Documentary Movies
Secret Rites (1971)
Pseudo-documentary about black magic and the study of witchcraft with a rare appearance by real-life occultist Alex Sanders.
Land of Silence and Darkness (1971)
Through examining Fini Straubinger, an old woman who has been deaf and blind since her teens, and her work on behalf of other deaf-blind people, this film shows how the…
The Moon and the Sledgehammer (1971)
The Page family lives without electricity or running water deep in the Sussex woods. Amidst ever-growing modernity and industrialization, the family carries out chores, hunts pheasants, builds steam engines, and…
On Any Sunday (1971)
Documentary on motorcycle racing featuring stars of the sport, including film star Steve McQueen, a racer in his own right.
Fidel (1971)
This film provides a unique view of Cuba’s leader, containing fascinating archive footage of the Bay of Pigs invasion and scenes of Che Guevara – alongside interviews with political prisoners.
Basic Training (1971)
Shot during the summer of 1970 at Fort Knox, Kentucky, Frederick Wiseman’s film Basic Training focuses on a group of men going through infantry training, showing how they are turned…
Meeting the Man: James Baldwin in Paris (1971)
In 1970, a British film crew set out to make a straightforward literary portrait of James Baldwin set in Paris, insisting on setting aside his political activism. Baldwin bristled at…
The Hellstrom Chronicle (1971)
A scientist explains how the savagery and efficiency of the insect world could result in their taking over the world.
The Murder of Fred Hampton (1971)
Fred Hampton was the leader of the Illinois Chapter of the Black Panther Party. This film depicts his brutal murder by the Chicago police and its subsequent investigation, but also…
Richard Pryor: Live and Smokin’ (1971)
Richard Pryor: Live & Smokin’ is the first stand-up act of Richard Pryor to be filmed out of the four that were released in total. This film was filmed in…
Minamata: The Victims and Their World (1971)
The first in a series of independent documentaries that Tsuchimoto made of the mercury poisoning incident in Minamata, Japan.
Blue Water White Death (1971)
Peter Gimbel and a team of photographers set out on an expedition to find and film, for the very first time, Carcharodon carcharias—the Great White Shark. The expedition lasted over…
The Lion at World’s End (1971)
The astonishing true story of a zoo-born lion who found himself in the pet department of Harrods, then the cellar of an antique shop in London and, ultimately the wilds…
Handicapped Future (1971)
A documentary by Werner Herzog exploring the different treatment accorded to the disabled in Germany and the USA.
Any Snow Any Mountain (1971)
The legendary director/producer Warren Miller hits the slopes of Squaw, Whistler, and Japan with skiers like Jim McConkey, Roger Staub, Pepi Stiegler in one of his earliest surviving ski movies.
David Lean: A Self Portrait (1971)
A television documentary on the life and career of British film director David Lean. Scenes of Lean directing are intercut with personal interviews in which the director explains his methods,…
7 Plus Seven (1970)
After a 7 year wait, director Michael Apted revisits the same group of British-born children from Seven Up! The subjects are interviewed as to the changes that have occurred in…
Gimme Shelter (1970)
A detailed chronicle of the famous 1969 tour of the United States by the British rock band The Rolling Stones, which culminated with the disastrous and tragic concert held on…
Elvis: That’s the Way It Is (1970)
On July 31, 1970, in Las Vegas, Nevada, Elvis Presley staged a triumphant return to the concert stage from which he had been absent for almost a decade. His series…
a.k.a. Cassius Clay (1970)
The study of crazy brilliance and flamboyant sincerity. a.k.a. Cassius Clay presents a fascinating look at the incredible life and achievements of one of the most courageous, outspoken and charismatic…
Ciao Federico! (1970)
A behind-the-scenes documentary about the filming of the Federico Fellini film, “Satyricon.”
Original Cast Album: Company (1970)
In 1970, right after the triumphant premiere of Stephen Sondheim’s groundbreaking concept musical Company, the renowned composer and lyricist, his director Harold Prince, the show’s stars, and a large pit…
More About the Language of Love (1970)
In this explicit sex education film based on clinical research made by American and Swedish doctors, a panel of experts in the field of sex education discuss various aspects of…
Searching for Tadzio (1970)
An account of Italian film director Luchino Visconti’s travels in search for a young actor to portray the role of Tadzio in his 1971 adaptation of Thomas Mann’s novella Death…
Legend of the Witches (1970)
A visual exploration into the origins of witchcraft in the UK and in particular the demystification of symbolism still embedded today within many modern religious artefacts and rituals. X-rated upon…
British Sounds (1970)
Jean-Luc Godard brings his firebrand political cinema to the UK, exploring the revolutionary signals in late ’60s British society. Constructed as a montage of various disconnected political acts (in line…
Let It Be (1970)
A documentary chronicling the Beatles’ rehearsal sessions in January 1969 for their proposed “back to basics” album, “Get Back,” later re-envisioned and released as “Let It Be.”
Woodstock (1970)
An intimate look at the Woodstock Music & Art Festival held in Bethel, NY in 1969, from preparation through cleanup, with historic access to insiders, blistering concert footage, and portraits…
Czech Rhapsody (1970)
Essay film from Czech director Vojtech Jasný on his home country.
The Doors: Feast of Friends (1970)
A cinematic look at The Doors on the road during their summer ’68 tour. Concert performances are intercut with fly-on-the-wall footage of the group in their natural habitat.
Hospital (1970)
Daily activities of the Metropolitan Hospital in New York City, with emphasis on the emergency ward and outpatient clinics. The cases depicted illustrate how medical expertise, availability of resources, organizational…
I Am Somebody (1970)
Madeline Anderson’s documentary brings viewers to the front lines of the civil rights movement during the 1969 Charleston hospital workers’ strike, when 400 poorly paid Black women went on strike…
The Distant Drummer: A Movable Scene (1970)
Robert Mitchum narrates an anti drug propaganda film.
Fårö Document (1970)
Bergman interviews the locals of Fårö in this fascinating documentary. An expression of personal and political solidarity with the fellow inhabitants of his adopted home, the island of Fårö in…
79 Springs (1969)
This film memorializes the leader of Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh, on the occasion of his death. It narrates the story of a life which is also the story of a…
Hanoi Tuesday 13th (1969)
In December 1967 a Cuban film crew led by Santiago Alvarez, the veteran polemicist, traveled to Hanoi. They shot the footage which constitutes this short documentary all in one day…
Language of Love (1969)
A panel of real-life doctors discuss sexual hangups, misconceptions, personal prejudices and the ignorance of individuals when it comes to matters sexual. Using on-screen recreations, topics such as petting, contraceptives…
High School (1969)
Documentary filmmaker Frederick Wiseman takes us inside Northeast High School as a fly on the wall to observe the teachers and how they interact with the students.
Salesman (1969)
This documentary from Albert and David Maysles follows the bitter rivalry of four door-to-door salesmen working for the Mid-American Bible Company: Paul “The Badger” Brennan, Charles “The Gipper” McDevitt, James…
Fellini: A Director’s Notebook (1969)
Fellini discusses his views of making motion pictures and his unorthodox procedures. He seeks inspiration in various out of the way places. During this film viewers go with him to…