I must have watched hundreds of documentaries over the years and just like traditional films there are good ones and there bad ones. Below I've decided to list a few of the ones I thought we're particularly good. It is the nature of the beast of course that some documentaries deal with subjects, and can contain content, that offends. But with these harsh realities often comes truth. The documentary film is still low on the radar of most film audiences, but the popularity of recent films (Food Inc, The Cove, An Inconvenient Truth) illustrates that audiences are willing to watch a film that has a serious agenda. So here are some of my recommended films with a brief summary:
Taxi to the Darkside
An examination into the torture tactics used by the U.S. army during the war in Afghanistan, focusing on a Taxi-Driver tortured and killed in 2002.
The Smartest Guys in the Room
The story of the collapse of U.S. energy giant Enron. A shocking insight into corruption and political scandal.
Zeitgeist: Addendum & Zeitgeist: Final Edition
As controversial as they come Peter Joseph's hugely popular Zeitgeist series (the 3rd is due out due later this year) discredits the corrupt institutions that surround us. Religious, Financial and Political.
Loose Change - Various Versions
Love them or loathe them there is no doubting these 9/11 conspiracy films raise many fully quantifiable questions that have yet to be answered. World Trader Centre Building No. 7?
No End in Sight
This highly detailed film takes an in depth look at the Bush Administration during the Iraqi war. Nominated for an Oscar this film examines incompetence at the very highest level.
Jesus Camp
A documentary following children on the trip to summer camp in the U.S, where they are brain washed into fanatical Christian beliefs. A hard hitting film showing that you don't need to go to the middle east to find religious extremists.
Earthlings
Using hidden cameras and never-before-seen footage, Earthlings chronicles the day-to-day practices of the largest industries in the world, all of which rely entirely on animals for profit. At times shocking to watch. You may never wear leather again.
An Inconvenient Truth
A passionate documentary following Al Gore's campaign to stop global warning before it's too late.
Hearts and Minds
This Oscar winning 1974 documentary was very hard to get hold of until a recent region 1 bluray release. This film documents the opposing views of the Vietnam war through the eyes of the Vietnamese and key political figures of the time (in particular Daniel Ellsberg who leaked the Pentagon Papers to the Washington post triggering Watergate). In here lies the truth, which makes this almost unpatriotic film infamous for getting Oscar approval.
Hearts and Minds
This Oscar winning 1974 documentary was very hard to get hold of until a recent region 1 bluray release. This film documents the opposing views of the Vietnam war through the eyes of the Vietnamese and key political figures of the time (in particular Daniel Ellsberg who leaked the Pentagon Papers to the Washington post triggering Watergate). In here lies the truth, which makes this almost unpatriotic film infamous for getting Oscar approval.
If there are some films above that you haven't yet seen then give them a go. Whether you agree with the sometimes biased angles taken in some documentaries you can't deny that even the worst can't be as bad as a film with Keira Knightley in, can it?
