Political Docos
Due to the great influx of socio-political documentaries over the last couple of years, Alice thought it was time they had a section of their own. Included here are political bios ('Comandante', 'Mahatma Gandhi: Pilgrim of Peace'); films dealing with the mechanics of politics ('Rats in the Ranks', 'The War Room'); and those dedicated to political issues as diverse as homelessness ('It Was A Wonderful Life'), the death penalty ('Mr Death: The Rise and Fall of Fred A Leuchter Jr'), corporate depletion of natural resources ('End of Suburbia'); civil rights ('4 Little Girls') and corruption ('Fahrenheit 911). Undoubtedly two stars of the genre are two very different men, extroverted funnyman, Michael Moore ('Roger and Me') and soft-spoken professor, Noam Chomsky ('Manufacturing Consent'), pictured.
This Is What Democracy Looks Like (2000)
7.8/10
Starring: Michael Franti, Noam Chomsky, Susan Sarandon
This film, shot by 100 amateur camera operators, tells the story of the enormous street protests in Seattle, Washington in November 1999, against the... Read more
Abduction: The Megumi Yokota Story (2006)
7.8/10
Director: Chris Sheridan, Patty Kim
Produced by Jane Campion and directed by Chris Sheridan and Patty Kim, this documentary examines the life of Megumi Yokota, a 13-year-old girl living... Read more
The Trials of Darryl Hunt (2006)
7.7/10
Director: Ricki Stern, Anne Sundberg
In 1984, copy editor Deborah Sykes was raped and murdered. Three suspects leapt out, but one was settled on very quickly, 19-year-old, black youth, D... Read more
Mr Death: The Rise and Fall of Fred A Leuchter, Jr (1999)
7.5/10
Director: Errol Morris
Starring: Fred A Leuchter, Caroline Leuchter
Continuing his fascination with the most unlikely of documentary topics, filmmaker Errol Morris turns his camera on a quiet man who made dying his lif... Read more
General Idi Amin Dada: A Self Portrait (1974)
7.5/10
Director: Barbet Schroeder
In 1971, the small African nation of Uganda was taken over by self-styled dictator General Idi Amin, beginning an eight-year reign of terror that woul... Read more
David Icke: The Freedom Road (2004)
6.6/10
Starring: David Icke
Charismatic author and 'conspiracy theorist', David Icke, offers a different perspective on many recent events, including Princess Diana's death and 9... Read more
Space Race (2005)
8.5/10
Director: Mark Everest, Christopher Spencer
The BBC used a combination of real footage, commentary and dramatization for this four-part series about one of the most exhilarating times in history... Read more
Nukes In Space: The Rainbow Bombs (2006)
7.6/10
Director: Peter Kuran
Starring: Narrated by, William Shatner
A follow up to Peter Kuran's award-winning film 'Trinity And Beyond' this is a spell-binding look at the development of missiles and space-based nucle... Read more
Pussy Riot: A Punk Prayer (2013)
7/10
Director: Mike Lerner, Maxim Pozdorovkin
Starring: Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, Mariya Alyokhina, Ekaterina Samutsevich
Three young women face seven years in a Russian prison for a satirical performance in a Moscow cathedral. But who is really on trial in a case that ha... Read more
Ryuichi Sakamoto: Coda (2017)
7.7/10
Starring: Ryuichi Sakamoto
From techno-pop stardom to Oscar-winning film composer, the evolution of Ryuichi Sakamoto's music has coincided with his life journeys. Following Fuku... Read more