Become a documentary boss! Watch all 100 of these classic documentaries, and you can have your name immortalized at Media Services. Bring a signed streaming documentary log to the Makerspace to get added to the winner’s list and collect a prize. All these titles are available to current AU students, faculty and staff.
3 Rooms of Melancholia
Chronicles the impact the Second Chechan War had upon young children through a series of events taking place at a military academy, the city of Grozny, and an orphanage located in an autonomous region.
The Act of Killing
Director Joshua Oppenheimer invites former Indonesian gangsters to re-enact mass killings they comitted during the era of the New Order regime.
Affluenza
Examines the culture of materialism and overconsumption rampant in the US, as well as the social and environment costs of it.
Afrique, Je Te Plumerai
Connects current African countries’ struggles of violence and corruption to the history of colonialism that has worn the continent, and reflecting on African independence movements of the 1960s.
Anthropocene
Explores the concept of the Anthropocene, a theorized geological epoch defined by the impact of humans on our planet, as part of a larger project spanning several mediums.
Baboon Tales
Focuses on a troop of Olive Baboons in Kenya and their relationships with each other, informed by the extensive fieldwork by anthropologist Dr. Shirley Strum.
Battle of Chile, Part 1
The violent overthrowing of Salvador Allende’s democratically-elected Chilean government and the political tension that led up to the counter-revolution.
Battle of Chile, Part 2
Director Patricio Guzmán analyzes the aftermath of the coup and the lead up to Augusto Pinochet’s seizure of power in the country.
Berlin 1885
Combines reenactments and archival material of the Berlin Conference – the conference in which several Western countries established rules regarding the colonization and exploitation of Africa.
Better This World
Follows the childhood and months leading up to the protest of the 2008 Republican Convention by activists Bradley Crowder and David McKay.
Paris is Burning
Documents the “Golden Age” of the New York City Ballroom Scene, with a focus on the struggles many of its members endured and the complexities and performance of race, gender, and social class.
Blood in the Mobile
Exposes the illegal mining of cassiterite in the Democratic Republic of Congo that fuels the phone industry.
Blue Vinyl
Filmmaker Judith Helfand investigates the harmful effects of the production and use of PVC while attempting to find environmentally-friendly siding for her parents’ home.
Body Beautiful
Explores themes of identity, race, and sexuality through the relationship between a white mother and her black daughter, an autobiographical story based on director Ngozi Onwurah’s own life.
The Central Park Five
The story of the wrongful arrest and conviction of five Black and Latino teenagers from Harlem in the 1989 Central Park Jogger case.
Chain of Love
Sheds light on the overlooked Philippian women who work abroad as caregivers, and the effects on their families at home and the ones the work for.
Chasing Ice
Photograph James Balog deploys time-lapse cameras around the Arctic in order to capture record of the melting glaciers to prove evidence of climate change.
China Blue
Reveals the harsh labor conditions of a southern Chinese jean sweatshop and how consumerism affects their lives.
The Civil War
A nine-part documentary series offering a historical account of the US Civil War and its impact on the nation.
Class Dismissed
A critique of the stereotypes of the working class that have been created through portrayals in US television, and how they affect cultural attitudes and public policies.
Classic Studies in Psychology
Covers five of the most important research studies in the history of psychology, along with commentary from researchers who worked on those studies, such as Philip Zimbardo of the Stanford Prison Experiment.
Complaints of a Dutiful Daughter
Director Deborah Hoffmann records the stages of her mother’s Alzheimer’s disease and the toll it takes on their relationship.
Detropia
The effects that the decline of the auto industry has had on the economy and infrastructure of Detroit.
Ethnic Notions
Examines the dehumanizing caricatures fueled by anti-black prejudice that were prevalent in American pop culture through the 1960s.
I Am Not Your Negro
An exploration of what would have been James Baldwin’s final book – his personal observations of the struggle for racial justice and various civil rights leaders of the time.
Faces of the Enemy
Social psychologist Sam Keen uses archival news footage, PSAs, and cartoons to uncover the ways society dehumanizes its enemies to justify war.
The Family Album
An experimental documentary passing through the stages of life from childhood to adulthood, using real families home movie from the 1920s through the 1950s.
Family Business
A man attempts to gain additional financing for his struggling pizza restaurant, which employs his whole family.
Frank Lloyd Wright
Tells the story of one of America’s greatest architects, and the philosophy of organic architecture that made his style so special.
Frantz Fanon: Black Skin, White Mask
Examines the theories of identity and race authored by philosopher Frantz Fanon, and his impact on global decolonialization.
Summer of Soul
An account of the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival, which celebrated Black history and culture.
Goin’ to Chicago
Tells the personal stories of Chicagoans who took part in the Great Migration of African-Americans from the rural South to cities in the North and West after WWII.
Gringo Trails
Documents the positive and negative impacts that mass tourism has on communities around the world, and how they adapt to it.
Hip Hop: Beyond Beats And Rhymes
Critiques hip-hop culture’s issues with homophobia, violence, masculinity, and sexism.
Huey Long
The life and career of the complex politician Huey P. Long, featuring interviews with his political contemporaries.
If a Tree Falls
Follows environmental activist Daniel McGowan and the Earth Liberation Front, raising questions about eco-activism.
In Search of the Edge
A mockumentary presenting the flat earth theory as if it were true, revealing the flawed logic of individuals who believe in this theory.
The Intolerable Burden
Documents how one African-American family endured intimidation and isolation after enrolling their children in recently desegregated schools in 1965.
Jaguar
Three Nigerien men embark on a journey to seek their fortunes on the Gold Coast of Ghana.
Jazz: A film
A documentary series telling the story of jazz, with over 75 interviews and 500 pieces of jazz music across all episodes.
Jimi Plays Monterey
Documents Jimi Hendrix’s monumental performance at the Monterey Pop Festival on June 18, 1967, additionally having several interviews with rock stars at the time.
Killing Us Softly 4
Discusses advertising’s objective, sexualized portrayal of women.
King Corn
Two friends investigate the role that corn plays in the American food industry.
Jane
Tells the story of Jane Goodall’s research on chimpanzees in Tanzania, using previously unseen footage.
Life and Debt
Explores how Jamaica’s people have been undermined by global trade pressures and policies from the International Monetary Fund.
Life and Times of Sara Baartman
The tragic story of the South African woman Sara Baartman, who was taken from her home and exhibited as a freak show attraction in Britain.
The Loving Story
Richard and Mildred Loving, an interracial couple who married despite their state’s anti-miscegenation laws, take their case to the U.S. Supreme Court, leading to a landmark ruling.
Lumumba: La Mort Du Prophete
The political life of Patrice Lumumba, a previous Prime Minister of Zaire, who was eventually assassinated in 1961 at the age of just 35 years old.
Maitres Fous
A short film that is widely believed to have been the first in the subgenre ethnofiction, documenting the Hauka movement in French colonial Africa.
Malls R Us
An investigation, blending archival footage and contemporary interviews with social critics, into a centerpiece of American culture: The mall.
Man With the Movie Camera
Depicts scenes of ordinary daily life in the 1920s Soviet Union, conveying city life without titles or narration.
Eyes of Gaza
Follows three Palestinian journalists in Gaza who feel they have to continue to put their lives at risk in order to report the atrocities they witness.
Maquilapolis
Focuses on the stories of two women who live in Tijuana and work in the factories on the U.S.-Mexican border, highlighting the poor working conditions they’ve endured and the environmental impact of their work.
Mobutu, King of Zaire
The rise and fall of Joseph Désiré Mobutu, president of Zaire for over 30 years, and key figure in Africa’s post-colonial history.
Monterey Pop
Features performances from legendary artists who performed at the 1967 Monterey Pop Festival, including the Mamas and the Papas, Simon & Garfunkel, the Who, and more.
Mr. Civil Rights: Thurgood Marshall at the Supreme Court
Civil rights attorney Thurgood Marshall’s role in the 1954 Brown v. Board of Education Supreme Court decision resulting in the desegregation of America’s public schools.
The Mythology of Star Wars
Star Wars creator George Lucas discusses how concepts from mythology shaped the Star Wars saga.
Nanook of the North
A silent film, taking place in the Canadian Arctic, that follows the struggles of a 1920s Inuk family.
The National Parks: America’s Best Idea
A miniseries tracing the history of the United States’ National Park system, narrated by Peter Coyote.
The Night Watchman
Martin is a guard who watches over a cemetery used by some of Mexico’s most notorious drug lords.
No Logo
Based on the book by Naomi Klein, No Logo critiques the practice of corporations advertising products as lifestyle symbols while using unfair labor practices to create said products.
Not for Ourselves Alone
Focuses on the right for women’s suffrage, led by activists Elizabeth Cady Stanton & Susan B. Anthony.
Harlan County, USA
A group of coal miners in rural Kentucky strike after the owners of their mine refuse their labor contract.
Our Daily Bread
Provides a realistic view of the inner workings of modern food production companies, showing the actual working conditions and the harsh processes required to feed the world.
Union
A group of Amazon workers unionize their warehouse in Staten Island, New York.
Rebel Dykes
The story of a gang of London Lesbians during the 1980s, and how those women later went on to become artists, performers, and activists.
Plastic Paradise
Midway Atoll is at the center of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, a mystery that journalist Angela Sun seeks to uncover.
The Price of Aid
A case study of famine relief in Zambia, examining the consequences of international food aid.
Prohibition
A miniseries describing the effects of alcohol consumption in the US, and its connection to different cultural and social issues.
Rachel Carson
Illuminates the life of Rachel Carson, a woman who warned the world about the dangers of pesticides, through her own writings and letters.
Reel Bad Arabs
Analyzes how the American film industry portrays and manipulates the image of Arabs.
A Road to Mecca
Traces the spiritual journey of Muhammad Asad, one of the most important Muslims of the 20th century, blending archival footage and contemporary interviews.
Selling Sickness
Explores the deadly consequences behind aggressive drug marketing, through the stories of British psychiatrist, Dr David Healy’s patients and their families.
Semper Fi
Follows the story of Sgt. Jerry Ensminger, a once devoted Marine, and his mission to expose the US army for one of the largest water contamination incidents in US history.
Seventeen
Covers the lives of a group of high school seniors in Indiana, and their coming of age in working class America.
Sociology is a Martial Art
A French documentary showing the day in the life of sociologist Pierre Bourdieu, created to familiarize audiences with sociology.
Street Fight
Documents the 2002 mayoral race in Newark, New Jersey, between longtime mayor Sharpe James and newcomer attorney Cory Booker, in which Booker discovers shady practices by James’ campaign and staff.
Style Wars
Captures hip-hop culture’s early history in 1970s and 1980s New York City, with an emphasis on graffiti art, breakdancing, and rapping.
Tapped
An evaluation of the bottled water industry, especially focusing on the ecological effects caused by toxic byproducts released during the manufacturing process.
Miss Representation
Stories from everyday women and girls and interviews with prominent women in US history discuss sexism in American society and media.
This Is Nollywood
Details the flourishing Nigerian film industry, following Nigerian director Bond Emeruwa and his process of making a feature-length action movie.
To Tell the Truth, A History of Documentary Film
The evolution of the documentary genre between 1929 and 1945, with the first part focusing on social movements in the US and UK, and the second on propaganda films during WWII.
All About My Sisters
Director Qiong Wang investigates her family’s history, and the trauma they endured during China’s one-child policy.
Tough Guise
Looks at the relationship between pop culture and the construction of masculine identities in the 20th and 21st centuries.
Town Bloody Hall
A debate between four feminist activists for the women’s liberation movement and Norman Mailer, a critic of the feminist movement.
Trinkets and Beads
The story of how a Texas oil company sought to manipulate the native Huaorani in the amazon to allow drilling on their land.
Unfinished Spaces
Three architects return to Cuba to finish the construction of the National Art Schools, which was abandoned after its revolutionary design fell into disfavor.
Unforgivable Blackness
The story of how Jack Johnson became the boxing heavyweight champion in 1908, the first African American to achieve this title.
He Named Me Malala
The events leading up to and aftermath of the Taliban’s attack on Malala Yousafzai, an advocate for women’s education and children’s rights.
The Vietnam War
The history of the Vietnam War told through a ten-part television documentary.
The Waiting Room
The emotional events and stories that take place in a busy emergency waiting room at Highland Hospital in Oakland, California.
Free Solo
Professional rock climber Alex Honnold’s attempt of the first free solo climb of the El Capitan formation at Yosemite National Park, a landmark destination for rock climbers.
Gimme Shelter
The disastrous last weeks of the Rolling Stones’ 1969 US tour, in which a fan was tragically killed at the Altamont Free Concert.
The West
A miniseries covering the turbulent history of the Wild West, from European explorers’ conquering of Native American land to mining towns’ transformation into industrial cities in the late 19th century.
Which Way Home
A group of young children from Central America struggle to make their way through Mexico in order to start a new life in the US.
Who Killed Vincent Chin?
The outrage by civil rights advocates following the violent assault of Vincent Chin, a successful Detroit engineer, in 1982.
Winter Soldier
A 1971 meeting where over 100 Vietnam veterans testified about inhumanity and atrocities they committed or saw during the war.
Worlds Apart
Follows the stories of patients and families, faced with critical medical decisions, and their navigation of the healthcare system.
The Yes Men Fix The World
Artist-activists the Yes Men expose corporate greed, including during Hurricane Katrina and the Bhopal disaster in this documentary that was sued by sued by the United States Chamber of Commerce.