Subgenre Sampler

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Midnight Oil: The Hardest Line (2024): Across their 45–year career, ‘The Oils’ helped shape modern Australia with anthems like US Forces, Beds Are Burning, Blue Sky Mine and…
Merkel (2022): Dir. Eva Weber; A fittingly admirable portrait of the one of the great diplomats of modern times, Angela Merkel, chancellor of Germany for sixteen years, and most…
Big Deal (2021): Dir. Craig Reucassel; Documentary presented by Craig Reucassel, who investigates Australia's billion–dollar political lobbying industry and how it corrupts…
Breaking Bread (2020): Dir. Beth Elise Hawk; Inspiring documentary set around the A–Sham Arabic Food Festival in Haifa, Israel, where Arab and Jewish chefs combine their cultures and food…
Dissident, The (2020): Dir. Bryan Fogel; A documentary about Jamal Khashoggi, Washington Post journalist and dissident who was murdered by agents of the Saudi government while working in…
I Am Greta (2020): Dir. Nathan Grossman; A portrait of teenage climate change activist Greta Thunberg, which starts with her one–person school strike outside Swedish parliament, and…
Collective (2019): Dir. Alexander Nanau; A blistering Romanian documentary following a heroic team of journalists from the newspaper Gazeta Sporturilor who attempt to uncover the country's…
Hail Satan? (2019): Dir. Penny Lane; Chronicling the extraordinary rise of one of the most colorful and controversial religious movements in American history, HAIL SATAN? is an inspiring…
Soldiers Without Guns (2019): Dir. Will Watson; A quite remarkable tale of a team of coalition soldiers who, in 1997, landed into the heat of a 10–year civil war on the Pacific Island of…
Clinton Affair, The (TV Mini-series) (2018): The Bill Clinton impeachment scandal of 1998 is methodically detailed in this Alex Gibney–produced six–part documentary series, with full…
Fahrenheit 11/9 (2018): Dir. Michael Moore; Filmmaker Michael Moore examines the current state of American politics, particularly the Donald J. Trump presidency and gun violence, while…
Matangi/Maya/M.I.A. (2018): Dir. Stephen Loveridge; A uniquely textured portrait of innovative Sri Lankan–English pop star and activist Maya Arulpragasm, drawn from a cache of personal tapes shot…
Meeting Gorbachev (2018): Dir. Werner Herzog, André Singer; Werner Herzog directs this candid documentary based on three interviews with Mikhail Gorbachev, the eighth and last leader of the Soviet Union. With…
Midnight Oil 1984 (2018): A passionate portrait of Australia's iconic rock band Midnight Oil during the year 1984, in which they embarked on a tour promoting their politically…
RBG (2018): Dir. Julie Cohen, Betsy West; U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is the worthy subject of this documentary exploring her life and career, successfully fighting gender…
Watergate (TV Mini-series) (2018): Dir. Charles Ferguson; Definitive and thoroughly detailed documentary TV miniseries about one of the biggest criminal conspiracies in modern politics, The Watergate Scandal.
An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth to Power (An Inconvenient Truth 2) (2017): Dir. Jon Shenk, Bonni Cohen; The heroic and haggard Al Gore continues his crusade to make the world stop destroying itself in this timely update of his seminal 2006 climate…
Final Year, The (2017): Dir. Greg Barker; A detailed insiders' account of President Barack Obama's foreign policy team throughout 2016, their last year in office. Director Greg Barker has…
My Year With Helen (2017): Dir. Gaylene Preston; With unique access to high–ranking candidate Helen Clark, filmmaker Gaylene Preston casts a wry eye on proceedings as the United Nations turns…
All Governments Lie (All Governments Lie: Truth, Deception and the Spirit of I. F. Stone) (2016): Dir. Fred Peabody; Documentary about independent journalism inspired by iconoclastic rebel journalist I. F. Stone, offering a timely critique of American mainstream…
Chasing Asylum (2016): Dir. Eva Orner; A hotly topical documentary exposing the real impact of Australia's offshore detention policies and explores how 'The Lucky Country' became one where…
Coming War on China, The (2016): Dir. John Pilger; The chilling history and nature of the US military's presence in the Pacific is explored by John Pilger in a way the mainstream media won't –…
Risk (2016): Dir. Laura Poitras; The director of CITIZENFOUR focuses on another political dissident, Julian Assange, whom she followed for six years through controversies and…
Versus: The Life and Films of Ken Loach (2016): Dir. Louise Osmond; A revealing tribute to the life and career of one of Britain's most eminent film–makers and socially–conscious artists, whose prolific…
Weiner (2016): Dir. Josh Kriegman, Elyyse Steinberg; Shockingly funny all–access doco that exposes the machinations of a political campaign following former congressman Anthony Weiner's earnest…
Best of Enemies (2015): Dir. Robert Gordon, Morgan Neville; Riveting account of the frequently explosive televised debates between the liberal Gore Vidal and conservative William F. Buckley that transfixed…
Black Panthers, The: Vanguard of the Revolution (2015): Dir. Stanley Nelson Jr; Well–crafted doco that examines the rise and fall of the Black Panther Party, one of the 20th century's most alluring and controversial…
Death in Leon (TV Mini-series) (Muerte en Leon) (2015): Dir. Justin Webster; A non–fiction series about the murder of Isabel Carrasco, a controversial politician and president of the Provincial Council of Leon, Spain.…
Emperor's New Clothes, The (2015): Dir. Michael Winterbottom
Feat. Russell Brand; Russell Brand and Michael Winterbottom team up to present this angry, but also blackly funny, examination of the growing disparity between different…
Look of Silence, The (2015): Dir. Joshua Oppenheimer; Devastating sequel to the acclaimed THE ACT OF KILLING examines the genocide from the victim's perspective, following a family of survivors as they…
Requiem for the American Dream (2015): Dir. Peter D. Hutchison, Kelly Nyks; A bracing encapsulation of Professor Noam Chomsky's political and philosophical views, focusing particularly on the damaging effects of inequality in…
Welcome to Leith (2015): Dir. Michael Beach Nichols, Christopher K. Walker; A living nightmare unfolds for the townsfolk of the North Dakota town of Leith (pop. 24) when a notorious white supremacist moves in with a nefarious…
Where to Invade Next (2015): Dir. Michael Moore; A good–natured comic polemic from film–maker Michael Moore, who this time "invades" a host of European nations in pursuit of progressive,…
Case Against 8, The (2014): This HBO documentary goes behind the scenes inside the groundbreaking case to overturn the ban on same–sex marriage in the state of California.…
Green Prince, The (2014): Dir. Nadav Schirman; Absorbing account of how a son of a founding leader in the Palestinian organization, Hamas, became a spy for the Israelis.
Merchants of Doubt, The (2014): Dir. Robert Kenner; The director of FOOD INC. takes on corporate titans once again, here exposing their duplicitous agenda to mislead consumers on climate change using…
Aim High in Creation (2013): Dir. Anna Broinowski; With ambitions to stop a new gas mine from being established near her Sydney home, director Anna Broinowski (FORBIDDEN LIES) goes to North Korea to…
Gore Vidal: United States of Amnesia (2013): Dir. Nicolas D. Wrathall; Stimulating portrait of the one of the 20th century's most iconoclastic commentators drawing on a wealth of archival material and candid interviews…
Hot Air (2013): Dir. Abi King-Jones, Alister Barry; Is it possible for a small democratic nation to address the greatest political challenge of the age? That is the question posed by this timely…
Killing Lincoln (2013): Dir. Adrian Moat
Feat. Billy Campbell; Bill O'Reilly's novel about the assassination of President Lincoln from the point of view of John Wilkes Booth is the basis for this uneven but…
Pussy Riot: A Punk Prayer (2013): Dir. Mike Lerner, Maxim Pozdorovkin; A galvanizing portrait of the all–female punk rockers whose headline–grabbing music and performance art continues to bring Putin's…
Spirit of '45, The (2013): Dir. Ken Loach; In this illuminating documentary, Ken Loach movingly celebrates the radical changes during postwar Britain under the new Labour government, which…
Stuart Hall Project, The (2013): Dir. John Akomfrah; Personalised portrait of cultural theorist Stuart Hall, who is regarded as one of the founding figures of the New Left and a key architect of…
Trials of Muhammad Ali, The (2013): Dir. Bill Siegel; Excellent, illuminating profile of Muhammad Ali's trials outside of the boxing ring, in particular his fight against being conscripted into the US…
Unknown Known, The (2013): Dir. Errol Morris; Controversial former United States Secretary of Defense, Donald Rumsfeld, discusses his career in Washington D.C. from his days as a congressman in…
We Steal Secrets: The Story of WikiLeaks (2013): Dir. Alex Gibney; Prolific documentarian Alex Gibney rigorously investigates the creation of the controversial WikiLeaks website and its conspicuous founder, Julian…
Act of Killing, The (2012): Dir. Joshua Oppenheimer; A staggering human rights documentary that elicits (and re–stages) boastful confessions of Indonesia's surviving death squad members, whose…
Dirty Business - How Mining Made Australia (2012): An insight into the riches and turmoil behind Australia's nickname of "the lucky country", and how the mining of its vast natural resources has…
Gatekeepers, The (2012): Dir. Dror Moreh; Six former heads of Israel’s Shin Bet secret service agency open up about their work and the state of the Israel–Palestine divide in this…
House I Live In, The (2012): Dir. Eugene Jarecki; The definitive documentary on the 'war on drugs' to date, this canvases the people and the stories on both sides of the law to reveal the profound…
Untold History of the United States, The (TV Series) (2012): Dir. Oliver Stone; Oliver Stone is the voice and reasoning behind this fascinating, if contentious revisionist Cold War history through American foreign…
How to Start a Revolution (2011): Dir. Ruaridh Arrow; The remarkable story of Nobel Peace Prize nominee Dr Gene Sharp, the elderly, softly spoken man whose writings concerning the way to wage a…
If a Tree Falls (2011): Dir. Marshall Curry; Part coming–of–age tale, part cops–and–robbers thriller, this extraordinary documentary tells the story of Daniel McGowan,…
Julian Assange - A Modern Day Hero? (Inside the World of WikiLeaks) (2011): Fascinating, if patchy insight into the media whirlwind created when whistle–blowing website WikiLeaks published the Afghan War documents in…
Operation 8: Deep in the Forest (2011): Dir. Errol Wright, Abi King-Jones; Cohesive and compelling documentary that gives credible voice to the Maori sovereignty and peace activists who were targeted in police raids and…
Sarah Palin: You Betcha! (2011): Dir. Nick Broomfield; Renowned documentarian Nick Broomfield journeys to the devoutly evangelical, crystal meth capital of Alaska, in pursuit of Sarah Palin. Interviewing…
Story of Ireland, The (TV Mini-Series) (2011): An RTE and BBC co–production in which presenter Fergal Keane showcases Irish history, charting the origin and impact of the myths that have…
Triangle Wars (2011): Dir. Rosie Jones; Absorbing study of local politics as a community rallies together as developers threaten to convert a prime slice of land into 180 shops.
Casino Jack and the United States of Money (2010): Dir. Alex Gibney; Another compelling take on high–level corruption from dir. Alex Gibney (ENRON, TAXI TO THE DARK SIDE), this time delivering a weighty account…
Chasing Madoff (2010): Dir. Jeff Prosserman; Infamous for the 'Ponzi scheme' that defrauded thousands of investors of billions of dollars, Bernie Madoff is put to the sword in this fascinating…
Client 9: The Rise and Fall of Eliot Spitzer (2010): Dir. Alex Gibney; Scandal–laden follow–up to dir. Gibney's excellent doco on Jack 'Casino Jack' Abramoff takes an in–depth look at former New York…
Draquila - Italy Trembles (2010): Dir. Sabina Guzzanti; Sabina Guzzanti returns once more to do battle with Silvio Berlusconi in this incendiary doc that examines his administration's handling of the…
God in America (2010): Ambitious PBS series tackles more than 500 years of the American religious experience, from the voyage of Christopher Columbus to the 2008…
Inside Job (2010): Dir. Charles Ferguson; Enraging and comprehensive analysis of the global financial crisis of 2008, which at a cost over $20 trillion, caused millions of people to lose…
Money Wars (2010): Dir. Richard Houston, Dragana Kalezic; Scathing examination of the post–war U.S. financial system that chronicles the bail–outs, the corruption, the takeovers and the gradual…
My Perestroika (2010): Dir. Robin Hessman; A playful and positive sense of nostalgia permeates through this enthralling documentary on the lives of five Moscow youngsters who grew through the…
Waiting for Superman (2010): Dir. Davis Guggenheim; Disheartening look at the state of U.S. education follows several children as they navigate their way through the increasingly poor public school…
Afghan Star (2009): Dir. Havana Marking; Islamic fundamentalism and pop music commericalism make uneasy bedfellows in this vital, eye–opening documentary that follows the fortunes of…
Burma VJ (2009): Dir. Anders Ostergaard; Enterprising guerrilla documentary shows how members of the Democratic Voice of Burma are using miniature handycams to record and disseminate raw…
Capitalism - A Love Story (2009): Dir. Michael Moore; Doco legend Michael Moore comes full circle after detouring with US gun culture (BOWLING FOR COLUMBINE), foreign policy (FAHRENHEIT 9/11), and health…
End of America, The (2009): Dir. Anne Sundberg, Ricki Stern; A one–woman rally–cry based on the New York Times bestseller, this film embellishes author Naomi Wolf's live lectures around her book's…
Hitler's Bodyguard (TV Series) (2009): 13–part documentary series offering a thorough, at times incredible, examination of the men who protected Adolf Hitler against numerous…
Hugh Hefner: Playboy, Activist and Rebel (2009): Dir. Brigitte Berman; Entertaining documentary that purports to show the other side of flamboyant founder of the Playboy editor. Focusing on his philanthropic endeavours…
Mexican Border Wars (TV Series) (2009): National Geographic series about American customs agents, whose job it is to curb illegal immigration and narcotics trafficking for a country…
Most Dangerous Man In America, The (Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers) (2009): Dir. Rick Goldsmith, Judith Ehrlich; Galvanizing portrait of whistle blower Daniel Ellsberg, a former military analyst and aide to Robert McNamara who leaked classified Pentagon papers…
Move On: Storming the Gate (The MoveOn.org Story) (2009): Dir. Scott Stevenson; Partisan documentary examines the revolutionary history and importance of one of the biggest progressive grass–roots movements in U.S.…
Shock Doctrine, The (2009): Dir. Michael Winterbottom, Mat Whitecross; A fast and loose overview of Naomi Klein's contentious "alternate history" of Western economics, which argues how "disaster capitalism", in feeding…
Soundtrack for a Revolution (2009): Dir. Bill Guttentag, Dan Sturman; Joss Stone, John Legend, Wyclef Jean, and The Roots, among others, perform tribute covers of freedom songs from the American Civil Rights movement in…
William Kunstler: Disturbing the Universe (2009): Filmmakers Emily and Sarah Kunstler explore the life of their father, the late radical civil rights lawyer. In the 1960s and 70s, William Kunstler…
Yes Men Fix the World, The (2009): Dir. Andy Bichlbaum, Mike Bonanno; The activist pranksters of documentary THE YES MEN direct and star in their own follow–up, which chronicles their continuing adventures as…
10 Conditions Of Love, The (2008): Dir. Jeff Daniels; Controversial documentary slammed by the Chinese government focused on Rebiya Kadeer, a tireless campaigner for human rights who has been punished at…
A Year in Tibet (TV Series) (2008): A momentous and timely series filmed inside the mountainous region of Tibet focusing on the Tibetan people and how they manage to live under imposed…
Barack Obama: His Story (2008): Topical documentary tracking the life of the newly elected president of the United States Barack Obama, from meagre beginnings to his steady rise…
Barack Obama: Yes We Can (2008): Significant documentary outlining the incredible story of Barack Hussein Obama, a man with an American mother and Kenyan father who became a national…
Behind Closed Doors: Stalin, The Nazis and The West (2008): Six–episode BBC/PBS documentary series on the role of Joseph Stalin and German–Soviet relations before, during, and after World War II…
Blair (2008): Dir. Richard Sanders; A revealing post–Labour confessional from Britain's former Prime Minister Tony Blair, focused on world crises during his tenure, and…
Boogie Man - The Lee Atwater Story (2008): Dir. Stefan Forbes; Gripping political documentary revealing the life of ruthless right–wing political strategist and musician Lee Atwater, who was instrumental in…
Bulletproof Salesman (2008): Dir. Petra Epperlein, Michael Tucker; This documentary provides a different slant on the business of war as it introduces us to Fidelis Cloer – a German armoured vehicle salesman…
Bush's War (2008): Dir. Michael Kirk; Extensive two–part documentary chronicling the Iraq War from the post 9/11 murmurings and "Weapons of Mass Destruction" allegations through to…
Chevolution (2008): Dir. Luis Lopez, Trisha Ziff; Cuban revolutionary history is examined through photographer Alberto Korda’s iconic portrait of Che Guevara – now a ubiquitous and exploited…
CSNY Deja-Vu (Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young) (2008): Dir. Bernard Shakey
Feat. Neil Young; Riveting, candid and politically charged documentary from Neil Young (pseudonym Bernard Shakey), filmed as Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young crisscross…
Flow: For Love Of Water (2008): Dir. Irena Salina; Imperative documentary investigating the impending World Water Crisis due to the privatization of water supplies and greed of major corporations.…
Hollow Men, The (2008): Dir. Alister Barry; Seasoned documentarian Alister Barry distills Nicky Hager's hot potato expose of National Party leader Don Brash into a confronting, election year…
I.O.U.S.A. (2008): Dir. Patrick Creadon; Cogent, accessible doco on the nightmare of US fiscal irresponsibility that lets the expert heads and engaging graphics do the talking. It…
India Reborn (2008): Fascinating and disturbing doco series that looks at India as the next superpower, and the juxtapositions to its mighty wealth that cloud its future…
Indonesia - A Reporter's Journey (2008): Feat. Mike Carlton; The complex relationship between Australia and its oft–misunderstood Northern neighbour is explored by journalist and radio broadcaster Mike…
Jihad for Love, A (2008): Dir. Parvez Sharma; Revealing documentary on homosexuality and the Islamic faith, filmed in secret over 5 and a half years under the Muslim government radar. Although…
John Pilger's Australia (Documentaries that Changed the World Vol. 2) (2008): Feat. John Pilger; Across 3 discs, seasoned political commentator John Pilger turns the focus to Australia, providing a detailed critical analysis of Australian…
Obama: All Access (2008): A two–year compendium of landmark CBS News coverage, chronicling Barack Obama’s historic road to the White House and beyond. Includes…
Religulous (2008): Dir. Larry Charles
Feat. Bill Maher; 'Good' and 'Evil' are turned on their head (and in their graves) in this provocative docu–comedy following comedian and commentator Bill Maher…
Standard Operating Procedure (2008): Dir. Errol Morris; To see or not to see: that is the question posed by acclaimed director Errol Morris as he attempts to understand what took place inside the walls of…
Waltz With Bashir (Vals Im Bashir) (2008): Dir. Ari Folman; This striking hybrid animation is an audacious attempt to recall, through anecdote, dream, and documentary, the 1982 Israeli–Lebanon war.…
A Civilised Society (2007): Dir. Alister Barry; Documentarian Alister Barry concludes his loose trilogy on New Right economic policies with this impassioned plea for the standards of public…
Axe in the Attic, The (2007): Dir. Ed Pincus, Lucia Small; Two British filmmakers, horrified by the devastation to New Orleans in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, embark on a 60–day pilgrimage from…
Chicago 10 (2007): Dir. Brett Morgen; Unique documentary that splices together archival footage and motion–capture animation to recreate the infamous trial of anti–war…
Cowboys and Communists (Cowboys & Communists) (2007): Dir. Jess Feast; Engaging culture documentary centred on a risque East Berlin bar and eatery (known as White Trash Fast Food), operated by an ex–pat 'cowboy'…
Darling! The Pieter-Dirk Uys Story (2007): Dir. Julian Shaw; Moving doco focused on the litigious cross–dressing South African satirist Pieter–Dirk Uys, whose life's work included stirring…
Dengue Fever - Sleepwalking Through the Mekong (2007): Dir. John Pirozzi; Political rockumentary follows LA–based band Dengue Fever on their recent journey to Cambodia to perform 60s and 70s Cambodian rock n' roll in…
Devil Came on Horseback, The (2007): Dir. Anne Sundberg, Ricki Stern; Urgent, eye–opening documentary on the Darfur genocide, which follows US Marine Captain Brian Steidle's assignment as a neutral observer of the…
La Verdad? (The Truth?) (2007): Dir. Helen Smyth; Whilst in Cuba, Kiwi journalist and mother–of–two Helen Smyth and husband Tim Rose (of Havana Coffee Works) inadvertently delve into its…
Manufacturing Dissent (2007): Dir. Debbie Melnyck, Rick Caine; Not just another debunking of Michael Moore, this thoughtful, well–considered essay on the left winger’s political documentaries exposes…
Obscene (2007): Dir. Daniel O'Connor, Neil Ortenberg; The definitive film biography of Barney Rosset, the influential publisher of Grove Press and the Evergreen Review, this charts his tumultuous career…
Oswald's Ghost (2007): Dir. Robert Stone; This intelligent investigative doco focusing on the chain of events leading up to John F. Kennedy's assassination and the impact it had on America is…
Sand and Sorrow (2007): Dir. Paul Freedman; A sobering, all–encompassing document of the Darfur genocide that, while not subtle, powerfully informs of the atrocities committed, as well as…
Senator Obama Goes to Africa (2007): Dir. Bob Hercules; Succinct documentary following Barak Obama's emotional journey with his family to Africa in 2006 in the wake of becoming the newly elected U.S.…
Send A Bullet (Manda Bala) (2007): Dir. Jason Kohn; Unsettling doco exposing the corrupted underbelly of Sao Paulo, Brazil, where abduction, political fraud and torture runs rife. A protege of…
Sicko (2007): Dir. Michael Moore; Documentary icon Michael Moore's latest broadside utilizes his tried–and–true one–man approach to expose the inherent 'malpractice'…
Slacker Uprising (Captain Mike Across America) (2007): Dir. Michael Moore; Footage from Michael Moore's political crusade in 2004 to convince the masses of young non–voters – aka slackers – to give voting a…
Strange Culture (2007): Dir. Lynn Hershman-Leeson
Feat. Thomas Jay Ryan, Tilda Swinton, Peter Coyote; Topical and important docu–drama focusing on the charges of bio–terrorism brought against acclaimed artist Steve Kurtz after his wife's…
Trap, The (The Trap: What Happened to Our Dream of Freedom?) (2007): Dir. Adam Curtis; Ambitious treatise on the concept of freedom sees Curtis overreaching somewhat, and a certain arbitrary focus tends to lend this one a conspiratorial…
Trumbo (2007): Dir. Peter Askin
Feat. Joan Allen, Michael Douglas, Donald Sutherland…; Prominent blacklisted screenwriter Dalton Trumbo – the most famed of the alleged Communist sympathising ‘Hollywood 10’ – is the honoree of…
War / Dance (War Dance) (2007): Life–affirming Oscar–nominated doco investigates the lives of a group of war–torn Ugandan child refugees on their path towards…
War on Democracy, The (2007): Dir. John Pilger, Chris Martin; John Pilger continues his crusade against U.S foreign policy with this informative, persuasively polemical documentary about the manipulation and…
Abduction: The Megumi Yokota Story (2006): Dir. Patty Kim, Chris Sheridan; This startling, blow–by–blow account of a notorious Japanese abduction reveals a staggering conspiracy at the heart of a…
Crossing the Line (2006): Dir. Daniel Gordon; Documentary on the extraordinary defection of James Dresnok, an American military deserter to North Korea in 1962, who now resides permanently in the…
Cuba - A Lifetime Of Passion (2006): Dir. Glenn Gebhard; With unprecedented access on either side of the Florida Straits, this comprehensive, and beautifully shot documentary highlights the complexity of…
Death of a President (2006): Dir. Gabriel Range; An audacious faux–documentary that contrives an utterly convincing scenario around the fictional assassination of President George W.…
Flock of Dodos (2006): Dir. Randy Olson; A humourous take on the great American evolution vs 'intelligent design' debate, this doco pits talking heads from both sides against each other to…
Freedom's Fury (2006): Dir. Colin K. Gray, Megan Raney; Sport and politics mix in this gripping account of a hotly contested water polo semifinal between Hungary and the Soviet Union during the 1956…
Global Haywire (2006): Dir. Bruce Petty; Unruly political doco by celebrated Australian cartoonist and moviemaker Bruce Petty, that seeks to answer why the East and West have reached crisis…
Hacking Democracy (2006): Dir. Simon Ardizzone; Alarming expose of America’s electronic voting system, which was disastrously shown–up in the 2000 US Presidential election. Casting its…
Hero's Journey, A (2006): President Xanana Gusmao presides over this documentary portrait of East Timor, its Resistance war against Indonesian occupation, and its current…
Jesus Camp (2006): Dir. Heidi Ewing, Rachel Grady; A disturbing guided tour of extremist 'Jesus Camps' in the US, run by politically–aligned Evangelical Christian groups intent on indoctrinating…
Noam Chomsky: Imperial Grand Strategy (The Conquest of Iraq and the Assault on Democracy) (2006): Feat. Noam Chomsky; Excellent compendium of Noam Chomsky lectures, with the elder activist contesting America's occupation of Iraq, 'Patriot Acts', dubious…
Running with Arnold (2006): Feat. Arnold Schwarzenegger; One–sided political doco following the ascent of muscle–head actor Arnie through the ranks of right–wing government to become the…
Shut Up and Sing (2006): Dir. Barbara Kopple, Cecilia Peck; Politics ("shut up") and music ("sing") find themselves reluctantly linked in this portrait of country superstars, "The Dixie Chicks", and the…
US vs. John Lennon, The (2006): Dir. David Leaf, John Scheinfeld; Compelling exposition of the political persecution of outspoken, anti–war Beatle, John Lennon by the Nixon–led US government. While…
When the Levees Broke - A Requiem in Four Acts (2006): Dir. Spike Lee; Powerful, enraging chronicle of this century’s first great natural disaster, and the man–made catastrophe that unfolded post–Hurricane…
Churchill's Bodyguard (2005): Imposing, unprecedented memoir of the life and times of Winston Churchill, adapted from the diaries of his stoic bodyguard, Walter H.…
Excellent Cadavers (2005): Dir. Marco Turco; The hush–hush war between Sicily’s mafia and the prosecutors who slept with the fishes is recounted in this fascinating documentary, an ideal…
Oil Factor, The (2005): Dir. Audrey Brohy, Gerard Ungerman; Another addition to the panoply of anti–Iraq War documentaries, this attempts to draw the links between the Western World's over–reliance…
Street Fight (2005): Dir. Marshall Curry; Director Marshall Curry's (IF A TREE FALLS) first film is this Oscar–nominated political documentary detailing the 2002 mayoral campaign of…
This Divided State (2005): Dir. Steven Greenstreet; Ground–hugging documentary follows the alarmingly extreme response in conservative Utah when filmmmaker Michael Moore (FARENHEIT 9/11) is…
Time to go John - The Awful Truth About John Howard (2005): A collage of left–wing animations, comedies, dramas and documentary fragments compiled before the re–election of Australian PM John…
Viva Zapatero (2005): Dir. Sabina Guzzanti; Confronting Italian documentary made by comedian Sabina Guzzanti in response to her satirical TV show being axed after her scathing imitation of…
Who Killed the Electric Car? (2005): Dir. Chris Paine; The promise of electric–powered transport and its subsequent demise is playfully detailed as a faux ‘murder mystery’ in this engaging…
End of Suburbia, The (Oil Depletion and the Collapse of the American Dream) (2004): Dir. Gregory Greene; Boldly spelled out in its full title, this provocative (and possibly profound) documentary convincingly mounts a thesis around the issue of "Peak…
Fahrenheit 9/11 (2004): Dir. Michael Moore
Feat. Michael Moore; In his gravest comedy yet, the fearless Michael Moore dissects the credibility of the Bush administration since the election controversy of 2000 and…
Fahrenhype 9/11 (2004): An interesting riposte from the political right to the incendiary documentary FAHRENHEIT 9/11, that makes credible (if not ultimately convincing)…
George W. Bushisms (2004): Dir. Elizabeth Reeder
Feat. Brian Unger; A smirkingly hilarious compilation of some of US President George W. Bush's worst manglings of the English language during speeches and…
Going Upriver - The Long War for John Kerry (2004): Dir. George Butler; Potent, if late–in–the–day study of unsuccessful 2004 US Presidential nominee John Kerry and his Vietnam War experiences. A…
How Arnie Won the West (2004): Dir. Alex Cooke
Feat. Arnold Schwarzenegger; A beguiling account of Arnold Schwarzenegger's transformation from Hollywood star into Republican Governor of California, through a 2004 state recall…
Hunting Of The President, The (2004): Dir. Nikolas Perry; The amazing story of an attempted political lynching by rich right–wing supporters who never forgave the democrat's for their part in bringing…
John Pilger's Stealing a Nation (2004): Dir. John Pilger; Activist journalist John Pilger relates the alarming story of the deportation of all natives from Diego Garcia – a small island in the Indian…
Letters to Ali (2004): Dir. Clara Law; Devastating story of a 15–yr old Afghani boy refugee, 'detained' for several years in Australia under its harsh immigrant regime in a remote…
Looking for Fidel (2004): Dir. Oliver Stone; Oliver Stone revisits Fidel Castro – the subject of his 2003 documentary COMMANDANTE – in an effort to address some of more questionable social…
Mondovino (2004): Dir. Jonathan Nossiter; A sobering documentary about the effects of globalisation on the wine industry, which travels to various vineyards, villages and offices to quaff a…
Outfoxed: Rupert Murdoch's War on Journalism (2004): Dir. Robert Greenwald; Hot off the press, and of scorching topicality in the run up to the 2004 American Elections, this cogent piece of agit–prop convincingly argues…
Persona Non Grata (2004): Dir. Oliver Stone; Dir. Stone's second documentary in a proposed trilogy about world leaders (after COMMANDANTE) has the frazzled American attempt to gain an interview…
Peter, Paul and Mary - Carry it On (2004): Documentary about the New York folk music trio who "carried it on" from their socially–conscious forebearers like Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger…
Power of Nightmares, The (2004): Dir. Adam Curtis; Another provocative documentary from dir. Curtis, this time out he examines how political parties have created and used fears in order to maintain…
President Versus David Hicks, The (2004): Dir. Curtis Levy; Timely, if 'difficult' documentary which follows the efforts of the father of 'Australian Taliban' fighter David Hicks, to free his son from US…
Shake Hands With the Devil (The Journey of Roméo Dallaire) (2004): Dir. Peter Raymont; Arresting account of the deplorable Rwandan genocide, told through the eyes of one of the most controversial figures surrounding the 1994 massacre,…
State of Mind, A (2004): Dir. Daniel Gordon; An astonishing effort from British dir. Gordon, who documents life in the closed society of North Korea from the perspective of two young girls…
Take, The (2004): Dir. Avi Lewis, Naomi Klein; A feisty documentary about the aftermath of Argentina's disastrous economic 'crash' in 2001 and how a group of unemployed workers attempt to occupy…
Unconstitutional: The War on our Civil Liberties (2004): Dir. Nonny de la Pena, Robert Greenwald; The third in a series of Robert Greenwald–produced 'public interest' docos – this one examines American civil liberties and what became…
Uncovered: The Whole Truth about the Iraq War (2004): Dir. Robert Greenwald; Born out of a personal "rage" against the Bush administration's justification for the pre–emptive war in Iraq, film–maker Robert…
World According to Bush, The (2004): Dir. William Karel; A familiar, if bracingly emotive European broadside on the presidency of George W. Bush, covering the 1000 days of from the 9/11 attacks to the midst…
Basque Ball (2003): Dir. Julio Medem; A dizzying documentary journey through the history and politics of the troubled Basque region of northern Spain, which for centuries has been…
Commandante (2003): Dir. Oliver Stone; A unique, if rather–too–adoring, portrait of Cuban dictator Fidel Castro by political maverick dir. Oliver Stone (JFK,…
Corporation, The (2003): Dir. Mark Achbar, Jennifer Abbott; In a modern world where corporate power has come to exceed political power, this in–depth documentary defines a growing popular concern about…
Fog of War, The (2003): Dir. Errol Morris; A perfectly–formed, Oscar–winning documentary about the life and career of Robert S McNamara, who served as Secretary of Defense under…
Noam Chomsky: Rebel Without a Pause (2003): Dir. Will Pascoe
Feat. Noam Chomsky; A modest, though vitalising portrait of intellectual activist Noam Chomsky made following 9/11, but before the US invasion of Iraq. Captures…
Orwell Rolls in his Grave (2003): Dir. Robert Kane Pappas; Although made on a shoestring, this documentary about the state of Western media holds its own with FAHRENHEIT 9/11 and OUTFOXED in terms of bleak…
Power Trip (2003): Dir. Paul Devlin; This edge–of–your–seat documentary tells the real–life story of the devastating impact a huge American power company has had…
Robert Mugabe's Zimbabwe (2003): Dir. Michael Raeburn; A cogent reference point on the plight of Zimbabwe, dir. Raeburn documents his personal experiences as a former Rhodesia once in support of Robert…
Yes Men, The (2003): Dir. Chris Smith, Sarah Price, Dan Ollman; Riding a wave of highly successful feature docos from the political left, this one has the honour of being the funniest and perhaps most…
Amandla! (A Revolution in Four-Part Harmony) (2002): Dir. Lee Hirsch; A moving tribute to the role of protest music in the struggle against apartheid in South Africa from 1948 to 1994 – slowly put together by dir.…
Berlusconi's Mousetrap (2002): Dir. Aaron Rip; Eye–witness, partisan account of the G8 summit in Genoa, Italy, which led to serious clashes between police and protesters (leaving one dead…
Century of the Self, The (2002): Dir. Adam Curtis; An expertly assembled wealth of archival footage helps tell the complex story of the growth of the mass–consumer society and the role played by…
Drowned Out (2002): Dir. Franny Armstrong; A forerunner, and now excellent companion piece to the much vaunted UP THE YANGTZE, this captures in sobering close–up the plight of an Indian…
Georgie Girl (2002): Dir. Annie Goldson; The unique and quite remarkable life story of Georgina Beyer, born George, a Maori transsexual and former sex–worker, who recently was elected…
Horns and Halos (2002): Dir. Michael Galinsky, Suki Hawley; A fascinating sidebar to the controversial American Presidency of George W. Bush, involving the struggle for author J.H. Hatfield to publish an…
In a Land of Plenty (2002): Dir. Alister Barry; Described as ‘the story of unemployment in New Zealand,’ this serves as a strong companion piece for SOMEONE ELSE'S COUNTRY, dir. Barry’s…
Inner Tour, The (2002): Dir. Ra'anan Alexandrowicz; An Isreali documentary that sparked controversy in the Israeli press for its sympathetic portrayal of Palestinians, this is simply a portrait of…
Noam Chomsky: Distorted Morality (2002): Feat. Noam Chomsky; Renowned political thinker Noam Chomsky ruminates on America's 'War on Terror' in this raw and lively Harvard 'Q & A'. Analyzing the official…
Noam Chomsky: Power and Terror In Our Times (2002): Dir. John Junkerman
Feat. Noam Chomsky; A no–frills TV documentary (made in Japan) in which arch–media critic and philosopher Noam Chomsky, examines the post–9’11 world,…
Trials of Henry Kissinger, The (2002): Dir. Alex Gibney, Eugene Jarecki; A corrosive yet robust investigation that alleges a misuse of power amounting to 'war crimes' by controversial US diplomat Henry Kissinger –…
Unprecedented: The 2000 Presidential Election (2002): Dir. Richard R. Perez, Joan Sekler, Robert Greenwald; Astute examination of the controversial battle for the presidency in Florida from an unabashed pro–Democrat viewpoint that asserts that the…
Weather Underground, The (2002): Dir. Sam Green, Bill Siegel; A stimulating, incisive look back at the angry workings of "The Weathermen", a radical splinter faction of the protest movement who were responsible…
Blind Spot: Hitler's Secretary (2001): Dir. Othmar Schmiderer, Andre Heller; The astonishing true story of Hitler's private secretary, Traudl Junge, who at the age of 80 comes to terms with working alongside unspeakable evil…
Culturejam: Hijacking Commercial Culture (2001): Dir. Jill Thorpe; Fun but ultimately serious expose of various pranksters who subvert the advertising and retail industries of the US. Featuring conversations with…
Facing the Music (2001): Dir. Bob Connolly, Robin Anderson; Art and commerce clash in corridors of academia at Sydney University, as budget cuts compromise the integrity and possible viability of the music…
In Shifting Sands (2001): Dir. Scott Ritter
Feat. Scott Ritter; A pertinent, compelling though rather schizophrenic film–diary directed by the former Chief UN weapons inspector in Iraq. Exploring the…
Life and Debt (2001): Dir. Stephanie Black; A scathingly political look at the "new world order" from the point of view of Jamaican workers and farmers, as well as government and policy…
Party's Over, The (Last Party 2000) (2001): Dir. Philip Seymour Hoffman
Feat. Philip Seymour Hoffman, Noam Chomsky, Michael Moore; A pre–9/11 political doco that still resonates loudly in the George W. Bush era, actor and “concerned citizen” Phillip Seymour Hoffman…
Diplomat, The (2000): Dir. Tom Zubrycki; Panorama of East Timor’s struggle to regain independence from Indonesia following the 1975 invasion, expressed through the 24 year exile of former…
JFK's Women (2000): Revealing, if tabloid–esque expose of philandering in the White House: not Bill Clinton, but John F. Kennedy, whose affairs with four women may…
John Pilger's No Middle Ground in the Middle East (Paying the Price: Killing the Children of Iraq; Palenstine is Still the Issue; Breaking the Silence: Truth and Lies in the War on Terror) (2000-2003): Dir. John Pilger, Alan Lowery
Feat. John Pilger; Three of journalist John Pilger’s most recent and cogent illustrations of the plight of the Middle East, with Iraq, foreign policy, Israel and…
North Korea (Three Documentaries on the Despotic Regime of Kim Jong-Il) (2000-2003): Topical and timely companion of three documentaries on the ostracised state of North Korea: ‘Nuclear Nightmare: Understanding North…
Rebels with a Cause (2000): Dir. Helen Garvy; Straight–up look at the 'Students for a Democratic Society', the student group that began as pro–civil rights organization concerned with…
Awful Truth, The (TV Series) (1999): Dir. Michael Moore
Feat. Michael Moore; Find out what's really going on in America with merciless media activist Michael Moore, fighting for the common man against the evil–doers of…
Campaign (1999): Dir. Tony Sutorius; Close–up account of the cracking political contest for the marginal seat of Wellington Central during the 1996 general election, given a…
Faith Of The Century - A History Of Communism (1999): Using fascinating, never–before–seen footage from the national archives of many countries including Russia and France, this documentary…
Punitive Damage (1999): Dir. Annie Goldson; Emotive documentary about the ordeal of an ordinary New Zealand mother, Helen Todd, who ultimately sued an Indonesian general for punitive damages…
Cold War (1998): Dir. Various; With encyclopedia–like detail, this lengthy documentary series analyses every aspect of the Cold War, from the onset of frosty relations…
McLibel (1998): Dir. Franny Armstrong; The true story of England's most protracted court case that witnessed the all–powerful McDonalds hamburger empire file a libel suit against two…
Big One, The (1997): Dir. Michael Moore
Feat. Michael Moore; Just as smart and witty though with less focus than his watershed doco ROGER AND ME, this intervening 'video diary' sets the format for his popular…
Waco - Rules of Engagement (1997): Dir. William Gazecki; The disastrous FBI siege of the Branch Davidian Sect compound at Waco, Texas in 1993 is pulled to pieces in this acclaimed documentary, revealing a…
Burma (1996-2006): Dir. Evan Williams, Mark Stucke; South East Asian hot–point Burma is the subject of this diptych examining the country’s military dictatorship, harsh oppression, and student…
Inside Burma - Land of Fear (1996): Dir. John Pilger; Ever–pertinent John Pilger expose of Burmese plight and terror, revealing corporations, foreign investors and tourists as complicit in…
Rats in the Ranks (1996): Dir. Bob Connolly, Robin Anderson; Bruising political doco follows the squabbles in a Sydney suburb between mayor and city councillors. The filmmakers gained an extraordinary degree of…
Someone Else's Country (1996): Dir. Alister Barry; Controversial account of the 'rise of the New Right revolution in New Zealand' was refused television broadcast on account of its 'left wing bias'.…
Trilogy of Films by Alister Barry, A (Someone Else's Country, In a Land of Plenty, A Civilised Society) (1996-2007): Dir. Alister Barry; Alister Barry's trilogy of 'New Right' economic policy documentaries, available together in one set.
Churchills, The (1995): Dir. Greg Lanning; Composed primarily of archival footage, this profiles Winston Churchill and the role his family played during his time as the nation's leader.…
Moruroa - The Big Secret (1995): Dir. Michel Daeron; A damning indictment of French nuclear testing program in the South Pacific. A French team investigate the impact of the tests on the neighbouring…
Tracking Down Maggie (1994): Dir. Nick Broomfield; Classic Broomfield, in which the persistent Brit spends the entire film trying to secure an interview with former PM Margaret Thatcher, who at the…
Seven Songs for Malcolm X (1993): Dir. John Akomfrah; A tribute to the revolutionary activist compiles interviews with people that knew him and those that know much about him as well as authentic footage…
War Room, The (1993): Dir. Chris Hegedus, D.A. Pennebaker; Going behind the scenes with the men behind Bill Clinton's 1992 presidential campaign reveals there to be an exact science beneath the media…
Incident at Oglala (1992): Dir. Michael Apted; A compelling case is made for the innocence of a native American accused of murdering two FBI agents in 1976, though it's sense of social injustice…
JFK: Assassination Tapes (1992): Dir. John Barbour; Largely a basis for Oliver Stone's opus, Jim Garrison himself speaks frankly about his investigation into the alleged cover–up surrounding the…
Manufacturing Consent (1992): Dir. Achbar, Peter Wintonick
Feat. Noam Chomsky; Important film presents the theories of Noam Chomsky on the media and its mainstream bias which may have a far–reaching political agenda. What…
Panama Deception, The (1992): Dir. Barbara Trent; Oscar–winning film is unabashedly activist attempt to uncover some truths about the propaganda used to sanitise the U.S. Government's invasion…
Stepping Razor Red X (1992): Dir. Nicholas Campbell; A vivid, disturbing portrait of politically–minded reggae–singer Peter Tosh, who after many turbulent years in Jamaica was killed in…
Leader, the Driver and the Driver's Wife, The (1991): Dir. Nick Broomfield; Both scary and hilarious, this look at the Afrikaner Resistance Movement and its leader Eugene Terreblanche, sees Nick Broomfield honing his…
Making Sense of the Sixties (1991): Fulsome documentary overview of the turbulent sixties, specifically in context with America, where John F. Kennedy, civil rights, the Vietnam War,…
Rebels in Retrospect (1991): Dir. Russell Campbell; An inquiry into the aims, methods and achievments of the Progressive Youth Movement, Kiwi political activists in the turbulent '60s.
Berkeley in the Sixties (1990): Dir. Mark Kitchell; A lively, dense study of 1960s counter–culture in microcosm, this chronicles the rise and fall of the student movement in a Californian campus…
Maria's Story (A Portrait Of Love And Survival In El Salvador's Civil War) (1990): Dir. Monona Wali, Pamela Cohen
Roger and Me (1990): Dir. Michael Moore
Feat. Michael Moore; A brilliantly irreverant personal odyssey by the film–maker who, equipped with a mic and a camera, endeavours to extract comment from General…
John Pilger's Return Ticket (South Africa: Apartheid Did Not Die; Frontline: In Search Of Truth In Wartime; Vietnam: The Last Battle) (1988-1995): Dir. Alan Lowery, David Munro
Feat. John Pilger; John Pilger revisits the remnants of war, stained politics, and social injustice in this fifth volume of his hard–hitting documentary…
Swimming to Cambodia (1987): Dir. Jonathan Demme
Feat. Spalding Gray; Recounting his experiences in Thailand, while acting in THE KILLING FIELDS, arch–raconteur Spalding Gray whips up a verbal storm, with Laurie…
T. Dan Smith (1987): Dir. Amber Film Collective; Docu–drama chronicles of events leading to the imprisonment of a maverick Newcastle councillor. Made in collaboration with Smith himself, it…
Broken Rainbow (1985): Dir. Victoria Mudd; This 1985 Oscar–winning documentary, narrated by Martin Sheen, deals with the forced relocation of the Desi (Navajo) people from their…
Islands of the Empire (1985): Dir. Alister Barry, Rod Prosser, Russell Campbell; Documentary from Wellington production company Vanguard Films (SOMEONE ELSE'S COUNTRY) offering a valuable examination of military relationships…
John Pilger's The New Rulers of the World (The New Rulers of the World; War By Other Means; Burp! Pepsi v Coke in the Ice Cold War) (1984-2001): Dir. David Munro, Alan Lowery
Feat. John Pilger; Three more essential documentaries from journalist John Pilger, with the emphasis on big business, globalisation, and the plight of the Third…
Patu! (1983): Dir. Merata Mita; The 1981 protests against the South African Rugby tour of New Zealand are documented here by M?ori director Merita Mita, providing a landmark in…
Frost/Nixon Watergate Interviews (1977): Dir. Jorn Winther
Feat. David Frost, Richard Nixon; The legendary 28 hour interview between the charismatic David Frost and former President Richard Nixon is touted as the greatest political interview…
General Idi Amin Dada (A Self Portrait) (1974): Dir. Barbet Schroeder; General Idi Amin Dada’s narcissism is serviced willingly by an intrigued Barbet Schroeder, focusing his camera on the lunatic dictator during his…
Swastika (1973): Dir. Lutz Becker, Phillipe Mora; Consisting solely of startling archival footage, this documentary portrait of the era of Adolf Hitler's domination of Nazi Germany, eschews narration…
Wattstax (1973): Dir. Mel Stuart; A little–seen yet significant concert film of the 'Wattstax' festival in Los Angeles in 1972, organised to commemorate the 7th anniversary of…
John Pilger's Documentaries That Changed the World (The Quiet Mutiny; Do You Remember Vietnam?; Year Zero; Death of a Nation) (1970-1994): Dir. David Munro, John Pilger
Feat. John Pilger; Four of journalist John Pilger's most important documentaries, that exemplify his fiercely humanist perspective which makes few concessions to…
Rocky Road to Dublin (1968): Dir. Peter Lennon; Ex–Guardian reporter Lennon recruited French New Wave lensman Raoul Coutard to film this scathing Irish postcard, exposing wayward politics and…
Four Days in November (1964): Dir. Mel Stuart; An unbiased view of events surrounding the death of JFK taken from more than eight million feet of newsreel footage encompassing joyous Kennedy…
Crisis (1963): Dir. Robert Drew; Tense account of a key battle in the American Civil Rights movement with President Kennedy locked in a tense negotiation with Alabaman Governor…
Mein Kampf (1961): Dir. Erwin Leiser; Based on the infamous diary of Adolf Hitler, this is an impressive, prudent chronicle of his life, from his formative years through the horrors of…
Primary (1960): Dir. Robert Drew; Landmark documentary captures the charismatic JFK as he contests the Wisconsin Democratic Primary with Hubert Humphrey. One of the first films of…
Trial at Nuremberg (1947): Dir. Jack Kaufman; Actual footage of the historic war crime hearings in which Goering, Hess and 19 other SS Nazi leaders would be brought to trial over 217 days at the…
Native Land (1942): Dir. Leo Hurwitz, Paul Strand; Impassioned and authentic, this landmark film call for social revolution in Depression–era America blends vivid re–anactments with actual…
Triumph of the Will (1935): Dir. Leni Riefenstahl; The famous official document of the Nazi rally at Nuremberg, 1934, shot in stunning geometric compositions. This manages to stagger the senses, while…
Day the Wall Came Down: Chronicle of events that led to the falling of the Berlin Wall and the re–integration of East and West Germany.

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