Historical
This genre is one of the largest non-fiction genres, and consists primarily of documentaries about one or more historical events or time periods. In general, the title will not be of a contemporary nature (that is, it will be made about a subject that actually occurred in the past). Some historical subjects include ancient civilizations & archaeology, famous crimes, popular culture and trends of the past, and other major world events.
The Ascent of Man (1973)
9/10
Starring: Dr Jacob Bronowski
Regarded as one of television's greatest achievements, Dr Jacob Bronowski traces the steps of scientific imagination through history as they happened... Read more
This Is New Zealand (1970)
Director: Hugh Macdonald
Directed by Hugh Macdonald, "This Is New Zealand" was made to promote the country at Expo '70 in Osaka, Japan. An ambitious concept saw iconic NZ imag... Read more
Civilisation (1966)
8.8/10
Director: Ann Turner, Michael Gill, Peter Montagnon
Starring: Lord Kenneth Clark
In 1966 BBC Television embarked on its most ambitious documentary series to date. The eminent art historian Lord Clark was commissioned to write and p... Read more
Louisiana Story (1948)
6.9/10
Director: Robert Flaherty
Produced by Standard Oil with a 'no-strings-attached' policy, Robert Flaherty's final film focuses on the story of a young Cajun boy who watches his B... Read more
I Was a Fireman (1943)
Director: Humphrey Jennings
Features three films from the man described by Lindsay Anderson as 'the only true poet of the English Cinema'. A collection of key war-time documentar... Read more
Man Of Aran (1934)
7.5/10
Director: Robert Flaherty
Flaherty's staggering award winning documentary "Man Of Aran" records the lives of the Aran islanders who reside just off Ireland's west coast in the... Read more
Grass (1925)
7.9/10
Director: Ernest B Schoedsack, Merian C Cooper
"King Kong" creators Merian C. Cooper and Ernest B. Schoedsack risked their lives to make this monumental documentary about the Bakhtiari people of we... Read more
Nanook of the North (1922)
7.7/10
Director: Robert Flaherty
Standing the test of time, this groundbreaking silent film detailing the harsh existence of an Eskimo tribe living on the shores of Canada's Hudson Ba... Read more
South (1919)
8.7/10
Starring: Ernest Shackleton, Frank Hurley
Acclaimed Australian photographer, filmmaker and war correspondent Frank Hurley teamed up with Ernest Shackleton in 1914 to cross the South Pole by se... Read more