Documentaries

A survey of the musical form's history and major talents.

Rosanna Arquette talks to various actresses about the pressures they face as women working in the entertainment industry.

Exploration of New York City's rich history as a complex and dynamic city that has played an unparalleled role in shaping the nation and reflecting its ideals.

Takes a closer look at what brought about the 2008 financial meltdown.

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

The collar awarded to the winners of the Meilleur Ouvrier de France (Best Craftsman in France) is more than the ultimate recognition for every pastry chef - it is a dream and an obsession. The 3-day competition includes everything from delicate chocolates to precarious six foot sugar sculptures and requires that the chefs have extraordinary skill, nerves of steel and luck. The film follows Jacquy Pfeiffer, founder of The French Pastry School in Chicago, as he returns to France to compete against 15 of France's leading pastry chefs. The filmmakers were given first time/exclusive access to this high-stakes drama of passion, sacrifice, disappointment and joy in the quest to have President Sarkozy declare them one of the best in France.

The story of the early days of California wine making featuring the now infamous, blind Paris wine tasting of 1976 that has come to be known as "Judgment of Paris".

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.

An unflattering look inside America's corporate controlled food industry.

A documentary on Woody Allen that trails him on his movie sets and follows him back to Brooklyn as he visits his childhood haunts.

A documentary that explores the question: In the age of manscaping, metrosexuals, and grooming products galore - what does it mean to be a man?

Quadriplegics, who play full-contact rugby in wheelchairs, overcome unimaginable obstacles to compete in the Paralympic Games in Athens, Greece.

While examining the influence of the fast food industry, Morgan Spurlock personally explores the consequences on his health of a diet of solely McDonald's food for one month.

In a time when America's economy was crumbling and sense of community was in question, one guy left everything behind to see if he could survive solely on the support and goodwill of the 21st century's new town square: Craigslist.

Go behind the doors of an American public hospital struggling to care for a community of largely uninsured patients.

A documentary on peer-to-peer bullying in schools across America.

Citizen Hearst, a new documentary on BIO., traces the 125-year history of the Hearst media empire from William Randolph Hearst to the global impact of the company's many successful media brands today.

A documentary on the Manhattan department store with interviews from an array of fashion designers, style icons, and celebrities.

A look at the life and work of the influential fashion editor of Harpers Bazaar, Diana Vreeland.

Dolores Hart left a successful Hollywood acting career to become a nun. A true story.

A documentary that captures the making of a fine art photographic book featuring 16 of the world's most successful adult film stars.

In 2002, American photographer Tierney Gearon (1963- ), fresh from the disconcerting success of her 2001 exhibit at London's Saatchi Gallery, goes to upstate New York to begin a project photographing her mother. Over the next few years, two filmmakers record Gearon's visits, accompanied by her two young children and later a baby. Gearon's mother can behave erratically, and the presence of mother, daughter, and children brings up Gearon's own feelings about her childhood. Her children are philosophical about being photographed and on exhibition. Portraits of family, discovery, and healing may emerge.

New York City, 1977 - It was a time when the city had fallen into decay, with too few jobs, money, police, schools, and social services. There was a city wide blackout with major looting, a serial killer on the loose, and the Bronx was burning. And yet out of the chaos emerged one of the most creative times any city has ever encountered. Executive Produced by Academy Award Nominee Nanette Burstein ("The Kid Stays in the Picture"), "NY77: The Coolest Year In Hell" is a two-hour documentary that tells the story of one astonishing year in New York City history. Premiering Saturday, August 11 at 9PM*, the documentary is told chronologically and weaves together the stories of the emergence of hip hop, punk and disco, graffiti art, and sexual liberation. In the background are the major political events and social issues of the day -- crime, urban decay, financial woes, the infamous blackout, drugs, Son of Sam, the bitter mayoral election and the overall poverty that gripped the city. Out of chaos came creation. From the South Bronx came hip hop. From the Lower East Side, the thrashing guitars of punk. And all over the city, a disco revolution was underway. Elaborate, finely crafted graffiti art decorated the subway cars and break-dancers shimmied in the streets. The sexual revolution was in full swing. In January 1977, most of this activity existed in its own underground bubble. Yet by the end of the year this artistic expression was on its way to mainstream America, and would be with us for generations to come. The documentary uses groundbreaking animation to help tell the story, and features interviews with those who lived it, including Ed Koch, Geraldo Rivera, Jimmy Breslin, Gloria Gaynor, Afrika Bambaataa, Chris Stein (Blondie), Richard Hell, KRS-One, Grandmaster Caz, DJ Disco Wiz, Legs McNeil, Annie Sprinkle, Al Goldstein, Tommy Ramone, Jellybean Benitez, Lee Quinones, and many more. The Emmy Nominated "NY77: The Coolest Year In Hell" is the newest film in the VH1 Rock Doc franchise. VH1 Rock Docs are high-end feature-length documentaries that each reveal an untold story in the history of rock and hip-hop music, combining never-before-seen footage with a unique and unconventional narrative approach. The documentaries tell some of the most unique stories of artists and music from a wide range of genres, styles, and musical perspectives.

A documentary on Ed Koch, the mayor of New York City from 1978 to 1989.

David Geffen's far-reaching influence - as agent, manager, record industry mogul, Hollywood and Broadway producer, and philanthropist - has helped shape American popular culture for the past four decades. Notoriously press and camera-shy, Geffen reveals himself for the first time.