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Ask HN: What are some of the best documentaries you've seen?

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Re: Ask HN: What are some of the best documentaries you've seen?

#201

Post by rzzzt »

reb wrote: post #64

Already so many good recommendations here, so just a few I enjoyed but haven't seen mentioned: — This excellent 2013 re-working of Guy Debord's Society of the Spectacle (not a proper doc, but if you like Adam Curtis, you'll probably like this). If you like to consider whether the world we've built is good for us, look no further: https://vimeo.com/60328678 — Pump Up The Volume, a 2001 BBC doc about the rise of House…

Nate Harrison's "Can I get an Amen?" on the history of the Amen break: https://archive.org/details/NateHarrisonCanIGetAnAmen

Re: Ask HN: What are some of the best documentaries you've seen?

#202

Post by jlarocco »

In the 1980s Jack Absalom made a series of 45 minute videos about travelling through the Australian Outback, and a lot of them are on YouTube now. A neat combination of how to travel through harsh environments, with a lot of beautiful scenery (he's a painter), and interesting historical facts about Australia.

I also keep an eye on the PeriscopeFilm YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/PeriscopeFilm/videos

They're not quite documentaries, but there are some interesting videos now and then.

Re: Ask HN: What are some of the best documentaries you've seen?

#203

Post by wizofaus »

saikatsg wrote: post #53

Free Solo: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free_Solo Inside Job: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inside_Job_(2010_film) Life: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Life_(British_TV_series) My Octopus Teacher: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/My_Octopus_Teacher

Seconded for My Octopus Teacher.

The Social Dilemma was also worth watching.

Re: Ask HN: What are some of the best documentaries you've seen?

#204

Post by samwillis »

Gary Hustwits design trilogy:

Helvetica - https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helvetica_(film)

“about typography and graphic design, centered on the eponymous typeface.”

Objectified - https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Objectified

“examining the role of everyday non-living objects, and the people who design them, in our daily lives.”

Urbanized - https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Urbanized

“discusses how cities are designed, and it features interviews with urban planners and architects“

They are beautifully made films, and he interviews some of the most influential designers of the last century.

It funny how many times I’ve told people to watch Helvetica and they have just looked at me and asked how there could be a film about a “font”. It’s so much more, the films really cover design methodology and how it influences our every day lives.

Re: Ask HN: What are some of the best documentaries you've seen?

#205

Post by retSava »

"S21: The Khmer Rouge Killing Machine"

It's a great documentary in its own way. It circles around the S21 Tuol Sleng prison/interrogation center/extermination center where a small cadre of Khmer Rouge soldiers were responsible for, mostly using torture, extracting a confession out of the prisoner. The names given during torture were picked up, and the cycle repeats. Entire generations of families went out this way.

Horrible, horrible event in history, and a chilling place to visit (I did a decade ago).

This documentary allows plenty of room for the guards/soldiers/torturers themselves to describe the events from their side. Which they do.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0368954/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tuol_Sleng_Genocide_Museum

Re: Ask HN: What are some of the best documentaries you've seen?

#206

Post by dieselgate »

It’s a pretty dark documentary but I came across a British doc about addiction and it’s the single film that’s stuck with me the most. A ~London based photographer and journalist covered addiction but decided he wasn’t “close enough to the story” to really understand the subjects. He starts doing heroin and the documentary is about his unsuccessful journey to get clean (across like a decade) - it’s powerful and deeply scary and sad. But suppose it’s great journalism.

Good luck to y’all

Edit: timelines

Re: Ask HN: What are some of the best documentaries you've seen?

#207

Post by pkrotich »

Syntonicles wrote: post #196
pkrotich wrote: post #124

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I agree to with you on the cost of perfectionism - I also didn't care for how women were treated at the restaurant (seating arrangements etc), but like you mentioned it's a fantastic documentary. I think for me, I came out thinking "damn I truly do may be only 25% dedication to my craft".

It was probably a typo, but just in case English is your second language: We tend to use "don't care for" or "didn't care for" in this context. If you say "I didn't care for the way women were treated..", it expresses disapproval. We use "don't/didn't care about" to mean exactly the opposite. "I didn't care about" means that it doesn't matter to you at all.

Thanks for the feedback - yes I'm not a native English speaker (I'm trilingual)

Re: Ask HN: What are some of the best documentaries you've seen?

#208

Post by ckw »

Short documentary (Leaving The Earth) by Errol Morris about United Airlines Flight 232. If you haven’t heard of that, don’t google— watch the documentary.

I like it because it’s the perfect rendition by two master storytellers (Errol Morris and Denny Fitch) of perhaps the greatest clutch performance in human history.

on YouTube: https://youtu.be/nf33RDu_D6M

Re: Ask HN: What are some of the best documentaries you've seen?

#209

Post by ChrisMarshallNY »

I'm 60, so this movie actually was quite enjoyable, for me: https://newwavedaretobedifferent.com

It's about a plucky little New York radio station that debuted a lot of the major acts of the 1980s.

Probably, a lot of folks hereabouts would not share my enjoyment.

Re: Ask HN: What are some of the best documentaries you've seen?

#210

Post by filmgirlcw »

samwillis wrote: post #204

Gary Hustwits design trilogy: Helvetica - https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helvetica_(film) “about typography and graphic design, centered on the eponymous typeface.” Objectified - https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Objectified “examining the role of everyday non-living objects, and the people who design them, in our daily lives.” Urbanized - https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Urbanized “discusses how cities are designed, a…

These are some of my favorites. I have Helvetica and Objectified posters in my house.
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