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Name one documentary that you feel people should watch and explain why

old

Member
Jiro Dreams of Sushi. It shows the mentality behind creating something great. Jiro is a Michelin 3-Star sushi chef.

Jiro doesn't buy discount fish from the lowest bidder. He doesn't use frozen ingredients. He doesn't refrigerate yesterdays food to serve today. He doesn't cut corners to improve margins. He doesn't serve whatever happens to be cooked up by his cooks. He had his cook prepare over 200 egg omelette deserts before he deemed it good enough to serve to customers. He doesn't half-ass food prep. He doesn't sit in the back on the phone talking to his hookups or out spending afternoons out at the golf course. He's there everyday teaching, guiding, instructing, and supervising quality control. Everyday he even sits down and feeds his own workers to show them what proper sushi should taste like so they can make it better.

Jiro is obsessive about the any avenue he can increase quality. He personally hires his workers. He inspects all of their work. He serves the sushi himself and stays to watch his customers' reactions. He sources his ingredients only from the best suppliers. He works with rice suppliers to ensure he gets the best rice from the best rice grower. He trained his workers to identify the best fish at the market. He does not buy fish unless they are fresh and of great quality even if it means cutting things from his menu. He does not keep fish overnight. Everything is bought fresh that morning. He doesn't just use only the best fish, he only uses the best parts of the best fish...and only if they are properly cut and prepared to the highest quality.

A finished product has hundreds of decision points from the moment of inception to the final product. Jiro never compromises on any of these decision points along the way. He always chooses quality no matter the cost, hassle, or personal inconvenience.

Jiro did not become a 3-star chef by accidentally stumbling upon a great recipe or offering trendy weird avante garde menus like edible soil. He earned the stars through decades of dedication to improving his work with obsessive detail down to the tiniest detail, yes, even the exact temperature of the rice.
 

Begbie

Member
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This is about 35 hours long and I've watched several times. It is that good.
 

Geist-

Member
The Act of Killing.

I expect this one may come up a lot, but it is one of the most gripping pieces of filmmaking i have watched.

Joshua Oppenheimer investigates the mass killings of accused communists in Indonesia during the 60's by asking the preparators to re-enact how they killed people for a film they are to make. It is an unsettling look into the human condition, but a film that will knock you sideways. Special.
It blew me away when I first watched it. There's also a sequel that's really good.
A middle-aged Indonesian man, whose brother was brutally murdered in the 1965 purge of communists, confronts the men who carried out the killings. Out of concern for his safety, the man is not fully identified in the film and is credited only as "anonymous," as are many of the film's crew positions. Some shots consist of the man watching (what seems to be) extra footage from The Act of Killing, which includes video of the men who killed his brother. He visits some of the killers and their collaborators—including his uncle—under the pretense of an eye exam. Although none of the killers express any remorse, the daughter of one of them is clearly shaken when she hears, apparently for the first time, the details of the killings.
 

FairyD

Member
The documentaries by Adam Curtis are quite well done.

Century of Self (2002) was quite good.

There are a bunch of others and I think they get better with time too.

There is also the documentaries by Errol Morris are amazing too. He directed films like the Thin Blue Line, the Fog of War, and the unknown known.
 
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It successfully captures the sheer depth of the orchestration to the facade North Korea's regime manages for those that are fortunate enough to live in the relative comfort of Pyongyang. It's nearly a surreal. More so for the people who dedicate their lives to their great leader.

The film follows a year in the life of a family in Pyongyang, North Korea as their daughter Zin-mi prepares to join the Korean Children's Union on the Day of the Shining Star (Kim Jong-il's birthday). The film opens with the words, "The script of this film was assigned to us by the North Korean side. They also kindly provided us with an around-the-clock escort service, chose our filming locations and looked over all the footage we shot to make sure we did not make any mistakes in showing the life of a perfectly ordinary family in the best country in the world."

Genius editing of secretly filmed shots of their minders providing a constant stream of strict instruction act as the glue to this entire film.
 
I’m generally not one for UFO conspiracy theories. However, this one is very informative, well made, and presents some interesting ideas. You can tell a lot of work and research went into this.

 

Dizzy-4U

Member
The Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst (2015)

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Tells the story of Robert Durst, whose wife disappeared in 1982 and became a suspect of murder. The director made a movie about it in 2010 (All Good Things) and after it was released, Robert Durst calls him to tell his side of the story.

It's fantastic. Try to go in blind.
 

creatchee

Member
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It's as taut a thriller as any studio-made film, except it's a documentary. The cinematography and editing are beyond most docs I've watched, even in interview settings. It's the rare occurrence where the subject matter, as crazy as it is, is made so much better by the direction. Highly recommended for anybody who likes true crime.
 

Great film that looks at the actions on the ground of US foreign policy and the special units division known as JSOC.

I think the film will be eye opening for people who aren't aware of the more secretive operations that routinely occur overseas in countries ranging from Afghanistan, Yemen, Somali and others.

Pretty sure it's still available on Netflix.

And I guess it's just available on youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TN4Sn5u_pK0
 

geomon

Member
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From Amazon's description:

Noam Chomsky, widely regarded as the most important intellectual alive, discusses in critical detail the defining characteristic of our time — the deliberate concentration of wealth and power in the hands of a select few. Through interviews filmed over four years, Chomsky reveals the principles that have brought us to the crossroads of historically unprecedented inequality. Profoundly personal and thought-provoking, Chomsky gives penetrating insight into what may well be the lasting legacy of our time — the death of the middle class and the idea of a functioning democracy in America. "Requiem for the American Dream" is a potent reminder that power ultimately rests in the hands of the governed. This film is required viewing for all who want to maintain hope in the future.

It's on Netflix and watching it was like having an awakening moment to me.
 
A lot of mentions of really good documentaries already and probably what I would consider must watch. If your looking for more of a fun movie though I would suggest these two:

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Kings of pastry is a sweet little film about chiefs trying to get the prestigious Best Craftsman in France award. It's not the most technically impressive documentary (it has quite a bit of a home movie quality sometimes) but the competition is fun and the desserts and sugar sculpture art is really impressive.

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Pretty interesting film about what happens when a film's production goes completely off the rails. The in depth interviews make for an interesting story about how the 1996's remake of the Island of Dr Moreau ended up as crazy as it is.

Edit: forgot to mention the War Room. It's coverage of the 1992 Clinton campaign is amazing and well worth a watch for any political junkies
 

AAK

Member
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A fairly important documentary that shows how complicit America is in enabling the apartheid regime in Israel.
 

Lima

Member
Subbed.

Inconvenient Truth and the sequel are my mentions.

Climate change morherfucker. Enough said.
 

Jeremy

Member
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I really can't put into words that well why I love Virunga so much. I feel like it both taught me to look beyond myself and what actual passion, dedication and bravery look like in the face of adversity.
 
I don’t usually like military docs outside of PBS/WW2/Vietnam one’s, but this is by far my favorite recent one. The raw intensity and tension, and the likable personalities and personal struggles of soldiers, makes for a very compelling watch

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Dont know how to describe it, I guess you could say it shows how a few people/companies were able to brainwash everyone, its kind of scary once you realize how they control the masses and thats before the information age.
 

CDiggity

Member
If limited to one, and going by the list already here. I gotta go with Murderball

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Besides it being offbeat to your typical documentary. This movie goes above and beyond by pretty much demolishing every stereotype about the disabled. The game of Quad Rugby itself is plenty to keep you interested, but the stories of the players redefine what it means to live life to the fullest.

It's one of those documentaries which if the story was completely fictional would still be an amazing watch.
 
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Because you wont want to eat meat for at least a few days after. You'll also understand those better who choose to not eat it. You'll also lose faith in humanity more than you already have.
 
It blew me away when I first watched it. There's also a sequel that's really good.

I have yet to see this, its on my dvd pile, but just haven't got round to it.

Since we are on a new page, i can recommend a new one :)


McCullin - A one to one with Don McCullin , a war/conflict photographer , talking about his images and the role of a war photographer, newspapers (how they worked and have changed over the ages) and just his own feelings as a person towards his subjects. The film again, as often with documentaries reveals the brutality of humanity, but it is also optimistic towards its end too.
 

yepyepyep

Member
Night and Fog

A must see.

I was going to mention this one. At 30 minutes it is short but concise documentary on remembering and trying to comprehend the horrors of the holocaust concentration camps. It is also from an era of French documentaries that have very poetic narration, I wish more contemporary documentaries where as a good with words as the makers from this time period.

I will also mention Le Joli Mai by Chris Marker and Pierre Lhomme. Most people know Marker by La Jetee and Sans Soleil. He made this documentary simultaneously when he was making La Jetee. It mostly comprises of interviews with people from a variety of classes and backgrounds in Paris during the month of of May in 1962. Marker feels so more creative than most contemporary documentary makers. He goes on poetic digressions and is very playful in the way he edits and juxtaposes the footage he and his camera man shoots. I read that Alain Resnais claimed Marker did some editing and rewriting for the narration provided by Jean Cayrol in Night and Fog but Marker strongly refused to be credited.

Le Joli Mai trailer
 

Einchy

semen stains the mountaintops
Tim's Vermeer



Tim Jenison basically takes a theory that Vermeer used mirrors/light to paint his photo-realistic style of painting. He starts with a crude prototype to prove his method and ultimately attempts to recreate Vermeer's "The Music Lesson".

Really an amazing look into art vs technology and who can be considered an "artist".

I was fascinated by that documentary. After watching it you feel like there's no way Vermeer didn't use that method.
 

Valhelm

contribute something
Whore's Glory will really change your perceptions of sex work and third-world life in general. It's one of the most compelling film essays and doesn't need a single word of narration.

Be aware that the last few minutes are basically pornography. This is understandable and maybe even necessary in the context of the film, but not something you'll want to watch with Mom.
 
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Ken Burns - The National Parks America's Best Idea

If you love nature, and history of how these preserved spots of nature were created, maintained, etc. this is a must watch series.
 
Love documentaries and thanks to this thread, I've got my weekend viewing sorted so thanks, everyone.

My recommendation is, The Birth of Sake.

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Everyone needs some relaxation and I found this to be incredibly relaxing and downright fascinating. I've only ever tried sake once in my life and wasn't particularly enamoured with it but it was eye opening to see the process involved in making good sake.
 

Lord Fagan

Junior Member
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This was nominated for an Oscar, and despite being largely a story of unregulated energy markets, it's an expertly edited film that does an excellent job exploring the motives behind corrupt businessmen and the paths their lives took to get there.

But it's also important because Robert Mueller, the special counsel who is currently investigating Trump and Russia's election interference, spearheaded this company's investigation and the prosecution of its main actors.

Some of these other selections are intriguing. I like this thread.
 
Subscribed. Thanks for all the great recommendations GAF.

My pick:



Inside Job is a 2010 documentary film, directed by Charles H. Ferguson, about the late-2000s financial crisis. Ferguson says the film is about "the systemic corruption of the United States by the financial services industry and the consequences of that systemic corruption". In five parts, the film explores how changes in the policy environment and banking practices helped create the financial crisis.

Inside Job was acclaimed by film critics, who praised its pacing, research, and exposition of complex material. The film was screened at the 2010 Cannes Film Festival in May and won the 2010 Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature.

Ferguson began doing research for the film in 2008.
 
Well, I wouldn't say that people *should* watch this documentary, but I'd highly recommend it to anyone, who's in the mood for something different:

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Steam of Life.

From a land of long, dark winters comes Steam of Life, a moody, comic and moving study of Finnish men as framed by the national obsession with the sauna. There, they come together to sweat out not only the grime of contemporary life, but also their grief, hopes, joys and memories. Beautifully and hauntingly shot, the acclaimed film provides a surprising glimpse into the lives of Finnish men and a remarkable depiction of the troubled and often reticent hearts of contemporary Western men.

As the synopsis states, this is an exceptionally slow and atmospheric slice of life-styled documentary, that offers a glimpse behind the facade that is usually thought about Finnish men. The only warning that I have to offer about this is that it's packed with full frontal male nudity from the beginning to the very end, since it's customary to be unclothed in a traditional Finnish sauna.
 

Mollymauk

Member
If you are looking for something less heavy, My Best Fiend is hilarious. It's about the working relationship between Werner Herzog and Klaus Kinski. Utter madness.

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Briarios

Member
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Why We Fight

Description: Since World War II, the United States has been almost constantly involved in combat, active participants in a string of wars fought entirely on foreign shores. Eugene Jarecki's documentary examines this phenomenon outside of partisan bickering, thoughtfully exploring what Eisenhower called "the business of war." Speaking to veterans of wars in Vietnam and Iraq, as well as military experts and journalists, the film discusses defense spending, foreign policy and the military-industrial complex.


Basically, it's a terrifying look at why we will never escape war now ...
 
Because the Grateful Dead are the most important American rock n roll band of the 20th century and most Americans couldn't even name anyone in the band outside of Garcia.

My dad is a giant deadhead and he loved the whole thing.

As for my pick, I'd go with Enron: The Smartest Guys in The Room.

It's the poster child of corporate greed and corruption, as well as an interesting exposition of the worst parts of corporate culture.

Edit: Ah damn it. Already mentioned. I CTRL-F'd it but neither the title nor Enron were mentioned in the post.
 

FaintDeftone

Junior Member
Dear Zachary

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Nothing I have ever watched has evoked so many emotions.

This is a doc you really need to prepare yourself for before you watch it. I had trouble shaking it from my mind for about a week straight. It's rough, but extremely well done.

I watched this before I had a kid. Now that I have a son of my own, I'm sure its effects would be much worse.
 
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It's about the early years of the AIDS epidemic and the various people and groups that formed to bring about legislation, medical research and treatment and policy changes to fight the disease.

It's informative and powerful stuff, showing me a part of history I wasn't particularly aware of.

On a lighter note, Stacy Peralta's Skateboarding and Surfing documentaries. I don't think anyone could do a better job capturing the history, the fun, the sense of time and place of these subjects as he's done. He had access to a lot of great, great footage.

His Crips and Bloods: Made in America doc. was also very good.

https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/stacy_peralta/
 

Saya

Member
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This one is a little bit harder to find but it's one of my personal favorite documentaries. It's basically a home video of Dick Proenekke shot in 1968, who builds an amazing log cabin in the Alaskan wilderness all by himself. He's an amazing carpenter and wood worker and he documented every step of building the cabin and comments on his surroundings and the wildlife. I thought it was so beautiful and relaxing.

The cabin is still there.

 

PillarEN

Member
Don't think I saw anyone mention This Film Is Not Yet Rated. It's not the greatest documentary ever compared to some of the other picks here. What itis though is a good look at how the MPAA functions and what impact the organization has a on film. Especially how the ratings system is completely broken and harms film as an art.
 

hobozero

Member
I'm generally not one for UFO conspiracy theories. However, this one is very informative, well made, and presents some interesting ideas. You can tell a lot of work and research went into this.
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If someone comes into this thread, and skips past all the powerful films about the human experience and watches the one about UFOs, I don't want to be their friend :(

Edit: that sounds a bit harsh. I like a fun conspiracy movie as much as the next guy. It's just that next to films about war, murder, racism, etc., it feels kind of... cheap, you know?
 
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A light-hearted yet oddly informative film not only about the history of "Chinese food" (aka Chinese-American food), but it also goes quite into depth into the history of Chinese immigrants to America.

Pretty funny documentary, too.

Jiro Dreams of Sushi. It shows the mentality behind creating something great. Jiro is a Michelin 3-Star sushi chef.

Jiro doesn't buy discount fish from the lowest bidder. He doesn't use frozen ingredients. He doesn't refrigerate yesterdays food to serve today. He doesn't cut corners to improve margins. He doesn't serve whatever happens to be cooked up by his cooks. He had his cook prepare over 200 egg omelette deserts before he deemed it good enough to serve to customers. He doesn't half-ass food prep. He doesn't sit in the back on the phone talking to his hookups or out spending afternoons out at the golf course. He's there everyday teaching, guiding, instructing, and supervising quality control. Everyday he even sits down and feeds his own workers to show them what proper sushi should taste like so they can make it better.

Jiro is obsessive about the any avenue he can increase quality. He personally hires his workers. He inspects all of their work. He serves the sushi himself and stays to watch his customers' reactions. He sources his ingredients only from the best suppliers. He works with rice suppliers to ensure he gets the best rice from the best rice grower. He trained his workers to identify the best fish at the market. He does not buy fish unless they are fresh and of great quality even if it means cutting things from his menu. He does not keep fish overnight. Everything is bought fresh that morning. He doesn't just use only the best fish, he only uses the best parts of the best fish...and only if they are properly cut and prepared to the highest quality.

A finished product has hundreds of decision points from the moment of inception to the final product. Jiro never compromises on any of these decision points along the way. He always chooses quality no matter the cost, hassle, or personal inconvenience.

Jiro did not become a 3-star chef by accidentally stumbling upon a great recipe or offering trendy weird avante garde menus like edible soil. He earned the stars through decades of dedication to improving his work with obsessive detail down to the tiniest detail, yes, even the exact temperature of the rice.
Most def. That film inspired me to drop out of college and become a chef.
lol me
 
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