"The architect and the painter"
"How the dutch got their cycle paths"
"Helmut by June"
Ask HN: What are some of the best documentaries you've seen?
181–190 of 245 posts
Re: Ask HN: What are some of the best documentaries you've seen?
#182Nobody else has mentioned this, so I will:
When We Left Earth: The NASA Missions
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1233514/
Pretty great, with high quality historical footage as well. I think you can buy the HD streaming version on Amazon for $10 (258 minutes long, broken into six segments).
Silicon Valley (by PBS) is another:
Re: Ask HN: What are some of the best documentaries you've seen?
#183Jodorowsky's Dune (2013)
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1935156/
Re: Ask HN: What are some of the best documentaries you've seen?
#184Earlier quoted context omitted.
The sister film is Armadillo (2010) [0] which follows a group of Danish soldiers from pre-deployment shenanigans, to the FOB in Afghanistan, IED attacks, possible war crimes (found to be baseless), and then the return home. To me, the most striking scenes were the ones where the Danish and UK soldiers would play FPS games, don very high tech gear, bounce about in armour, etc. and then contrast that to the rusty, bent…
>“Each Javelin round costs $80,000, and the idea that it's fired by a guy who doesn't make that in a year at a guy who doesn't make that in a lifetime is somehow so outrageous it almost makes the war seem winnable.” Do you know how useful a Javelin is? I think it's worth that much if it will save the life of the soldier firing it. I'd sure pay that much for it if I had the money and I thought it would save my life, o…
lol. why not just take that 80k and give 40 to the Afghani and 40 to the US kid. that go much further towards saving both their lives (and the lives of their families/friends/neighbors)
Re: Ask HN: What are some of the best documentaries you've seen?
#185Searching for Sugar Man, do not watch the trailer or read on it. It will spoil the documentary! If you like music, 60s, justice, Bob Dylan and feel good story its a must watch.
Read about it after though, they told a story that doesn't really match reality.
Re: Ask HN: What are some of the best documentaries you've seen?
#186So many Ken Burns documentaries come to mind but I think the National Parks one is my favorite. The Vietnam War, his latest work, was excellent too.
"Lo and Behold" by Herzog depressed the hell out of me. It gives me the impression that society is being torn apart by the independence that technology enables.
Farenheit 9/11.
Michal Pollan's Cooked series.
Re: Ask HN: What are some of the best documentaries you've seen?
#187Samsara - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samsara_(2011_film) A non-narrative film, with stunning visuals. I feel it shows some of the best and worst of humanity, but in a non-pushy or judgemental way. It just leaves you to make your own conclusions.
The entire Qatsi trilogy
Re: Ask HN: What are some of the best documentaries you've seen?
#188Road - The story of Joey Dunlop, and the motorcycling family he came from: https://www.netflix.com/title/80079364 Meru - Conrad Anker, Jimmy Chin, and Renan Ozturk climb the Shark's Fin on Mount Meru in India: https://www.netflix.com/title/80039641 Valley Uprising - A history of climbing in Yosemite: https://www.netflix.com/title/80084836 Touching the Void - The story of Joe Simpson's accident and harrowing survival…
The part in Touching the Void where the the man begins to hallucinate that happy, irritating song ought to have a scientific explanation for it. I often have a song play in my mind when I hike, but doubt that my experience is even close to what he experienced.
Re: Ask HN: What are some of the best documentaries you've seen?
#189I really like Alone in the Wilderness, which is about Dick Proenneke building his log cabinby hand and living a solitary life in Alaska.
I bought this one! It's so pleasant. Thanks for reminding me about it. I think I will watch it again soon.
Re: Ask HN: What are some of the best documentaries you've seen?
#190Some of my favourite nerdy documentaries: BBS: The Documentary https://youtu.be/nO5vjmDFZaI The KGB, the Computer, and Me https://youtu.be/EcKxaq1FTac 8 Bit Generation: The Commodore Wars https://youtu.be/Jq_t-v0bDZ8
BBS :). It brought back nice memories.