Documentary Movies 2010 List

Shoah

Twelve years in the making, Shoah is a nine hour epic on the Holocaust feauting interviews with survivors, bystanders and perpetrators in 14 countries.

Claude Lanzmann

And Everything Is Going Fine

A portrait of monologist Spalding Gray, as described by his most critical, irreverent and insightful biographer: Spalding Gray.

Steven Soderbergh, Joshua Blum, Amy Hobby

Client 9

The rise and fall of New York Attorney Governor Elliot Spitzer, who rose to power as NY Attorney General prosecuting Wall Street corruption. His political downfall came when the public discovered his involvement in prostitution.

Alex Gibney

Cool It

A documentary that takes an alternative approach to dealing with the global warming crisis.

Ondi Timoner

Tiny Furniture

A tragicomedy about what does and does not happen when you graduate from college with no skills, no love life, and a lot of free time.

Lena Dunham, Laurie Simmons, Grace Dunham

The Legend of Pale Male

A young man from Belgium looking to change his life has an unexpected encounter in Central Park when he meets a hawk. Compelled to follow this extraordinary creature, he buys a video camera and sets out to track the hawk.

Frederic Lilien

Freakonomics

Based on the bestseller Freakonomics, where economist Steven D. Levitt uses statistics and theory to analyze pop culture.

Alex Gibney, Morgan Spurlock, Jeremy Chilnick, Heidi Ewing, Chad Troutwine, Seth Gordon, Eugene Jarecki, Rachel Grady

Inside Job

The global financial meltdown, at a cost of over $20 trillion, resulted in millions of people losing their homes and jobs. Through extensive research and interviews with major financial insiders, politicians and journalists, "Inside Job" traces the rise of a rogue industry and unveils the corrosive relationships which have corrupted politics, regulation and academia.

Matt Damon, Audrey Marrs, Charles Ferguson, Jeffrey Lurie

I Want Your Money

A political documentary that examines two philosophies for the roles of the federal government as examplified by Ronald Reagan and Barack Obama.

Ray Griggs

Truth In Numbers

After viewing this film, you will never look at Wikipedia the same way. The filmmakers engagingly explore the history and cultural implications of one of the most referenced sites on the Web. A whole range of opinion is expressed about the impact of Wikipedia on the archiving of learning, from interviews with founder Jimmy Wales to commentators suspicious of the site's supposed neutrality. Evenhandedly weaving multiple perspectives about the impact of Wikipedia, the film provokes a deeper conversation on how knowledge is formed and what future generations will learn about history and the world.

Scott Glosserman, Nic Hill

The Last Play at Shea

Focused on Billy Joel's final concert at Shea Stadium before it was demolished, with the ballpark and the New York Mets' history intertwined into the storyline.

Mark Monroe, Alec Baldwin, Nigel Sinclair, Paul Crowder, Steve Cohen

Boxing Gym

A documentary about Lord's Gym, an Austin Texas gym founded by a former professional boxer, and the training discipline to reach one's personal best.

Frederick Wiseman

The Kids Grow Up

A look at father-daughter relationships, modern-day parenting, marriage and the looming empty nest.

Doug Block, Lori Cheatle

Waste Land

Follows artist Vik Muniz to his native Brazil and the world's largest garbage dump, Jardim Gramacho, located on the outskirts of Rio de Janeiro. There he photographs an eclectic band of "catadores" - or self-designated pickers of recyclable materials.

Lucy Walker, Angus Aynsley

Last Train Home

A family embarks on an annual journey, along with 200 other million peasant workers, to reunite with their distant family.

Lixin Fan

I'm Still Here

A year in Phoenix's life after he publicly gave up acting and tried to establish himself as a hip hop musician.

Joaquin Phoenix, Casey Affleck

Genius Within: The Inner Lif...

Documentary about the Canadian pianist Glenn Gould.

Michele Hozer, Peter Raymont

Kings of Pastry

Sixteen French pastry chefs gathered in Lyon for three intense days of mixing, piping and sculpting everything from delicate chocolates to six-foot sugar sculptures in hopes of being declared by President Nicolas Sarkozy one of the best.

I Am Comic

Through candid interviews and backstage access, this documentary on Stand-Up explores the world of the working comedian and reveals a funny psychological profile of its practitioners.

Jordan Brady

Picture Me

A personal video diary charting model Sara Ziff’s rise from fresh face to one that adorns billboards. The film considers the demand for adolescent models, the pressure to stay thin, the abuse of drugs and the persistence of sexual harassment.

Ole Schell, Sara Ziff

Cave of Forgotten Dreams

Documentary about the Chauvet caves in Southern France that contain the oldest known cave paintings.

Werner Herzog

Waiting for Superman

"Waiting for Superman" examines the crisis of public education in the United States through multiple interlocking stories—from a handful of students and their families whose futures hang in the balance, to the educators and reformers trying to find real and lasting solutions within a dysfunctional system.

Davis Guggenheim, Lesley Chilcott, Billy Kimball

Kings of Pastry

Sixteen French pastry chefs gathered in Lyon for three intense days of mixing, piping and sculpting everything from delicate chocolates to six-foot sugar sculptures in hopes of being declared by President Nicolas Sarkozy one of the best.

Tibet in Song

Director Ngawang Choephel, traveled to Tibet in 1995 to make a documentary about Tibetan folk music threatened by the Chinese occupation. While there, he was accused of being a spy by the Chinese and imprisoned for an 18-year sentence, of which he served seven years before he was released under international pressure.

Ngawang Choephel

The Wildest Dream

Directed by acclaimed documentary filmmaker Anthony Geffen and featuring the vocal talents of narrators Liam Neeson, Hugh Dancy, the late Natasha Richardson, Ralph Fiennes and Alan Rickman, "The Wildest Dream" is a breathtaking mountaineering adventure that seeks to provide answers to the enduring mystery of the death of George Mallory on Mount Everest. Foremost among them: Did Mallory succeed in reaching the summit before he and fellow climber Sandy Irvine died that fateful day in 1924?

In 1999, renowned American mountaineer Conrad Anker made a discovery that reverberated around the globe. High in Mount Everest's "death zone," he found the remarkably preserved body of George Mallory—75 years after the British explorer mysteriously vanished during his attempt to become the first man to summit the world's tallest peak.

In the quest for answers, Anker returns to Everest in 2007 with British climbing prodigy Leo Houlding, replicating as closely as possible Mallory's fateful expedition. The men retrace the North East Ridge Route, even removing the 90-foot ladder from the infamous Second Step to "free climb" this terrifying section of the mountain, just as Mallory and Irvine would have done 83 years earlier.

Far more than a documentary about mountain climbing, "The Wildest Dream" tells the passionate story of a man torn between two overwhelming and competing loves: his wife and the mountain that ultimately took his life. Told through revealing letters between Mallory and his beloved Ruth, the film combines previously unseen archival photos and film footage with the present-day story of Anker's expedition.

Liam Neeson, Ralph Fiennes, Hugh Dancy, Alan Rickman, Natasha Richardson, Anthony Geffen, Mark Halliley

Neshoba

A Mississippi town still divided about the meaning of justice, 40 years after the murders of civil rights workers James Chaney, Andrew Goodman and Michael Schwerner.

Micki Dickoff, Tony Pagano

A Film Unfinished

The documentary examines an unfinished Nazi-produced film about the Warsaw Ghetto.

Yael Hersonski

The Tillman Story

A documentary about the coverup of the friendly-fire death of Pat Tilman, the NFL player who joined the Army Ranger after the 9/11 attacks.

John Battsek, Amir Bar-Lev

Great Directors

Documentary with nine of the world's greatest living directors: Bernardo Bertolucci, David Lynch, Liliana Cavani, Stephen Frears, Agnes Varda, Ken Loach, Todd Haynes, Catherine Breillat, Richard Linklater and John Sayles.

Angela Ismailos

Winnebago Man

A documentary about Jack Rebney, who became infamous with his foul-mouthed outtakes from an RV sales video which was passed hand-to-hand on VHS tapes, years before YouTube turned it into a full-blown viral phenomenon.

Ben Steinbauer

Jean-Michel Basquiat: The Ra...

Documentary focused on the iconoclastic artist known for his dense, bebop-influenced neoexpressionist work.

Tamra Davis

Countdown to Zero

A documentary on the dangers of nuclear weapons with interviews from experts and world leaders.

Lucy Walker

Hugh Hefner: Playboy, Activi...

A documentary on the outspoken, flamboyant founder of the Playboy empire and Hefner's fierce battles with the government, the religious right and militant feminists.

Brigitte Berman

Enemies of the People

An attempt to discover the truth about the Killing Fields and the Khmer Rouge responsible for Cambodia’s genocide.

Rob Lemkin, Thet Sambath

Whiz Kids

A documentary that follows three high school seniors from diverse backgrounds as they prepare for the nation's most prestigious science competition.

Tom Shepard

Convention

A documentary chronicling the 2008 Democratic National Convention in which then Senator Obama accepted the Democratic presidential nomination.

AJ Schnack

The Lottery

Four children enter a high-stakes lottery. If they win, they can attend one of the best schools in New York.

Madeleine Sackler

Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work

Documentary about the life and career of comedian Joan Rivers as she turns 75-years-old.

Joan Rivers, Ricki Stern, Kathy Griffin, Anne Sundberg, Melissa Rivers

Convention

A documentary chronicling the 2008 Democratic National Convention in which then Senator Obama accepted the Democratic presidential nomination.

AJ Schnack

Stonewall Uprising

The documentary tells the story of the police raid of the Stonewall Inn in June 1969 that lead to riots.

David Heilbroner, Kate Davis

8: The Mormon Proposition

A documentary about California's Proposition 8, which restricted the definition of marriage to opposite-sex couples, and the influence of Mormon involvement.

Steven Greenstreet, Reed Cowan

The Nature of Existence

Filmmaker Roger Nygard wrote the toughest 85 questions he could think of -- about the purpose of life and the nature of existence -- then asked hundreds of people all over the globe.

Roger Nygard

Restrepo

Over the course of one year, the film follows the Second Platoon in Afghanistan's Korengal Valley, a stronghold of al Qaeda and the Taliban, and observe the soldiers' back breaking labor, deadly firefights, and camaraderie as they push back the Taliban.

John Battsek, Tim Hetherington, Sebastian Junger

South of the Border

Oliver Stone heads to the Southern Hemisphere for chats with seven regional leaders: Hugo Chávez (Venezuela), Evo Morales (Bolivia), Lula da Silva (Brazil), Cristina Kirchner (Argentina), Fernando Lugo (Paraguay), Rafael Correa (Ecuador) and Raúl Castro (Cuba).

Oliver Stone, Tariq Ali

Casino Jack and the United S...

A probing investigation into the lies, greed and corruption surrounding D.C. super-lobbyist Jack Abramoff and his cronies.

Alex Gibney

Babies

Everybody loves... "Babies." This visually stunning new movie simultaneously follows four babies around the world - from first breath to first steps. From Mongolia to Namibia to San Francisco to Tokyo, "Babies" joyfully captures on film the earliest stages of the journey of humanity that are at once unique and universal to us all.

Alain Chabat, Thomas Balmes

Climate of Change

Tilda Swinton narrates this documentary focusing on the efforts of everyday people all over the world who are making a difference in the fight against global warming.

Brian Hill, Tilda Swinton, Katie Bailiff, Simon Armitage

After the Cup: Sons of Sakhn...

In Israel, soccer is king, and Bnei Sakhnin has become the first team from an Arab town to win the prestigious Israeli Cup and represent Israel in European competition. Fielding Arab, Jewish and foreign-born players, owned by an Arab, and coached by a Jew, Bnei Sakhnins success has begun to represent a symbol of coexistence, a potential bridge between Arabs and Jews in Israel.

Christopher Browne, Alexander H. Browne

Racing Dreams

"Racing Dreams" is the award winning coming-of-age story about three kids who dream of one day racing in NASCAR. Academy Award nominated documentary filmmaker, Marshall Curry, takes us into the lives of Annabeth (11 years old), Josh (12), and Brandon (13) as they compete for the championship in the World Karting Association's National Series—widely considered the Little League for professional racing.

Clocking speeds of up to 70 mph, these young drivers race their way through the year-long National Series that spawned many of NASCAR's top drivers. And at the same time, they navigate the treacherous road between childhood and young adulthood.

Dwayne Johnson, Dany Garcia, Marshall Curry

180° South

Jeff Johnson recounts the journey of his heroes Yvon Chouinard and Doug Tompkins to Patagonia in 1968.

Chris Malloy

After the Cup: Sons of Sakhn...

In Israel, soccer is king, and Bnei Sakhnin has become the first team from an Arab town to win the prestigious Israeli Cup and represent Israel in European competition. Fielding Arab, Jewish and foreign-born players, owned by an Arab, and coached by a Jew, Bnei Sakhnins success has begun to represent a symbol of coexistence, a potential bridge between Arabs and Jews in Israel.

Christopher Browne, Alexander H. Browne

The Thorn in the Heart

Michel Gondry's documentary is a personal look at the life of Gondry family matriarch, his aunt Suzette Gondry, and her relationship with her son, Jean-Yves. Michel examines Suzette's years as a school teacher and her life in rural France. During the course of filming the documentary, Michel unearths new family stories and uses his camera to explore them in a subtle and sensitive way.

Michel Gondry, Suzette Gondry, Jean-Yves

It Came from Kuchar

A documentary about the zany, underground filmmaking twins, George and Mike Kuchar.

Jennifer M. Kroot

When You're Strange

A look at the late '60s and early '70s rock band The Doors, including rare exclusive footage. Narrated by Johnny Depp.

Johnny Depp, Tom DiCillo, John Densmore

Exit Through the Gift Shop

The story of an eccentric French shop keeper and amateur film maker attempt to locate and befriend Banksy, one of the most famous graffiti artists, only to have the artist turn the camera back on its owner with spectacular results.

Banksy

Cheech & Chong's Hey Watch T...

"Cheech and Chong’s Hey Watch This" is a feature film showcasing the duo’s reunion tour titled "Cheech & Chong: Light Up America", where they performed together for the first time in over 25 years. The duo performed for more than 100 audiences, grossing eight figures, making the act one of the highest grossing tours of 2008-2009.

Cheech Marin, Christian Charles, Tommy Chong, Shelby Chong

Kenny Chesney: Summer in 3D

Kenny Chesney, the biggest ticket-seller of this century in any musical genre, has wrapped his latest concert tour, the Sun City Carnival. This coming spring, Sony Pictures Releasing's special programming division, The Hot Ticket, will take audiences for another ride. For a limited engagement beginning in April 2010 in movie theatres nationwide, "Kenny Chesney: Summer in 3D", will give fans the chance to live the fun, the friends, the songs and the moments that make Kenny Chesney the must-see concert experience to kickoff the summer season.

Kenny Chesney, Joe Thomas, Ted Kenney

Oceans

Beneath the surface of the sea, on the other side of the mirror, life's primitive harmony reaches down to unsullied depths. The film sets out to meet the creatures of the sea: those that are known and the many that still have to be discovered. It is a venture into the fullness of the sea to show how prodigiously it teems with life, and into the deepest ocean beds to meet living fossils that belong to world prehistory. Follows the whiplash turns of a shark, the speedy swimming of a swordfish and the gliding manta ray. Explores the dens of giant cod, spiny monkfish, orange roughy and the giant squid in their natural habitats.

Pierce Brosnan, John Collee, Jacques Perrin, Jacques Cluzaud

Behind the Burly Q

The documentary explores the history of burlesque in the United States through interviews with the performers.

Leslie Zemeckis

Best Worst Movie

A documentary about the making of the Troll 2 and the movie's journey from being crowned the worst film of all time to a cherished cult classic.

Michael Stephenson

Tales from the Script

A documentary covering the stories and life lessons from the movie industry's top writers.

Peter Hanson, Paul Robert Herman

Severe Clear

Based on the memoir of First Lieutenant Mike Scotti as well as video footage shot by him and other members of 1st Battalion, 4th Marines on the outset of the 2003 invasion of Iraq.

Kristian Fraga

Hubble 3D

Through the power of IMAX® 3D, Hubble 3D will enable moviegoers to journey through distant galaxies to explore the grandeur and mysteries of our celestial surroundings, and accompany space-walking astronauts as they attempt the most difficult and important tasks in NASA's history. The seventh film from the award-winning IMAX® Space Team, Hubble 3D will offer an inspiring and unique look into the Hubble Space Telescope's legacy and highlight its profound impact on the way we view the universe and ourselves.

Leonardo DiCaprio, Toni Myers, Graeme Ferguson

Neil Young Trunk Show

A documentary covering the musician Neil Young through two concerts in 2007.

Jonathan Demme, Neil Young

Dancing Across Borders

On a trip to Angkor Wat in Siem Reap, Cambodia in January 2000, filmmaker Anne Bass came across a sixteen year old boy who moved her immensely with his amazing and seemingly natural charms and grace as a dancer. Having been a longtime devotee to the world of dance herself back in the United States, Anne felt compelled to give this young boy the opportunity to leave his home and follow a dream that she felt he hadn’t even yet seen for himself. From the serene countryside of Southeast Asia to the halls of the New York’s School of American Ballet to the stage of the Pacific Northwest Ballet in Seattle, "Dancing Across Borders" peeks behind the scenes into the world of dance and chronicles the intimate and triumphant story of a boy who was discovered, and who only much later discovered all that he had in himself.

Anne Bass, Catherine Tatge

Waking Sleeping Beauty

Directed by legendary producer Don Hahn ("Beauty and the Beast"), this documentary looks at an era of Disney animation celebrated by fans but not yet immortalized by historians. The film will cover the talent behind the movies of the 1980s and '90s, charting the success of such filmmakers as John Lasseter, Brad Bird, John Musker, Ron Clements, Glen Keane, Henry Selick, Tim Burton, and Don Bluth from their time at CalArts in the '70s through the early '90s boom that culminated with Hahn's record-setting hit, "The Lion King".

Don Hahn, Peter Schneider, Connie Nartonis Thompson

The Most Dangerous Man in Am...

A documentary on Daniel Ellsberg, a high-level Pentagon official and Vietnam War strategist, who concluded that the war was based on lies and leaked 7,000 pages of top secret documents to The New York Times.

Rick Goldsmith, Judith Ehrlich

House of Numbers

What is HIV? What is AIDS? What is being done to cure it? These questions sent Canadian filmmaker Brent Leung on a worldwide journey, from the highest echelons of the medical research establishment to the slums of South Africa, where death and disease are the order of the day. In this up-to-the-minute documentary, he observes that although AIDS has been front-page news for over 28 years, it is barely understood. Despite the great effort, time, and money spent, no cure is in sight. Born in 1980 (on the cusp of the epidemic), Leung reveals a research establishment in disarray, and health policy gone tragically off course. Gaining access to a remarkable array of the most prominent and influential figures in the field — among them the co-discoverers of HIV, presidential advisors, Nobel laureates, and the Executive Director of "UNAids," as well as survivors and activists — his restrained approach yields surprising revelations and stunning contradictions. The HIV/AIDS story is being rewritten, and this is the first film to present the uncensored POVs of virtually all the major players — in their own settings, in their own words. It rocks the foundation upon which all conventional wisdom regarding HIV/AIDS is based. If, as South African health advocate Pephsile Maseko remarks, "this is the beginning of a war...a war to reclaim our health," then House of Numbers could well be the opening salvo in the battle to bring sanity and clarity to an epidemic clearly gone awry.

Brent Leung

Off and Running

With white Jewish lesbians for parents and two adopted brothers - one mixed-race and one Korean-Brooklyn teen Avery grew up in a unique and loving household. But when her curiosity about her African-American roots grows, she decides to contact her birth mother.