Browse Movies : 2017 : Documentary

A feature-length documentary on the agony and the ecstasy of making people laugh. A stand-up comedian must be the writer, the director and the star performer—and in stand-up there is no rehearsal, no practice, no safety net, as it only works in front of a live audience, with feedback being instantaneous and often brutal.

A portrait of a class of migrant children at a primary school in a Dutch village. Under the wing of their teacher Miss Kiet, they learn Dutch, fight, fall in love and process their traumas.

The Heart of Man is a cinematic retelling of the parable of the Prodigal Son, interwoven with true testimonials of personal and sexual brokenness. Narrative storytelling and documentary filmmaking are combined like never before to reveal the compassionate heart of God the Father for His sons and daughters, illuminating an age-old truth: shame is not a barrier to God’s love, but a bridge to absolute transformation, victory, freedom, and hope.

Born in China follows the stories of three animal families, transporting audiences to some of the most extreme environments on Earth to witness some of the most intimate moments ever captured in a nature film. A doting panda bear mother guides her growing baby as she begins to explore and seek independence. A two-year-old golden monkey who feels displaced by his new baby sister joins up with a group of free-spirited outcasts. And a mother snow leopard—an elusive animal rarely caught on camera—faces the very real drama of raising her two cubs in one of the harshest and most unforgiving environments on the planet.

What happens when a six-year-old boy in Kenya is abandoned by his family and left to raise himself on the streets? MULLY is no ordinary rags-to-riches tale. It's the true story of Charles Mully, whose unlikely stratospheric rise to wealth and power leaves him questioning his own existence, searching for meaning in life. Against the better judgment of family and community, MULLY sets out to enrich the fate of orphaned children across Kenya. Jeopardizing his own life and the security of his family, Charles Mully risks everything and sets in motion a series of events that is nothing short of astonishing.

Inspired by the Church’s use of filming techniques, and aided by ex-members of the organization, Louis Theroux uses actors to replay some incidents people claim they experienced as members in an attempt to better understand the way it operates. In a bizarre twist, it becomes clear that the Church is also making a film about Louis Theroux. Suffused with a good dose of humor and moments worthy of a Hollywood script, My Scientology Movie is stranger than fiction.

A documentary feature about the passion and personalities at the heart of today’s new wave of burlesque. On stage and in candid conversation, twelve of today’s hottest performers reveal the naked truth about an exotic world where artifice is a route to authenticity and pretending to be someone else is the ultimate journey to become yourself. These burlesquers put it all on the line in performances that are sexy, funny, elegant and outrageous – and they bare more than just their bodies as they discuss their artistic vision, their financial struggles, the misconceptions that infuriate them and the community that sustains them.

Pulling back the curtain on Genocide censorship in Hollywood due to U.S. government pressure to appease a strategic ally, Intent To Destroy embeds with a historic feature production as a springboard to explore the violent history of the Armenian Genocide and legacy of Turkish suppression and denial over the past century.

Takes a unique and in-depth look at the years and events leading up to the city-wide violence that began April 29, 1992, when the verdict was announced in the Rodney King case.

What makes a film score unforgettable? Score: A Film Music Documentary brings Hollywood's elite composers together to give viewers a privileged look inside the musical challenges and creative secrecy of the world's most international music genre: the film score. A film composer is a musical scientist of sorts, and the influence they have to complement a film and garner powerful reactions from global audiences can be a daunting task to take on. The documentary contains interviews with dozens of film composers who discuss their craft and the magic of film music while exploring the making of the most iconic and beloved scores in history: James Bond, Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Pirates of the Caribbean, Titanic, The Social Network, Mad Max: Fury Road, and Psycho.

The life story of traditional Irish folk singer Joe Heaney, who is estimated to have recorded in excess of 500 traditional Irish sean nós ('old style') songs.

On the morning of Election Day 2016, Americans of all stripes woke up and went about living their radically different lives. These were the hours leading up to Donald Trump's unexpected, earth-shaking victory, but, of course, no one knew that yet. Curated and produced by Jeff Deutchman 11/8/16 documents the moments leading up to a defining moment in American history.

In the 1980s a bunch of underground cartoonists parodied a popular doll (whose name can’t be spoken). The resulting commercial trading cards/stickers tapped into an international zeitgeist that was brewing in a young generation who felt that this product spoke to the revulsion they had for the corporate pop culture that was being fed to them. Learn the truth behind the myth of The Garbage Pail Kids.

This is a story of sacrifice, selflessness and how the actions of one man have touched and inspired others. Our film is about Welles Crowther, a 9/11 hero. Welles was tragically killed in the lobby of the South Tower when it collapsed. He stayed to help others and his heroics only became known 8 months after the tragedy due to an ordinary object ... a red bandana. The film re-traces the unique manner in which his heroics became known, as well as his last inspirational hour (his finest hour) saving others from the upper reaches of the South Tower. The film, then, depicts Welles’ folklore stature throughout the United States including songs, artwork and babies that have been named in his honor. This legacy section leads up to the revelation of a remarkable secret about Welles that provides the perfect, inspirational ending.

Reveals the untold story of Nicholas Sand and Tim Scully, the unlikely duo at the heart of 1960s American drug counter-culture. United in a utopian mission to save the planet through the consciousness-raising power of LSD, these underground chemists manufactured a massive amount of acid, including the gold standard for quality LSD, ‘Orange Sunshine,’ all while staying one step ahead of the Feds.

Follows the life and early career of UFC fighter Ronda Rousey from her humble beginnings living in a car to a UFC trailblazer demanding equal pay in a male-dominated industry.

Izak Szewelwicz was born in the Bergen-Belsen displaced persons camp in 1945 and sent for adoption in Israel. Many years ago, Izak found and formed a relationship with his birth mother, but was always told that his father had died in the war. In 2013, everything he knew about his personal history changed when he tracked down his adoption files and uncovered that his father had been alive after the war and had reportedly divorced his mother. Seeking more answers, Izak located his birth certificate in Germany. He was shocked to discover another birth certificate—one of a brother he never knew existed.

Filmmakers and brothers Alon and Shaul Schwarz set out to find answers for their Uncle Izak, uncovering timely questions of identity, resilience, compassion, and the plight of displaced persons as Izak and his brother Shep—both almost 70-years-old—emotionally reunite in Canada before traveling to a nursing home in Montreal to introduce Shep to his elderly mother, Aida, for the first time.

The musicians of the Buena Vista Social Club exposed the world to Cuba's vibrant culture with their landmark 1997 album. Now, against the backdrop of Cuba's captivating musical history, hear the band's story as they reflect on their remarkable careers and the extraordinary circumstances that brought them together.