Documentary
Double Dare
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Double Dare

2005
With being thrown off buildings an occupational hazard, professional stuntwomen Jeannie Epper and Zoe Bell (the stunt doubles of Wonder Woman and Xena, respectively) would seem well-equipped for any challenges Hollywood might dish out. But finding roles -- and respect -- in a male-dominated field can prove more harrowing than dodging punches. Amanda Micheli directs this fascinating glimpse into the feminine side of a traditionally macho pursuit.

Directed by:

  • Amanda Micheli
    • rating:3.6.png 3.6 Average Rating


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    Dancing Across Borders
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    Dancing Across Borders

    2010
    Art enthusiast and philanthropist Anne Bass makes her first foray into filmmaking with this moving documentary that traces the journey of a talented young Cambodian man in his transformation from street performer to classically trained ballet dancer. Discovered by Bass in his native land, Sokvannara "Sy" Sar must learn to assimilate to the rigid structures of Western ballet to fulfill his dream of becoming a professional dancer.

    Directed by:

  • Anne Bass
    • rating:3.6.png 3.6 Average Rating


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    A Place Called Chiapas
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    A Place Called Chiapas

    1998
    Featuring a rare on-camera interview with mysterious insurgent leader Subcomandante Marcos, filmmaker Nettie Wild's documentary investigates the rebel movement in Chiapas and the government's attempts to quash the activities of the Zapatistas. One of the poorest regions in Mexico, the southern province of Chiapas drew worldwide attention in 1994 when Marcos and his Zapatista National Liberation Army staged a major uprising.

    Directed by:

  • Nettie Wild
    • rating:3.5.png 3.5 Average Rating


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    The 11th Hour
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    The 11th Hour

    2007
    Actor Leonardo DiCaprio's documentary on the global environmental crisis paints a portrait of a planet at risk while also offering some exciting and radical solutions for making life on earth sustainable. Tapping the brains of leading scientists and thinkers -- including Stephen Hawking and Mikhail Gorbachev -- the film ultimately delivers a hopeful message: Our planet may be in crisis, but that doesn't mean it's too late change.

    Directed by:

  • Nadia Conners
    • rating:3.5.png 3.5 Average Rating


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    Granito: How to Nail a Dictator
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    Granito: How to Nail a Dictator

    2011
    Filmmaker Pamela Yates directs this documentary that chronicles how her own 1983 film When the Mountains Tremble, which exposed Guatemala's genocidal campaign against its own indigenous Mayan people, has become evidence in a war-crimes trial. As the case unfolds against a Guatemalan military official, Yates meets with Rigoberta Menchú, the Nobel Peace Prize-winning Mayan activist first brought to the world's attention in Yates's original film.

    Directed by:

  • Pamela Yates
    • rating:3.5.png 3.5 Average Rating


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    Everything's Cool
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    Everything's Cool

    2007
    In this documentary, filmmakers Daniel B. Gold and Judith Helfand (Blue Vinyl) follow a troupe of self-proclaimed global warming "warriors" on a mission to get the world to care about rising temperatures and melting polar ice caps. Taking a topic that's inherently serious and applying their signature blend of humor and emotional heft, Gold and Helfand advance the environmental dialogue in a surprisingly entertaining way.

    Directed by:

  • Daniel B. Gold
  • Judith Helfand
    • rating:3.5.png 3.5 Average Rating


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    Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired
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    Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired

    2008
    This penetrating documentary explores the tumultuous events of director Roman Polanski's personal life, including the murder of his pregnant wife, Sharon Tate, and the controversial sex scandal that prompted him to flee the United States for France. Highlights include an interview with Polanski's victim, Samantha Geimer, as well as candid conversations with Chinatown screenwriter Robert Towne and actress Mia Farrow.

    Directed by:

  • Marina Zenovich
    • rating:3.5.png 3.5 Average Rating


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    Destiny in Space: IMAX
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    Destiny in Space: IMAX

    1994
    Explore the far reaches of space with this breathtaking documentary that allows you to board an Earth-orbiting satellite, soar above the surfaces of Mars and Venus and join a crew of astronauts deployed to repair the remarkable Hubble telescope. Narrated by Leonard Nimoy, this incredible IMAX experience is the closest thing most of us will ever get to flying among the stars.

    Directed by:

  • Ben Burtt
  • Phyllis Ferguson
    • rating:3.5.png 3.5 Average Rating


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    American Dream
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    American Dream

    1990
    Documentarian Barbara Kopple weighs in with an unsettling account of the months-long strike of employees at the Hormel meatpacking plant, juxtaposed against the Reagan administration's demolition of the nation's air traffic controllers' union. In Austin, Minn., in 1984, Hormel strikers found themselves picketing during the worst climate for organized labor since the 19th century. Kopple won an Oscar for Best Documentary in 1991.

    Directed by:

  • Barbara Kopple
    • rating:3.5.png 3.5 Average Rating


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    Hitler's Hit Parade
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    Hitler's Hit Parade

    2003
    This disturbing collage of Third Reich musicals, newsreels, home movies, cartoons and commercials includes rare segments in color and shows how the Nazis relied on escapist entertainment to promote their murderous ideology and bolster the veneer of normalcy during Adolf Hitler's reign. The film plays out without commentary, using Nazi catchphrases to preface segments on idealized German society. Oliver Axer and Susanne Benze co-direct.

    Directed by:

  • Oliver Axer
  • Susanne Benze
    • rating:3.5.png 3.5 Average Rating


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    Fire on the Mountain
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    Fire on the Mountain

    1996
    An elite group of champion skiers, mountain climbers and European mountaineers become the U.S. Army's 10th Mountain Division, America's only mountain and winter warfare fighting unit. From the intensive training atop the Colorado Rockies to the spectacular night climb of Italy's Riva Ridge -- where the 10th scored their biggest victory against Hitler's troops -- the exploits of this famous division are scrupulously chronicled.

    Directed by:

  • Beth Gage
    • rating:3.5.png 3.5 Average Rating


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    The Desert of Forbidden Art
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    The Desert of Forbidden Art

    2010
    Trace the incredible story of defiant visionary Igor Savitsky, an artist and museum curator who cunningly acquired more than 40,000 banned Soviet Union paintings and hid the illegal collection from the KGB in Uzbekistan's Nukus Museum. In addition to rare archival footage and interviews with the artists' children, this absorbing documentary also features letters and diary entries read by Ben Kingsley, Sally Field and Edward Asner.

    Directed by:

  • Tchavdar Georgiev
  • Amanda Pope
    • rating:3.5.png 3.5 Average Rating


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    No. 4 Street of Our Lady
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    No. 4 Street of Our Lady

    2009
    This absorbing documentary reveals the story of heroine Francisca Halamajowa, a Catholic woman who, in the face of certain death during the Holocaust, rescued numerous Jewish neighbors in Sokal, a small town in Eastern Poland. While selflessly caring for the hidden, always-quiet group, Francisca makes a move regarding a German soldier that nearly puts an end to her ruse. This is a portrait of a woman who says what she did was "only human."

    Directed by:

  • Bird Maltz Sherman
  • Richie Sherman
  • Barbara Bird
  • Judy Maltz
    • rating:3.5.png 3.5 Average Rating


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    The Best of the Real West
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    The Best of the Real West

    1992
    The myths, legends and realities of the Old West come alive in "The Real West" with Kenny Rogers. Through authentic diaries, paintings, photos and expert commentary, this History Channel series reawakens the adventure of our most fabled era.

    Directed by:

  • Donna E. Lusitana
    • rating:3.5.png 3.5 Average Rating


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    Devil's Playground
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    Devil's Playground

    2002
    When Amish teens turn 16, they have the opportunity to venture out in the "Devil's Playground" (the Amish's term for the outside world) and indulge in 21st-century vices such as drinking and smoking -- a period called "Rumspringa." This documentary tracks 18-year-old Faron's struggle to reconcile his drug addiction with his deeply ingrained desire to live his parents' Amish life. But ultimately, committing to the church will be his decision.

    Directed by:

  • Lucy Walker
    • rating:3.5.png 3.5 Average Rating


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    5 Films About Christo & Jeanne-Claude
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    5 Films About Christo & Jeanne-Claude

    1973
    This fascinating anthology shows the passion, vision and complexity of the environmental art of Christo and Jeanne-Claude, whose projects include a 24-mile, 18-foot-high fence in California and a giant curtain hung between two mountains in Colorado. The films -- spanning 30 years -- document not only the process but also the transformational effect the completed works have on those who come in contact with them.

    Directed by:

  • Albert Maysles
  • David Maysles
  • Ellen Giffard
  • Charlotte Zwerin
    • rating:3.5.png 3.5 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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