Recommendations for Social & Cultural Documentaries, please.

[demmiblue]

I love quirky and interesting documentaries in this genre.

Some of the movies I have liked include:
-The Kong of Kong
-A Man Named Pearl
-No Impact Man: The Documentary
-Confessions of a Superhero
-Who the #$&% Is Jackson Pollock?
-I Like Killing Flies
-Word Wars (no longer on instant)

Soooo, any recommendations? TIA

:hi:

[xultar]

1. I don't know if this is what you are talking about but...Modification...the body

Modification doc was pretty good. I just watched it. I'm gonna watch it again.

[Inchworm]

2. King Corn and The Future of Food blew my mind

Food Matters as well.

Hehe, I was on a food kick :)

Babies was kinda neat.

:hi:

[cbayer]

3. Sweetgrass - absolutely loved it

Sweetgrass
2009NR 104 minutes
As much a work of cultural anthropology as it is a documentary, this unique film traces the path of a family of Montana sheepherders as they drive their flock down from the treacherous and beautiful Absaroka Beartooth mountain range. With no guiding narration, filmmakers Ilisa Barbash and Lucien Castaing-Taylor let the natural images speak for themselves, capturing the danger, pathos and humor in this haunting elegy to a bygone way of life.

Director:Ilisa Barbash, Lucien Castaing-Taylor Genres:Documentary, Social & Cultural Documentaries, Science and Nature Documentaries This movie is:Raunchy, Understated Format:DVD and streaming

[Inchworm]

8. Just watched it- thanks for the heads up!

I loved it.

When the younger one went on that rant I busted out laughing! I'm more like the old man.. constantly talking to the dogs, horse, a tree... myself :rofl:

:thumbsup:

[cbayer]

10. So glad you enjoyed it. I thought it was brilliantly filmed. The lack of narration and the

sparse dialogues/monologues were great.

I am like the older man, too. My husband is always saying, "Who in the world are you talking to!?!?"

:rofl:

:hi:

[Graybeard]

4. Helvetica.

Helvetica is a documentary about a font, a type-face, a style of print used in advertising and logos. We see it every day, all around us. Doesn't sound compelling? Give it a try. I found it fascinating.

[amyrose2712]

5. Actually sounds neat...Thx. nt

[Codeine]

7. Seconded.

Fabulous stuff. :thumbsup: :thumbsup:

[blogslut]

19. Love that doc!

Another one made by the same people - Objectified:

http://www.netflix.com/Movie/Objectified/70114976

[dixiegrrrrl]

6. A couple of recent ones that stayed in my mind:

Up the Yangtze

When the Three Gorges Dam makes life hard for the Yu family, daughter Yu Shui must take a job aboard a cruise ship, where she enters into a dizzying microcosm of modern China. Meanwhile, her parents face the rising waters of the Yangtze. Chinese Canadian filmmaker Yung Chang's beautifully photographed film of China's peasant life and cultural upheaval was nominated for Best Documentary for the Independent Spirit Awards.

I felt very humbled after watching what some of the people in this doc go thru,
and seeing their attitudes towards that which cannot be changed.


Frontline: The Dancing Boys of Afghanistan
Follow Afghan journalist Najibullah Quraishi as he profiles the reemergence of his country's tradition of bacha bereesh, in which wealthy and powerful men lure impoverished young boys off the streets to sing, dance and be used as sexual objects. Granted unbelievable access to an actual sexual exploitation ring in Afghanistan, Quraishi presents powerful interviews with youthful victims as well as their masters.

This one was filled with "wow..I did not know that!"........
Doomsday Gun
This docudrama tells the story of Dr. Gerald Bull (Frank Langella), a brilliant weapons manufacturer who was assassinated before he could deliver the ultimate missile -- a "Doomsday Gun" -- to Saddam Hussein. The Iraqi dictator wanted the missile for use in his war with Iran, but both the American and Israeli Secret Service saw to eliminate the potential threat posed by Saddam acquiring such a weapon. Alan Arkin and Kevin Spacey co-star.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

9. I second the recommendation for "Up the Yangtze"

It shows the upside and downside of China's rapid modernization through the story of one family.

If you haven't seen The Atomic Cafe, you should. It's about 30 years old now, but it documents the propaganda attempts made to get Americans to "stop worrying and love the bomb."

[NatBurner]

11. exit through the gift shop

omar and pete
restrepo
jesus camp
a very british gangster
crips and bloods:made in america
jean michel basquiat: the radiant child

that's all i can think of

[cbayer]

12. Restrepo is extremely powerful and very hard to watch, but should be seen by everyone

:hi:

[CrownPrinceBandar]

21. +100000

[jannyk]

13. 'Born Into Brothels' will make you laugh and make you cry...

sometimes simultaneously.

And another vote here for 'Up the Yangze'

[Jmaxfie1]

14. Darkon

Darkon was really good. Its about people who dress up as medieval characters and have mock battles. Like in Role Models if you've seen that movie.

[piratefish08]

20. awesome movie!

[JDPriestly]

15. I recommend Casino Jack. It is political but also cultural.

Jack Abramoff and his buddies are the subject.

[Graybeard]

18. +1. And creepy.

Seeing all of the RW thugs who still haunt our political process as young college hot-shots freaked me out but I recommend it too.

On edit: The full title of the doc is "Casino Jack and the United States of Money" (not to be confused with the Kevin Spacey movie.)

[bif]

16. The Saint of 9/11

Wonderful movie about an incredible human being.

[travelingtypist]

17. Not streaming, but Client 9 was pretty good.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1638362/

http://ia.media-imdb.com/images/M/MV5BMzY2MzY0NDg1OF5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwMjkzNjg4Mw@@._V1._SY317_.jpg

Client 9: The Rise and Fall of Eliot Spitzer (2010)
117 min - Documentary - 4 March 2011 (UK)

An in-depth look at the rise and fall of New York Governor Eliot Spitzer, including interviews with the scandalized, former politician.

Director: Alex Gibney
Writer: Alex Gibney
Stars: Eliot Spitzer, Kim Allen and Wrenn Schmidt

[cbayer]

22. It in streaming on Netflix right now.

I have it in my queue and will probably watch this week.

:hi:

[travelingtypist]

26. And, of course, I wasted my one-DVD-at-a-time-at-home on it.

:grr:

Still, it's a fascinating case study.

[cbayer]

23. Pressure Cooker - watch this when you need something to really give you hope!

What a great feel good documentary.



Pressure Cooker
2008NR 99 minutes
Three Philadelphia high school students negotiate the challenges of the inner city and the demands of their tough-minded culinary arts teacher, Wilma Stephenson, to become contenders in a citywide cooking competition. Charming and surprisingly hilarious, Jennifer Grausman and Mark Becker's inspiring, Emmy-nominated documentary showcases the heights young minds can reach, regardless of their environment, when they're expected to succeed.

Cast:Wilma Stephenson Director:Mark Becker, Jennifer Grausman Genres:Documentary, Social & Cultural Documentaries, Food Stories, Food & Wine This movie is:Emotional, Inspiring Format:DVD and streaming (HD available)

[jannyk]

24. Agreed! A fabulous movie! nt

[Suich]

25. Excellent choice! n/t

[Tikki]

27. The Great Happiness Space....(I)...Japanese (subtitles)..

Interesting to almost a fault...and sad.
Expo on the Japanese 'rent boys' and how this
capitalistic/social institution works.

Tikki

[Kerrytravelers]

28. I recently watched Cropsy, then followed it with Unforgotten.

Cropsy:

Directors Joshua Zeman and Barbara Brancaccio explore an urban legend that always disturbed them while growing up in Staten Island, N.Y. -- a rash of child abductions that struck the area in the 1970s and 80s -- in their gripping documentary. The legend became real when a handyman and drifter named Andre Rand abducted numerous young kids, setting off myriad motive theories, frightening residents in the community and tripping up the legal system.


Unforgotten:

Narrated by Danny Aiello, this riveting documentary explores the continuing consequences experienced by former students (and their families) of the Willowbrook State School for the developmentally disabled after surviving horrific treatment there. Geraldo Rivera first exposed the situation in 1972 when he entered the facility with a stolen key, revealing shocking conditions that led to improvements in treatment of the developmentally disabled.

[Stevenmarc]

29. On Hulu... Fagbug

Turning a slur sprayed on her VW Beetle from scarlet letters into a badge of honor, Sage College grad student Erin Davies hit the road in her rechristened "fagbug" to raise awareness of gay rights and to speak where others had been silenced. The resulting documentary captures a 58-day cross-continental trip in which Davies interviews 400 people, discovers the virulence of hate crimes and records reactions to her queerly customized ride.

[cbayer]

30. Last Train Home - remarkable piece of film making and highly recommended

Last Train Home(Gui Tu Jie Che)
2009 NR 90 minutes
Documentarian Lixin Fan follows a couple who, like 130 million other Chinese peasants, left their rural village for work in the city, leaving their children to be raised by grandparents. The husband and wife return only once each year, on an arduous 1,000-mile journey. But their homecoming is not a warm one, as their now teenage daughter, Qin, makes her bitter resentment known and debates pursuing a factory job herself.

Cast:Suqin Chen, Changhua Zhan, Qin Zhang, Yang Zhang Director:Lixin Fan Genres:Foreign, Foreign Documentaries, China, Mandarin Language Language:MandarinFormat:DVD and streaming (HD available)

[NatBurner]

31. Still Bill

very good documentary about bill withers

it's streaming too

[NV Whino]

32. Someone posted a trailer for this in the political videos

It looks really interesting. I added it to my queue.


Waste Land
2010 NR 93 minutes
Renowned artist Vik Muniz embarks on one of the most inspired collaborations of his career, joining creative forces with Brazilian catadores -- garbage pickers who mine treasure from the trash heaps of Rio de Janeiro's Jardim Gramacho landfill. In this Oscar-nominated documentary, the catadores prove to be unique and surprising individuals in their own right, waxing philosophic as they impart a valuable lesson about what society discards.

Cast:Karen Harley, Vik Muniz Director:Lucy Walker, João Jardim Genres:Documentary, Biographical Documentaries, Social & Cultural Documentaries, Art & Design, Painting, Photography This movie is:Dark Format: DVD and streaming available 3/15/2011

[cbayer]

33. I just got it and plan to watch it this evening. It has gotten great reviews.

:hi:

[Stevenmarc]

34. I've been a big fan of Vik Muniz's work

[blogslut]

35. Herb & Dorothy

This delightful documentary examines an unassuming yet extraordinary couple. Herb Vogel, a retired postal worker and his wife, retired librarian Dorothy, began collecting art in the 1950s. As the years went by and in spite of their meager finances, they managed to build a collection containing thousands of works so valuable experts interviewed in the film refuse to attribute a price.

I loved this film. Some of the art pissed me off (I'm looking at you, Richard Tuttle) but Herb and Dorothy's passion for it is so obsessive it almost borders on compulsion. Imagine this sweet couple living in a tiny apartment stuffed to the ceiling with millions of dollars of art and not wanting sell any of it.

[NV Whino]

38. This is a wonderful film

Their story is truly amazing and the apartment even more so.

[cbayer]

36. I Like Killing Flies - loved it

Very quirky and interesting. I had never heard of it, but thoroughly enjoyed it.



I Like Killing Flies
2004 R 78 minutes
In this quirky documentary, filmmaker Matt Mahurin peers into Shopsin's, a hole-in-the-wall Greenwich Village restaurant that's been dutifully serving comfort food to satisfied customers for more than 30 years. Lording over the eatery is hilarious, ersatz philosopher/owner Kenny Shopsin, who caters to his regulars while dispensing tough love with his okra chowder. And he's just as likely to throw his customers out as he is to take their orders.

Cast:Eve Shopsin, Kenny Shopsin, Calvin Trillin Director:Matt Mahurin Genres:Documentary, Social & Cultural Documentaries, Food Stories This movie is:Quirky Format:DVD and streaming

[travelingtypist]

37. Plunder -- the Crime of our Time

The ABCs of the mortgage meltdown, must-watch.

This movie is not on IMDb. Hm.

[travelingtypist]

39. Restrepo -- streaming

In honor of Tim Hetherington. RIP.