Okay, I admit, I’m a total documentary nerd. But I have great reason to be one. What is more interesting than real life? Real people facing challenges, forming relationships, defying death, and sharing stories that don’t need magic, fiction, or fantasy. In the spirit of this Sunday’s Oscar Awards, here are some of the nominees for long and short form documentaries I found compelling.
Imagine climbing a 3000 foot solid granite wall without any ropes? This is exactly what Alex Honnold did in 2017, being the first person to free solo climb El Capitan. And he did it in less than 4 hours. Nominated film, Free Solo is Alex’s story about how he was able to achieve this incredible feat. Director Jimmy Chin, who is also a mountaineer and professional climber, was able to capture breathtaking views of Yosemite Valley through the eyes of a climber, which makes this movie even more worth the watch. For more about Alex and his other record breaking climbs, read Alone on the Wall.
RBG spans almost the entire life of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg including interviews with her and many of the people who know her. It goes back and forth between showing her achievements as well as snippets of her daily life (like her sessions with her personal trainer) and her impact in general pop culture. If you can’t get enough RBG, then there’s also one of most complete biographies about her, Ruth Bader Ginsburg: a life by Jane Sherron De Hart.
In Of Fathers and Sons, filmmaker Talal Derki goes undercover and gains the trust of a radical Islamist family, following them for two years. Derki specifically focuses on the children and how they are raised in this household. Viewers will be in awe on how much access Derki was given for this film.
End Game, tells the story of several families and their palliative care practitioners as they prepare for the death of a loved one. It’s a sad but loving story about end of life experiences and to listen to the hearts of people and not only charts and test results. For a similar story about another hospital, take a look at God’s Hotel: a doctor, a hospital, and a pilgrimage to the heart of medicine by Victoria Sweet.
To enjoy even more Oscar winners and nominees from years past, Kanopy has an entire section to choose from.
This blog post reflects the opinions of the author and does not necessarily represent the views of Brooklyn Public Library.
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