1. The Way of the Shaman Drum (鼓韵关东)
During the Cultural Revolution in China in the late 20th century, ethnic Manchu people were persecuted and forced to give up such cultural traditions as the shaman dance . However, on Changbai Mountain in Northeast China, a farmer named Guan Yunde decided to start designing and building traditional Manchu shaman drums. At age 70, he is one of a minority of ethnic Manchu people in China's Jilin province, and one of the few people keeping the Manchu shamanic tradition alive.
It has an average vote of 9 on TMDB.
2. Basic Elements
The documentary explores the world of culture, nature and gastronomy through one chef's eyes across the marshlands of the Venetian Lagoon.
3. The Native Hue of Resolution
A documentary celebrating 20 years of the work of Kaleidoscope, an organisation devoted to the preservation of archive television.
4. Tajemnice Jana Pawła II (Tajemnice Jana Pawła II)
(Tajemnice Jana Pawła II)
5. Chicago, Grande Roue (Chicago, Grande Roue)
A view of the Ferris wheel from the Chicago Exposition of 1893, turning slowly.
It has an average vote of 5.4 on TMDB.
6. Ed Kelly and the Fighting 47th
An investigative documentary that focuses on political activities in the 47th Ward of Chicago and on the relationship between party politics and the park district. Originally aired on local Chicago news station WBBM-TV in 1979, the documentary details machine politics, patronage, clientelism and bribery that ran rife in Chicago's 47th Ward under the helm of Democratic Party Committeeman Ed Kelly. The digitization of this program was made possible by a grant from The Brinson Foundation.
7. Long Gone Summer
An examination of the 1998 MLB season and the home run race between Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa. The two sluggers' race to hit the most home runs, later overshadowed by the steroid scandal, left a permanent mark on baseball history.
It has an average vote of 5.8 on TMDB.
8. Art Tour (Night Edition)
“While in quarantine, Heyer has made extensive use of viral video platforms like TikTok and Instagram, exploring their potential as a vehicle for performance. Experimenting with cinematic genre, his minute-long comedy shorts offer a sort of rolling absurdist commentary on our present circumstances. That he has found inspiration in the limited resources available to him gives the work the sense of playful exuberance that is characteristic of Heyer’s practice. In his “Art Tour” videos, Heyer confidently the viewer through his neighborhood as though he is on a museum walkthrough: a discarded fishtank becomes “a stunning Dan Graham,” a shrouded window becomes “a challenging Wade Guyton.” Though playfully riffing on the jargon of the academy, the videos are also testaments to excitement art can bring to the challenges of our present.” — Night Gallery, Frieze Viewing Room 2020
9. Dan Cruickshank & The House That Wouldn't Die
This unique recreation of an 18th-century home, in London's Spitalfields, has to be seen to be believed. Dan Cruickshank smells the rotting food and warms his hands by the roaring fires and asks whether this living museum is really more accurate than a National Trust treasure, or just an eccentric one-off from its outlandish Californian creator, the late Dennis Severs. A follow-up of sorts to the 1985 BBC series Ours to Keep episode "Incomers" focused on this residence.
10. Life After People
In this special documentary that inspired a two-season television series, scientists and other experts speculate about what the Earth, animal life, and plant life might be like if, suddenly, humanity no longer existed, as well as the effect humanity's disappearance might have on the artificial aspects of civilization.
It has an average vote of 6.977 on TMDB.
11. Sisterhood (Ainsi soient-elles)
Documentary on a politically active group of nuns of Montreal.
12. The Mystery of Padre Pio (El Misterio del Padre Pío)
The documentary offers testimonies and documents never disclosed about the plot against its protagonist, who had the stigmata of Jesus Christ in his hands, feet and side for 50 consecutive years.
It has an average vote of 8 on TMDB.
13. Stolen Spirits of Haida Gwaii
Filmmaker Kevin McMahon accompanies the Haida delegation on a repatriation trip to Chicago in 2003. His film reveals the whole repatriation process through the stories and experiences of the people who participated, both Museum staff and the Haida people.
14. Spain: The First Globalization (España: la primera globalización)
A new reading of the historical period that began with the reign of the Catholic Monarchs and the discovery of America , as well as an analysis of its undeniable influence on the subsequent evolution of the history of Spain and the world.
It has an average vote of 7.818 on TMDB.
15. 17 Seconds
“17 Seconds” provides an all-access pass inside the Blackhawks locker room party in Boston and the airplane ride home with the Cup following Game 6, in addition to insight from the players on the Stanley Cup-winning team and members of the organization. Fans can ride along on the players’ buses during the championship parade and follow the Blackhawks as they spend their Cup days with family and friends, sharing the greatest trophy in sports with their communities. It also includes footage from the opening night banner raising ceremony.
It has an average vote of 5.2 on TMDB.
16. Devil's Chapel (Capilla del Diablo)
After finishing building his Chapel, Lorenzo suffers a depression and is locked in it for three years. When he opens the doors he calls his children to show what he did: good and evil.
17. Nightsong
A portrait of the Chicago Near-North nightlife scene in the mid-1960s, centering around the struggles and romantic desires of an African American singer played by long-forgotten folk sensation Willie Wright.
18. From Jack to Juke
Currently all the rage with hipsters worldwide, Chicago Juke music has roots that run deep. The film chronicles the birth and evolution of a genre over 25 years. A fascinating watch!
19. Conversations Between Shifts
A portrait of Chicagoland ICU nurse Jeanette Alvarez-Basem captured through the perspective of her son Ben Basem. Between her night shifts and Illinois Nurses Association union meetings, Jeanette navigates what it means to be a nurse and a human during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic.
20. JazzTown
Denver’s iconic and Grammy Award-winning musicians reveal the secrets of their success and longevity in the music business while warning the young lions to whom they pass the torch to stay relevant in a marketplace both treacherous and brutal. The majestic Rocky Mountains tower over a bustling metropolis filled with steamy and romantic nightclubs where jazz flourishes on stage. JazzTown features never seen before live concert footage on historic stages that have now crumbled due to economic stresses of the Covid Pandemic. ~ Dianne Reeves, 5-time Grammy Award winner for Best Jazz Vocalist ~ US Senator John Hickenlooper ~ Ron Miles ~ Charlie Hunter ~ Art Lande ~ Ayo Awosika and many more.