Feature Length Documentaries
Your pick of the brilliant feature length documentaries in the BOOMBOXtv archive.
Temple Grandin: "The Autistic Brain"
Utterly fascinating lecture from the legend that is Temple Grandin, exploring the workings of the autistic mind.
13th
A piercing, urgent and impeccably edited documentary that dissects the horrific vilification of African Americans and their almost return to slavery in the USA.
Surviving the 21st Century
Professor Noam Chomsky Institute Professor & Professor of Linguistics (Emeritus), Massachusetts Institute of Technology addresses this question.
Michelle Obama: Forward Motion
The story of Michelle Obama's journey from the working-class South Side of Chicago to the White House.
True Crime Story: The Magic Syringe
An alarming number of deaths occurring in the Intensive Care Unit of a California hospital had staff members highly concerned. Hospital staffers suspected one of the respiratory therapists was up to something. Rumor’s surfaced of a “magic syringe” used by the therapist, possibly to administer poison to kill patients in the hospital.
Magic Mushroom Medical Trial
Over two years we follow the first ever medical trial of psilocybin (the psychoactive ingredient in magic mushrooms) being used to treat a group of volunteers suffering from clinical depression.
My Life After Guantanamo Bay
Guantánamo Bay, and then what? After 13 years, a 38-year-old Palestinian named Muhammad is released from the notorious detention camp, where he was starved, tortured and humiliated. He gets the chance to start a new life in Uruguay, where he’ll get a home and welfare money. He has two years, then he’ll be on his own.
The Unknown Runner
This documentary follows Kenyan runner Geoffrey (Kipsang) Kamworor, where it all began! Born in Keiyo on 22 November 1992 – when he was about to debut as a marathon runner. Expectations were high: it was thought that he will run a very good time at his first race. On 20 March 2011 he took the Gold Medal at the IAAF World Junior Cross Championships in Punta Umbria and he is one of the elite runners that has ran a half-marathon in less then an hour. We follow him from humble beginnings in his home country and at the training camp in Kaptagat, with his coach, Patrick Sang as he prepares for the international events and the chance to represent his country.
Facing Gay Conversion Therapy
Although conversion therapy has been wildly dismissed and denounced by every major health organisations, this service is still offered as a response to deeply rooted religious and conservative beliefs.
The Man Who Skied Down Everest
This Oscar-winning documentary tells the story behind Japanese daredevil Yuichiro Miura's 1970 effort to ski down the world's tallest mountain. Miura's trek to the top of Everest provides much of the film's drama, as several members of his climbing team die in the process. The arduous trek gives way to footage of Miura's stunning descent, which requires him to use a parachute to control his speed. The action is supplemented by passages from the journal Miura kept during the adventure.
James Baker: President-Maker
The Man Who Made Washington Work is the story of a remarkable politician and statesman who represents a time when a divided Congress got things done, and when presidents and politicians worked together.
Grassroots: The Cannabis Revolution
‘GrassRoots: The Cannabis Revolution’ is a feature-length and one-hour documentary exploring the medicinal use of cannabis, the patients involved & the campaign to change UK law. Over 3 years, ‘GrassRoots’ character driven, vérité approach explores our subject’s lives and why they campaign for change. With unrestricted access we lift the lid on the people within the UK cannabis movement, a subculture of politically driven campaigners who are forced to break the law to gain access to their choice of medication.
Punk Attitude
Filmmaker Don Letts examines the history of punk rock and its impact on the music industry.
Fighting China's Forced Organ Harvesting
Red Reign exposes forced organ harvesting in China of prisoners of conscience, Falun Gong, who's tenets are truth compassion and tolerance as told by Nobel Prize nominee, David Matas. The film explores the involvement of the Western World, and the courageous doctors, politicians and lawyers around the world combating this atrocity which effects us all in ways we can’t imagine.
True Crime Story: Dangerous Company
The life of an international trafficker is seedy and extremely dangerous, and exactly the kind of life a couple of Kentucky bluebloods decided to lead. One, a former undercover narcotics agent who wasn’t making enough money illegally selling the drugs from busts, the other a savvy deal maker, teamed up to form “The Company,” the front for their drug smuggling business. As the operation grew, so too did the paranoia and betrayal.
Nefarious: Merchant of Souls
a hard-hitting documentary that exposes the disturbing trends of modern-day slavery. From the first scene, Nefarious gives an in-depth look at the human trafficking industry, showing where slaves are sold (often in developed, affluent countries), where they work, and where they are confined. With footage shot in over nineteen different countries, Nefarious exposes the nightmare of slavery as experienced by hundreds of thousands daily, through the eyes of both the enslaved and their traffickers.
True Crime Story: Material Witness
Three workers from CBS left work, only to walk into a kidnapping and were shot dead as they tried to help. Police in New York work with the FBI to find out who the killer is and what he is after.
A Conversation with Tova Friedman
Tova Friedman gives a detailed account of her experience during WWII. Including her time in Poland and the Auschwitz Concentration Camp.
A Different Kind of Force—Policing Mental Illness
Law enforcement officers are increasingly the first responders to incidents involving people with mental illness. Without proper training and expertise, confrontations taking place amid an already-charged atmosphere can escalate quickly, often leading to the injury or death of the individual with mental illness. This concern and numerous high-profile police shootings involving unarmed individuals in a mental health crisis have prompted renewed debates about policing the mentally ill.
Greed (director's cut)
Can money and power ever make us happy? How much is enough? Our constant desire for more is part of our human nature.
The Spider's Web: Britain's Second Empire
Michael Oswald's film The Spider's Web reveals how at the demise of empire, City of London financial interests created a web of secrecy jurisdictions that captured wealth from across the globe and hid it in a web of offshore islands. Today, up to half of global offshore wealth is hidden in British jurisdictions and Britain and its dependencies are the largest global players in the world of international finance.
Panic: The Untold Story of the 2008 Financial Crisis
This film looks at factors that led to the 2008 financial crisis and the efforts made by then-Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson, Federal Reserve Bank of New York President Timothy Geithner, and Federal Reserve Chair Ben Bernanke to save the United States from an economic collapse. The feature-length documentary explores the challenges these men faced, as well as the consequences of their decisions.
97% Owned - How is Money Created?
When money drives almost all activity on the planet, it's essential that we understand it. Yet simple questions often get overlooked, questions like; where does money come from? Who creates it? Who decides how it gets used? And what does this mean for the millions of ordinary people who suffer when the monetary, and financial system, breaks down?
Free Speech & Who controls the World
Public speaker, former goalkeeper/sports broadcaster & nutter, David Icke talks with Rob Moore about freedom of speech vs freedom to conform and the control of information in today's world through 'ghost banning' censorship.
AlphaGo - The Movie
With more board configurations than there are atoms in the universe, the ancient Chinese game of Go has long been considered a grand challenge for artificial intelligence. On March 9, 2016, the worlds of Go and artificial intelligence collided in South Korea for an extraordinary best-of-five-game competition, coined The DeepMind Challenge Match.
The Confession - the fifth estate
Bob McKeown deconstructs the interrogation and shocking confession of Russell Williams. From his initial denial to the full declaration of guilt, the fifth estate deciphers one of the most compelling and distressing confessions in Canadian criminal history with the help of people who know the art of interrogation better than anyone else.
How Corporations Ruined Food
When we walk into a supermarket, we assume that we have the widest possible choice of healthy foods. But in fact, over the course of the 20th century, our food system was co-opted by corporate forces whose interests do not lie in providing the public with fresh, healthy
Shane Meadows at the Beestonian Film Club
On Monday 11th November 2013, three miles outside Nottingham, in a little room above a vegetarian restaurant, the great British director Shane Meadows came and screened his near-legendary early short films (some for the first time) to a delighted audience of some 30 people, before talking about his life and work for over an hour.
Trump: What's The Deal?
Donald Trump is one of the richest and most famous narcissists in America, but on what foundation has his success been built? From accusations of harassment to repeated flirtations with bankruptcy, his very public business career has been one of artifice and intrigue.
BLUES STORY: A Documentary
The Story of the Blues told through the eyes of the artists who lived it. featuring: BB King Charles Brown Koko Taylor Buddy Guy Hubert Sumlin Robert Lockwood and many, many more . . .
Rolling Stones - The Second Wave
Charting the great bands progress through the late 60's. A fascinating and entertaining documentary film.
This is the Last Dam Run of Likker I'll Ever Make!
The original cult classic with Popcorn Sutton. produced by Neal Hutcheson / Sucker Punch Pictures filmed and originally released in 2002 re-remastered in 2016.
Comedy Actors Roundtable: Close Up
Timothy Simons ('Veep'), Sacha Baron Cohen ('Who Is America?), Henry Winkler ('Barry'), Don Cheadle ('Black Monday'), Jim Carrey ('Kidding'), and Ted Danson ('The Good Place') join Close Up with The Hollywood Reporter for this season's FULL, uncensored Comedy Actors Roundtable.
Directors At The THR's Roundtables : Oscars 2016
The year's most notable directors join for The Hollywood Reporter's Writer Oscar Roundtable. The directors include Quentin Tarantino ('The Hateful Eight'), Tom Hooper ('The Danish Girl'), Alejandro G. Inarritu ('The Revenant'), Ridley Scott ('The Martian'), Danny Boyle ('Steve Jobs') and David O. Russell ('Joy').
The Creepy Line
The Creepy Line reveals the stunning degree to which society is manipulated by Google and Facebook and blows the lid off the remarkably subtle – hence powerful – manner in which they do it. Offering first-hand accounts, scientific experiments and detailed analysis, the film examines what is at risk when these tech titans have free reign to utilize the public’s most private and personal data.
Inside The Head Of Terry Gilliam
On October 7, Gilliam made an exclusive appearance at Royal Festival Hall, presented by Intelligence Squared and Southbank Centre. Joined on stage by BBC arts editor Will Gompertz, he took us on an immersive, multimedia journey through the many inspirations he has drawn on — from the Bible and Mad magazine to Grimm’s fairy tales and the films of Powell and Pressburger.
A Band Called Death
Before Bad Brains, the Sex Pistols or even the Ramones, there was a band called Death. Punk before punk existed, three teenage brothers in the early '70s formed a band in their spare bedroom, began playing a few local gigs and even pressed a single in the hoped of getting signed. But this was the era of Motown and emerging disco.
Childhood 2.0
For the first time in history, mental illness and suicide have become one of the greatest threats to school-aged children. Many parents still view dangers as primarily physical and external, but they’re missing the real danger: kids spending more time online and less time engaging in real life.
Netanyahu At War
An inside look at Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s political rise and his combative relationship with past U.S. presidents.
Big George
George Foreman was boxing's most feared fighter from 1973-1974. Undefeated in 40 straight fights, 37 by knockout, he was on a 24 consecutive knockout run when he faced Muhammad Ali on October 30, 1974 in defense of his world heavyweight title in Zaire, Africa.
Breadcrumb Trail
A documentary made by Lance Bangs on the Louisville, Kentucky based band Slint with a focus on their seminal final album, Spiderland.
Icarus Vision : The Guide Session
BOOMBOXtv original presentation - ICARUS VISION : The Guide Session ...Filmed on 10th June 2021 at Earth Studios (Norwich) the movie follows Scotty , Shannon & Webby (semi-fictional band Icarus Vision) as they reunite for the first time since Sept 2019 to record the guide tracks for the long-awaited debut album ‘LIGHTER’.
Spinning Plates
An award winning documentary about three extraordinary restaurants and the incredible people who make them what they are…
The Heart Of Batman
When animators Paul Dini and Bruce Timm were tasked with creating an animated Batman cartoon, no one knew whether the team would be able to reinvent the character away from his campy television roots. But what came out of their collaboration was "Batman: The Animated Series", an award-winning new chapter in the story of the Caped Crusader.
Living Soil
Our soils support 95 percent of all food production, and by 2060, our soils will be asked to give us as much food as we have consumed in the last 500 years. They filter our water. They are one of our most cost-effective reservoirs for sequestering carbon. They are our foundation for biodiversity. And they are vibrantly alive, teeming with 10,000 pounds of biological life in every acre. Yet in the last 150 years, we’ve lost half of the basic building block that makes soil productive.
Unbreakable
Unbreakable: The Western States 100 follows the four lead men on an amazing journey of endurance.
Abandoned Detroit
Detroit has always been heavily scrutinized and criticized in the media for all the problems the city has gone through over the years; from a booming 1920’s industrial icon, to a city that lost over one million people by the 1970’s, to when the city was financially bankrupt in the late 2000’s. When people think of urban decay and abandoned buildings, Detroit is usually right at the top of that list.
America’s Dumbest Heists
Expanded two-hour true crime story about the 1997 Loomis-Fargo armored car heist in North Carolina and the serio-comic fate of its bumbling underdog perpetrators who fell victim to avarice, mutual betrayals, and false romantic promises.
Original Leads Of The Temptations
From the sing-along chorus of "My Girl" to the feel-good beat of "The Way You Do the Things You Do," we are right there reliving the '60s when the elegant, smooth-stepping Temptations dominated the charts, airwaves and hearts of a young America.
The Beatles Magical Mystery Tour
An upbeat rockumentary film featuring the vivid memories of those who witnessed the making of the cult Beatles movie, The Magical Mystery Tour, in 1967. It features a celebrity cast along with anecdotal stories and unseen 8mm home movie footage, as well as eye-witness accounts from fans, on-lookers and the cast of the movie
The Art Of The Rhythm Section
Having inspired drummers such as Carter Beauford and Dennis Chambers, Billy is one of the most influential drummers in history. You don't want to miss this lesson where he breaks down the fundamentals and nuances of creating a tight rhythm section in music.
The Woman Who Predicted Her Own Death
the murder of Jane Clough, the woman who predicted her own murder was a nurse from Blackpool, England - she was stalked and killed by her boyfriend Jonathan Vass
Schizophrenia
Professor Robert Sapolsky finishes his lecture on language and then dives into his discussion about schizophrenia. He discusses environmental factors as well as genetic characteristics that could apply to people who are affected.
Building The Titanic : The Story Of The Unsinkable Ship
Using breathtaking CGI images incorporating fully dramatised reconstructions, This film, narrated by Charles Dance relives the extraordinary story , filled with triumph, despair, avarice and ambition... and finally tragedy.
Zimbabwe’s Forgotten Children
Zimbabwe's Forgotten Children tells the story of three children trying to survive in Robert Mugabe's Zimbabwe, a country which was once the jewel of Africa but where the infrastructure is now in terminal collapse. Grace, Esther and Obert show us how they not only struggle to put food in their mouths but also desperately seek the money they need to pay next term's school fees.
Darwin, California : Life In A Lawless Town
Darwin is a documentary feature about an isolated community at the end of a weathered road in Death Valley, California. Propelled from society by tragic turns, the people of Darwin (population 35) must now find ways to coexist in a place without a government, a church, jobs, or children.
History Of GTA : 1984 - 2021
A full history of the Grand Theft Auto franchise. From the origins of DMA Design, up to the latest updates to GTAOnline and beyond!
Celebrate nearly 25 years of one of the most iconic open world video games of all time by learning how the series has evolved.
History Of The Black Death
The story of the Black Death is the story of a perfect storm. A massive pandemic and plague that devastated humanity. It is the tale of a lethal bacterium that had a powerful vector of transmission and found just the right conditions to kill off an estimated 200 million people world wide. This is the full documentary, chronicling it's incredible spread through Europe.
The Choice 2020 : Trump Vs Biden
Ahead of the 2020 election, FRONTLINE’s critically acclaimed series “The Choice” returns with interwoven investigative biographies of both men, focusing on how they have responded in moments of crisis.
The Break Free Project : Flight Of The Ladyhawke
Back in the summer of 2007 a band of young women set out from New York to travel on a musical tour across the country. Their vehicle was an old RV converted to run on waste vegetable oil. This is their story.
Cutting Edge : Editing
2004 documentary on the art of editing. This is a film technique discussion, not a how to video on editing programs.
The Great Irish Famine
What is commonly known as Ireland's Great Famine of 1845-1849 was a catastrophic tragedy that has embedded itself in the island's consciousness. The crop collapse and the political decisions around it decimated the island's population changing the course of Irish history. World history was also affected by a resultant wave of mass migration that spread Irish culture abroad, particularly to the United States.
The Jam : Punk Icons
critical review of The Jam which draws upon rare footage of the band, previously unavailable , live at the Reading Festival, in performance in Germany and from British TV appearances from Top of the Pops and The Tube, to produce the first comprehensive, independent critical review of the work of this iconic band.
Punk In Drublic
Punk in Drublic was designed by NOFX front man Fat Mike. He paired craft beer and punk scene heavyweights to create an unparalleled live music experience. The documentary tells the story of the touring festival through its first three years.
Rise Of A Texan Bluesman : Stevie Ray Vaughn
Film revealing and dissecting the formative years of Stevie Ray Vaughan's career and his place within Texas blues. In the early 1970s, a young guitarist from Austin, Texas began to make his name on the local blues circuit, committed as he was to a musical form much thought outdated. A decade on, that same guitarist became an international superstar.
Gorillaz : Bananaz
The story of Damon Albarn's and Jamie Hewlett's virtual band Gorillaz. Directed by Ceri Levy.
Pink Floyd : On Thin Ice
The Pink Floyd formed in 1965 with leader Syd Barrett, Roger Waters, Nick Mason and Richard Wright. An era often overshadowed this documentary covers each time period and album of the band from 1965-1985 as well as an inside look at rare interviews and footage.
The Man Who Knew
When the Twin Towers fell on September 11, 2001, among the thousands killed was the one man who may have known more about Osama bin Laden and Al Qaeda than any other person in America: John O'Neill.
Van Halen Story : The Early Years
This film chronicles the rise of four musicians from their early years to their transformation into a worldwide phenomenon. Rare footage and never-before-seen photos document their remarkable story.
VW RETRO DUBS ‘22 : The Movie
How to create & run a festival stage - from start to finish. Featuring new music and live performances From VW RETRO DUBS festival 2022.