For someone who equally loves learning and movies, documentaries are the perfect blend of portraying reality through an artistic visual medium. Beginning with Robert Flaherty’s “Nanook of the North” (1922), the first official non-fiction narrative film, there are hundreds of great documentaries and docuseries that showcase true crime, enlightening stories, political bombshells, heartbreaking exposes, and inherently interesting human stories.
Without further ado, here five of the best documentaries that you should absolutely be watching.
-       ”Minding the Gap” (2018, dir. Bing Lui)
One of the sincerest, most empathetic, and holistically humanistic documentaries about the human condition, friendship, familial trauma, and just about everything in between. “Minding the Gap” is quite possibly the best documentaries ever composed which is ironic because when I pressed play earlier this summer, I genuinely had no idea it was a documentary. Regardless, it’s more than just footage spliced and edited together. “Minding the Gap” is a life-affirming, meditative work of art that I will surely never forget. I recommend this documentary to anyone & everyone, especially those who grew up in rough family situations.
-       “Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain” (2021, dir. Morgan Neville)
Anthony Bourdain lived his life to the fullest and most daring. He viewed the gift of life as finding the perfect cliff to climb to the top of and dive off from. He was an absolute rarity of a human being that conveyed kindness and empathic counterculture through his food, idiosyncratic point of view, and immense wisdom. “Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain” is immeasurable, irrefutable proof and testament of Bourdain’s inspiring influence on the world. It’s one of the best films I’ve seen all year.
-       ”Paris Is Burning” (1990, dir. Jennie Livingston)
In 1991, director Jennie Livingston shocked the entire world with her provocative, unyielding directorial debut, “Paris Is Burning.” This new filmmaker’s documentary offered an inside look into the LGBT culture in New York City and the African American and Latino LGBT ball culture. To clarify, a “ball” is a part of LGBT culture where members of the community crossdress and host fashion runway shows. This is a must-watch film as it an equally heartbreaking and uplifting insight into the late 80s LGBT culture in New York City.
-       ”Blackfish” (2013, dir. Gabriela Cowperthwaite)
SeaWorld sucks.
-       ”Baraka” (1992, dir. Ron Fricke)
“Baraka” is a bit of an enigma to explain. It’s described as a “paralyzingly beautiful documentary with a global vision… that attempts to capture the essence of life.” And that, my friends, is exactly what “Baraka” entails. It’s a globetrotting, elegant experience like no other.
Here are some other good documentaries to check out. I sincerely hope that these documentaries resonate with you as much as they did with me.
-       ”Bob Dylan – Don’t Look Down” (1967, dir. D. A. Pennabaker)
-       ”Derek DelGaudio’s In & Of Itself” (2021, dir. Frank Oz)
-       ”Don’t F**k with Cats: Hunting an Internet Killer” (2019, dir. Mark Lewis)
-       ”Free Solo” (2018, dir. Elizabeth Chau Vasarhelyi, Jimmy Chin)
-       ”Man with a Movie Camera” (1929, dir. Dziga Vertov)
-       ”They Shall Not Grow Old” (2018, dir. Peter Jackson)