Documentary
The Decline of Western Civilization
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The Decline of Western Civilization

1981
Before she directed Wayne and Garth in Wayne's World, Penelope Spheeris helmed this music-driven documentary about the hard-hitting Los Angeles punk scene, a film that proved so potent at its first screening that it was banned by the LAPD. Highlights include live performances by Black Flag, the Germs, X, the Bags, Circle Jerks, Catholic Discipline and Fear, plus interviews with the bands and the extreme fans who love them.

Directed by:

  • Penelope Spheeris
    • rating:4.4.png 4.4 Average Rating


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    Back to Bosnia
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    Back to Bosnia

    2005
    Filmmaker Sabina Vajraca documents her Bosnian Muslim family's return to their home of Banja Luka, Bosnia, to recover their stolen belongings many years after being forced to flee to the United States in this riveting film. In Bosnia, they witness the devastation of the city, visit war crimes sites, and confront the family that has been living in their former apartment -- with all their furnishings -- for a decade.

    Directed by:

  • Sabina Vajraca
    • rating:4.4.png 4.4 Average Rating


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    America: The Story of Us
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    America: The Story of Us

    2010
    Narrated by Liev Schreiber, this miniseries highlights momentous events in American history, including the arrival of the Pilgrims, the American Revolution, the Civil War and the incredible lunar landing.

    Directed by:

  • Nick Green
  • Marion Milne
  • Andrew Chater
  • Jenny Ash
  • Clare Beavan
  • Renny Bartlett
    • rating:4.2.png 4.2 Average Rating


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    How the Earth Changed History
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    How the Earth Changed History

    2010
    Iain Stewart hosts this fascinating exploration of Earth's long history. But instead of highlighting humankind's influence on the planet, the program looks at the planet itself and how changes in climate and geology have affected humankind. With the aid of stunning HD camerawork, the series paints a vibrant picture of our world -- and the often-unseen role it can play in determining our activities.

    Directed by:

  • Matthew Gyves
  • Annabel Gillings
    • rating:4.2.png 4.2 Average Rating


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    Hood to Coast
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    Hood to Coast

    2010
    The Hood to Coast annual event is the world's largest relay race, starting at Mount Hood and continuing almost 200 miles to Oregon's Pacific Coast. This documentary follows four of the 1,000 teams from the 2008 race during their two-day odyssey. The quirky contest, which draws 12,000 runners, celebrates competition, but more important, the joys of running and hanging out with fellow enthusiasts with their own compelling reasons for participating.

    Directed by:

  • Christoph Baaden
  • Marcie Hume
    • rating:4.2.png 4.2 Average Rating


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    Which Way Home
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    Which Way Home

    2007
    In 2006, Rebecca Cammisa received a Fulbright Scholar Grant to travel to Mexico to document the plight of the children left behind when their families travel to the United States to find work. This Oscar-nominated film is the result of her journey. Cammisa and her crew follow a trio of children who set out on their own from their Latin American abodes on a dangerous trek through Mexico en route to the U.S. border and -- they hope -- their families' embrace.

    Directed by:

  • Rebecca Cammisa
    • rating:4.1.png 4.1 Average Rating


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    The Cats of Mirikitani
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    The Cats of Mirikitani

    2006
    Filmmaker Linda Hattendorf becomes an integral part of the action in this heartfelt documentary about her efforts to help aging Japanese-American artist Jimmy Mirikitani get off the streets of New York City and make peace with his complicated past. As she and Jimmy sift for long-lost relatives and even revisit the internment camp where he was forced to spend several years during World War II, Hattendorf hauls her camera along to capture every moment.

    Directed by:

  • Linda Hattendorf
    • rating:4.1.png 4.1 Average Rating


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    The Decline of Western Civilization Part III
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    The Decline of Western Civilization Part III

    1998
    Director Penelope Spheeris completes her trilogy documenting the Los Angeles music scene with this look at the homeless teens who roamed the streets in the late 1990s and professed to live a punk lifestyle of music, drugs and authority flouting. Spheeris maintains a tender attitude toward her young subjects, who often don't truly understand the culture that began before they were born. Songs by Final Conflict and Naked Aggression are featured.

    Directed by:

  • Penelope Spheeris
    • rating:4.1.png 4.1 Average Rating


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    On Coal River
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    On Coal River

    2010
    Training their cameras on the concerns of a small town in West Virginia's coal country, filmmakers Francine Cavanaugh and Adams Wood capture the locals' collective realization that they're being poisoned by their own cash crop: coal. When a former miner connects the dots between a nearby coal waste facility and his granddaughter's chronic illness, he launches a fight to reverse the damage but inadvertently stirs up mixed emotions.

    Directed by:

  • Francine Cavanaugh
    • rating:4.1.png 4.1 Average Rating


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    Pelada
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    Pelada

    2009
    Two Americans who love soccer but didn't make it in the pros travel to 25 different countries, where they find people of all backgrounds, races and classes who play the game for the sheer joy of it, regardless of their surroundings or equipment.

    Directed by:

  • Luke Boughen
  • Rebekah Fergusson
  • Gwendolyn Oxenham
  • Ryan White
    • rating:4.1.png 4.1 Average Rating


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    Maria's Story: A Documentary Portrait of Love and Survival in El Salvador's Civil War
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    Maria's Story: A Documentary Portrait of Love and Survival in El Salvador's Civil War

    1990
    In this riveting documentary that was an official selection at the Sundance Film Festival, filmmakers Monona Wali and Pamela Cohen shadow the remarkable Maria Serrano, an El Salvadoran woman who splits her time as a wife, mother and guerrilla leader. Released some 20 years after the original footage was filmed, this anniversary edition includes an update on Serrano, her family and her country in the wake of civil war.

    Directed by:

  • Pamela Cohen
    • rating:4.1.png 4.1 Average Rating


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    Jean-Michel Basquiat: The Radiant Child
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    Jean-Michel Basquiat: The Radiant Child

    2009
    Controversial, charismatic artist Jean-Michel Basquiat is the subject of this insightful documentary from director Tamra Davis, who has uncovered a never-before-seen interview with the artist conducted before his untimely death at the age of 27.

    Directed by:

  • Tamra Davis
    • rating:4.1.png 4.1 Average Rating


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    A Walk to Beautiful
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    A Walk to Beautiful

    2007
    In Ethiopia, a country with few hospitals and even fewer roads that lead to them, three women are on a journey to rebuild their lives after suffering devastating losses in childbirth. When the women survive but their babies do not, they are summarily shunned by their families. Now, they must make their way to a hospital in Addis Ababa, where they hope to receive treatment for fistula, a condition caused by obstructed labor during childbirth.

    Directed by:

  • Mary Olive Smith
    • rating:4.1.png 4.1 Average Rating


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    How Does the Brain Work?: Nova scienceNOW
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    How Does the Brain Work?: Nova scienceNOW

    2011
    Astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson takes viewers on a head trip, examining questions about how the brain works in this NOVA special. Tyson visits with Penn Jillette and Teller to examine magic and the mind. Elsewhere, he explores the work of synesthesia researcher and neuroscientist David Eagleman, posing questions like, "What exactly is artificial intelligence?" and "How can the mind be controlled by magnets?"

    Directed by:

  • Michael Bicks
  • David Eagleman
  • Sarah Holt
  • Terri Randall
  • Joshua Seftel
    • rating:4.1.png 4.1 Average Rating


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    How Smart are Animals?: Nova scienceNOW
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    How Smart are Animals?: Nova scienceNOW

    2011
    Astrophysicist and ubiquitous smart guy Neil deGrasse Tyson hosts this fascinating installment of "Nova scienceNOW" that explores the depth of animal intelligence, proving that non-human species are a lot smarter than we give them credit for. Highlights include a dog that knows more than 1,000 words, a school of dolphins that take teamwork to a whole new level, and a talking parrot with a knack for reason.

    Directed by:

  • Alexis Bloom
  • Julia Cort
  • Rushmore DeNooyer
  • Irene Pepperberg
  • Joshua Seftel
  • Dana Rae Warren
    • rating:4.1.png 4.1 Average Rating


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    The Decline of Western Civilization Part II: The Metal Years
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    The Decline of Western Civilization Part II: The Metal Years

    1988
    Featuring concert footage and interviews with stars and fans, the second of director Penelope Spheeris's documentaries about the Los Angeles music scene focuses on heavy metal, the raucous genre that has provoked controversy since the late 1960s. With her penetrating questions about sex, drugs, money and gender politics, Spheeris examines the lives of rock idols Ozzy Osbourne, Paul Stanley and Steven Tyler, as well as those of their devoted fans.

    Directed by:

  • Penelope Spheeris
    • rating:4.1.png 4.1 Average Rating


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    Now and Then
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    Now and Then

    1995
    Waxing nostalgic about the bittersweet passage from childhood to puberty in this tender coming-of-age tale, four childhood girlfriends -- Teeny, Chrissy, Samantha and Roberta -- recall the magical summer of 1970. During their walk down memory lane, they reconcile experiences with boys, secrets, bullies and more. Lesli Linka Glatter directs; Gaby Hoffmann, Ashleigh Aston Moore, Cloris Leachman, Thora Birch and Christina Ricci co-star.

    Directed by:

  • Lesli Linka Glatter
    • rating:3.8.png 3.8 Average Rating


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    Now and Then (1995)
    A heartwarming movie about four childhood girlfriends who, in adulthood reunion, relive their experience of the life-changing summer of 1970, including a mystery death, divorce, standing up to the boys, first kiss, and the meaning of true friendship. Each explores her unique identity amidst family and friends. Beautifully directed by Lesli Linka Glatter.
    - Frances   
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