The People’s Poetry Gathering
1999
This film explores the great themes of the People’s Poetry Gathering: the relationship of oral, written, and musical forms of poetry. Both feature traditional forms such as the Puerto Rican concorso de trovadores (a poetry contest) and literary poets such as Galway Kinnell and Sekou Sandiata, as well as new forms and formats, such as a Heavyweight Poetry Bout between Sherman Alexie and Patricia Smith and a teen slam.
Directed by Nick Doob
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★ 9.22025
MovieDocumentary
Dr. James Graham, a physician in a struggling Oklahoma town, fights to save its bankrupt hospital.
Water and the Dream of the Engineers · 1983Water and the Dream of the Engineers
★ 9.01983
MovieDocumentary
Documentary where rich social history frames a spirited debate on the development of water infrastructure throughout the USA.
Youssou Ndour: I Bring What I Love · 2008Youssou Ndour: I Bring What I Love
★ 8.02008
MovieDocumentary
Senegalese pop sensation Youssou Ndour has spent the last 20 years in the spotlight as a world-renowned musician and the iconic representative "voice of Africa." At the height of his career, Youssou became frustrated by the negative perception of his Muslim faith and composed Egypt, a deeply spiritual album dedicated to a more tolerant view of Islam. The album's brave musical message was wholeheartedly embraced by Western audiences but ignited serious religious controversy in his homeland of Senegal. The film chronicles the difficult journey Youssou must undertake to assume his true calling.
Depeche Mode 101 · 1989Depeche Mode 101
★ 8.01989
MovieDocumentaryMusic
A fascinating documentary focusing on backstage realities of art and business during the British synthesizer band's 1988 American tour.
Jimi Plays Monterey · 1987Jimi Plays Monterey
★ 7.51987
MovieDocumentaryMusic
Jimi Hendrix's debut American set at 1967's Monterey Pop Festival is generally considered one of the most radical and legendary live shows ever. Virtually unknown to American audiences at the time, even though he was already an established entity in the UK, Hendrix and his two-piece Experience explode on stage, ripping through blues classics "Rock Me Baby" and Howlin' Wolf's "Killing Floor," interpreting and electrifying Bob Dylan's "Like a Rolling Stone," debuting songs from his yet-to-be-released first album and closing with the now historic sacrificing/burning of his guitar during an unhinged version of "Wild Thing" that even its writer Chip Taylor would never have imagined. Hendrix uses feedback and distortion to enhance the songs in whisper-to-scream intensity, blazing territory that had not been previously explored with as much soul-frazzled power.
Down from the Mountain · 2001Down from the Mountain
★ 7.52001
MovieMusicDocumentary
On May 24, 2000, the historic Ryman Auditorium was booked to offer Nashvillians an evening of sublime beauty. Label executives and soundtrack producers so loved the music of O Brother, Where Art Thou? that they brought it to life as a benefit concert for the Country Music Hall of Fame. Filmmakers Joel and Ethan Coen loved it so much that they hired famed documentary filmmaker D.A. Pennebaker to record the show for posterity. The concert that unfolded that night was one of the greatest musical moments in the annals of Music City. Performers: John Hartford, Alison Krauss, Emmylou Harris, Gillian Welch, Chris Thomas King, The Cox Family, Fairfield Four, Union Station, Colin Linden, The Nashville Bluegrass Band, The Peasall Sisters, Ralph Stanley, David Rawlings, The Whites.
Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars · 1983Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars
★ 7.41983
MovieMusic
Hammersmith Odeon, London, July 3, 1973. British singer David Bowie performs his alter ego Ziggy Stardust for the very last time. A decadent show, a hallucinogenic collage of kitsch, pop irony and flamboyant excess: a musical symbiosis of feminine passion and masculine dominance that defines Bowie's art and the glam rock genre.
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MovieDocumentary
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Shake! Otis at Monterey · 1987Shake! Otis at Monterey
★ 7.41987
MovieDocumentaryMusic
Renowned documentary filmmaker D.A. Pennebaker captures Otis Redding in his ascendancy, singing at the historic Monterey International Pop Festival in June 1967. Comedian Tom Smothers introduces Redding to a crowd that is leaving -- until Redding grabs them with his charged rendition of "Shake." Redding's performance also includes "Respect" (which he wrote), "I've Been Loving You Too Long," "Satisfaction," and "Try a Little Tenderness." Tragically, Redding died in a plane crash six months later. An innovative filmmaker who started in the 1950s making experimental films, Pennebaker garnered an Oscar nomination for Best Documentary Feature in 1993 for The War Room, his behind-the-scenes look at Bill Clinton's 1992 campaign. His other subjects have included Norman Mailer, Bob Dylan, and David Bowie.
Monterey Pop · 1968Monterey Pop
★ 7.31968
MovieMusicDocumentary
Featuring performances by popular artists of the 1960s, this concert film highlights the music of the 1967 California festival. Although not all musicians who performed at the Monterey Pop Festival are on film, some of the notable acts include the Mamas and the Papas, Simon & Garfunkel, Jefferson Airplane, the Who, Otis Redding, and the Jimi Hendrix Experience. Hendrix's post-performance antics -- lighting a guitar on fire, breaking it and tossing a part into the audience -- are captured.
Only the Strong Survive · 2002Only the Strong Survive
★ 7.02002
MovieDocumentaryMusic
A film featuring the veteran soul music artists and music of Stax Records. It tells the story of soul, a musical genre that was to have a major influence on other styles of music for decades. Ten legends of soul talk about the beginnings and still show at their concerts today that, despite their advanced age, they have lost none of the energy and joie de vivre that defines this music.
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★ 6.92006
MovieDocumentaryComedy
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The War Room · 1993The War Room
★ 6.81993
MovieDocumentaryHistory
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★ 6.62006
MovieComedyDocumentary
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Smile Pinki · 2008Smile Pinki
★ 6.62008
MovieDocumentary
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American High · 2000American High
★ 6.32000
SeriesDocumentary
American High is an American documentary television show about the lives of fourteen students at Highland Park High School, located in the city of Highland Park, Illinois. The series originally aired on Fox and was canceled after four episodes. It was later picked up by PBS and aired in its entirety. The series was created by R. J. Cutler, an award winning documentary filmmaker. The show received the 2001 Emmy Award for Outstanding Non-Fiction Program.
The theme song "American High", was written and performed by Bouncing Souls.
An earlier Fox Network documentary series from 1991, Yearbook also covered the lives of suburban Chicago high school students.
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