Best Documentaries

A famous prison escape sparks the idea for a cult-like race that has seen only 10 finishers in its first 25 years. This award-winning, oddly inspiring, and wildly funny documentary reveals the sports world's most guarded secret.

The life and work of photographer Sebastião Salgado, who has spent forty years documenting societies in hidden corners of the world.

Using state-of-the-art equipment, a group of activists, led by renowned dolphin trainer Ric O'Barry, infiltrate a cove near Taijii, Japan to expose both a shocking instance of animal abuse and a serious threat to human health.

A comprehensive history of the United States' involvement in the bitterly divisive armed conflict in Southeast Asia.

Following the style of some of the world's most prolific street artists, an amateur filmmaker makes a foray into the art world.

Claude Lanzmann's epic documentary recounts the story of the Holocaust through interviews with witnesses - perpetrators as well as survivors.

A filmmaker decides to memorialize a murdered friend when his friend's ex-girlfriend announces she is expecting his son.

A mesmerizing, thought-provoking yet surprisingly amusing documentary on the life and times of Wolfgang Beltracchi, who tricked the international art world for nearly 40 years by forging and selling paintings of early 20th-century masters. A larger-than-life personality who was responsible for the biggest art forgery scandal of the postwar era.

Two South Africans set out to discover what happened to their unlikely musical hero, the mysterious 1970s rock n roller, Rodriguez.

Filmed over nearly five years in twenty-five countries on five continents, and shot on seventy-millimetre film, Samsara transports us to the varied worlds of sacred grounds, disaster zones, industrial complexes, and natural wonders.

Danish journalist Mads Brügger goes undercover as a Liberian Ambassador to embark on a dangerous yet hysterical journey to uncover the blood diamond trade in Africa.

A year with one platoon in the deadliest valley in Afghanistan.

A documentary about three unique restaurants and their respective owners.

After personal tragedy, troubled teen Curtis Duffy found purpose in cooking through a teacher's guidance. His rise to elite chef status brought success but strained his family as he pursued his Chicago restaurant dream.

Four sommeliers attempt to pass the prestigious Master Sommelier exam, a test with one of the lowest pass rates in the world.

Filmmaker Michael Moore explores the roots of America's predilection for gun violence.

A look at how the world's food is produced and how mass production changes the environment and the lives of people.

Thought-provoking documentary on war propaganda: how governments manipulate the facts and how most media let them get away with it.

Four world-class undefeated mountain runners compete in the grueling Western States 100-mile endurance race, pushing their limits through challenging terrain to become the last one unbroken.

A team of brave individuals risk their lives to protect the last mountain gorillas.

The story of cult film director Alejandro Jodorowsky's ambitious but ultimately doomed film adaptation of the seminal science fiction novel.

Journalist David Farrier stumbles upon a mysterious tickling competition online. As he delves deeper he comes up against fierce resistance, but that doesn't stop him getting to the bottom of a story stranger than fiction.

Danish soldiers are sent to Afghanistan in 2009 for 6 months, to help stabilize the country against the Taliban. They're stationed on Armadillo military base in Helman province. Unlike other war movies, this is the real deal - no actors.

A comprehensive survey of the American Civil War.

A profile of homeless Romanian children who were born victims of the nation's reckless population growth policy during its communist era.