If you’re hungry to dive into a realm of knowledge you haven’t yet explored, a great way to do that is to watch a documentary on a topic that interests you. The best documentaries bring learning to life as they immerse you in vivid imagery and strong storytelling. Here are four must-see documentaries certain to get your brain cells buzzing:
Man On Wire (2008), directed by James Marsh
This Academy Award winning documentary follows the life of a young Frenchman named Philippe Petit as he attempts what many consider dangerous, impossible, and utterly foolish: To walk on a high-wire between the twin towers of New York’s World Trade Center. Petit, a long-time dancer and tightrope roper, considers this particular high-wire walk his biggest dream, and the film follows him as he goes about putting it into action against considerable odds.
Hoop Dreams (1995), directed by Steve James
This acclaimed movie explores the lives of two young African American boys with NBA dreams as they struggle to become college basketball players. The movie wages a powerful exploration of important social issues like race, class, and education in America, all while telling an intimate human story about the young men and their families and communities.
Grey Gardens (1975), directed by Albert and David Maysles
This much-lauded documentary tells the story of the eccentric and dysfunctional Beales, Big Edie and Little Edie, a mother-daughter pair who lived on a decaying estate. Once aristocrats leading active society lives, they ended up withdrawing from the world and retreating into a reclusive existence as their funds dwindled and squalor set in. The movie offers a moving glimpse into the lives of these two highly unusual but ultimately loveable women.
Restrepo (2010), directed by Tim Hetherington and Sebastian Junger
In order to make this extraordinary film, the filmmakers spent over a year embedded with a platoon of soldiers in Afghanistan. The story chronicles the lives of the soldiers from their deployment to their return home, showing their daily activities and struggles – negotiating with local people, constructing an outpost, and facing a variety of challenges, dangerous missions, and firefights along the way. Whatever your political views, this film will impact you with its vivid depiction of the events and effects of war for both the soldiers and the local people.
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