Great documentaries... streaming
October 12, 2018 9:52 PM Subscribe
What are your favorite streaming documentaries about ordinary people, communities, problems?
I'm looking for compelling real stories about people, but definitely not biographies of famous people. Documentaries in this mode that I've loved include Rich Hill, Prison Town USA, Paradise Lost, and There's Something Wrong with Aunt Diane. What these have in common is that they reveal the extraordinary ordinariness of human lives, tell human stories, show communities I might not have access to.
Streaming only please.
I'm looking for compelling real stories about people, but definitely not biographies of famous people. Documentaries in this mode that I've loved include Rich Hill, Prison Town USA, Paradise Lost, and There's Something Wrong with Aunt Diane. What these have in common is that they reveal the extraordinary ordinariness of human lives, tell human stories, show communities I might not have access to.
Streaming only please.
Minding the Gap (streaming on Hulu)
posted by carrienation at 10:14 PM on October 12, 2018 [2 favorites]
posted by carrienation at 10:14 PM on October 12, 2018 [2 favorites]
Children Full of Life for sure!
posted by nicolas léonard sadi carnot at 10:34 PM on October 12, 2018
posted by nicolas léonard sadi carnot at 10:34 PM on October 12, 2018
Fandor is a ~$4/month add-on to Prime Video that offers tons of these, e.g. Marwencol (imdb) or Daguerréotypes (imdb).
posted by Wobbuffet at 11:12 PM on October 12, 2018 [2 favorites]
posted by Wobbuffet at 11:12 PM on October 12, 2018 [2 favorites]
David Sutherland’s documentaries on Frontline on PBS are free on its site: Country Boys and Kind Hearted Woman. Both excellent, also both many hours in length.
posted by knmr76 at 1:43 AM on October 13, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by knmr76 at 1:43 AM on October 13, 2018 [1 favorite]
Does BBC iPlayer content stream stateside? BBC America? I'd highly recommend The Mighty Redcar (review).
posted by humph at 3:29 AM on October 13, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by humph at 3:29 AM on October 13, 2018 [1 favorite]
frederick wiseman's docs are available on kanopy
posted by brujita at 3:55 AM on October 13, 2018 [3 favorites]
posted by brujita at 3:55 AM on October 13, 2018 [3 favorites]
Stevie is excellent, though the subject matter is a bit upsetting. Dark Days is good, too.
posted by alex1965 at 5:45 AM on October 13, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by alex1965 at 5:45 AM on October 13, 2018 [1 favorite]
The Overnighters can be rented on Amazon. I love this kind of doc too and The Overnighters is one of the very best of the form.
posted by cakelite at 8:45 AM on October 13, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by cakelite at 8:45 AM on October 13, 2018 [1 favorite]
Deep Water is one of my very favorite docs. Psychologically fascinating and very moving.
Dear Zachary is a little tough to watch, but it's phenomenal storytelling.
I also highly recommend The Galapagos Affair on Netflix.
posted by J. Tiberius at 3:12 PM on October 13, 2018
Dear Zachary is a little tough to watch, but it's phenomenal storytelling.
I also highly recommend The Galapagos Affair on Netflix.
posted by J. Tiberius at 3:12 PM on October 13, 2018
I'm a big fan of Sherman's March and Time Indefinite by Ross McElwee.
posted by 1smartcookie at 8:07 PM on October 13, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by 1smartcookie at 8:07 PM on October 13, 2018 [1 favorite]
Kedi is a documentary about cats in Istanbul and the people who care for them. It's streaming on Kanopy, which I HIGHLY recommend to everyone at every opportunity.
posted by 2soxy4mypuppet at 8:06 AM on October 15, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by 2soxy4mypuppet at 8:06 AM on October 15, 2018 [1 favorite]
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posted by Champagne Supernova at 10:00 PM on October 12, 2018 [3 favorites]