Browse Movies : Released : 2017 : Documentary

John G. Avildsen’s films have inspired millions of underdogs and shaped popular culture for decades, yet most people don’t even know his name. Discover the unknown legend behind Rocky and The Karate Kid in his official biography about a prolific filmmaker who directed seven actors to Academy Award nominations and earned his own Oscar for Best Director.

American dancer Bobbi Jene, who after a decade of stardom in Israel decides to leave behind her prominent position at the renowned Batsheva Dance Company, as well as the love of her life, to return to the U.S.

Raising 11 children while wrestling with gender bias, union defeat and victory, and nearly dying after a San Francisco Police beating, Dolores Huerta bucks 1950s gender conventions to co-found the country's first farmworkers union.

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 that encapsulates a momentous period in the history of Russia and the Russian Avant-Garde.

Follows female war reporter Alex Quade’s daring missions to tell soldiers' stories during a series of unprecedented embeds with Conventional Forces and US Special Ops Forces at the height of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

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.

A feature-length documentary that puts the viewer inside the cockpit of an elite U.S. Army Aviation Helicopter Squadron as they launch a Deep Attack during the initial surge into Iraq in March, 2003.

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.

Rooted in memories of her childhood, Okwui – who’s worked with conceptual artists like Ralph Lemon and Julie Taymor – fuses dance, song, drama and comedy to create a mesmerizing space in which audiences can engage with a story about two 12-year-old black girls coming of age in the 1980s. With intimate vérité access to Okwui and her audiences off the stage, Bronx Gothic allows for unparalleled insight into her creative process as well as the complex social issues embodied in it.

Every 53 hours in the United States, a police officer is killed in the line of duty. However these losses go mostly unnoticed, overshadowed by sensational, politically charged headlines of the day. Fallen takes a deeply personal look at the stories behind these statistics. More than five years in the making, the film follows the stories of eight fallen officers from across the country. Told through the eyes of those closest to them, as well as the communities they served, these stories offer a sobering glimpse into a routinely overlooked and misunderstood reality

In the 1960s and 70s, the Space Race inspired a generation to pursue careers in science and technology, and then it all ended. Fight for Space looks at why this happened and re-awakens our sense of wonder and discovery.

Indianapolis has one of the lowest high school graduation rates in the country. For adult learners Greg, Melissa and Shynika, finally earning their high school diplomas could be a life-changing achievement. Andrew Cohn’s documentary observes their individual pursuits, fraught with the challenges of daily life and the broader systemic roadblocks faced by many low income Americans.

Martin and Margo's arrival in the village of Santoalla challenges the traditions of the town's sole remaining family, igniting a decade-long conflict that culminates in Martin's mysterious disappearance.

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.

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.

Tells the incredible saga of the Chinese immigrant Sung family, owners of Abacus Federal Savings of Chinatown, New York. Accused of mortgage fraud by Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus R. Vance, Jr., Abacus becomes the only U.S. bank to face criminal charges in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis. The indictment and subsequent trial forces the Sung family to defend themselves – and their bank’s legacy in the Chinatown community – over the course of a five-year legal battle.