Documentaries are amazing. They combine the self-care of a relaxing night watching a movie with getting a little learning done. We’re big fans. But sometimes just finding a documentary to watch can be a heck of a job. So I’ve compiled a list of some of our favourite documentaries and where you can find them. Let’s get watching!
- Netflix
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The classic; Netflix doesn’t really need an introduction.
Miss Representation
Description from Netflix: Explore how the mainstream media’s often disparaging portrayals of women contribute to the under-representation of females in positions of leadership.
Unrest
Description from Netflix: In this heart-wrenching documentary, a 28-year-old Ph.D. student turns the camera on herself to capture her struggles with chronic fatigue syndrome.
Knock Down The House
Description from Netflix: Go behind the scenes as four determined women — including Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez — challenge big-money politicians in the 2018 race for Congress.
Memory Games
Description from Netflix: Glimpse into the brain’s vast potential for memorization through the eyes of four competitive memory athletes as they share techniques and insights.
The Great Hack
Description from Netflix: Explore how a data company named Cambridge Analytica came to symbolize the dark side of social media in the wake of the 2016 U.S. presidential election.
- CBC Docs
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CBC Docs is my favourite place to find something to watch, and they have such a broad range of material; my favourite show of theirs is The Nature of Things. I’d recommend checking out their Short Docs, which are all under 30 minutes. The only downside to CBC Docs is that they are not an ad-free platform, but otherwise I really love their shows. CBC Gem holds a wider range of CBC movie and TV content and is also worth checking out (be sure to download the free CBC Gem app, too!).
Description from CBC: Can we trust what we remember about our own lives? Memory scientists say most memories are full of distortions and errors.
Description from CBC: Exploring how Inuit hunters in tiny remote communities in the high arctic are negatively affected by animal rights groups protesting against the Canadian east coast seal hunt.
- YouTube
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Honestly, what the heck would we do without YouTube? If you’re lucky, you can find full versions of movies and documentaries for free on YouTube, otherwise it’s a great platform to find movies to rent. Below are some of our favourite free picks.
Synopsis from WorldCat: Stanford University neurobiologist Robert Sapolsky has been advancing our understanding of stress — how it impacts our bodies and how our social standing can make us more or less susceptible. Research reveals that the impact of stress can be found deep within us, shrinking our brains, adding fat to our bellies, even unraveling our chromosomes. Yet understanding how stress works can help us figure out a ways to combat it and how to live a life free of the tyranny of this contemporary plague.
Synopsis from YouTube (NFB): In this feature-length documentary, husband and wife team Karsten Heuer (wildlife biologist) and Leanne Allison (environmentalist) follow a herd of 120,000 caribou on foot across 1500 km of Arctic tundra. In following the herd’s migration, the couple hopes to raise awareness of the threats to the caribou’s survival. Along the way they brave Arctic weather, icy rivers, hordes of mosquitoes and a very hungry grizzly bear. Dramatic footage and video diaries combine to provide an intimate perspective of an epic expedition.
The Naked Option: A Last Resort
Description from IMDb: The Naked Option: A Last Resort tells the story of Niger Delta women who take a stand. Bucking transnational corporations, the corrupt Nigerian government, and a culture which dictates women are seen and not heard, they organize and take action. Their ultimate weapon: to strip naked in public.
Qapirangajuq: Inuit Knowledge and Climate Change
Description from Climate Atlas: Qapirangajuq is the world’s first Inuktitut language film about climate change and explores Inuit knowledge regarding ice, animals and the future of the Arctic.
- Kanopy
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If you’re a UVic student and you don’t already know about Kanopy, prepare to get super excited. Kanopy is like a Netflix for classics, independent films, and documentaries. The best part: you can access it for free as a UVic student!
The Mask You Live In
Description from Kanopy: The Mask You Live In follows boys and young men as they struggle to stay true to themselves while negotiating America’s narrow definition of masculinity.
Nuclear Savage
Description from Kanopy: Nuclear Savage uncovers one of the most troubling chapters in modern American history: how Marshall islanders, considered an uncivilized culture, were deliberately used as human guinea pigs to study the effects of nuclear fallout on human beings. Nuclear Savage follows the islanders today as they continue to fight for justice and acknowledgement of what was done to them.
Bad Sugar
Description from Kanopy: The Pima and Tohono O’odham Indians of southern Arizona have arguably the highest diabetes rates in the world – half of all adults are afflicted. But a century ago, diabetes was virtually unknown here. Researchers have poked and prodded the Pima for decades in search of a biological – or more recently, genetic – explanation for their high rates of disease. Meanwhile, medical-only interventions have failed to stem the rising tide not just among Native Americans, but globally. What happened to the health of the Pima?
What are your favourite documentaries and streaming platforms? Let us know!