Comments on: Business Documentaries

Question: Business Documentaries

mooders — Sat, 01 Dec 2007 12:43:00 -0800

What are some good and/or insightful and/or illuminating business-related documentaries? By good, I mean fairly comprehensive and not overtly biased with a pro- or anti- corporation/capitalism/etc stance.

I'm currently half-way through an MBA, and whilst I have around 20 feet of shelf space devoted to business-related books, I have perhaps no more than a couple of hours-worth of video documentaries.

Bonus points for links to downloading goodness!

By: Sticherbeast

Sticherbeast — Sat, 01 Dec 2007 12:50:31 -0800

Mondovino.

By: mcbeth

mcbeth — Sat, 01 Dec 2007 13:00:51 -0800

If you consider the MPAA a business, you may appreciate This Film Not Yet Rated.

By: jbickers

jbickers — Sat, 01 Dec 2007 13:04:05 -0800

Startup.com is good, as is Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room.

By: LobsterMitten

LobsterMitten — Sat, 01 Dec 2007 13:18:44 -0800

The PBS series Frontline does good work. Most of their recent shows are viewable free online. Several business-related ones in there.

By: LobsterMitten

LobsterMitten — Sat, 01 Dec 2007 13:21:06 -0800

direct link to the online viewing area of Frontline's site. Most of the docs there have some segment of them devoted to business considerations (eg in "News War", the third part of the series is about the changing effect of business considerations on news in various media).

By: luriete

luriete — Sat, 01 Dec 2007 13:31:31 -0800

Some people may disagree, but I don't find Roger & Me anti-corporation - it's more about running a company ethically, and it's quite entertaining.

By: ioesf

ioesf — Sat, 01 Dec 2007 13:47:39 -0800

low budget and somewhat narrow in focus - but still illuminating - is democracy in the workplace: three worker owned businesses in action (aired on pbs in 1999)

By: kirkaracha

kirkaracha — Sat, 01 Dec 2007 14:25:52 -0800

It's a docudrama, but Barbarians at the Gate (based on the book, which is in turn based on Wall Street Journal coverage) is an entertaining look at the the leveraged buyout of RJR Nabisco. (Plus, James Garner is great in the movie.)

By: Gungho

Gungho — Sat, 01 Dec 2007 14:50:34 -0800

PBS Did "Empire of the Air" about radio and television. Both the invention of the devices and the invention of the business.

By: McLir

McLir — Sat, 01 Dec 2007 14:55:30 -0800

"The Corporation." The link provides the whole film in sequence via YouTube links.

It's about the role of the corporation as an institution in the modern world. It's over three hours total and it has voices ranging from Milton Friedman to Michael Moore. The most interesting interview, however, are from actual business practitioners. It's one of the best documentaries on any subject.

The documentary's site is here.

By: Gerard Sorme

Gerard Sorme — Sat, 01 Dec 2007 14:57:35 -0800

I agree that The Corporation is a classic. However, I don't think it could be considered unbiased. Great film at any rate.

By: divabat

divabat — Sat, 01 Dec 2007 16:52:28 -0800

This may be a bit "biased" (towards mom-and-pop stores) for you, but on a recent Qantas flight I saw a documentary about two young filmmakers who went across the US and only bought from small family-run businesses. It was a discussion on the impact of "big box" companies (Wal-Mart, etc) in local communities, as well as community commerce.

By: Afroblanco

Afroblanco — Sun, 02 Dec 2007 21:47:02 -0800

Seconding "Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room." Not only is it educational, but it has a highly compelling central narrative. You get to watch these exceptionally powerful people ruin one of world's largest corporations, completely through their own hubris. I'd think it would be essential viewing for MBAs.

By: gatchaman

gatchaman — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 05:13:57 -0800

There was a fantastic series by the BBC back in the very early 90s about the fashion business, called The Look. It wasn't a fluff piece at all and had some really interesting episodes on how magazine covers are chosen, the intricate politics of the business (e.g. turning a blind eye to fakes) and a good deal on branding. Funny that it's not mentioned anywhere on the BBC site, but it's in my pile of video tapes that I'm going to add to tvtorrents, so if you're interested I'll be putting it there in January.

By: stefnet

stefnet — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 22:36:44 -0800

A little late to the game, but how about Barbara Kopple's American Dream and Harlan County, USA?