This thread is just what the title says. Post your favorite documentaries.
Might start a bit slow at first, just to make sure everything’s okay with the SD people. But lots of interesting content to be had, that’s for sure. I hope to save myself the trouble of searching, by watching good stuff other folks have found.
But meanwhile…
Louis Theroux has possibly covered more topics than anyone else in the field. He has his agendas, of course, but he doesn’t try to hide them. It’s pretty obvious where he’s coming from.
Here, Louis visits the Westboro Baptist Church. It’s a look into the people behind the “God Hates America”, “Thank God For Dead Soldiers”, etc., signs.
Do series count? Because I’d nominate “Nova” on PBS. In case not, and you want individual titles, I can’t narrow it down to one single one, but it just might be Alone in the Wilderness.
Absolutely, you guys. It all counts. If you were interested throughout the whole thing, chances are it is good. I understand there are different interests, but that’s where the description comes in.
Leo, I recall seeing that one (I think, but will look further). Great stuff and a great story.
Tristan da Cunha is the most remote inhabited island in the world. It is between Africa and South America, and has held a population of approximately 300 people for the past couple-hundred years. Many of those have descended from the survivors of shipwrecks, and the bloodlines are from nearly everywhere on earth.
The inhabitants are extremely cautious of being looked at too carefully (at least while being documented), and the host may have dicked-away any future chance of another docu being made by himself or by anyone else, thanks to his attitude. From what I know, it is the only documentary of its kind, and it is from 1989:
Anyone that’s dreamed of kicking it up a notch while camping, will be in awe of this guy. He really lived a life. He was a resourceful person (almost beyond belief), a brilliant mechanic, etc., and that’s how he pulled it off so well.
It’s kind of sad when you think of the time he became too old, and had to return to civilization. That part of his life would have made a great doc, too, though, and maybe it would have helped him put it all into perspective (and help us do that, too).
I truly enjoyed Searching for Sugar Man, which won the Best Documentary Oscar in 2013. Note: if you don’t already know the story, I’d suggest not reading anything about the film, or the subject, before watching the film – I think it makes it even more powerful to go into it “spoiler-free”.
It’s about a folk singer from the late 1960s, Rodriguez, whose albums sold poorly in the US, but who somehow achieved cult-icon status in South Africa, years after they were released. There were many rumors in South Africa about what had happened to him, and the filmmakers set out to learn the actual story.
It’s available on YouTube, or Amazon, for a couple of bucks if you watch it streaming.
I’d recommend The Story of Film. It’s a really, really good look at cinematography. It’s not just a straight documentary where it talks about the major players and the financial history either, it looks over the evolution of cinematography techniques, art cinema, non-Western cinema, and so on.
Recently watched this one, and it kept me going throughout. It focuses on the legendary drummer Ginger Baker: where he’s at in life, now, and where he’s been. The man is a maniac to a certain degree, so he’s been-there-done-that when it comes to the lifestyle. And Lord knows, is a drummer beyond all imagination. I really had no idea before watching this. (and he loves the black chicks!)
But for as strong a character that he is, he’s largely been just part of the “arrangement”, so hasn’t seen the wealth that his associates have found over the years. He has his struggles, which may contribute to his sour attitude toward others.
Werner Herzog also has some incredible documentaries. He may be the greatest director still active.
I recommend from him:
Grizzly Man - about that guy who went out with the grizzlies in Alaska and eventually was eaten by one.
Wings of Hope - a short documentary about a woman who fell a mile(yes, a mile) in an airplane crash, survived, and walked through the jungle to get out. Herzog himself was almost on that flight. From One Second to the Next - a 30 minute documentary about texting while driving. It’s so sad to see the victims of crashes, but is captivating. This one is free.
Louis Theroux looks at crime in the big city of Lagos, Nigeria. It is an unhappy city where people are forced to compete for little more than scraps.
In this place, a structure exists to bring up people that can successfully control others - through force or some type of loyal respect. That’s the “Area Boy” system. All things leading toward hard value in a particular area will be seen to by such a person, and he answers upward in the chain.
The “kingpin” and his guards can sometimes be found in the streets at night, performing a ritual that has him use a wad of cash to draw a large crowd of street youth, to see who will be the one to walk with it. That’s how recruitment is done.
Some other twists thrown in, too. There’s a fu’king nitwit ex-military man (with legal authority) who throws people in jail on Saturdays if they’re not cleaning. Hahaha. Yes, he goose-steps through the streets ordering people arrested because they’re daring to sit down, etc., when he wants them to be cleaning. Some unexpected humor, to say the least.
If you’re into this sort of topic, it’s a good watch (as most Theroux work is).
It is Law and Disorder in Lagos with Louis Theroux.
This one focuses on a guy who drifts around, barely surviving by fighting and teaching others to fight. He sleeps on trains, etc., and is watching the clock run down on his life.
Yeah, it’s a good one. I’ve seen it once or twice, I think, but will put it on the watchlist again and maybe comment on it later. It isn’t the most pleasant topic, obviously, but in a certain frame of mind it’s a winner to watch.
