I’ve Watched Hundreds of Documentaries. Here Are the 6 Most Inspirational.
Excitement, laughter, awe, and tears — all without leaving your couch
Toronto is home to the Hot Docs Film Festival, so I’ve been lucky enough to watch hundreds of amazing documentaries over the years and attend Q&As with the directors. While many have escaped my memory, the extraordinary ones have stayed with me and continue to inspire me today.
These are the best of the best, as they say.
Where possible, I’ve indicated where you can find my picks. In no particular order, here are my recommendations to get you through the cold winter.
Maidentrip
Amazon Prime
Maidentrip explores the odyssey of Laura Dekker, who at age 14 sets out to become the youngest person to sail around the world by herself. While most teens are figuring out how to navigate social media, she’s working out how to avoid real-life pirates.
The movie manages to make you feel like you are sharing in her incredibly brave/sometimes harrowing adventure and features breathtaking views of locales like French Polynesia.
Insider info: Director Jillian Schlesinger had to rely on Dekker to capture all the footage, but she filmed very little each week. Schlesinger met up with Dekker nine times on her journey and repeatedly asked her for more footage, but Dekker was focused on her sailing. Nonetheless, this film is spectacular and I’ve never watched anything like it.
Muscle Shoals
Amazon Prime
You don’t have to be a blues fan to love this film about a music studio in a tiny little Alabama town whose indefinable magic has inspired classics from Etta James, Aretha Franklin, and the Rolling Stones. Many of the musicians make cameo appearances to talk about their Muscle Shoals recording sessions, and the town becomes as much a character in the movie as any of the stars.
Watch this on your largest screen with the best audio, because this is a feast for the senses.
Encore: If great music documentaries are your thing, check out Six Feet From Stardom, about the life and times of the backup singers to the stars.
Somewhere Between
iTunes
Somewhere Between tells the stories of young women adopted from China now living in the United States. The title of this movie is perfect, as each girl struggles with the concept of race, culture, and identity in her own way. The subject matter is gripping, but it’s the girls themselves that made this movie unforgettable to me.
One of my favorite documentaries of all time because of how the girls are given the space to tell their own stories. This film reminds us that there is so much concealed in a seemingly “ordinary” life.
The Last Man on the Moon
Amazon Prime
The Last Man on the Moon features Gene Cernan’s journey to the moon on Apollo 17. But this film does much more than showcase the wonder of a moon landing, it takes you behind the scenes, to the trials and challenges of astronaut life. It’s also audaciously hopeful and optimistic, something few films dare to be these days.
Insider info: one of Gene’s last appearances was at the screening of this movie at Hot Docs. He was such an interesting speaker but he just shook his head in anger when asked about the conspiracy theory that humans had never reached the moon. Class act.
The Crash Reel
YouTube Movies, iTunes, and Google Play
The Crash Reel examines snowboarder Kevin Pearce’s quest for the Olympics and subsequent recovery from a traumatic brain injury. His progress is slow and painstaking, yet inspiring at the same time. It’s a study in the will to thrive.
The film also features thought-provoking interviews with Shaun White and others on the increasing danger of this awe-inspiring sport.
California Typewriter
Amazon Prime
California Typewriter evokes that bittersweet feeling of moving on from someone or someplace you love. It may be time for something new but you can’t forget that the past is part of you.
There remains a thriving world of typewriter enthusiasts that includes some famous names you’d never guess. This movie harkens back to the best parts of the past — the slower-paced, tactile, and more serene analog world of yesteryear.
Not Going Quietly
Amazon Prime
Activist Ady Barkan first made headlines in 2017 when he confronted a Republican Senator on an airplane about the state of health care in the United States. Diagnosed with ALS, Barkan struggled to receive the care he needed and knew countless others were in the same position or worse.
With the help of his family, friends, and a crack political strategist, Barkan made himself known in the political realm and has held politicians accountable for years. This is an incredible story of bravery and perseverance, beautifully told.
If you made it this far, thanks so much for reading. Feel free to drop the title of an inspiring documentary you loved in the comments. This lady needs some new material.
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