Documentary Movies
On Pascal (1965)
An episode of the educational TV series “En profil dans le texte” directed by Rohmer, on the French philosopher Blaise Pascal, the subject of debate in Rohmer’s film “My Night…
Now! (1965)
Using morgue photos, newsreel footage, and a recording by Lena Horne, Cuban filmmaker Santiago Alvarez fired off ‘Now!’, one of the most powerful bursts of propaganda rendered in the 1960s.
The Child of the Future: How Might He Learn? (1964)
Education is increasingly affected by technological advance. How the changes affect the child are shown in this far-ranging study of what is new in educational theory and practice. Appearing in…
The T.A.M.I. Show (1964)
Hailed by one music reviewer as “the grooviest, wildest, slickest hit ever to pound the screen,” “The T.A.M.I. Show” is an unrelenting rock spectacular starring some of the greatest pop…
The Finest Hours (1964)
A biography of Winston Churchill, shown through re-creations and actual film footage and told by Orson Welles.
London in the Raw (1964)
Influenced by the worldwide success of Italian ‘Mondo’ movies, British low-budget movie mogul Arnold Louis Miller concocted this exploitation-style documentary. Peering behind the grimy net curtains of London life into…
Seven Up! (1964)
A group of British children aged 7 from widely ranging backgrounds are interviewed about a range of subjects. The filmmakers plan to re-interview them at 7 year intervals to track…
The Searching Eye (1964)
The simple actions of a young boy on the beach provide visual metaphors for the normally unseen world. The camera adds a profound dimension to what the boy has seen,…
A Fool’s World (1964)
Documentary showing perverse and aberrant behavior from around the globe, including such things as sex slavery, dwarf love, Asian brothels and lesbians.
Changing Landscapes (1964)
A sophisticated and beautifully constructed account of landscape change in and around Paris in the early 1960s. The film raises complex issues about the meaning and experience of modern landscapes…
Nadja in Paris (1964)
Nadja is a guest student, who stays at Cité Universitaire and visits the Sorbonne, while preparing a thesis on Proust; she also likes to stroll about Paris.
Mondo Cane 2 (1963)
The official sequel to the original shockumentary, presenting new and bizarre behavior from around the world, including cruelty, graphic gore, and strange rituals.
Ecco (1963)
A documentary highlighting some of the oddest, strangest and more grotesque examples of human behavior. Included are a tour of the Grand Guignol theater in Paris, a man who sticks…
The Wild Weird Wonderful Italians (1963)
Mondo film about Italians, presumably.
Crisis: Behind a Presidential Commitment (1963)
During a two-day period before and after the University of Alabama integration crisis, the film uses five camera crews to follow President John F. Kennedy, attorney general Robert F. Kennedy,…
Dead Birds (1963)
The film’s title is borrowed from a Dani fable that Gardner recounts in voice-over. The Dani people, whom Gardner identifies mysteriously as “a mountain people,” believe that there was once…
Hitler – Never Heard of Him (1963)
In 1963, 22-year-old Bertrand Blier invited 11 of his peers to come to a film studio and talk about their lives. The record of what was said is a discussion…
Tisza: Autumn Sketches (1963)
The first signs of autumn are seen in a landscape along a river. Some villagers are stacking a bed of stone blocks on the river-bank to avoid more eroding. Others…
Garrincha: Joy of the People (1962)
Documentary about the most famous dribbler in Brazilian Soccer (some say in Soccer’s history!) at the zenith of his career, showing classic scenes of 1958 and 1962 World Cup. Garrincha…
Sculptures by Sofu – Vita (1962)
A short documentary by Hiroshi Teshigahara about his father, the sculptor Sofu Teshigahara, preparing an exhibition.
Mondo Cane (1962)
A documentary consisting of a series of travelogue vignettes providing glimpses into cultural practices throughout the world intended to shock or surprise, including an insect banquet and a memorable look…
An Indian Story (1962)
Still photographs and narration give an overview of the history of the American Indian.
The Week Starts on Friday (1962)
A short documentary about the production of movie marquee art for cinemas in Prague.
Chronicle of a Summer (1961)
Paris, summer 1960. Anthropologist and filmmaker Jean Rouch and sociologist and film critic Edgar Morin wander through the crowded streets asking passersby how they cope with life’s misfortunes.
Here at the Water’s Edge (1961)
Leo Hurwitz’s film, Here At The Water’s Edge, features the 1960 New York City’s waterfront. Made with photographer Charles Pratt, the film is a cinematic poem to the people who…
Many Moods of Skiing (1961)
I bet you didn’t know that there are Many Moods of Skiing? Well come along and find out just how many moods there are in Warren Miller’s Many Moods of…
The Grand Olympics (1961)
Events and athletes that characterized the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome. From the absolute protagonist Wilma Rudolph, called the black gazelle, to Livio Berruti, the first white to win the…
Sky Above and Mud Beneath (1961)
In September, 1959, six Europeans leave Cook’s Bay on the southern coast of Dutch New Guinea, now West Papua or Irian Jaya, to trek north to the far side of…
Primary (1960)
Primary is a documentary film about the primary elections between John F. Kennedy and Hubert Humphrey in 1960. Primary is the first documentary to use light equipment in order to…
Jungle Cat (1960)
This final True-Life Adventure would also appear to be one of the best, as we go into the South American jungle to observe the jaguar. Jungle Cat is more intimate…
America as Seen by a Frenchman (1960)
At the end of the 1950s, French documentarian François Reichenbach spent eighteen months traveling the United States, documenting its diverse regions, their inhabitants, and their pastimes. The result is a…
Blitz on Britain (1960)
Featuring archival footage from both German and UK sources, this documentary examines the defense of Britain during the early years of World War II.
Mein Kampf (1960)
“Mein Kampf” presents the raising and fall of the Third Reich, showing mainly the destruction of Poland and the life Hitler, which is told since he was a mediocre student…
Jazz on a Summer’s Day (1960)
Set at the 1958 Newport Jazz Festival, this documentary mixes images of water and the town with performers and audience. The film progresses from day to night and from improvisational…
They Take the High Road (1960)
The work of a team of men who tackle a special British Road Services job in the treacherous terrain of the Scottish Highlands.
Blue Pullman (1960)
Blue Pullman is a 1960 short documentary film directed by James Ritchie, which follows the development, preparation and a journey from Manchester to London on new British Railways Blue Pullman…
Integration Report 1 (1960)
Integration Report 1, Madeline Anderson’s trailblazing debut, was the first known documentary by an African American female director. With tenacity, empathy and skill, Anderson assembles a vital record of desegregation…
A Letter for Wales (1960)
Donald Houston plays a Welshman who tells the story of what it’s like to live in small town Wales and how the train service helps.
I Captured the King of the Leprechauns (1959)
Behind the scenes of Darby O’Gill and the Little People.
India: Matri Bhumi (1959)
Several stories depicting the landscapes and fauna of India are mixed with documentary footage.