100 best documentary movies of 2020

Documentary about Vladimir Sorokin, one of the most prominent Russian writers.

A true-crime comedy exploring a failed music festival turned internet meme at the nexus of social media influence, late-stage capitalism, and morality in the post-truth era.

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From a prolific career in film and television, Anton Yelchin left an indelible legacy as an actor. Through his journals and other writings, his photography, the original music he wrote, and interviews with his family, friends, and colleagues, this film looks not just at Anton's impressive career, but at a broader portrait of the man.

He promised supermodels and yachts, but delivered tents and cheese sandwiches. How one man engineered a music festival disaster.

Journey into the history and along the arctic latitudes of our country. Leonid Kruglov, documentary filmmaker, photographer, ethnographer, member of the Russian Geographical Society, took the legendary route of Semen Dezhnev through the most difficult regions of the Russian Arctic and made a documentary about it.

Explores the experiences of James Safechuck and Wade Robson, who were both befriended and sexually abused by singer Michael Jackson, and the complicated feelings that led them both to confront their experiences.

The whole path of Russian hip-hop from the underground to the huge stadiums, shown by the eyes of the brightest and most iconic representatives of culture. The film looks behind the scenes of Russian rap, exposing all conflicts and clashes, reveals the true look of the whole genre and answers the question of how he managed to capture the current generation and become the number one music.

With a magical new invention that promised to revolutionize blood testing, Elizabeth Holmes became the world’s youngest self-made billionaire, heralded as the next Steve Jobs. Then, overnight, her 10-billion-dollar company dissolved. The rise and fall of Theranos is a window into the psychology of fraud.

Data—arguably the world’s most valuable asset—is being weaponized to wage cultural and political wars. The dark world of data exploitation is uncovered through the unpredictable, personal journeys of players on different sides of the explosive Cambridge Analytica/Facebook data story.

The inside story of the rise and fall of Harvey Weinstein reveals how, over decades, he acquired and protected his power even when scandal threatened to engulf him. Former colleagues and accusers detail the method and consequences of his alleged abuse, hoping for justice and also to inspire change.

In a post-soviet republic of Georgia, in South Caucasus where religious and folk traditions are still the main authority, new generation of pro-western youth tries to build their own future. The protest of 10 000 young Tbilisi citizens turns into 2 day massive rave at the Parliament of Georgia.

This three-part documentary tells Bill Gates’ life story, in-depth and unfiltered, as he pursues unique solutions to some of the world’s most complex problems.

The life-saving superpowers and extraordinary bravery of some of the world’s most amazing dogs. The film follows six pups on their adventures: Halo, a puppy training to join an elite American disaster response team; Henry; an avalanche rescue dog in the Canadian Rockies; Reef, a Newfoundland lifeguard in the Italian Coast Guard; Ricochet, a surf and therapy boi in California; and the dynamic duo Tipper and Tony, who work to save endangered species in Africa.

An unpredictable documentary from a fascinating storyteller, Agnès Varda’s last film sheds light on her experience as a director, bringing a personal insight to what she calls “cine-writing,” traveling from Rue Daguerre in Paris to Los Angeles and Beijing.

A biographical film about the popular rap artist Detsl, whose real name is Kirill Tolmatskiy. The rap artist passed away at the age of 35 in 2019.

Across 2017/2018 Depeche Mode embarked on their Global Spirit Tour, in which they performed to more than 3 million fans at 115 shows across the globe. This new visually-striking film captures the energy and spectacle of the band’s performance from the tour along with a deeper look into how their music and shows have been woven into the fabric of their fans’ lives.

The story of artist Lil Peep (Gustav Åhr) from his birth in Long Island and meteoric rise as a genre blending pop star & style icon, to his death due to an accidental opioid overdose in Arizona at just 21 years of age.

Constructed from over 500 hours of never-before-seen footage, this documentary centers on the career of celebrated football player Diego Maradona who played for SSC Napoli in the 1980s.

The documentary recounts Tarkovsky’s life and work, letting the director tell the story himself, as he shares with us his memories, his view of art and his reflections on the destiny of the artist and the meaning of human existence. Thanks to some extremely rare audio recordings, viewers are able to immerse themselves in the mysterious world of his cinematic imagery, allowing them to comprehend and reassess the work and inner life of the great director. The account is accompanied by never previously released recordings of poems by Arseny Tarkovsky, one of the greatest Russian poets of the 20th century and the director’s father, read by their author.

Teen Michelle Carter’s actions shocked a nation — but what really happened behind closed doors?

Three young men bond together to escape volatile families in their Rust Belt hometown. As they face adult responsibilities, unexpected revelations threaten their decade-long friendship.

A group of online justice seekers track down a guy who posted a video of him killing kittens.

A detailed account of the life and artistic career of legendary filmmaker Quentin Tarantino, from his early days as a video club manager to the scandalous fall in disgrace of producer Harvey Weinstein. A story about how to shoot eight great movies and become an icon of modern pop culture.

In post-industrial Ohio, a Chinese billionaire opens a new factory in the husk of an abandoned General Motors plant, hiring two thousand blue-collar Americans. Early days of hope and optimism give way to setbacks as high-tech China clashes with working-class America.

Film adaptation of French economist Thomas Piketty's ground-breaking global bestseller of the same name: an eye-opening journey through wealth and power.

When nomadic beekeepers break Honeyland’s basic rule (take half of the honey, but leave half to the bees), the last female beehunter in Europe must save the bees and restore natural balance.

This is the story of how superheroes from Tim Burton's prototype blockbuster Batman, Blade, X-Men, Spiderman to Iron Man and the Black Panther brought to life from the pages of comic books, first took over Hollywood and then conquered the world through action films with larger-than-life characters.

A three year self-described labour of love, 2040 takes the form of a visual letter from the filmmaker to his four-year-old daughter Velvet, showing her what the year 2040 could look like “if we simply embraced the best solutions that exist today.”

A vivid journey into the mysterious subterranean world of mycelium and its fruit— the mushroom. A story that begins 3.5 billion years ago, fungi makes the soil that supports life, connecting vast systems of roots from plants and trees all over the planet, like an underground Internet. Through the eyes of renowned mycologist Paul Stamets, professor of forest ecology Suzanne Simard, best selling author Michael Pollan, food naturalist Eugenia Bone and others, we experience the power, beauty and complexity of the fungi kingdom.

In 1970s New York, photographer Martha Cooper captured some of the first images of graffiti at a time when the city had declared war it. Decades later, Cooper has become an influential godmother to a global movement of street artists.

The documentary biopic gives an insight into the life and music of Anatoliy Krupnov, one of the brightest rock stars of the late- and post-Soviet era. This is the story of the talented musician who created the cult rock group Cherny Obelisk (The Black Obelisk), the portrait of an artist and at the same time an accurate depiction of the era and its generation, the music and the ideas that guided minds and rock music at the turn of the century.

An exploration of '80s horror movies through the perspective of the actors, directors, producers and SFX craftspeople who made them, and their impact on contemporary cinema.

Accompany PJ Harvey and Seamus Murphy on a journey through the creative process behind PJ Harvey's new album, conceived by their travels around the globe.

Weed. Marijuana. Grass. Pot. Whatever you prefer to call it, America’s relationship with cannabis is a complicated one. In his directorial debut, hip hop pioneer Fab 5 Freddy presents an unparalleled look at the racially biased history of the war on marijuana. A range of celebrities and experts discuss the plant’s influence on music and popular culture, and the devastating impact its criminalization has had on Black and Latino communities. As more and more states join the push to legalize marijuana, this documentary dives deep into the glaring racial disparities in the growing cannabis market.

The film is dedicated to Alexandr Vertinsky - the great Russian artist, poet, composer. Some completely different biographies miraculously fit in his life ... A poet, an essayist Dmitry Vodennikov, a musician Andrey Makarevich, a writer and a historian Edward Radzinsky tell about this.

One single Anne Frank moves us more than the countless others who suffered just as she did but whose faces have remained in the shadows-Primo Levi. The Oscar®-winning Helen Mirren will introduce audiences to Anne Frank's story through the words in her diary. The set will be her room in the secret refuge in Amsterdam, reconstructed in every detail by set designers from the Piccolo Theatre in Milan. Anne Frank this year would have been 90 years old. Anne's story is intertwined with that of five Holocaust survivors, teenage girls just like her, with the same ideals, the same desire to live: Arianna Szörenyi, Sarah Lichtsztejn-Montard, Helga Weiss and sisters Andra and Tatiana Bucci. Their testimonies alternate with those of their children and grandchildren.

An exploration of the history, artistry and emotional power of cinema sound, as revealed by legendary sound designers and visionary directors, via interviews, clips from movies, and a look at their actual process of creation and discovery.

From their roots as a brutal, confrontational industrial band, through breakups and chaos, to their odds-defying current status as one of the most accomplished and ambitious bands in the world, one whose concerts are more like ecstatic rituals than nostalgic trips. SWANS has always been a collection of singular performers, but there's been one constant since its formation in 1982--singer, songwriter Michael Gira. 'Where Does a Body End?' is a SWANS documentary with unfettered access to hundreds of hours of Gira/SWANS archives of never-seen-before recordings, videos, and photographs. An unfiltered story of a life in the arts, frequent difficulty spanning decades without a safety net, creating work because Gira says "What else am I going to do?"

In 2018, a young bartender in the Bronx, a coal miner’s daughter in West Virginia, a grieving mother in Nevada and a registered nurse in Missouri join a movement of insurgent candidates challenging powerful incumbents in Congress. Without political experience or corporate money, these four women are attempting to do what many consider impossible.

A portrait of Berlin’s most famous bouncers – Sven Marquardt, Frank Künster and Smiley Baldwin. The three men have been part and parcel of the capital’s club scene for more than 25 years – from the days after the fall of the Berlin Wall to the present day – but aren’t yet considering calling it a day even though life makes more demands on them as they turn 50.

A cautionary tale for these times of democracy in crisis—the personal and political fuse to explore one of the most dramatic periods in Brazilian history. With unprecedented access to Presidents Dilma Rousseff and Lula da Silva, we witness their rise and fall and the tragically polarized nation that remains.

Film research of design in Russia. Many believe that a specifically Russian approach to design does not exist. But what if they underestimate the influence of culture, history and surrounding reality on the style and aesthetic guidelines of those who shape our visual environment? Natasha Klimchuk, Tim Cherny and Olya Morozova, leaders of the Bang Bang Education online design school, have assembled a company of 33 contemporary Russian designers. Among them are many famous names: Artemy Lebedev, Valery Golyzhenkov, Pokras Lampas, Anton Schneider, Denis Bashev, Oleg Pashchenko. They all speak and think in Russian and are inevitably inspired by what has become part of our everyday life, books, practices, rituals, holidays, economics, historical memory and fashion. With the help of these 33 guides, the almanac will try to find the features and boundaries of our national perception of beauty and look at what ethical and aesthetic values ​​we carry to the world.

Through interviews with both victims and instigators, Nanfu Wang, a first-time mother, breaks open decades of silence on a vast, unprecedented social experiment that shaped — and destroyed — countless lives in China.

A love letter from a young mother to her daughter, the film tells the story of Waad al-Kateab’s life through five years of the uprising in Aleppo, Syria as she falls in love, gets married and gives birth to Sama, all while cataclysmic conflict rises around her. Her camera captures incredible stories of loss, laughter and survival as Waad wrestles with an impossible choice– whether or not to flee the city to protect her daughter’s life, when leaving means abandoning the struggle for freedom for which she has already sacrificed so much.

Coming 50 years after the release of Space Oddity, the 90-minute film explores the Bowie before Ziggy Stardust, following the period from 1966 when he changed his name from David Jones to Bowie. It includes footage from the BBC Archives including footage of a BBC audition in 1965 of David Bowie and the Lower Third, which included a performance of Chim-Chim-Cheree and Baby That's A Promise.

Johnny Galecki and Kaley Cuoco share backstage secrets and personal memories, reveal their favorite moments playing their roles and remember some of the most memorable stories, while visiting the iconic sets of this beloved series.

The documentary story of Madonna's struggling days in New York with her first band "Breakfast Club," leading up to her first solo record deal.

A film about the legend of Russian rock, the founder and the undisputed leader of the group "DDT" Yuri Shevchuk. Work on the picture was more than 11 years, the crew traveled with "DDT" dozens of cities in several rounds. Backstage concerts and work on albums, rehearsals and performances in front of many thousands of halls .... The result of working with dozens of hours of the archive from the life of a musician and a band, as well as long conversations between Yuri Shevchuk and the author of the film and his thoughts about the past, present and future of Russia and the world .

A documentary about people who preserve nature, heritage and sacred sites. Filming took place on an expedition to the most beautiful places of Altai, during which the filmmakers talked about past, present and future with the guardians of ancient sanctuaries and ancient epics, the reserved nature and traditions of the Old Believers, the culture of nomads and the knowledge of the Altai wanderers .

From massive waves to melting ice, filmmaker Victor Kossakovsky travels around the world to capture stunning images of the beauty and raw power of water.

Four guys from Russia went on a 30-day biking trip from Liverpool to London looking for new world music stars. Concert halls and recording studios, rehearsal spaces and record labels, festivals, clubs and streets. As a result: the unique stories from the talented musicians and their live playing against the background of the most musical landscape in the world.

From the UFC Octagon in Las Vegas and the anthropology lab at Dartmouth, to a strongman gym in Berlin and the bushlands of Zimbabwe, the world is introduced to elite athletes, special ops soldiers, visionary scientists, cultural icons, and everyday heroes—each on a mission to create a seismic shift in the way we eat and live.

Mikhail Gorbachev, former president of the Soviet Union, sits down with filmmaker Werner Herzog to discuss his many achievements. Topics include the talks to reduce nuclear weapons, the reunification of Germany and the dissolution of his country.

Follows a litter of puppies from the moment they're born and begin their quest to become Guide Dogs for the Blind, the ultimate canine career. Cameras follow these pups through a two-year odyssey as they train to become dogs whose ultimate responsibility is to protect their blind partners from harm.

It’s been hundreds of years that water has been attracting people like a magnet. Even in the XXI century, it easily pulls people from busy office life and makes them fall for it forever. The main character is well-known Russian surfer Seva Shulgin, who is preparing for what’s an ultimate dream of every surfer — to catch one of the most dangerous waves in the world — Hawaiian wave Jaws.

In Florida, parents can hire Wrinkles the Clown to scare their misbehaving children.

A commercial diver is stranded on the seabed with only five minutes of oxygen supply, but with no chance of rescue for more than 30 minutes. With access to amazing archival footage, this is the true story of one man’s impossible fight for survival.

The story of how three oddball teenage bluesmen became one of the biggest, most beloved bands on the planet.

In a moving portrait of resilience, Alex Holmes chronicles the unprecedented journey of 24-year-old Tracy Edwards and the first all-female sailing crew to enter the Whitbread Round the World Race.

El Pepe, una vida suprema is a documentary on the life of Uruguayan politician and former guerrilla fighter José Mujica.

Investigates the MLB's infamous doping scandal involving a nefarious clinician and his most famous client: the New York Yankees' Alex Rodriguez.

Digging through the vast collection of his father's home videos, a young man reconstructs the unthinkable story of his boyhood and exposes vile abuse passed through generations.

Ray Romano cut his stand-up teeth at the Comedy Cellar in New York. Now, in his first comedy special in 23 years, he returns to where it all began.

Deep beneath the surface in the Syrian province of Ghouta, a group of female doctors have established an underground field hospital. Under the supervision of paediatrician Dr. Amani and her staff of doctors and nurses, hope is restored for some of the thousands of children and civilian victims of the ruthless Syrian civil war.

The untold origin story behind Ridley Scott's Alien - rooted in Greek and Egyptian mythologies, underground comics, the art of Francis Bacon, and the dark visions of Dan O'Bannon and H.R. Giger. A contemplation on the symbiotic collaborative process of movie-making, the power of myth, and our collective unconscious.

Russia as you have never seen before: from the bird's eye view. From Kaliningrad, to the Bering Strait, from the Icebreakers on the Polar Sea to the antelopes in the Kalmykia steppes, from the Caucasus peaks to the volcanoes of Kamchatka.

The strange case of Mikhail Khodorkovsky — once believed to be the wealthiest man in Russia — who rocketed to prosperity and prominence in the 1990s, served a decade in prison, and became an unlikely martyr for the anti-Putin movement.

In this documentary, Alex trusts his twin, Marcus, to tell him about his past after he loses his memory. But Marcus is hiding a dark family secret.

The spectacular rise and scandalous fall of hot-yoga evangelist Bikram Choudhury is chronicled through archival footage and extensive insider interviews.

An exploration into a possible link between various vaccinations and illness, injury, and death.

Michael Hutchence was flying high as the lead singer of the legendary rock band INXS until his untimely death in 1997. Richard Lowenstein’s documentary examines Hutchence’s deeply felt life through his many loves and demons.

Scream, Queen! examines the infamous homoerotic subtext and the special place the film holds in the Nightmare franchise as well as the gay film canon. Partly in thanks to evolving social mores, Nightmare on Elm Street 2 – which was considered controversial at the time of its release – is now being looked back upon with a new appreciation and fondness by horror aficionados and fans of the series.

Documentary centering on the controversial political career of Imelda Marcos, the former first lady of the Philippines whose behind-the-scenes influence of her husband Ferdinand's presidency rocketed her to the global political stage.

The story of Steve, an Adélie penguin, on a quest to find a life partner and start a family. When Steve meets with Wuzzo the emperor penguin they become friends. But nothing comes easy in the icy Antarctic.

Based on Dr. Ahron Bregman's book, this documentary examines the life and mysterious death of Ashraf Marwan, an Egyptian billionaire and double agent.

Muckraking filmmaker Morgan Spurlock reignites his battle with the food industry — this time from behind the register — as he opens his own fast food restaurant.

Konstantin Stupin or just Stupa - rock-n-roller from Orel. He is 44 years old, we take him out of the madhouse and start making a film. Stupa in the last years of the existence of the USSR, as a schoolboy, decided to make music. He became the leader of the Oryol group Night cane: performances at school with songs about hell, sex, drugs, with texts like “take the Communist Party forgotten by everyone, drop two letters and get the SS”. Then the big scenes of the city and, as a result, the “Festival of Hopes”, organized by Artemy Troitsky, where the Night Cane, being the only non-Moscow group, receives a prize of audience sympathy. The texts for the festival have already become different, much deeper and more serious, but with constant protest in content and form.

A dive inside a wild land where nature hides some of her greatest secrets: The Alps. Steep slopes, wind swept cutting edge rocks. An air desperately lacking of oxygen. A biting cold. How do living beings adapt to those extreme conditions?

The story of the tortuous struggle against the silence of the victims of the dictatorship imposed by General Franco after the victory of the rebel side in the Spanish Civil War (1936-1975). In a democratic country, but still ideologically divided, the survivors seek justice as they organize the so-called “Argentinian lawsuit” and denounce the legally sanctioned pact of oblivion that intends to hide the crimes they were subjects of.

At a 2012 pre-season high-school football party in Steubenville, Ohio, a young woman was raped by members of the beloved high school football team. The aftermath exposed an entire culture of complicity—and Roll Red Roll maps out the roles that peer pressure, denial, sports machismo, and social media each played in the tragedy.

What happens when a group of international artists travel to North Korea to create art like the regime have never seen before? While the world is on the verge of nuclear war, a group of Western contemporary artists are invited into the eye of the storm. The aim is to collaborate with North Korean artists in a creative exchange project displaying new and challenging art in a country where abstract art is forbidden.

From Iowa to Studio 54, this investigation into the rags-to-riches story of America’s first superstar designer uncovers the cautionary tale of an artist who sold his name to Wall Street.

The life and design of Pierre Cardin, including exclusive access to his archives and unprecedented interviews from Mr. Cardin.

The first documentary portrait of fashion icon Ralph Lauren, reveals the man behind the icon and the creation of one of the most successful brands in fashion history.

Matera has long been the most representative site of agricultural life and rural culture in Italy. Now, this fascinating city is on the UNESCO's world heritage list. Acknowledged as one of the most desirable holiday destinations in the Italian Peninsula, Matera lies at the heart of an extremely fascinating region, where tradition, science and technology coexist and thrive together, creating an unforeseen bridge between its folkloristic past and its bright, promising future.

The successes and failures of a couple determined to live in harmony with nature on a farm outside of Los Angeles are lovingly chronicled by filmmaking farmer John Chester, in this inspiring documentary.

Part documentary, part concert film, part fever dream, this film captures the troubled spirit of America in 1975 and the joyous music that Dylan performed during the fall of that year.

For decades, a nice Jewish couple ran Circus of Books, a porn shop and epicenter for gay LA. Their director daughter documents their life and times.

While crafting his Grammy-nominated album "Astroworld," Travis Scott juggles controversy, fatherhood and career highs in this intimate documentary.

A look at the roots of the historic music scene in L.A.'s Laurel Canyon featuring the music of iconic music groups such as The Byrds, The Beach Boys, Buffalo Springfield, and The Mamas and the Papas.

Tehran, Iran, August 19, 1953. A group of Iranian conspirators who, with the approval of the deposed tyrant Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, have conspired with agents of the British MI6 and the US CIA, manage to put an end to the democratic government led by Mohammad Mosaddegh, a dramatic event that will begin the tragic era of coups d'état that, orchestrated by the CIA, will take place, over the following decades, in dozens of countries around the world.

On June 17th, 2015, 21-year-old white supremacist Dylann Roof walked into a bible study and murdered nine African Americans during their closing prayer. This is the story of the victims and survivors of that night.

A wilfully offensive band, The Mentors gained infamy for performing in black executioner hoods and spewing cartoonishly racist, homophobic and misogynistic lyrics in the 1980s and ‘90s—but was their use of shock meant to propagate hate or confront it?

Introducing his never before seen 'leaping one-hander' to the masses on a national level, Kenny Sailors quickly grew to be a fan favorite while leading his Wyoming Cowboys to the Collegiate National Championship in Madison Square Garden in 1943. But after playing on several losing teams in an unstable, emerging league now known as the NBA, Kenny disappeared into the Alaskan wilderness only to be forgotten by the sport he helped pioneer. Now, nearly sixty years later, the multitude of people he has touched along the way have forced Kenny’s humble reemergence.

The history of New York City's Apollo Theater in Harlem is given the full treatment.

An intimate portrait of a family coming to terms with decades of institutional abuse and the impact it has had and is still having on their lives.

The most comprehensive retrospective of the '80s action film genre ever made.

A documentary portrait chronicling the incredible life of Dr. Ruth Westheimer, a Holocaust survivor who became the United States' most famous sex therapist. As her 90th birthday approaches, Dr. Ruth revisits her painful past and her career at the forefront of the sexual revolution.

Winston Churchill understood the power of films, but the true extent of his use of cinema as a propaganda tool is rarely explored. In 1934, one of Britain's most celebrated film producers, Alexander Korda, signed Churchill up as a screenwriter and historical advisor. It was the start of a unique collaboration. Churchill provided script notes for Korda's productions and penned an epic screenplay. When war broke out, their collaboration took on national importance. Korda was sent on a mission to Hollywood to help bring America into the war, with positive results. With access to previously undiscovered documents, this film documentary examines that mission and a friendship that underpinned a unique, creative partnership.