When was the first time "school lunch" was ridiculed in a movie (most likely a teen flick) or a TV show? We're currently producing a documentary on school lunch, and we know that there was a cultural shift in how school lunch was perceived (great social achievement to grotesque laughingstock). If you can help us identify the first instance of this shift in popular culture, we'll give you a film credit.
posted by jacknose on Nov 18, 2009 - 17 answers

I am working on a PhD in music theory and cognition. I hate wasting time, but sometimes my brain needs a break from reading/writing/listening/analyzing. Help me create a list of films and documentaries that relate in some way to my field so that I can stare at a screen sometimes and still feel like I'm feeding my unquenchable desire to learn about music and mind. [more inside]
posted by nosila on Nov 1, 2009 - 15 answers

Is there a documentary that contains basic info (+ maybe some cultural info) for every country in the world? [more inside]
posted by nnevvinn on Oct 16, 2009 - 5 answers

If you were giving a crash course on the history of Berlin 1933-1990, and you were limited to just a couple films, which ones would you assign? Documentaries preferred, and they must have some kind of English language option. [more inside]
posted by Beardman on Oct 15, 2009 - 5 answers

Name this 1960s NFB sex ed documentary! [more inside]
posted by Sys Rq on Sep 22, 2009 - 4 answers

Help me find good films on Nepal, for a high-school crowd. [more inside]
posted by mmmleaf on Aug 23, 2009 - 2 answers

I keep hearing about a documentary from the 1970s called "Glass India" - about glass blowing in India. Does anyone know where to buy it or download it?
posted by abirae on Aug 19, 2009 - 3 answers

What are the best documentaries / movies on depression? [more inside]
posted by jfricke on May 12, 2009 - 5 answers

The greatest a-holes to ever strut in front of a documentary film maker's camera? [more inside]
posted by fire&wings on Feb 4, 2009 - 70 answers

Please help me name my documentary on urban farming! [more inside]
posted by ORthey on Aug 20, 2008 - 25 answers

I am leaving for Beijing in a few days. I am bringing a video camera and plan to interview English-speaking Chinese people on the street. My goal is to edit the footage together into an informative and insightful piece. If you could ask the people of China any question, what would it be?
posted by srkit on Aug 8, 2008 - 32 answers

I'm going to be filming a documentary in the Philippines about families supported by the pornography industry, and I'd like to hear any interesting questions you might have for the subjects. [more inside]
posted by premiumpolar on Jun 23, 2008 - 15 answers

I'm looking for a documentary about Fleetwood Mac that a friend had spoken highly of but which I can't seem to find. It might have been about the making of 'Rumours' but I only see a book about that on Amazon--no film. Anyone seen this?
posted by prior on Mar 25, 2008 - 9 answers

Can anyone identify a specific documentary that details a film maker's work with wolves? [more inside]
posted by bonobo on Dec 30, 2007 - 9 answers

"Quiet" documentary recommendations. [more inside]
posted by Salmonberry on Oct 21, 2007 - 24 answers

What would be a good, compelling subject for a short (7-15 minute) documentary film on an (for all intents and purposes) average college campus that hasn't been done a million times before?
posted by The Esteemed Doctor Bunsen Honeydew on Sep 5, 2007 - 20 answers

Let's say I want to film an amateur, feature-length documentary. One can assume I'd use a digital camera for relative cheapness and expediency, but which cameras are good enough to do a professional-looking job? I'd be on a very tight budget. This does not take into account the sound equipment, but perhaps you could also comment on that? [more inside]
posted by Vic Morrow's Personal Vietnam on Aug 14, 2007 - 13 answers

What are some small film/documentary companies that have put their films online for pay download? [more inside]
posted by yellowbinder on Jul 24, 2007 - 2 answers

Looking for examples of two types of found footage film/ compilation video. [more inside]
posted by Ambrosia Voyeur on Jan 11, 2007 - 20 answers

In Werner Herzog's Lessons of Darkness there are a few images toward the end of oilfield workers igniting uncapped oil wells. Presuming these are the same workers who had been working to put out the oil field fires (and I think they are), why are they igniting those wells? [more inside]
posted by OmieWise on Jan 2, 2007 - 9 answers

Who holds copyright to Hearts of Darkness^, and why did they block inclusion of the documentary in the recently-released Apocalypse Now: The Complete Dossier DVD set?
posted by mwhybark on Dec 23, 2006 - 10 answers

Where can I find more information about bands and the writing of albums in the studio. [more inside]
posted by occidental on Oct 31, 2006 - 15 answers

How big a deal is it to shoot a documentary in LA and New York without permits? (overseas tv crew) [more inside]
posted by DOUBLE A SIDE on Oct 25, 2006 - 14 answers

A good friend of mine completed his first feature-lenght documentary this year. Now he wants to submit it to different documentary festivals. [more inside]
posted by amusem on Oct 16, 2006 - 15 answers

About 5 years ago I saw a very funny, possibly fake documentary about middle aged singles looking for romance, but I have no idea what the title of the film could be. Help! [more inside]
posted by maryh on Sep 7, 2006 - 4 answers

My grandfather won an Oscar in 1976 and I want to find some video of his accpetance speech. [more inside]
posted by persona non grata on Aug 4, 2006 - 15 answers

I'm looking for two freelance camerapeople for a documentary-style shoot in San Francisco... [more inside]
posted by so_necessary on Jul 26, 2006 - 7 answers

I'm looking for films (and documentaries) that feature architecture. [more inside]
posted by strawberryviagra on May 29, 2006 - 37 answers

Anyone know of any good documentaries about Hugh Hefner? [more inside]
posted by samsarah on May 23, 2006 - 8 answers

Help me document (on film) my pre-conception, conception and pregnancy process. [more inside]
posted by arcticwoman on May 19, 2006 - 15 answers

Help me make a low-budget documentary that doesn't suck! [more inside]
posted by arcticwoman on Sep 23, 2005 - 23 answers

I have seen archival footage of a strange restaurant called the "Whirl-A-Way" and I am trying to dig up that footage or any other information about the establishment. [more inside]
posted by user92371 on Apr 1, 2005 - 3 answers

I want to watch some good documentaries. Please advise. (Simultaneously, I shall beef about The Elegant Universe, a USA science programme.) [more inside]
posted by five fresh fish on Jan 1, 2005 - 50 answers

Does anyone have experience with promoting an independent documentary film? [no links to, or mention of the film itself... I'm not trying to be that guy -- more inside] [more inside]
posted by cadastral on Dec 18, 2003 - 10 answers