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NDISCOVERY
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Documentary movies

Browse documentary movies by rating, decade and country, and see which are on Netflix where you live.

7.12013MovieDocumentary · TV Movie

A look back at Charlie Chaplin's early life and career, from his rough childhood and music hall success in England to his early Hollywood days and the development of his enormously popular character, the Little Tramp, also called Charlot.

8.02022MovieDocumentary

On January 21, 2002, Fadime Sahindal was shot to death by her own father. Fadime has become a symbol of the struggle against honor-based violence and oppression in Sweden. Twenty years have now passed since Fadime’s murder, yet society still seems to struggle with understanding the issue. Questions surrounding honor-based violence remain controversial and complex. We meet individuals who are deeply knowledgeable about—and have personal experience with—honor-related issues. What have we learned over the past 20 years? Has society begun to listen to those subjected to honor-based violence, or are we turning our backs on them? And what is Fadime’s legacy?

8.02005MovieDocumentary

A documentary on the making of the 2004 film "Man on Fire," mixing movie clips, behind-the-scenes shots and interviews of cast and crew. The program covers the flick’s genesis and very long path to the screen, adaptation concerns and changes from the original story, the choice of Mexico as a location, research into real-life kidnapping and various case studies, training and realism, casting and characters, shooting in Mexico City and location issues, cinematography and the movie’s distinctive look, Scott’s style on the set, and general thoughts.

8.52021MovieDocumentary · TV Movie

Travel to the ice mountains of Chile to discover the secrets of the puma (aka panther, mountain lion and cougar) the area's largest predator. Discover how this elusive cat survives and follow the dramatic fate of a puma and her cubs.

6.61982MovieDocumentary

Inspired by a letter by Friedrich Engels and a 1974 account of two militant Marxist writers who had been imprisoned by the Nasser regime, Straub-Huillet filmed this film in France and Egypt during 1980. They reflect on Egypt’s history of peasant struggle and liberation from Western colonization, and link it to class tensions in France shortly before the Revolution of 1789, quoting texts by Engels as well as the pioneering nonfiction film Workers Leaving the Lumière Factory (1895).

7.61965MovieDocumentary · History

Romm pulls out all the stops in his selection of documentary material to draw the viewer not only into absolute horror about fascism and Nazism in 1920s–1940s Europe, but also to a firm conviction that nothing of the sort should be allowed to happen again anywhere in the world.

5.02004MovieDocumentary · History

Documentary that shows the events that culminated in the deposition of President João Goulart, on March 31, 1964, and the implementation of the military dictatorship in Brazil. Around 40 characters reveal behind the scenes and comment in detail on this important moment in Brazilian political history.

–2010MovieDocumentary · Music

A documentary about the life and career of the conductor Carlos Kleiber. Featuring interviews with Placido Domingo, Brigitte Fassbaender, Manfred Honeck, Michael Gielen, and others. On the 11th July 2004 Carlos Kleiber got into his car and drove from Munich, via the Alps, to his holiday home in the remote Slovenian village of Konjsica. There he wrote a final letter to a friend in which he bid farewell to the world. A short time later the conductor, increasingly plagued by illness and suffering, was found dead.

5.52018MovieDocumentary

An insightful look at the history of Hong Kong's exploitation cinema, from the early days of the Shaw Brothers and such shockers as "Killer Snakes" through to the advent of the Category III rating in 1988 and then the June 4th massacre in Beijing. The latter led to a panic in Hong Kong, before the Handover of the former UK colony to Mainland China, and a number of motion pictures proceeded to take freedom of speech (and sometimes political symbolism) to the extreme. This is the story of one of the most curious and invigorating periods in exploitation filmmaking.

7.02025MovieDocumentary

Tracing the careers of these two cinema enthusiasts, this documentary reveals the secrets behind the work of Ethan and Joel Coen, screenwriters and directors who are interchangeable within the same two-headed entity. It features fascinating, previously unseen interviews with some of the most iconic actors from their filmography.

8.22018MovieFamily · Music

A star-studded lineup of music, film and television stars will join the celebration of Mickey Mouse on Mickey's 90th Spectacular. The two-hour television event honoring 90 years of the internationally beloved character will feature appearances by actress, activist and mom Kristen Bell (Disney's Frozen), actress and Hollywood Records/Republic Records recording artist Sofia Carson (Disney's Descendants, Freeform's upcoming Pretty Little Liars: The Perfectionists), two-time Emmy® Award-winning actor Tony Hale (Veep, Arrested Development), and actress Sarah Hyland (ABC's Modern Family), as well as special musical performances by Josh Groban, NCT 127, Leslie Odom Jr., Meghan Trainor and Zac Brown Band. Mr. Iger will make a special appearance during the evening's festivities.

8.52026MovieDocumentary

Two brothers dive into competitive birdwatching, living in a van for a year while traveling across the country to participate in a Big Year contest.

7.22010MovieDocumentary

A thoughtful portrait of a renowned artist, this documentary shines the spotlight on New York City painter Jean-Michel Basquiat. Featuring extensive interviews conducted by Basquiat's friend, filmmaker Tamra Davis, the production reveals how he dealt with being a black artist in a predominantly white field. The film also explores Basquiat's rise in the art world, which led to a close relationship with Andy Warhol, and looks at how the young painter coped with acclaim, scrutiny and fame.

6.42016MovieDocumentary

Documentary chronicling the extraordinary life and tragic death of Mary Millington - Britain's most famous pornographic actress of the 1970s.

7.02012MovieDocumentary · Music

Documentary charting the life of blues guitarist B.B. King, with contributions from fellow musicians.

6.92026MovieDocumentary

Yiya Murano poisoned her friends to cover up scams in 1970s Argentina and became a dark figure in popular culture. Freed in the 1990s, she reappeared as a pop icon. Today, her son Martín seeks to reveal her true face.

6.02013MovieHistory · Documentary

Isaac Newton - brilliant rational mathematician or master of the occult? This innovative biography reveals Newton as both a hermit and a tyrant, a heretic and an alchemist. Magical images mix with actors and experts to bring alive Britain's greatest scientific genius in his own words.

6.22025MovieDocumentary

Two legends contested their identities as women in the court of public opinion: April Ashley, who was immortalized as a trailblazer by embracing her transgender history; and Amanda Lear, who has consciously denied and obfuscated her history for decades. Their divergent paths reveal disparate but intertwined legacies.