Browse Movies : Documentary : O

Beneath the surface of the sea, on the other side of the mirror, life's primitive harmony reaches down to unsullied depths. The film sets out to meet the creatures of the sea: those that are known and the many that still have to be discovered. It is a venture into the fullness of the sea to show how prodigiously it teems with life, and into the deepest ocean beds to meet living fossils that belong to world prehistory. Follows the whiplash turns of a shark, the speedy swimming of a swordfish and the gliding manta ray. Explores the dens of giant cod, spiny monkfish, orange roughy and the giant squid in their natural habitats.

This documentary examines the careers of the 1950s-1970s Stax Records and Motown soul and R&B singers who "kept on keeping on" right through (and after) the disco scene into today, through the use of interviews with and performance footage by such Motown luminaries as Isaac Hayes, the Chi-Lites, Sam Moore (of Sam and Dave), Mary Wilson (of the Supremes) and others. The focus of the film is how these performers managed to keep thriving through the 30 years of change in the music industry since the heydays of classic R&B.

An examination that goes beyond the celebrity-driven headlines and dives into the methods used by Rick Singer, the man at the center of the shocking 2019 college admissions scandal, to persuade his wealthy clients to cheat an educational system already designed to benefit the privileged. Using an innovative combination of interviews and narrative recreations of the FBI’s wiretapped conversations between Singer and his clients, Operation Varsity Blues offers a rare glimpse into the enigmatic figure behind a scheme that exposed the lengths wealthy families would go to for admission into elite colleges, and angered a nation already grappling with the effects of widespread inequality.

After his Sundance award-winning documentary Return to Homs, Talal Derki returned to his homeland where he gained the trust of a radical Islamist family, sharing their daily life for over two years. His camera focuses primarily on the children, providing an extremely rare insight into what it means to grow up with a father whose only dream is to establish an Islamic caliphate.

A 3D behind-the-scenes film showcasing London-based global music sensation One Direction.

A documentary about the rise and fall of Troy Duffy, a bartender whose script for "The Boondock Saints" was picked up by Harvey Weinstein of Miramax and made into a film. Duffy subsequently burns every bridge and alienates most of his friends.

Out of the Clear Blue Sky tells the riveting, behind-the-scenes story of Cantor Fitzgerald. It’s a story of disaster without precedent. What do you when everything – and almost everyone – is gone?

On September 10, 2001, financial firm Cantor Fitzgerald was headquartered on the top 5 floors of the World Trade Center. With offices soaring 100 stories above downtown Manhattan, the Wall Street powerhouse was unknown to the public until tragedy struck. On September 11, 2001, 658 of their employees were missing – presumed dead – in the nation’s worst terrorist attacks. Overnight, Cantor became world famous for the worst of all possible reasons. One of the few who survived was their notorious CEO Howard Lutnick, who had been taking his son to his first day of kindergarten when the planes hit. On September 13th, Lutnick’s emotionally raw, tear-filled interviews transfixed the nation. His distraught television appearances struck a deep personal chord with millions of traumatized Americans reeling and shell-shocked by the unprecedented attacks. But, within a week, in a move that was to become very controversial, Lutnick stopped the paychecks of his missing employees. It was an act that has been praised by some – as a necessary decision to save the company to help the widows of his fallen friends — but severely lambasted by more — as a self-serving, heartless betrayal by a man well known for his ruthlessness. Lutnick’s prior reputation as cut-throat – even by Wall Street standards – preceded him.

The media turned on him and Lutnick went from sympathetic face-of-the-tragedy to vilified pariah over night. Then he completely withdrew from the public eye. Though Cantor suffered almost twice the casualties of the FDNY, their story soon disappeared.

Directed by a September 11th family member, “Out of the Clear Blue” tells twin stories – not only the saga of the ravaged business and surviving employees, but also an insider’s take on the unusual community of families that formed in the aftermath. Cantor’s loss was not only the largest loss by a single entity, it also created the largest single group of mourners, over 6000 people bound by their horrific common experience. This was tragedy writ large. People too young to die, all knowing each other, lost on one day. There wasn’t one memorial to attend; there were 10 a day for over two months, forcing people to choose whose funeral to go to. It wasn’t one dead per family; it was doubles or even triple losses in a family. This wasn’t a private loss; this was as public as could be, with television images played and re-played endlessly and inescapably. A true stranger-than-fiction account, from the jittery and stunned first days — a time unlike any other in American memory — then unfolding over months and years, the film captures what it’s like being caught in the crosshairs of history.

An explosive video goes viral, showing a white school resource officer in South Carolina pull a Black teenager from her desk. One woman uproots her life to support the girl and dismantle the system, including facing the police officer.

A storm grows, a sea otter pup is separated from her mother, and a young woman bound for adventure blows in to town. On a wild, windswept beach these lives collide and an entire species' survival gets personal. Through Katie's eyes you will see our playful pup, otter number 501, get an amazing second chance at life in the wild. As the two learn to navigate the opportunities and risks of life without anchor we see the incredible efforts people have undertaken to return sea otters from the brink of existence. Framed against the strikingly beautiful Monterey Bay coastline, the last stronghold of these iconic animals, Katie discovers just how serious this threat remains.

The film is both a love song and a eulogy to the directors birthplace of Liverpool. It is also a response to memory, reflection and the experience of losing a sense of place as the skyline changes and time takes it toll.

A documentary following the exploits of a group of filmmakers as they take their independent feature, "Ten 'til Noon" (2006), along the film festival circuit, and the politics, pitfalls, triumphs and comic tragedies they encounter along the way. Full of interviews with important players in the indie world, this is a must see for young filmmakers on the what happens when the shooting stops.

An exploration of tropical forests in Africa and South America. The documentary follows botanist and biologist Francis Halle as he travels to tropical forests in Gabon and Peru. It will also look at the birth and evolution of a tropical forest through seven centuries.

Welcome to Wakaliwood, the Wakaliga village outside of Uganda's capital and birthplace of the over-the-top, no-budget action movies produced by maverick Ugandan filmmaker Isaac Nabwana. Dubbed Africa's Tarantino, Isaac has produced 40+ films, including Who Killed Captain Alex and Bad Black. His inspiration is equal parts 1980s American action movies and Shaw Brothers martial arts films, with a Ugandan twist. His films' budgets are in the range of $200, and his homegrown studio employs neighbors and friends working on as many as five productions at once. But the story continues… Fascinated by Isaac's movie trailers on YouTube, film nerd Alan Hofmanis gives up his life in NYC and moves to Uganda to work and live alongside Isaac. He not only becomes Isaacs producer, promoter and right-hand man, but also accidentally becomes a Ugandan action movie star. Alan’s marketing savvy brings a wave of international press attention from: Vice, BBC, Al Jazeera, The Wall Street Journal, and every other media outlet on the planet journey to Wakaliwood to cover this rising star. Wakaliwood then explodes into an international viral sensation. Once the dust settles, in one way or another, things will never be the same…

Filmed in 20 countries, the documentary explores the insights of Nobel Laureates and others about improving the world.

In 1970, Jeffrey Kagel walked away from the American dream of rock 'n' roll stardom, turning down the chance to record as lead singer for the band soon-to-be the Blue Oyster Cult. Instead, he sold all his possessions and moved from the suburbs of Long Island to the foothills of the Himalayas in search of happiness and a little-known saint named Neem Karoli Baba. One Track Heart: The Story of Krishna Das follows his journey to India and back, witnessing his struggles with depression and drug abuse, to his eventual emergence as Grammy-Nominated Krishna Das, world-renowned spiritual teacher and chant master.

Kevin Box has always known exactly what he intends to do with his life. In his words, "I want to have a conversation with people now and hundreds of years into the future." The "ORIGAMI IN THE GARDEN FILM" is the origin story for Kevin and his wife Jennifer as they hone their craft of metal sculpture and develop powerful messages of peace…inspired from within their magical studio compound in Santa Fe, New Mexico. The film is also a Love Story and a beautiful spiritual transformation that begins during their relationship with a metal foundry in Thailand. Kevin has designed brilliant collaborations with Robert J. Lang, Beth Johnson and Michael LaFosse who are some of the most famous origami artists in the world! Their inspired and tireless journey will be appreciated by anyone who understands the tremendous leaps of faith that are necessary to become a successful entrepreneur and artist. Over 3 million people have visited their traveling exhibition titled "ORIGAMI IN THE GARDEN" and the word about Kevin and Jennifer Box is spreading fast. It’s truly amazing what Kevin can do starting with just a simple piece of paper!

At Dominquez High School in Compton, California, basketball is valued above all else. The end of the year is marked by a traditional cycle of proms, riots and graduation. And there hasn't been a play at the school in over twenty years. In an effort to make a change, English teacher Catherine Borek attempts to mount a theatrical production of Thornton Wilder's "Our Town,"the classic American play about the classic American town of Grover's Corners, New Hampshire. In the process she takes her fledgling students on a journey of self discovery. With no budget and no stage, Ms. Borek chooses "Our Town" for its universal and timeless themes of community, family, love and loss, life and death, with the hope that her students might see themselves reflected in the roles they play.

Our Last Tango tells the life and love story of Argentina’s most famous tango dancers, Maria Nieves Rego and Juan Carlos Copes, who met as teenagers and danced together for nearly fifty years until a painful separation tore them apart. Relaying their story to a group of young tango dancers and choreographers from Buenos Aires, their story of love, hatred and passion is transformed into unforgettable tango choreographies.