1. The Arrival of a Train at La Ciotat (L'arrivée d'un train à La Ciotat)
Likely in June 1897, a group of people are standing along the platform of a railway station in La Ciotat, waiting for a train. One is seen coming, at some distance, and eventually stops at the platform. Doors of the railway-cars open and attendants help passengers off and on. Popular legend has it that, when this film was shown, the first-night audience fled the café in terror, fearing being run over by the "approaching" train. This legend has since been identified as promotional embellishment, though there is evidence to suggest that people were astounded at the capabilities of the Lumières' cinématographe.
It has an average vote of 7.106 on TMDB.
2. For Love or Money
Using almost totally historical material, For Love or Money encompasses the role of Australian women in both paid and unpaid work, over a 200 year period.
3. The Halt (Полустанок)
Trains travel through the night without stopping. The clatter of the carriages quickly disappears, along with the wail of the locomotive. The people at the station are all asleep. But why are they so exhausted ? And what are they waiting for? Set inside an isolated train depot, The Train Station is one of Sergei Loznitsa's most haunting films. It is also one of his most pointed social critiques. In this film, we are brought to a remote train station deep in the Russian woods. It's nighttime. In the distance, we hear the clatter of locomotives. The station, a small wooden building, sits silently, surrounded only by snow and train tracks.
It has an average vote of 4.9 on TMDB.
4. Olympia: Part One – Festival of the Nations (Olympia - Fest der Völker)
Commissioned to make a propaganda film about the 1936 Olympic Games in Germany, director Leni Riefenstahl created a celebration of the human form. This first half of her two-part film opens with a renowned introduction that compares modern Olympians to classical Greek heroes, then goes on to provide thrilling in-the-moment coverage of some of the games' most celebrated moments, including African-American athlete Jesse Owens winning a then-unprecedented four gold medals.
It has an average vote of 6.9 on TMDB.
5. Olympia: Part Two – Festival of Beauty (Olympia - Fest der Schönheit)
Commissioned to make a propaganda film about the 1936 Olympic Games in Germany, director Leni Riefenstahl created a celebration of the human form. Where the two-part epic's first half, Festival of the Nations, focused on the international aspects of the 1936 Olympic Games held in Berlin, part two, The Festival of Beauty, concentrates on individual athletes such as equestrians, gymnasts, and swimmers, climaxing with American Glenn Morris' performance in the decathalon and the games' majestic closing ceremonies.
It has an average vote of 6.7 on TMDB.
6. Workers Leaving the Lumière Factory (La Sortie de l'Usine Lumière à Lyon)
Working men and women leave through the main gate of the Lumière factory in Lyon, France. Filmed on 22 March 1895, it is often referred to as the first real motion picture ever made, although Louis Le Prince's 1888 Roundhay Garden Scene pre-dated it by seven years. Three separate versions of this film exist, which differ from one another in numerous ways. The first version features a carriage drawn by one horse, while in the second version the carriage is drawn by two horses, and there is no carriage at all in the third version. The clothing style is also different between the three versions, demonstrating the different seasons in which each was filmed. This film was made in the 35 mm format with an aspect ratio of 1.33:1, and at a speed of 16 frames per second. At that rate, the 17 meters of film length provided a duration of 46 seconds, holding a total of 800 frames.
It has an average vote of 6.696 on TMDB.
7. Bizarre: A Circus Story
An intimate look at the extraordinary life of Master Lu Yi, hailed as the father of modern acrobatics, and the vast community of big-top lovers who share his dream of a thriving US circus industry.
It has an average vote of 6 on TMDB.
8. Skateboard Sense
Safety film from the late 70s/early 80s about the new hobby of skateboarding. Produced by Sid Davis.
9. Two: The Story of Roman & Nyro
Combining over twelve years of footage and narrated by their twin sons, TWO: The Story of Roman & Nyro, follows legendary songwriter Desmond Child and his lifelong partner's loving journey to create their new modern family.
It has an average vote of 4.3 on TMDB.
10. The New Black
The New Black is a documentary that tells the story of how the African-American community is grappling with the gay rights issue in light of the recent gay marriage movement and the fight over civil rights. The film documents activists, families and clergy on both sides of the campaign to legalize gay marriage and examines homophobia in the black community's institutional pillar-the black church and reveals the Christian right wing's strategy of exploiting this phenomenon in order to pursue an anti-gay political agenda. The New Black takes viewers into the pews and onto the streets and provides a seat at the kitchen table as it tells the story of the historic fight to win marriage equality in Maryland and charts the evolution of this divisive issue within the black community.
It has an average vote of 5.2 on TMDB.
11. Conversations on Serious Topics (Pokalbiai rimtomis temomis)
Conversations On Serious Topics is a film without exterior action, props, landscapes or special effects. Its main characters are children and teenagers with a special ability to describe the surrounding world. Intimate conversations with them reveal the picture of the modern world -- at times melancholic, at times comical, at times dramatic. Shot in a minimalist fashion, the film raises questions about loneliness, love, God, the world and human relations. "The world is people." "Don't you believe in God? I can teach you how to start believing..."
It has an average vote of 6 on TMDB.
12. The Story of the Weeping Camel (Die Geschichte vom weinenden Kamel)
When a Mongolian nomadic family's newest camel colt is rejected by its mother, a musician is needed for a ritual to change her mind.
It has an average vote of 7.1 on TMDB.
13. Castle to Castle (D’un château l’autre)
Spring 2017, in between the two rounds of the French presidential election. Pierre, a 25-year-old scholarship holder studying in a big Parisian school, lives with 75-year-old Francine, who is disabled and wheelchair-bound. Politically and socially opposed, they are perplexed and disoriented as they witness the unfolding electoral spectacle. While waiting for the results, they engage with each other, as Pierre tries to take care of Francine’s body and she attempts to heal his voiceless resentment.
It has an average vote of 4.2 on TMDB.
14. ACT (Акт)
Several fragments of one day in Leningrad in the autumn of 1989, refracted in the imagination of the artist.
It has an average vote of 6.5 on TMDB.
15. Born Into Brothels: Calcutta's Red Light Kids
Documentary depicting the lives of child prostitutes in the red light district of Songachi, Calcutta. Director Zana Briski went to photograph the prostitutes when she met and became friends with their children. Briski began giving photography lessons to the children and became aware that their photography might be a way for them to lead better lives.
It has an average vote of 6.86 on TMDB.
16. Wege Gottes
(Wege Gottes)
It has an average vote of 10 on TMDB.
17. Full Metal Village (Full Metal Village)
The film describes the microcosmos of the small village Wacken and shows the clash of the cultures, before and during the biggest heavy metal festival in Europe.
It has an average vote of 6.632 on TMDB.
18. Room 19
Room 19 follows an elementary school teacher who uses an innovative art curriculum to inspire her students, and transform the way they see the world, and themselves. Room 19 is a third grade classroom at Tulita Elementary School in Redondo Beach, California, the home room of teacher Mrs. Julie Tamashiro. Mrs. Tamashiro has created an innovative learning environment which incorporates in depth arts activities and lessons in her daily curriculum.
19. Bound by Flesh
Conjoined twins Daisy and Violet Hilton were once the cream of the sideshow crop. Taught to sing and dance at an early age, the winsome duo ascended through the early 20th-century vaudeville circuit as a side attraction before a cascade of unscrupulous management and harsh mistreatment brought their careers tumbling down. This engrossing glimpse into a bygone era is filled with fascinating interviews and rare archival footage.
It has an average vote of 5.9 on TMDB.
20. De verdediging van Robert M. (De verdediging van Robert M.)
(De verdediging van Robert M.)
It has an average vote of 8.5 on TMDB.