Anyone who knows me can tell you that I live for documentaries. There is not one week that goes by where I don’t watch one. What I love about documentaries, is that you may not find the absolute truth in all of them, but they will leave your brain clicking. And that’s where Netflix comes in. There is a plethora of documentaries to choose from on Netflix and they cover almost anything you can think of.

Below I’ve put together a list of my favorites. There are a lot more that I love, but these I will always recommend. Regardless of your interest in documentaries, these will surely leave you thinking and questioning everything you thought you knew.

The Wolfpack

Intimate, sad, unsettling and strange, The Wolfpack is about early life for the Angulo brothers, who, for all of their youth, lived their life through film. And it’s not in the sense you may be thinking.  These boys grew up confined to their small New York City apartment by their paranoid father and frightened mother. The TV was all they had to connect them to the outside world and they used it to the best of their ability to keep them entertained….and sane. They built forts and movie sets, memorized entire movie scenes and reenacted every role. You get to see, how they made their little world bearable. Their story will captivate and sadden you. You will feel anger and trepidation. It is so unusual, that you’d be left wondering if anything you’ve just seen, is real.

The Witness

I’ve read story after story, listened to account after account, read case studies after case studies and watched documentary after documentary on the well known story of Kitty Genovese. She was famous for her 1964 murder in Queens, New York. This murder was allegedly witnessed by over 30 neighbors, all of whom did nothing to help her. No one intervened, no one called the police. The coverage of this story always focuses on the selfish American culture, but is it really? Many years later, her brother carries out his own investigations, and stumbles upon a number of interesting and shocking details. Both about his sister and about the event itself. It shows that fact is sometimes more shocking than fiction and really, you should not believe everything you hear.

 How To Survive A Plague

How to Survive a Plague reflects the harsh struggle faced by gay activists in the 1980s in an effort to bring awareness of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the community to the Government and wider society. This was a time where no one knew what HIV/AIDS was, what caused it or how it was transmitted. All everyone knew, was that gay men were checking in to hospitals left right and center without explanation of what was happening to their bodies. It details the fight for funding for research, treatment and public awareness. You get to see how in those days, if you were gay, you just didn’t matter.  That wasn’t the only problem as there was infighting within the activist community itself. Many died, but some survived to tell the story and made sure we didn’t forget how far we came in the fight against AIDS.

 The Imposter

This has to be THE weirdest program, recapping real life, that I have ever seen. It literally gives me chills. It is by far my favorite documentary. Hearing his account on the details of this documentary is intriguing, creepy, shocking and will leave you questioning a lot of things. You walk around wondering if everyone you know, is really who they say they are. This documentary shows you the lengths in which human beings will go just to belong. To be a part of something. It also examines and showcases what abuse can do to an individuals’ psyche. We follow the story of frenchman Frédéric Bourdin, who impersonates missing 16 year old Nicholas Barclay. ‘Nicholas’s’ family welcomes him home after he has been missing for a number of years, but some of them are not so embracing. Some knew that this man was an intruder. So, it begs the question, why did they (his family) accept his story and why did they allow him to stay?

Jiro Dreams of Sushi

Jiro Dreams of Sushi explores the craft of creating perfect sushi. We hear from and observe sushi master Jiro and his son Yoshikazu on their quest to prepare and serve exquisite sushi each and every time. We get to see their not so ordinary restaurant in Japan, where in order to eat there, you need to have an appointment months, and some times years in advance. In this one hour and 20 minutes, you will find information on the culture of the Japanese food industry, family obligations and expectations, along with environmental concerns affecting the industry and them as a family unit. Much of it though, talks about what it takes to attain excellence. The sacrifice, dedication and loyalty of it all. You will surely be suffering from a watering mouth when you reach the end.

Dear Zachary: A Letter To A Son About His Father

Oh this is a sad one. But also a great one. This documentary was made by Kurt Kuenne, who details the life of his childhood friend, Andrew Bagby. Andrew was murdered by his ex girlfriend in 2001, who was pregnant at the time (unbeknownst to him) with their son, Zachary.  The film is dedicated to Zachary, so that he knows the person his father was and the life he lived. It explores the grisly details of Andrew’s death and the custody battle which ensued between Andrew’s parents and ex girlfriend thereafter. This one is a definite tear jerker.

Blackfish

This is Tilikum’s story, and by extension, all of the other whales exploited and abused by Sea World for their attraction shows. Blackfish the documentary, has been one of the most effective movies advocating for social change. The film dissects the lives of these animals, from birth to death. This caused a massive public outcry. One which eventually put an end to Sea World’s whale shows and their commitment to discontinue the breeding of whales. We listen to interviews from specialists, past Sea World employees and trainers who all highlight the damage experienced by these orcas, not only physically but mentally and emotionally as well.

 Cowspiracy: The Sustainability Secret

Cowspiracy examines how the consumption of meat and the development of animal agriculture affects our planet. The information on the link between the meat we produce and buy, and the greenhouse gasses which continue to destroy our atmosphere is abundant and controversial. It investigates the policies of environmental organizations on the issue and what we as global citizens can do to prevent some of the damage. Caution to meat eaters though, you just might rethink the way you eat!

So, what documentaries are you watching? Any recommendations? Please share!

Thanks for stopping by!

P.S ~ Five Random Things & 10 Things I’m Loving – August