Documentary Movies 2022 List

With Dan Chen

T.M. Landry, an unconventional prep school in Louisiana, receives national attention for sending its graduates to elite universities. When an explosive New York Times exposé rocks the school, students face uncertain futures and must decide for themselves what they are willing to do to be accepted.

With Dan Geller • Dayna Goldfine

HALLELUJAH: Leonard Cohen, A Journey, A Song is a definitive exploration of singersongwriter Leonard Cohen as seen through the prism of his internationally renowned hymn, “Hallelujah.” This feature-length documentary weaves together three creative strands: The songwriter and his times; the song’s dramatic journey from record label reject to chart-topping hit; and moving testimonies from major recording artists for whom “Hallelujah” has become a personal touchstone. Approved for production by Leonard Cohen just before his 80th birthday in 2014, the film accesses a wealth of never-before-seen archival materials from the Cohen Trust including Cohen’s personal notebooks, journals and photographs, performance footage, and extremely rare audio recordings and interviews.

With Skye Borgman • Jimmy Fox

A young mother’s mysterious death and her son’s subsequent kidnapping blow open a decades-long mystery about the woman’s true identity, and the murderous federal fugitive at the center of it all.

With Jennifer Siebel Newsom

Inspired by Eve Rodsky's NYT bestselling book, the documentary FAIR PLAY takes a deep look at domestic inequity. By making the invisible care work historically held by women visible, Fair Play inspires a more equitable future for all.

With Martin Scorsese • Amélie van Elmbt • Maya Duverdier

The legendary Chelsea Hotel, an icon of 1960s counterculture and a haven for famous artists and intellectuals including Patti Smith, Janis Joplin and the superstars of Warhol's Factory, is under renovation. Soon it will reopen to the public as one of New York's most fashionable luxury hotels. Dozens of long-term residents, most in their later years, have lived amidst the scaffolding and constant construction for close to a decade. Against this chaotic backdrop, Dreaming Walls takes us through the hotel’s storied halls, exploring its living body and the bohemian origins that contributed to its mythical stature. Its residents and the walls themselves now face a turning point in their common history.

With Betsy West • Lisa Erspamer • Julie Cohen

In 2011, former Arizona Congresswoman Gabby Giffords survived an assassination attempt that left her partially paralyzed and unable to walk. This is her story.

With Tas Brooker

"A trio of whistleblowers share their motivations, experiences, and fallout of their own cases. British intelligence employee Katharine Gun, Oxfam aid worker Helen Evans and Hollywood actress Rose McGowen open the lid on what happens to women when speaking out against wrongdoing in When We Speak. When We Speak was filmed over two years, following three incredible stories of women who risked everything, to tell the truth. Whistleblowers rarely understand the impact that telling the truth will have on their own lives. This documentary tells the story of women at the center of high-profile exposés, revealing what drove them to speak. Their stories became worldwide scandals that took a personal toll on each of them."

With Christophe Cognet

A handful of prisoners in WWII camps risked their lives to take clandestine photographs of the hell the Nazis were hiding from the world. Director Christophe Cognet retraces the footsteps of these courageous men and women in a quest to unearth the circumstances and the stories behind their photographs, composing as such an archeology of images as acts of defiance.

With Bradley Jackson

Nolan Ryan’s numbers tell a story, but numbers alone do not capture his essence. Flashpoints have emblazoned him onto our subconscious: like pitching with his jersey covered in blood. Running a cattle ranch during the off-season. The iconic brawl where Ryan walloped the 20 years younger Robin Ventura. Despite mythical moments and statistical brilliance, Ryan’s career is a study in extremes. Not only does he hold the record for most walks and most wild pitches, but he has also given up the most grand-slams and the most stolen bases. Many of today's baseball analysts do not consider him to be among the greats, but with all this in mind, where does Ryan fit in the ever-evolving game of baseball?

With George Clooney • Mark Ruffalo • Martin Scorsese • Ethan Hawke • Sam Rockwell • Oscar Isaac • Laura Linney • Steve Zahn • Sally Field • Karen Allen • LaTanya Richardson Jackson • Lisa Long Adler • Zoe Kazan • Billy Crudup • Ryan Hawke • Emily Wachtel • Amy Entelis • Adam Gibbs • Courtney Sexton

The documentary chronicles Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward’s iconic careers and decades-long partnership. Director Ethan Hawke brings life and color to this definitive history of their dedication to their art, philanthropy and each other. Through long lost transcriptions of interviews with Paul, Joanne and those close to them, brought to life by the voices of contemporary actors, we’re given an intimate front row seat to the lives and careers of the couple that would go on to forge an unmatched cultural legacy.

With Alan Cumming • Jono McLeod

In 1993, a 16-year-old student enrolls at a high school in a well-to-do suburb. To the disbelief of his classmates and teachers, it soon becomes clear that he is not who he says he is. An astonishing true story of a notorious impostor.

With Joe Hunting

Filmed entirely inside the world of virtual reality (VR), this immersive and revealing documentary roots itself in several unique communities within VR Chat, a burgeoning virtual reality platform. Through observational scenes captured in real-time, in true documentary style, the film reveals the growing power and intimacy of several relationships formed in the virtual world, many of which began during the COVID-19 lockdown while so many in the physical world were facing intense isolation. Although remaining wholly within the VR domain of avatars and imagined worlds, the film has elements of humor, serendipitous interactions and unexpected events that characterize real life.