The Guardian's 50 Documentaries You Need to See

Fifty essential documentaries selected by ten of the world's leading documentary filmmakers for The Guardian.

12 films

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Close-Up Long Shot

1996•44m•★6.4

Hossain Sabzian reflects on his life and role in Abbas Kiarostami's film while discussing the blurred lines between reality and fiction in Iranian cinema.

Close-Up Long Shot

1996•44m•★6.4

2h54m

Hoop Dreams

1994•2h54m•★7.6

William Gates and Arthur Agee navigate the challenges of high school basketball at St. Joseph High School in Illinois while pursuing their dreams of professional careers.

Hoop Dreams

1994•2h54m•★7.6

1h31m

Streetwise

1984•1h31m•★7.7

Nine teenagers living on the streets of Seattle share their experiences of survival through panhandling, prostitution, and petty theft.

Streetwise

1984•1h31m•★7.7

1h49m

Stories We Tell

2012•1h49m•★7.1

Five years passed from the start of production to the completion of the film, which reveals family secrets tied to Sarah Polley's identity.

Stories We Tell

2012•1h49m•★7.1

1h19m

The Battle of Chile (3/3)

1979•1h19m

Political tensions in Chile during the lead-up to the 1973 military coup are explored through the efforts of Salvador Allende's supporters against U.S.-backed opposition.

The Battle of Chile (3/3)

1979•1h19m

2h8m

Amy

2015•2h8m•★7.6

More than 100 interviews with friends and family reveal the life and struggles of Amy Winehouse, who died from alcohol poisoning at age 27.

Amy

2015•2h8m•★7.6

1h34m

Iraq in Fragments

2006•1h34m•★6.6

An 11-year-old boy in Baghdad becomes an apprentice to a garage owner after losing his father in the conflict.

Iraq in Fragments

2006•1h34m•★6.6

54m

Lessons of Darkness

1992•54m•★7.9

Thirteen sections depict the aftermath of the Gulf War in Kuwait, focusing on the oil fires that blacken the sky and scar the land.

Lessons of Darkness

1992•54m•★7.9

1h47m

Capturing the Friedmans

2003•1h47m•★7.1

In 1984, a magazine of child pornography sent to Arnold Friedman led to an investigation that accused him and his son Jesse of sexually abusing multiple children.

Capturing the Friedmans

2003•1h47m•★7.1

1h43m

Grizzly Man

2005•1h43m•★7.5

Over 100 hours of footage recorded by Timothy Treadwell documents his interactions with grizzly bears before he and his girlfriend were killed by one in 2003.