant inauspiciously located in a Tokyo subway station. Despite its humble appearances, it is the first restaurant of its kind to be awarded a prestigious 3-star Michelin review, and sushi lovers from around the globe make repeated pilgrimages, calling months in advance and shelling out top dollar for a coveted seat at Jiro’s sushi bar.”
Kedi: The Cats of an Ancient City (Also available on Kanopy here) (2016)
“Hundreds of thousands of cats roam the metropolis of Istanbul freely. For thousands of years they’ve wandered in and out of people’s lives, becoming an essential part of the communities that make the city so rich. Claiming no owners, these animals live between two worlds, neither wild nor tame, and they bring joy and purpose to those people they choose to adopt. In Istanbul, cats are the mirrors to the people, allowing them to reflect on their lives in ways nothing else could.”
Love, Gilda (2018)
“Never-before-seen footage and journal entries form the narrative spine of the documentary, allowing Gilda Radner to tell her own story; through the laughter and sometimes the tears. Incredibly, she was able to find humor in even the darkest of times. Her spirit lives on in comedy as a female trailblazer who continues to inspire many present day comedic performers.”
Man on Wire (2008)
“On August 7th, 1974, a young Frenchman named Philippe Petit stepped out on a wire illegally rigged between the New York World Trade Center’s Twin Towers. After dancing for nearly an hour on the wire, he was arrested, taken for psychological evaluation, and brought to jail, before finally being released. This extraordinary documentary incorporates Petit’s personal footage to show how he overcame seemingly insurmountable challenges to achieve the artistic crime of the century.”
Pina (2011)
“The boundless imagination and physical marvels of the work of the German modern-dance pioneer Pina Bausch leap off the screen in this tribute by Wim Wenders. Shot in 3D, it is a remarkable visual experience and a vivid representation of Bausch’s art, enacted by a group of talented dancers from her company.”
What Happened Miss Simone (2015)
“An intimate and vivid look at the legendary life of Nina Simone, the classically trained pianist who evolved into a chart-topping chanteuse and committed civil rights activist.”
