The 95 Best Documentaries Ever

Ava DuVernay is largely known for her fiction features, having helmed the powerful biopic "Selma" and the adventurous "A Wrinkle in Time." However, DuVernay's first foray into documentary filmmaking is also hugely impactful, as she investigates the 13th Amendment to the American Constitution, which abolished slavery — except as a punishment for a crime.

The film explores how the amendment actually paved the way for a new kind of slavery to emerge through the industrial prison complex, providing a vital education on a major issue plaguing America. It's the kind of film that should be shown in every history class across the nation.

• Starring: Michelle Alexander, Bryan Stevenson, Van Jones

• Director: Ava DuVernay

• Year: 2016

• Runtime: 100 minutes

• Rating: NR

• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 97%

A winning portrait of a fascinating and controversial artist, Alison Klayman's "Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry" is a marvel. Ai Weiwei is best known for designing the Bird's Nest, the stadium used in the opening ceremonies for the Beijing 2008 Summer Olympics. The film offers a lot more than just some insight into Weiwei's art, though, painting a complex portrait of a man and his impact on those around him.

It's also the story of a man fighting against extremely aggressive censorship and the way that art can transgress boundaries. If you're looking for a movie about the power an artist can wield, look no further.

• Starring: Weiwei Ai, Dan-qing Chen, Dan Ai

• Director: Alison Klayman

• Year: 2012

• Runtime: 91 minutes

• Rating: R

• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 98%

Asif Kapadia's "Amy" takes a no-holds-barred look at the life of gifted musician Amy Winehouse. The film charts Winehouse's massive rise and devastating fall, using lots of home and archival footage to deliver a beautiful and sensitive portrait of a troubled prodigal talent. The film is intimate without ever feeling exploitative, unafraid to show the uglier side of Winehouse's life while taking the time to examine the things and people that Kapadia suggests contributed to her all too early demise.

• Starring: Amy Winehouse, Tony Bennett, Pete Doherty

• Director: Asif Kapadia

• Year: 2015

• Runtime: 128 minutes

• Rating: R

• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 95%

Documentaries possess the incredible ability to transport you to places you've never been, and they can provide meticulous explorations of certain moments in time. Patricio Guzmán's "The Battle of Chile" is a massive undertaking — combined, its three parts are over five hours long — but it's so compelling and full of information that its runtime flies by. The films provide an essential chronicle of Chile in the 1970s, examining a country under serious political duress, as well as the revolution and violent coup against president Salvador Allende. The film was banned in its native Chile for over 20 years, but can now be seen all over the world as the extremely valuable piece of history it is.

• Starring: Abilio Fernández

• Director: Patricio Guzmán

• Year: 1975

• Runtime: 320 minutes

• Rating: NR

• Rotten Tomatoes Score: N/A

If you've never seen a Frederick Wiseman film before, you'll probably be quite surprised by what's on-screen: There is no narration and no interviews, which are often central elements in documentary films. Instead, Wiseman fully immerses himself into whatever institution he's investigating — in this case, the port city of Belfast, Maine. Wiseman's camera follows the lives of countless workers, including city counselors, doctors, teachers, social workers, tugboat operators, and more. At over four hours long, "Belfast, Maine" may seem like a daunting prospect, but the film captures the ordinary with an almost hypnotic effect, creating a rich tapestry of an entire city by simply observing.

• Director: Frederick Wiseman

• Year: 1999

• Runtime: 248 minutes

• Rating: NR

• Rotten Tomatoes Score: N/A

Many documentary filmmakers prefer to stay behind the camera. Michael Moore is not one of them. A proud iconoclast, Moore boldly goes against the grain at every opportunity — when he accepted his Oscar for "Bowling for Columbine" he was met with a chorus of boos after criticizing George W. Bush and the second Iraq War. However, "Bowling for Columbine," however, is a thoughtful and emotional exploration of gun violence viewed through the lens of the Columbine shooting.

The film is so much more than a look at a particular issue. It's a heart-wrenching powerhouse of a production that explores America's often inexplicable relationship with firearms and the seemingly unstoppable powers that keep the weapons so accessible. It's incredible to see Moore attempt to hold the people in charge responsible, and while it's not an easy watch, it's a vital one.

• Starring: Michael Moore, George W. Bush, Dick Clark

• Director: Michael Moore

• Year: 2002

• Runtime: 120 minutes

• Rating: R

• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 95%

Nobody said that filmmaking was easy, though in its earliest days Hollywood was a pretty well-oiled machine. The studio system allowed for films to be churned out with remarkable speed and efficiency. However, as people envisioned more elaborate movies, things became more complicated; just look at Werner Herzog's "Fitzcarraldo," which has to be one of the most involved movies ever produced. For one, as he did on "Aguirre: The Wrath of God," Herzog was determined to film on location in the Amazon River. While making "Aguiree" was tough going, though, it was nothing compared to the challenge of making "Fitzcarraldo." That film's incredible journey lies at the heart of "Burden of Dreams." I won't spoil the details for you, but rest assured that the documentary is an addictive look at what was quite possibly the most arduous film shoot in history.

• Starring: Werner Herzog, Claudia Cardinale, Mick Jagger

• Director: Les Blank

• Year: 1982

• Runtime: 95 minutes

• Rating: NR

• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 94%

Documentarians Jean Rouch and Edgar Morin made their best film with "Chronicle of a Summer," which feels irrepressibly urgent despite being made in the early '60s. The pair interviewed a series of people who discussed their thoughts and feelings on the world around them, including topics like class and what it means to be happy. The filmmakers then crafted fictional stories based on those interviews, and ultimately showed the subjects the fictional films in order to capture their thoughts. It's a fascinating experiment that proves the remarkable power of human testimony, as well as a striking slice of cinema vérité.

• Starring: Marceline Loridan, Regis Debray, Jean-Pierre Sergent

• Director: Jean Rouch, Edgar Morin

• Year: 1961

• Runtime: 90 minutes

• Rating: NR

• Rotten Tomatoes Score: N/A

Iranian filmmaker Abbas Kiarostami blends fiction and documentary in the dazzling "Close-Up." This radical film uses a real-life event — the arrest of a man for impersonating filmmaker Mohsen Makhmalbaf — to launch a dense yet entertaining exploration of mythmaking, creation, film, and identity that's incredible to behold. The actors in the film play themselves, which creates a dizzying effect that makes it nearly impossible to tell whether what you're seeing is a reenactment or reality. Totally unique and deliciously complex, "Close-Up" is moviemaking at its most creative.

• Starring: Hossain Sabzian, Mohsen Makhmalbaf, Abolfazi Ahankhah

• Director: Abbas Kiarostami

• Year: 1990

• Runtime: 98 minutes

• Rating: NR

• Rotten Tomatoes Score: N/A

A portrait of an artist that's as deliciously off-beat as the man himself, Terry Zwigoff's "Crumb" explores the life of underground cartoonist Robert Crumb. As Crumb's lifelong friend, Zwigoff is granted intimate access to a subject who has no interest whatsoever in being in the public eye. Crumb is best known for his shocking, hilarious, and controversial comic strips, but the film takes a greater interest in the person behind the art, as well as his family, especially the wife he adores, Aline Kominsky-Crumb. If you're looking for a study of one of comics' stranger figures, look no further than "Crumb."

• Starring: Robert Crumb, Aline Kominsky-Crumb, Charles Crumb

• Director: Terry Zwigoff

• Year: 1994

• Runtime: 119 minutes

• Rating: R

• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 95%

With "Dick Johnson Is Dead," Kristen Johnson has crafted an exquisite portrait of aging and dying. It's a deeply meditative, sometimes crushing, and often uplifting movie, and as far as fascinating subjects go, Kristen's father Dick Johnson is as good as they get.

Dealing with her father at the end of his life, Kristen films a series of scenarios in which Dick "dies," which the duo use as a way of processing what's about to happen to them. It's personal cinema that should resonate with audiences far and wide. Johnson will have memories of her own father to treasure for the rest of her life; thanks to this film, so do we.

• Starring: Dick Johnson, Kristen Johnson

• Director: Kristen Johnson

• Year: 2020

• Runtime: 89 minutes

• Rating: PG-13

• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 100%

An incendiary look at the people who thought they were simply too big to fail, Alex Gibney's "Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room" is jaw-dropping stuff. Gibney's film follows the extraordinary collapse of one of the biggest companies in history and the astonishing, nasty arrogance of those in charge, who were all too thrilled to do whatever they could to increase profits, be that through legal loopholes or plain old thievery. There is absolutely nothing that Enron wouldn't do to make money, and the documentary presents us with some of cinema's most unhinged villains. From the massive rise to the ugly fall, Gibney's film is a wildly compelling ride through corporate corruption.

• Starring: Peter Coyle

• Director: Alex Gibney

• Year: 2005

• Runtime: 113 minutes

• Rating: R

• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 97%

How can you know what is real? That's a concept that master filmmaker Orson Welles explored in his final film, the docudrama "F for Fake." The film initially presents itself as an investigation into notorious art forget Elmer de Hory and biographer Clifford Irving, who is best known for writing a completely fake autobiography of Howard Hughes. However, "F for Fake" quickly turns into a whirlwind experience that challenges the very ideas of fact and truth. Here, one of the world's most celebrated moviemakers is having a whole lot of fun while making you wonder who the real con artists actually are.

• Starring: Orson Welles, Oja Kodar, Joseph Cotton

• Director: Orson Welles

• Year: 1973

• Runtime: 88 minutes

• Rating: PG

• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 88%

Errol Morris is one of the all-time great documentarians, tackling fascinating and controversial subjects with striking simplicity. For "The Fog of War," Morris sits down with Robert S. McNamara, the United States Secretary of Defense during the Kennedy and Johnson administrations, who was in charge during the first half of the Vietnam War. The film largely consists of McNamara himself as he confronts his own life, his career, and the decisions he's made, as well as some intense archival footage. "The Fog of War" is a bracing and insightful look at one of America's most talked-about military minds, and the unfettered access the film provides to the legendary figure is incredible. McNamara is a dream subject for a documentary, as he speaks candidly about his life and the complicated policies that defined his career.

• Starring: Robert S. McNamara, Lyndon B. Johnson

• Director: Errol Morris

• Year: 2003

• Runtime: 105 minutes

• Rating: PG-13

• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 96%

"Free Solo" is an exciting film about one individual's extraordinary physical feat. Alex Honnold, a professional rock climber, is after the holy grail of climbing: to become the first person to free solo climb El Capitan's vertical rock face, which is an awe-inspiring 900 meters in height. One single stumble or slip could result in Honnold's death — and you better believe that's a risk he's willing to take. While this testament to the human spirit is awesome, what really makes it exceptional is watching it all unfold. "Free Solo" is, quite simply, one of the most beautiful films ever made. Just take a moment to see how the directors filmed the climbing sequences and prepare to be amazed.

• Starring: Alex Honnold, Tommy Caldwell, Sanni McCandless

• Director: Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi, Jimmy Chin

• Year: 2018

• Runtime: 100 minutes

• Rating: PG-13

• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 97%

It feels like an act of serendipity that the Maysles and Charlotte Zwerin happened to be present during a major event in rock history. The Rolling Stones' free concert at Altamont Speedway was supposed to be a chance for the band's fans to enjoy some incredible music. However, a dreadful act of violence sent everything careening south, and what was intended to be a joyful celebration became a symbol of lost innocence and the crumbling of America's counterculture.

• Starring: Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Mick Taylor

• Directors: Albert Maysles, David Maysles, Charlotte Zwerin

• Year: 1970

• Runtime: 91 minutes

• Rating: PG-13

• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 93%

A damning indictment of the Church of Scientology, Alex Gibney's "Going Clear: Scientology & The Prison of Belief" is an intoxicating look at one of the world's most secretive religions. In order to properly investigate his subject, Gibney interviews a number of people who left Scientology behind, filming them as they reveal the systemic abuse and bizarre rituals that go on behind its closed doors. Gibney is deeply respectful to those brave enough to speak out, realizing that their stories need to be heard. If you're looking for a comprehensive tell-all on the controversies surrounding Scientology, there's no better place to start than Gibney's "Going Clear."

• Starring: Alex Gibney, Marina Zenovich, Sherry Stringfield

• Director: Alex Gibney

• Year: 2015

• Runtime: 119 minutes

• Rating: NR

• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 95%

Conventional wisdom tells us to keep our distance from bears; despite their fluffy appearances, they have the power to carve us up in the blink of an eye. Werner Herzog's "Grizzly Man" follows the life of Timothy Treadwell, a man who ignored this advice, left his civilian life behind, and lived amongst bears in Alaska's Katmai National Park. Herzog edited much of the documentary from footage that Treadwell shot himself, which plays a big part in creating an intimate portrait of a man who chose to do something that the vast majority of people wouldn't even dream of attempting. You can certainly guess how this story ends, but that doesn't make the journey any less exceptional.

• Starring: Timothy Treadwell, Amie Huguenard

• Director: Werner Herzog

• Year: 2005

• Runtime: 103 minutes

• Rating: R

• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 92%

Many documentaries interrogate events that have long since concluded, but Peter Davis' "Hearts and Minds" deals with the atrocities of the Vietnam War in the heat of the conflict. The title of the documentary comes from a quote from President Lyndon B. Johnson, who claimed that winning the war was about winning the "hearts and minds" of the Vietnamese people. Accordingly, this explicitly anti-war film is an incredibly tough watch, blending interviews with American military figures with footage of the devastating consequences of military action in Vietnam. It's startling, urgent, and expressive filmmaking that uses an immense number of sources to paint a devastating portrait of the horrors of an extremely unpopular war.

• Starring: Tin Chan, Chau Diem, Kay Dvorshock

• Director: Peter Davis

• Year: 1974

• Runtime: 112 minutes

• Rating: R

• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 90%

Under normal circumstances, achieving your dreams can be an incredible challenge. When you want to join the NBA and become a superstar, however, it can feel impossible. Steve James' epic three-hour documentary "Hoop Dreams" follows two inner-city kids from Chicago who aspire to make it big in the world of basketball. The film unfolds over a five-year period, navigating stunningly complicated athletic programs while shedding light on the hopeful athletes' family lives and their Chicago neighborhoods. It's a beautiful, inspiring, and fully-realized film that stands as one of America's finest sports stories.

• Starring: Steve James, William Gates, Arthur Agee

• Director: Steve James

• Year: 1994

• Runtime: 174 minutes

• Rating: PG-13

• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 98%

The AIDS epidemic of the 1980s devastated countless communities all over the world as governments declined to fund research into the disease and dragged their feet when it came to finding solutions (and that's putting it lightly). As such, activists were forced to step up. David France's terrific film "How to Survive a Plague" charts their efforts, particularly those of the groups ACT UP and TAG. The interviews with the activists themselves, who crushingly admit that they know they're going to die as a result of the virus, are particularly striking. "How to Survive a Plague" is equal parts rousing and heartbreaking, telling a story about the monumental bravery it takes to make your voice heard when your own government is against you.

• Starring: David Barr, Jim Eigo, Ann Northrop

• Director: David France

• Year: 2012

• Runtime: 110 minutes

• Rating: NR

• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 98%

Director Raoul Peck uses the words of the exemplary American activist and writer James Baldwin to great effect in "I Am Not Your Negro." Baldwin envisioned a book that explored the lives and assassinations of three of his dear friends: Medgar Evers, Martin Luther King, and Malcolm X. However, that tome was never finished, so this wonderful and insightful film imagines the finished product. With Samuel L. Jackson serving as narrator, the film dives into Baldwin's life as well as those of some extraordinary activists, examining America's history of racism and making for urgent, important, and informative cinema.

• Starring: Samuel L. Jackson

• Director: Raoul Peck

• Year: 2016

• Runtime: 95 minutes

• Rating: PG-13

• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 99%

Frederick Weisman brings his impressively compassionate observational skills to Jackson Heights, a neighborhood in Queens, New York. Weisman has an uncanny ability to make you feel intimately involved with his subjects, and here it almost feels like you've been transported straight to Jackson Heights as you see the amazing community organizers' work. "In Jackson Heights" is vibrant and energetic, taking you through the many different viewpoints, cultures, and beliefs that make up the neighborhood. Weisman's unique approach to documentary filmmaking allows for a widespread and hugely enlightening view of one of America's most diverse places.

• Starring: Laura Oblois

• Director: Frederick Wiseman

• Year: 2015

• Runtime: 190 minutes

• Rating: NR

• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 96%

An intimate and probing portrait of the former first lady of the Philippines, Imelda Marcos, Lauren Greenfield's "The Kingmaker" is remarkably revealing. The film explores numerous controversies faced by the Marcos family, many of which featured Imelda at their center. But it's more than that, too — as Marcos shows off her extraordinary home and outfits, Greenfield's film contrasts her life of privilege with the injustices faced by the Filipino people. With the Marcos family recently making a return to power, "The Kingmaker" feels like an eerily prescient harbinger of things to come.

• Starring: Imelda Marcos

• Director: Lauren Greenfield

• Year: 2019

• Runtime: 101 minutes

• Rating: R

• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 97%

"Koyaanisqatsi" (say that 10 times fast) is difficult to define. Directed by Godfrey Reggio, the film contains none of the things you'd expect from a documentary form. There are no talking heads, no narration, and no traditional narrative throughline. There's not even any dialogue. Instead, Reggio's experimental film uses only images and sounds to tell a story. The musical score, provided by renowned composer Philip Glass, is astonishing, though, providing a brilliant match to the footage of vast landscapes, moments of modern technology, and people going about their lives. This beguiling, richly compelling film has no defined meaning; as is so often the case with great art, everyone will walk away with a different interpretation as to what it means.

• Director: Godfrey Reggio

• Year: 1982

• Runtime: 87 minutes

• Rating: NR

• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 90%

Is there anything that Martin Scorsese can't do? The answer is a resounding "no." While he may be best known for gangster flicks like "Goodfellas," Scorsese has made every possible kind of movie, including a number of documentaries. The best of his docs is "The Last Waltz," a joyous concert film documenting the final performance of The Band, during which countless music legends performed alongside the group, including Neil Young, Muddy Waters, and Bob Dylan. "The Last Waltz" is a celebration of the world of rock music, and it's so electric that it feels as if you're in the audience for the show yourself.

• Starring: Robbie Robertson, Ringo Starr, Muddy Waters

• Director: Martin Scorsese

• Year: 1978

• Runtime: 117 minutes

• Rating: PG

• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 98%

In 1945, the U.S. Army commissioned John Huston to make a documentary about PTSD with a pro-war spin, but the end result was deemed counterproductive to America's postwar efforts and it wasn't officially shown until the 1980s. That outcome was largely due to Huston's determination to make a film that reflected the reality of those who came home from the war rather than a propaganda picture. In that sense, he succeeded. "Let There Be Light" is a stunning movie that looks at the mental health of veterans recovering at Mason General Hospital in Long Island, something that may not seem like a big deal today but that was revolutionary in the 1940s. This brave movie tackles post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) during a time when it was more commonly known as "shell shock."

• Starring: Walter Huston

• Director: John Huston

• Year: 1946

• Runtime: 59 minutes

• Rating: NR

• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 83%

After making "The Act of Killing," Joshua Oppenheimer made a companion piece that is no less essential than its predecessor. "The Look of Silence" follows a man whose brother was killed in the Indonesian Communist Purge of 1965 and his confrontations with some of the men who carried out those horrifying acts. The haunting story makes for a remarkable contrast with Oppenheimer's stunning imagery as the film boldly documents a man's quest for answers in a nation still ruled by those who committed the crimes. The only thing more chilling than the quest itself is the perpetrators' seeming lack of remorse. It's jaw-dropping cinema.

• Starring: Joshua Oppenheimer

• Director: Joshua Oppenheimer

• Year: 2014

• Runtime: 99 minutes

• Rating: PG-13

• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 96%

A story about the incredible will of a genuine daredevil, James Marsh's "Man on Wire" takes us back to 1974, when Philippe Petit dared to walk on a high wire between the Twin Towers. This was very much not allowed, and Petit was threatened with arrest if he were to go ahead with his plan — which, of course, he did. Marsh was clearly influenced by heist movies on "Man on Wire," where he uses footage of Petit preparing for the big event alongside re-enactments and contemporary interviews. The events unfold with the giddy excitement of "Ocean's Eleven," but this incredible feat is all real.

• Starring: Philippe Petit, Annie Alix, Jean François Heckel

• Director: James Marsh

• Year: 2008

• Runtime: 90 minutes

• Rating: PG-13

• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 100%

Alex Gibney's harrowing "Mea Maxima Culpa: Silence in the House of God" tackles a sensitive subject with a potent blend of sensitivity and outrage. The documentary looks at sex abuse in the Catholic Church, focusing specifically on incidents St. John's School for the Deaf. Four brave deaf men sought to bring light to the abuse they suffered at the hands of a priest in the 1960s, when they were students at the institution. The case was the first of its kind in the United States and fundamentally changed the way people looked at organized religion. Gibney's film is shocking, heartbreaking, and vital, celebrating the courage of the four men who spoke out against one of the world's most powerful organizations.

• Starring: Alex Gibney, Jamey Sheridan, Chris Cooper

• Director: Alex Gibney

• Year: 2012

• Runtime: 107 minutes

• Rating: NR

• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 98%

One of the earliest examples of a feature-length documentary, Robert J. Flaherty's "Nanook of the North" was groundbreaking when it was released in 1922. It's often thought to be the very first documentary, though Flaherty's film isn't entirely factual. In fact, the protagonist, Nanook, is actually named Allakariallak, and Nanook's wife isn't actually his wife at all. Still, despite not being quite committed to telling the truth, "Nanook of the North" is still a major achievement in cinema, one that transported audiences to the Arctic and showed them a way of life previously unseen by the masses.

• Starring: Allakariallak, Nyla, Cunayou

• Director: Robert J. Flaherty

• Year: 1922

• Runtime: 79 minutes

• Rating: NR

• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 100%

Alan Resnais' "Nuit et Brouillard" ("Night and Fog") packs the vast atrocities of the Holocaust into its brief half-an-hour runtime. Written by Jean Cayrol, himself a concentration camp survivor, the film brings audiences face to face with the devastating lack of humanity that led to one of the world's most disgraceful events. "Nuit et Brouillard" does more than just show real-life horrors — it forces the viewer to question their own sense of humanity and how something like this could have happened. Resnais' film is an eye-opening and stressful experience, but its rewards far outweigh the difficulty of getting through it.

• Starring: Michel Bouquet

• Director: Alain Resnais

• Year: 1955

• Runtime: 32 minutes

• Rating: NR

• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 100%

The best documentaries showcase a world that you never even knew existed. Jennie Livingston's wondrous and exhilarating "Paris Is Burning" explores the ball scene in New York City, which brought together all sorts of queer people (especially people of color and transgender people) and allowed them to dress extravagantly and dance in their own celebratory spaces. It's uplifting to see these rich characters live their lives to the fullest, especially when they're so often shunned by mainstream society. "Paris Is Burning" doesn't shy away from the harsher realities of being queer, however, highlighting homelessness, abandonment, drug use, murder, and other issues that often afflict LGBTQ+ peoples. "Paris is Burning" is a beautiful tapestry and vital ode to the resilience of the queer community.

• Starring: Freddie Pendavis, Willi Ninja, André Christian

• Director: Jennie Livingston

• Year: 1990

• Runtime: 78 minutes

• Rating: R

• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 98%

Jackie and David Siegel have it all, but even that's not enough: The couple are in the process of building the single largest house in the entire United States. The extravagant, 900,000 square-foot mansion (for the record, that's even bigger than the White House) is being built with the palace of Versailles in mind. However, the 2008 market crash changed everything for the Siegel family, who went from being billionaires to ... well, still being unbelievably wealthy. "The Queen of Versailles" is frequently infuriating, fascinating, hilarious, and depressing, as Greenfield paints a portrait of wealth that's as outlandish as it is insidious.

• Starring: Jackie Siegel, Lorraine Barrett

• Director: Lauren Greenfield

• Year: 2012

• Runtime: 100 minutes

• Rating: PG

• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 95%

Iranian filmmaker Moshen Makhmalbaf (the subject of Kiarostami's "Close Up," also on this list) directs "Salaam Cinema," a joyous look at the passion that goes along with being in the movies. The film follows Makhmalbaf as he prepares to make a film celebrating the 100-year anniversary of cinema. When he places an ad in a newspaper looking for 100 people to be in the film, thousands arrive, all hoping for their big opportunity. Most of the film sees Makhmalbaf going through the auditions, speaking to men and women whose stories paint a vivid and diverse portrait of life in Iran. It's a surprising and lovely film that reminds us how important the movies are to people all over the world.

• Starring: Azadeh Zanganeh, Maryam Keyhan, Shaghayegh Djodat

• Director: Moshen Makhmalbaf

• Year: 1995

• Runtime: 75 minutes

• Rating: NR

• Rotten Tomatoes Score: N/A

Wim Wenders is often drawn to the intricacies of human life, so having him document the story of photographer Sebastião Salgado is perfect. Salgado's career is truly remarkable, as he's traveled all over the world looking to capture people and places you've never heard of or seen, with a particular focus on hidden societies. As Wenders charts Salgado's career, the film doubles as an amazing tribute to the incredibly vast, often unexpected beauty of our planet. "The Salt of the Earth" is one of the most visually adventurous movies ever made, overflowing with striking and surprising imagery.

• Starring: Sebastião Salgado

• Directors: Wim Wenders, Juliano Ribeiro Salgado

• Year: 2014

• Runtime: 109 minutes

• Rating: PG-13

• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 95%

Chris Marker's otherworldly "Sans Soleil" unfolds almost like a stream of consciousness as the narrator remarks on everything under the sun, from Japanese horror movies to emus living in France. It's international in scope, traveling through time and space as Marker examines humanity using footage from every end of the planet. Every viewing of "Sans Soleil" leads to new discoveries that are simultaneously radical and conventional. If that sounds confusing, that's because "Sans Soleil" is a mysterious puzzle that can never be truly solved. Thankfully, it's a thrill watching it all unfold anyway, and its images are consistently breathtaking.

• Director: Chris Marker

• Year: 1982

• Runtime: 100 minutes

• Rating: NR

• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 86%

Ayrton Senna was on top of the Formula 1 racing world when tragedy struck during a race, costing Senna his life. Asif Kapadia's film takes an atypical approach to his story, leaning more into a cinematic angle that makes for seriously entertaining viewing as it explores the life of the racing giant. Charting Senna's rise, his time as the best F1 driver on the planet, and his shocking death, "Senna" is an engaging character study that looks at obsession, drive, arrogance, talent, and excitement. Even if you have no interest in racing, Kapadia creates such a compelling narrative around Senna that you'll be hooked no matter what.

• Starring: Alain Prost, Frank Williams, Ron Dennis

• Director: Asif Kapadia

• Year: 2010

• Runtime: 104 minutes

• Rating: PG-13

• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 93%

Marcel Ophuls' "The Sorrow and the Pity" is also about World War II, but its scope is entirely different. This film focuses on the collaboration between the Nazis and Vichy France, exposing what was thought to be a significant French resistance movement and unraveling widely-believed myths to devastating effect. By focusing on the occupation of Clermont-Ferrand and interviewing members of the French resistance, Ophuls paints a damning picture of wartime France. In fact, the film, which was commissioned by a government-funded TV station, wasn't screened after it was completed, as authorities believed that the film "destroys myths that the people of France still need."

• Director: Marcel Ophuls

• Year: 1969

• Runtime: 260 minutes

• Rating: PG

• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 100%

Sarah Polley has long been one of Canada's more recognizable stars, beginning acting at a young age and going on to star in films like "The Fabulous Baron Munchausen," "Go," and "The Sweet Hereafter." More recently, she has proved herself to be one of the best directors around. Polley's best film is the beguiling documentary "Stories We Tell," which turns the camera inward and focuses on Polley's own family, particularly the relationship between her parents. The film features a few revelations that Polley only discovered while filming, but on the whole it's a fantastically exciting and wonderfully-told story about memory, family, and how people remember the same events in completely different ways.

• Starring: Sarah Polley, Michael Polley, Harry Gulkin

• Director: Sarah Polley

• Year: 2012

• Runtime: 108 minutes

• Rating: PG-13

• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 94%

"Super Size Me" has become the stuff of legend. It tells the story of Morgan Spurlock, a man healthy in both body and mind, who decides to eat nothing but food from McDonald's. Spurlock's film isn't just about his personal journey — as you'd expect, he gains a lot of weight and his mental health takes a nosedive. Instead, Spurlock uses his own well-being as a metaphor for how the fast-food business functions. Examining the immense corporate influence of one of America's most powerful companies, as well as the industry as a whole, yields some compelling insights, and while the success of Spurlock's personal mission is debatable, the film absolutely ignited a conversation.

• Starring: Morgan Spurlock

• Director: Morgan Spurlock

• Year: 2004

• Runtime: 98 minutes

• Rating: PG-13

• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 92%

Peter Jackson (that's right, the man who blessed us with "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy) brings photography from the First World War to life by using new technology to restore and colorize the footage, prepping it for a new era. The goal of the film seems to be to bring us closer to the experiences of everyday soldiers, and it does so remarkably well. Seeing footage from over 100 years ago look like it's brand new is legitimately jaw-dropping. More than that, though, "They Shall Not Grow Old" is a vital piece of history that will hopefully give modern audiences the opportunity to see the horrifying conditions soldiers faced during WWI.

• Starring: Peter Jackson

• Director: Peter Jackson

• Year: 2018

• Runtime: 99 minutes

• Rating: R

• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 99%

Rob Epstein's "The Times of Harvey Milk" follows the life of Harvey Milk, who became the first openly gay person to serve on San Francisco's board of supervisors, making him California's first open public official. Narrated by actor and playwright Harvey Fierstein, this passionate documentary explores Milk's activism and his life, while also profiling Dan White, a fellow supervisor who eventually assassinated Milk. It's an urgent documentary that reminds us that homophobia has been with us for a long time and that, unfortunately, it shows no signs of relenting. But "The Times of Harvey Milk" is also a hopeful, inspiring, and powerful profile of a great idealist.

• Starring: Harvey Fierstein, Harvey Milk, Anne Kronenberg

• Director: Rob Epstein

• Year: 1984

• Runtime: 87 minutes

• Rating: NR

• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 96%

Errol Morris' documentary follows the case of Randall Dale Adams, who was convicted of killing a Dallas police officer. Adams was sent to death row for the murder — despite the clear evidence he did not, in fact, commit the crime. Morris' film was a legitimate game-changer that actually helped reverse Adams' fate, and its restagings and interviews, all set to a chilling Philip Glass score, create an intoxicating effect that's not unlike a film noir. If you've ever doubted cinema's ability to make genuine change in the world, take a close, close look at "The Thin Blue Line."

• Starring: Randall Adams, David Harris, Gus Rose

• Director: Errol Morris

• Year: 1988

• Runtime: 106 minutes

• Rating: NR

• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 100%

In 1964, Michael Apted began a bold cinematic experiment. Working with director Paul Almond, he interviewed a group of seven-year-old English children, and the resulting footage became the film "Seven Up." Seven years later, Apted made the project his own, interviewing the same kids again to see what they were up to and how they had changed. Apted continued to chronicle the lives of these people every seven years until his death in 2021, making "63 Up" the last film in the series. It's an incredible theoretical undertaking but also a series of extremely fascinating movies, with "28 Up" being the highlight of the series.

• Starring: Bruce Balden, Jacqueline Bassett, Symon Basterfield

• Director: Michael Apted

• Year: 1984

• Runtime: 136 minutes

• Rating: NR

• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 100%

There are plenty of different techniques that a documentary can use to tell its story, but animation is one of the more unique. Still, there have been a number of animated documentaries lately, including the likes of "Tower" and "Flee." Ari Folman's "Waltz with Bashir" is another, using animation to reconstruct the director's experiences in the 1982 Lebanon War. Folman was just 19 when he served as an infantry soldier, and the film cuts between his experiences at the time — of which he has virtually no memory — and the current day, where Folman seeks out others who were in Beirut to learn more about their experiences. It's a mesmerizing account of memory, horror, war, and conflict that is told in arresting fashion.

• Starring: Ron Ben-Yishai, Ronny Dayag, Ari Folman

• Director: Ari Folman

• Year: 2008

• Runtime: 90 minutes

• Rating: R

• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 96%

For a fantastic example of what it's like to look at the screen, mouth agape, and wonder, "How on earth did they film that?" watch Jacques Perrin's "Winged Migration," which stretches across all seven continents as it explores the incredible migration patterns that birds fly. There's really nothing quite like it out there. "Winged Migration" takes you into the world of birds like no other film, creating a magical effect that makes you feel like you're flying right alongside these incredible creatures.

• Starring: Jacques Perrin

• Director: Jacques Perrin

• Year: 2001

• Runtime: 91 minutes

• Rating: G

• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 95%

Michael Wadleigh's "Woodstock" transports viewers to one of the most famous music festivals of all time. Woodstock was a counterculture-defining festival held in upstate New York in 1969, where dozens famous (and soon-to-be famous) artists played for crowds bigger than you could fathom unless you were actually there. Wadleigh's film celebrates the incredible musicians that graced the Woodstock stage, bringing you back to a specific historical moment with remarkable clarity. "Woodstock" is a kaleidoscopic tour through an extraordinarily exciting time, and seeing so many musicians perform at the peak of their careers is nothing short of euphoric.

• Starring: Richie Havens, Joan Baez, Roger Daltrey

• Director: Michael Wadleigh

• Year: 1970

• Runtime: 184 minutes

• Rating: R

• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 100%