Did ‘Top Gear’ inspire a generation of Britons to travel?
A cultural institution.
documentaries
Documentaries are non-fiction films and television programmes that explore real people, events, cultures, science, history, politics and the natural world.
Combining factual reporting with cinematic storytelling, documentaries aim to inform, educate and engage audiences through interviews, archival footage, observational filmmaking and investigative journalism. The form encompasses a wide range of styles, from vérité and essay films to nature documentaries, music films, true crime series and biographical portraits.
Influential filmmakers including Werner Herzog, Errol Morris, Frederick Wiseman, Agnès Varda, Barbara Kopple and Alex Gibney have helped shape the genre, while documentaries such as Hoop Dreams, Shoah, The Thin Blue Line, The Act of Killing, Amy and Free Solo are widely regarded as landmarks of non-fiction cinema.
‘John Candy: I Like Me’ review: A loving, albeit conventional documentary
A serious film about a funny man.
‘Stiller & Meara: Nothing Is Lost’ movie review: A surprisingly introspective documentary from Ben Stiller
A heartfelt story of parents and children.
The Martin Scorsese-Federico Fellini movie that almost was: “Unfortunately, he passed away”
Two great directors, but not enough time.
“Thank god for them”: the 1976 Oscar-winning movie crew who resolved a miner’s strike
The presence of the cameras reduced ongoing violence.
“It has never happened before”: the movie premiere shut down by the Brighton police
Accusations flew that police were working with an arms manufacturer.
‘I’m Chevy Chase and You’re Not’ movie review: a surprisingly honest, sobering celebrity doc
A thoughtful exploration.
Oscar-winning documentary maker Frederick Wiseman dead at 96
Wiseman died “peacefully”, his family confirmed.
Medicine Ball Caravan: The forgotten trek of the “Woodstock on wheels”
And how did a young Martin Scorsese get involved?
Amazon pulls ‘Melania’ in Oregon cinema after it mocked documentary
“To defeat your enemy, you must know them. ‘Melania’ starts Friday.”
More About documentaries
A documentary is a non-fiction film or television programme that presents factual material about real people, events, cultures or issues through cinematic storytelling.
Frequently acclaimed documentaries include Shoah, Hoop Dreams, The Thin Blue Line, The Act of Killing, Man with a Movie Camera, Grey Gardens, Amy, Free Solo, Paris Is Burning and When We Were Kings.
A documentary is typically a single feature-length or short-form non-fiction film, while a docuseries tells a factual story across multiple episodes, allowing for more expansive reporting and storytelling.