What’s the best documentary you’ve ever seen?

[LovelyQuiche]

Mine is is “The Rescue” about the Thai cave rescue where those young footballers were trapped. Totally enthralling, even though I knew the outcome already, and seeing what they had to deal with actually helped me mentally for giving birth a fortnight later. Like, if they can do that, then I can do what millions of other women do and give birth

what’s yours?

Outcry, about a high school student accused of molesting a child. Really showed how broken and corrupt the US justice system is.

Three identical strangers was incredible and so, so sad.

McMillions. It’s about how people scammed McDonalds through their Monopoly peel promotions and roped other into the scam. The ending about how they did this blew my mind

Ooh and one called Imposter - it was INCREDIBLE!! A boy in the US goes missing in the 90’s, and apparently turns up 5 years later in Spain. Except he looks completely different to the boy who went missing and has a funny accent. Absolutely riveting

Crip Camp
Tells the story of a group of teens who attended a summer camp for teenagers with disabilities and how they later became involved in the disability rights movement

I recently watched Heroin(e), it's another about the opioid crisis in the US but it concentrates on three women dealing in their own ways, one is a judge, another a pastor and the third is a chief of the fire department.

In the US paramedics are also firefighters. Some of whom are jaded after resuscitating the same person several times.

It's all at grassroots level, handing out personal hygiene products to prostitutes, handing out food, and 'drug court'.

I agree 9/11 and three perfect strangers are good.

Looking for Mike is also good and on YouTube. Basically someone dies of natural causes but then his work colleague finds out 'Mike' was and assumed identity and goes looking for the real Mike.

There are a few documentaries about Hillsborough but the one referred to upthread seems to have gone missing, as has the Hillsborough independent Panel report. I know that was taken down because of the trials but there is no reason for it not to be back online.

I know someone referred to the families and what they went through but it's not in the past, it is still continuing.

How a senior police man can give evidence in a coroner's court and then months later completely contradict that evidence and no one says a thing is beyond me.

Call me a conspiracy theorist but I think there is more to come out. RIP 97.

Ha, beat you @LydiaBennetsUglyBonnet 😁

Isn't it amazing?

@Nowaysunshine Bloody Nora! I remember that ' Johnnie go home', it was harrowing and even worse as I was 15 & knew a few of the rent boys in the documentary via another freind from some tawdry dive Soho club. My quite naive little head couldn't really grasp or understand the stark reality of how these children earned money at 'The 'Dilly' & in hindsight, how hardened and blase they were about it. It was very sad about that young lad & I do wonder what became of those kids.

The Rescue is probably the most gripping TV I’ve ever seen.

Nice to see Free Solo/ The Dawn Wall getting some love too.

I would add Icarus on Amazon Prime to the list. It’S about an amateur cyclist who wants to try doping as an experiment and film it to discuss Lance Armstrong etc. In order to begin doping he needs to contact a Russian sports scientist with access to the drugs. From there it becomes a whole different film than the film maker thought he was makinG and it’s the maddest thing I’ve ever heard in my entire life!

Yes , horrendous what they went through.

oh I absolutely loved “dreams of a life” as well. It’s about a woman, Joyce Vincent, found dead in front of her TV. She’d be dead 3 years when she was found. The film interviews friends and family and woman had an amazing life and it’s just so sad that despite technology etc no one noticed she was missing.

Yes , amazing, my mother has this on DVD , we watched it during lockdown. Incredible insight into Tourette’s .

PuppyMonkey , wow first thing I thought of was the Donner Reid Party that was first shown on Channel 4 all those years ago.

So much so I visited the site where they eventually arrived in California there was a very small museum them (prob 25 years ago now). A tragic but facinating story.

I am the only one I know that ever watched it!

It's called 9/11

The documentary makers were Jules and Gédéon Naudet

Shoah.

I was just about to say the same.

I absolutely love documentaries. I've watched so many that I can't remember the names.

Recently I've watched Libby are you home yet? And Pepsi where's my Jet?

I could watch (good) documentaries all day.

Betting on zero (about Herbalife/MLMs in general). Also not a documentary but the book 'Merchants of Deception' is worth a read.

The Cove-I'm gay but I'd go straight for Ric O'Barry. Amazing and very brave man. Whale-World changer is worth a watch too.

Earthlings.

Peaceable Kingdom.

@ThirdColdSinceSeptember Ceri has died :( I don't know about the others, I assume they're still around but I don't know anything else about them. Ceri was the young BAME girl who seemed actually more 'together' than some of the others. She'd worked several 'normal' jobs and in her words her childhood was 'perfect'. Sammi-Jo never got her quails back. Be/Belinda is still around at least of a of a few months ago. She has apparently said that being part of the documentary was very much a negative thing for her. She could no longer claim benefits for example. Of course this is all what I've learned from other sources and may not be true.

I was fixated on that documentary series beyond any other. I don't know why-perhaps because I am from near where it was aired. It's a bit 'Here but by the Grace of God'. I had a great 'naice' upbringing but I was quite troubled and very much into hanging about with dodgy people and got into all sorts of scrapes. It'd only have taken a bit more naivety or a few more dodgy encounters and who knows if I'd be one of those women.

Apologies for thread derail.

Also, yes to 'Dreams of a Life' about Joyce Vincent. Such a tragedy and a nod to how transience can be so easily reached even if one has been a popular, familiar character to so many.

I loved the docu-film 'This is Personal' about the Yorkshire Ripper. Great acting and really poignant.

Love a documentary - There's something wrong with Aunt Diane and Paris is Burning are both good.

Undoubtedly 'Utopia' by John Pilger, 2013.
Treatment of and lives of, the Australian Aborigines.
Absolutely powerful.

Dark Days - about homeless people living in a disused Amtrak tunnel under Manhattan

@fifteenohfour - no, after much googling I’ve found it, it was called The Pruitt-Igoe Myth. I will see if I can find the one you mentioned though, sounds interesting, thanks!

I've seen this. It is amazing and there are definetly some squeaky bum time moments. I was also blown away by the Amy Winehouse documentary it really opened my eyes to how vulnerable she was and how the press treated a young woman clearly with issues. It really stayed with me for a long time.

The Staircase. Warped and fascinating in equal measure.

As a PP said, Three Identical Strangers is also gripping. And takes some unexpected turns.

The Staircase. Warped and fascinating in equal measure.

As a PP said, Three Identical Strangers is also gripping. And takes some unexpected turns.

Another one for Shoah.

Ohhh forgot Missing Margaret Fleming.