Browse Movies : 2023 : Documentary (Page #5)

Survivors, whistleblowers and experts recount the Boy Scouts of America’s decadeslong cover-up of sexual abuse cases and its heartbreaking impact.

Shiny Happy People: Duggar Family Secrets is a limited docuseries exposing the truth beneath the wholesome Americana surface of reality tv’s favorite mega-family, The Duggars, and the radical organization behind them: The Institute in Basic Life Principles. As details of the family and their scandals unfold, we realize they’re part of an insidious, much-larger threat already in motion, with democracy itself in peril.

Based on the ProPublica article, the documentary recounts the riveting narrative of the Reels family, led by the matriarch fondly known as "Mamie." Ever since the days following emancipation, the Reels family dedicated themselves to farming, fishing, and painstakingly forging a sustainable existence upon their expansive parcel of land nestled along the coastal reaches of North Carolina's Silver Dollar Road. Their unwavering stance led to their wrongful conviction for civil contempt in 2011, resulting in the harshest sentence ever issued for such an offense in North Carolina—eight long years behind bars. Finally released in 2019, Mamie, Melvin, and Licurtis continue their arduous struggle to reclaim the land that was unjustly ripped from their ancestral embrace.

The Devil on Trial explores the first – and only – time “demonic possession” has officially been used as a defense in a U.S. murder trial. Including firsthand accounts of alleged devil possession and a shocking murder, this extraordinary story forces reflection on our fear of the unknown.

Tourists flock to the west coast of Ireland to take in the breath-taking Cliffs of Moher, but the real treasure lies in the soulful, acoustic sounds wafting out of pubs and living rooms of Doolin, County Clare. The denizens of this unspoiled coastal village of tight-knit neighbours and unlocked doors revel in the passion and history of their traditional folk songs, using music as a thread through generations to create community, connection, and joy.

A captivating crime documentary about the heist one of the most valuable paintings of the 20th century, Willem de Kooning's "Woman-Ochre," which was brazenly cut from its frame in 1985 while hanging at the University of Arizona Museum of Art. 32 years later, the painting was found hanging in the New Mexico home of an eccentric married couple with a keen eye for great works but a very unconventional method of collecting them.

In South Africa’s Cradle of Humankind, Paleoanthropologist Lee Berger has found the world’s oldest graveyard – and it’s not human. If Lee and his team can prove that this ancient, small brained, ape-like creature practiced complex burial rituals – it will change everything we know about hominid evolution and the origins of belief.

Produced in a mixed-media format including animation and storyboarded sequences, Unstuffed: A Build-A-Bear Story explores the origins of the “teddy bear” as well as the psychological importance of stuffed animals in childhood development. Sprinkled with heartwarming stories of Build-A-Bear’s lasting and emotional impact on the lives of everyday people to celebrities, the documentary is told through the eyes of a teddy bear narrator (voiced by Jon Lovitz) as it follows the furry footsteps of a single idea that reimagined not one, but two industries. The documentary starts with founder Maxine Clark’s 1997 entrepreneurial inspiration to launch an experiential mall-based retailer where kids could make their own stuffed animals, to one that has grown into a multi-generational pop culture iconic brand with a global footprint.

Reflecting upon “The Star-Spangled Banner,” “Anthem” follows acclaimed composer Kris Bowers (“Bridgerton,” “When They See Us,” “King Richard”) and GRAMMY®-winning music producer Dahi (Travis Scott, Kendrick Lamar, Drake) as they take a musical journey traveling across America to create a new sound, inspired by what our country’s national anthem might be if written in today’s time.

Before Greta Gerwig’s BARBIE, there was Susan Stern’s BARBIE NATION - a gritty, inside look into the evolution of the cultural phenomenon. From Barbie beauty contests, to Barbie crucifixions, and even a report on the consumption of Barbie heads for sexual gratification, BARBIE NATION explores the peculiar ways in which people have embraced Barbie throughout history.

The definitive documentary about the life and legacy of NBA legend and civil rights icon Bill Russell from award-winning director Sam Pollard (MLK/FBI). The film features exclusive interviews with Bill before his passing in 2022 as well as access to his sprawling personal archives. From the humblest of beginnings, Russell went on to lead each and every one of his basketball teams to championships — two back-to-back NCAA titles, a Gold Medal at the 1956 Melbourne Olympic Games, and 11 championship titles in his thirteen-year career as a Boston Celtic (his last two as the first Black Head Coach in NBA history).

Go behind the scenes of the largest Vermeer exhibition ever mounted, now on view at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam. Capturing the imagination of the art world – with glowing reviews, global publicity, and tickets sold out through the entirety of its run – the Rijksmuseum's Vermeer retrospective is nothing short of an historic event. Suzanne Raes’s film follows curators, conservators, collectors, and experts in their joint mission to shine a new light on the elusive Dutch Master. This fascinating documentary reveals everything from the quiet diplomacy required to get the Vermeers to the Netherlands and the new technical knowledge gained by scanning the paintings layer by layer, to the shocking news that one work may not be by Vermeer after all. In the process, we discover how Vermeer was able to depict reality so differently from his contemporaries. But above all, Close to Vermeer shows the infectious love Vermeer’s art inspires.

For decades, we’ve relegated alien encounters to the realm of conspiracy, dismissing those who’ve seen the unexplainable. Now congressional hearings on UFOs bringing revelations from whistleblowers about clandestine Pentagon programs and major journalistic institutions confirm that...we are not alone.

A revelatory investigation of the lives of intersex people. The film tells the stories of three individuals who have moved from childhoods marked by shame, secrecy, and non-consensual surgeries to thriving adulthoods after each decided to set aside medical advice to keep their bodies a secret and instead came out as their authentic selves.

Faced with a traumatic injury that renders you permanently disabled; how would you reinvent yourself? In 2014, Trevor Kennison's life was forever altered by a broken back - for worse and for better, in equal measures. Barry Corbet, an intrepid skier, mountaineer, explorer, filmmaker, and Jackson Hole legend, broke his back in a helicopter crash in 1968. Frustrated by a pre-ADA culture that did not accept or support the disabled, Barry reinvented himself, becoming a seminal leader in the disability community. FULL CIRCLE follows Trevor on a path towards post-traumatic growth in parallel with Barry, 50 years later. Their stories mirror each other, connected through time and space by common locations and motifs; injuries in the Colorado backcountry, rehab at Craig Hospital, fame in Jackson Hole; but also, through their shared resiliency and refusal to let their passion for life be limited by their injuries. FULL CIRCLE is an unblinking examination of the challenges of Spinal Cord Injury, and a celebration of the growth that such tragedy can catalyze.

The explosive true story of America's most corrupt police unit, the Gun Trace Task Force, which terrorized the city of Baltimore for a half-decade. Based on the acclaimed book of the same name, this documentary takes viewers around every twist and turn of a real-life cat-and-mouse game where cops are also robbers and those meant to protect our safety turn out to be the ones jeopardizing it.

Tony-winning playwright and director James Lapine (Into the Woods, Sunday in the Park with George) befriends Rose Styron, the widow of the great American novelist William Styron (Sophie’s Choice). Rose shares the fascinating story of her complex life as a poet, journalist, human rights activist, life partner to William, and friend of the Kennedys, Phillip Roth, Carly Simon, the Clintons, James Baldwin, Leonard Bernstein, Meryl Streep, Gabriel Garcia Marquez and many other luminaries of her time.

Over a decade in the making, this inspiring and unforgettable documentary follows children impacted by homelessness as they discover the magic of self-expression through dance. Guided by mentor Steven, whose journey leads back to his childhood shelter, their path within a remarkable ballet program becomes a celebration of joy and triumph in the face of adversity.

Documentary about writer, actor, filmmaker, studio head and media titan Tyler Perry.

Tommy is a sheltered, real-life 40 year old virgin who embarks on a life-changing quest across the country to discover the adulthood he’s missed out on with his friends. As he’s pushed far out of his comfort zone to grow up, past traumas arise.