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.
Hot Air: The Politics of Climate Change in New Zealand (2014)
9.1/10
Director: Alister Barry, Abi King-Jones
During the summer of 1988 temperatures soared across America causing widespread droughts. Huge forest fires raged in California. Climate change was no... Read more
An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth To Power (2017)
6.3/10
Director: Bonni Cohen, Jon Shenk
Starring: Al Gore
A sequel to The Inconvenient Truth, the follow-up documentary addresses the progress made to tackle the problem of climate change and Al Gore's global... Read more
The Miners' Hymns (2010)
7.2/10
Director: Bill Morrison
This elegy, in film and music, to the coal mining history of north east England, is the product of an exceptional creative collaboration between renow... Read more
The Unwinking Gaze: The Inside Story of the Dalai Lama's Struggle for Tibet (2008)
7.3/10
Director: Joshua Dugdale
Starring: H H Dalai Lama
Filmed over 18 months, 'The Unwinking Gaze' follows the Dalai Lama as he tries to engage the Chinese government over the future of Tibet. The unpreced... Read more
The Red Stuff: The True Story of the Russian Race for Space (1999)
6.8/10
Director: Leo De Boer
The untold history of the Soviet space program is revealed in this fascinating documentary that separates truth from propaganda. Rare archival footage... Read more
Burma (2006)
7.1/10
Director: Evan Williams, Mark Stucke
Home to more than 50 million people, and with more than 100 ethnic groups, Burma has a rich Buddhist tradition that permeates the country. However, it... Read more
Escape from Suburbia: Beyond the American Dream (2008)
6.6/10
Director: Gregory Greene
This sequel to "The End of Suburbia" extends the reach of the first film and spends a bit of time updating us on the general issue of Peak Oil and exp... Read more
Casino Jack and the United States of Money (2010)
7.1/10
Director: Alex Gibney
Lobbyists have long played a role in U.S. politics, but the 2006 scandal of Republican super lobbyist Jack Abramoff revealed just how much power they... Read more
Fahrenheit 11/9 (2018)
5.8/10
Director: Michael Moore
Starring: Michael Moore, Donald Trump, Barack Obama
Filmmaker Michael Moore predicted that Donald Trump would become the 45th president of the United States. Traveling across the country, Moore intervie... Read more
John Pilger's Australia (1988)
Starring: John Pilger
John Pilger's impressive 35-year career as an investigative journalist has seen him uncover the grisly truth behind numerous injustices and conflicts... Read more