1. War in Russia: The Siege of Leningrad
Relive one of the longest and most destructive sieges in history that led to the systematic starvation and destruction of the human population.
It has an average vote of 6 on TMDB.
2. Disturbing the Peace
Disturbing the Peace follows a group of former enemy combatants - Israeli soldiers from the most elite units, and Palestinian fighters, many of whom served years in prison - who have come together to challenge the status quo and and say “enough". The film traces their transformational journeys from soldiers committed to armed battle to non-violent peace activists. It is a story of the human potential unleashed when we stop participating in a story that no longer serves us, and with the power of our convictions take action to create a new possibility.
It has an average vote of 7.6 on TMDB.
3. Date With History: Hiroshima
A reconstruction using archive film of the bombing of Hiroshima, followed by a discussion of the main issues by Ludovic Kennedy and Group-Captain Cheshire.
4. 12 balles dans la peau pour Pierre Laval (12 balles dans la peau pour Pierre Laval)
(12 balles dans la peau pour Pierre Laval)
It has an average vote of 10 on TMDB.
5. Black Women and World War II: The 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion
In the midst of World War II, the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion, an all-female African-American unit, undertook the monumental task of sorting and delivering a massive backlog of mail for the U.S. military. Despite facing deplorable working conditions and the pervasive dual discrimination of race and gender, these women served their country with unbreakable determination and pride. Led by the formidable Major Charity Adams, they not only achieved their mission in half the expected time but also broke barriers, standing firm against inequality and inspiring future generations. Tragically overlooked for years, the story of the 6888th sheds light on a remarkable, untold chapter of American history, reflecting both the triumphs and injustices that shaped the nation's path towards civil rights. Their courage and resilience continue to resonate, a poignant reminder of the societal strides still needed to fully recognize and honor their invaluable contribution.
6. Cake Bakers & Trouble Makers: Lucy Worsley's 100 Years of the WI
Documentary to mark the WI's centenary. Lucy Worsley goes beyond the stereotypes of jam and Jerusalem to reveal the surprisingly radical side of this Great British institution.
7. We Have One Heart (We Have One Heart)
After his mother’s death, Adam finds his parents’ correspondence. We discover a love adventure entangled in the 20th century, when the world was cut in two and the war between Iran and Iraq marked the start of tragic conflicts in the Middle East. Mixing animation and found footage, we dive in a odyssey full of bombshells and secrets.
It has an average vote of 5 on TMDB.
8. Je vais tuer Hitler (Je vais tuer Hitler)
One day, in Savigny, an 18-year-old boy left his house in the middle of the war, saying: "I'm leaving, I'm going to kill Hitler." His name was Joseph, he was Jewish, he was my great-uncle. He disappeared during the night of the Occupation, and his existence became a family secret. He disappeared from history, the small as well as the big: he is not on any deportation list, and the only archive where he appears is a family photo of him as a child. It disappeared like a stone at the bottom of the water, instead of going up in smoke in the sky of Poland. What did he become ? And why didn't anyone mention his name anymore?
It has an average vote of 9 on TMDB.
9. WWII From Space
WWII from Space delivers World War II in a way you've never experienced it before. This HISTORY special uses an all-seeing CGI eye that offers a satellite view of the conflict, allowing you to experience it in a way that puts key events and tipping points in a global perspective. By re-creating groundbreaking moments that could never have been captured on camera, and by illustrating the importance of simultaneity and the hidden effects of crucial incidents, HISTORY presents the war's monumental moments in a never-before-seen context. And with new information brought to the forefront, you'll better understand how a nation ranked 19th in the world's militaries in 1939 emerged six years later as the planet's only atomic superpower.
It has an average vote of 7.1 on TMDB.
10. Ulvens läge fastställt (Ulvens läge fastställt)
Documentary about the Swedish submarine Ulven which was sunk by a mine in Swedish waters in 1943 killing all 33 crew members.
11. Henry Browne, Farmer
Henry Browne, an African American farmer, and his family are profiled in this film. The important job of a farmer during times of war is highlighted, specifically his efforts growing peanuts and cotton. This role is made even more poingnant when they visit the eldest son who is a cadet in the 99th Pursuit Squadron.
It has an average vote of 4.8 on TMDB.
12. Little Belgium
A profile of the more than 2,000 Belgian refugees in the fishing port of Brixham.
It has an average vote of 5.5 on TMDB.
13. Our Queen at War
Learn how the longest reigning monarch in British history was shaped by World War II. Princess Elizabeth’s experiences during the war mirrored those of the public and helped shape her into the Queen she is today.
It has an average vote of 7 on TMDB.
14. Berlin 1945 - Diary of a Metropolis (Berlin 1945 - Tagebuch einer Großstadt)
Berlin 1945 time-travels into the city’s most fateful year through the eyes of those, who experienced it: German people and Allied soldiers. A fast paced collage creates an in-the-moment narrative of how the war was won and lost. Hitlerboy Dirk and Goebbels watch their world implode, while Alice fears for her children in Auschwitz and Russian soldier Victor walks through the plundered Chancellery. When it’s all over, Germans learn democracy and socialism. Giving voice to Soviet, US, UK and French soldiers as well as to the German population anxiously awaiting the outcome of the fighting. BERLIN 1945 creates an innovative, comprehensive narrative of how the war was won and lost, how the city was liberated and how it emerged from the rubble.
It has an average vote of 6.8 on TMDB.
15. The Autobiography of a 'Jeep'
The invention and use of a jeep are described, from the viewpoint of one of the vehicles.
It has an average vote of 5.2 on TMDB.
16. Main Street on the March!
This Best Short Subject Academy Award winning film begins in the spring of 1940, just before the Nazi occupation of the Benelux countries, and ends immediately after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. It chronicles how the people of "Main Street America", the country's military forces, and its industrial base were completely transformed when the decision was made to gear up for war. Original footage is interspersed with contemporary newsreels and stock footage.
It has an average vote of 5.25 on TMDB.
17. Los Alamos: The Beginning
A documentary composed of historical footage and contemporary interviews from the men and women of Los Alamos, recalling their experiences of the community and the creation of the atomic bomb from the inception of the program in 1943.
18. Stolen by Hitler
In 1941 Hitler deported over 2000 British men, women and children from the Channel Islands to the heart of Nazi Germany. It was a terrifying journey into the unknown and some killed themselves rather than go. Others had just hours to pack one bag, destroy their pets and leave. However, the initial horror of the camps and the struggle to survive in the primitive conditions was replaced with a determination not just to survive, but to thrive, as Hitler's crime created one of the most bizarre episodes of the war.
19. Hitler's Island Madness
As soon as Hitler's forces occupied the Channel Islands in 1940 he ordered a series of fortifications to defend the only British territory he ever conquered. The problem was he never stopped - pouring men, concrete and weapons into the islands. By 1944 his officers talked of the Fuehrer's inselwahn - his 'island madness' and the Channel Islands had become the most fortified place on earth.
20. Fleeing the Reich
In 1940, carried on a wave of rumour and panic, thirty thousand Channel Islanders fled their homes, their livelihoods and the islands for five long years in exile. Arriving in England with just one small case and only twenty pounds in cash, they were sent by rail across the country from Oldham to Glasgow. Children separated from parents, all cast adrift in an alien culture. Homeless and jobless, the adventures that befell them helped forge friendships the length and breadth of Great Britain which survive to this day. This is their story.
