DocuView Deja View

Documentary recommendations from Ken Burns and 70+ podcast guests

At the end of our interviews, I usually ask my guest, “Do you have a documentary our audience might love?” These are their answers, all in one place: 238 picks from over 100 episodes of the Documentary First podcast since 2022. Find something to watch tonight, then hear who recommended it and why they loved it.

Last updated October 22, 2026. Listen to the Documentary First podcast.

Documentaries (165)

• 13th (2016), documentary. Recommended by Robin Hamilton on Documentary First episode 243. Ava DuVernay's film about the prison pipeline and how the system keeps Black and brown people in what amounts to modern slavery, and who profits from it; it moved her enough to volunteer helping people leaving prison. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• 20 Days in Mariupol (2023), documentary. Recommended by Juan Pablo Reinoso on Documentary First episode 222. He noted it had just won the Oscar. It follows a crew filming the first 20 days of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, showing first responders and civilians, and he called it a beautiful film about the human spirit. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• Adrienne (2021), documentary. Recommended by Brian Pocrass on Documentary First episode 279. The documentary about filmmaker Adrienne Shelly, murdered in her building in a killing staged to look like a suicide. What stayed with him was how it follows her husband processing the loss, especially the near-final scene where he visits her killer in prison and shows him photos of the milestones their daughter reached without her mother. He says telling a story truthfully makes the rumors sound weak, which is what he set out to do with She Was Here. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• All the Beauty and the Bloodshed (2022), documentary. Recommended by Zach Callahan on Documentary First episode 192. Laura Poitras, whom he calls one of the best documentarians working; about Nan Goldin, the opioid crisis and the Sackler family; moving, beautiful filmmaking. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• American Factory (2019), documentary. Recommended by host Christian Taylor on Documentary First episode 190. Great story and score (composer Chad Cannon; it was nominated alongside GWF at a sound and music festival); she especially admired the fly-on-the-wall style, with no outside narration and lav-miked worker dialogue. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• American Movie (1999), documentary. Recommended by Josh Lindsay on Documentary First episode 171. A friend recommended it during film school. It follows a broke Wisconsin filmmaker trying to finance and finish his abandoned horror film Coven. Josh found it sweet, hysterical and a bit sad. He also tips justwatch.com for finding where to stream. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• Babies (2010), documentary. Recommended by Saffron Cassidy on Documentary First episode 226. A purely observational film, with no narration or talking heads, following four babies in different countries through their first year. She finds it calming because it has no slant, and as a new mother she has gone back to clips of it. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• Backstreet Boys: Show 'Em What You're Made Of (2015), documentary. Recommended by Brandon Cawood on Documentary First episode 232 · To Dye For. He loved boy bands growing up. It tells how the band came together and how they later sued the man who put them together, and he found it nostalgic for his late-90s/early-2000s high school years. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• Bathtubs Over Broadway (2018), documentary. Recommended by host Christian Taylor on Documentary First episode 149. She stumbled on it on Netflix, was skeptical but won over in the first five minutes; a Letterman comedy writer's odd hobby of collecting corporate industrial-musical records turns into a journey that's about the community he built. She found it hilarious and heartwarming, ended in tears of joy, and related to it as a journey of discovery like her own film. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• Before the Flood (2016), documentary. Recommended by host Christian Taylor on Documentary First episode 167. She watched it on the plane home. Leonardo DiCaprio's 2016 climate-change doc stood out for the effort he put into traveling and listening to people despite critics mocking him. She liked the Garden of Eden painting framing and found it convicting about caring for the earth. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• Best Worst Thing That Ever Could Have Happened (2016), documentary. Recommended by Josh Sharpe on Documentary First episode 214. Lonny Price's doc reuniting the cast of Sondheim's 1981 flop Merrily We Roll Along, mostly teen actors, to see how the failure shaped their lives; timely given the current hit Broadway revival. Rent on Prime/Apple TV. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• Billy & Molly: An Otter Love Story (2024), documentary. Recommended by Brian Skerry on Documentary First episode 228. It's by his friend Charlie Hamilton James, a Nat Geo photographer. A man in the UK befriends a river otter and comes around to its point of view. A human story that will warm hearts. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• Blackfish (2013), documentary. Recommended by Josh Lindsay on Documentary First episode 162. About SeaWorld's treatment of orcas and trainers. Like Super Size Me, it changed how he thinks: he'll never give SeaWorld money. He cautions that it shows only one side. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• Blowin' Up (2018), documentary. Recommended by Mindy Cook on Documentary First episode 159. About a Queens criminal court judge and advocates who changed how women charged with prostitution are treated; a compelling story of justice, mercy and redemption you'd never otherwise hear about; verite courtroom footage with limited lighting control and protected identities. Not family friendly. Rent on Amazon. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• Bob Ross: Happy Accidents, Betrayal & Greed (2021), documentary. Recommended by host Christian Taylor on Documentary First episode 155. She watched it with her husband Jeremy and found it extremely well done, completely engaging, very surprising and incredibly sad. She stops there so you go watch it yourself. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• Bob Ross: Happy Accidents, Betrayal & Greed (2021), documentary. Recommended by host Christian Taylor on Documentary First episode 178. A second recommendation of the Bob Ross documentary (she thinks she may have mentioned it before): incredibly well done, and super upsetting and infuriating for how Bob Ross, his name and his family were treated. "Check it out, super good, and it probably will make you mad too." Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• Bombshell: The Hedy Lamarr Story (2017), documentary. Recommended by host Christian Taylor on Documentary First episode 205. Netflix doc (Alexandra Dean) that opened her eyes to Lamarr's brilliance, including her WWII-era invention that was shelved without credit; a beautiful, sad story she recommends to everyone. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• Born to Play (2020), documentary. Recommended by Mindy Cook on Documentary First episode 157. On Hulu; follows a semi-pro women's tackle football team through its 2018 season. She praises the cinematography for moving at the pace of the story and its use of available light, and was fascinated by women into their 40s who pay to play a sport that hurts them. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• Boys State (2020), documentary. Recommended by Carrie McCarthy on Documentary First episode 212. 2020 doc she didn't expect to like so much: boys build a mock government in a week, a microcosm of society; praised the access and authenticity, and that it was made by a filmmaking couple (Jesse Moss and Amanda McBaine) like her and Mark. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• Brandy Hellville & the Cult of Fast Fashion (2024), documentary. Recommended by host Christian Taylor on Documentary First episode 232 · To Dye For. She watched it on a United flight to Jonah's re-enlistment and finished it on Max. It exposes the brand's owner and how he treated the girls who worked there. It also shows how fast fashion feeds a throwaway culture, with donated clothes ending up overseas and in the oceans. She calls it eye-opening. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• Brian Wilson: Long Promised Road (2021), documentary. Recommended by host Christian Taylor on Documentary First episode 172. Watched on the plane home from France; Brent Wilson found an unconventional way to get the fragile, interview-shy Brian Wilson to tell his story. Sad, warm and engrossing; on Amazon Prime. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• Burden of Dreams (1982), documentary. Recommended by Josh Roush on Documentary First episode 262 · Michael Parks and Long Lonesome Highway. Says it is man against nature, self and society, about refusing to give up when everything goes wrong at once; shows what creativity can be and also how stupid it can be. Calls Werner Herzog "a god" to him. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• Buy Now! The Shopping Conspiracy (2024), documentary. Recommended by host Christian Taylor on Documentary First episode 275. Not a stellar documentary, but everyone needs its information about how companies trick us into buying more; she tied it to Thoreau's warnings about consumerism. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• Capturing the Friedmans (2003), documentary. Recommended by Juan Pablo Reinoso on Documentary First episode 222. A classic he always mentions. The filmmaker set out to make a film about a family member who did clown shows at kids' parties and uncovered a history of abuse. He cites it as an example of a documentary going somewhere unplanned, which is why he likes working organically. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• Carl Laemmle (2019), documentary. Recommended by James L. Freedman on Documentary First episode 288. His own second film, about the founder of Universal Pictures: his fight against Thomas Edison's film trust, and the refugees he helped bring out of Nazi Germany. Made with a grant from Steven Spielberg's Righteous Persons Foundation. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• Cat Daddies (2021), documentary. Recommended by host Christian Taylor on Documentary First episode 226. She saw it at the Julien Dubuque Film Festival and found it hilarious, heartwarming and thought-provoking. It was even better after she got cats. Now on Prime Video. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• Chernobyl: The Lost Tapes (2022), documentary. Recommended by Jason Rugg on Documentary First episode 173. New HBO film of newly discovered archival footage of the disaster; shows how accurate the HBO Chernobyl miniseries was. He hasn't finished it yet. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• Chicken People (2016), documentary. Recommended by host Christian Taylor on Documentary First episode 192. Inspired by a week with her sister's chickens; feels like a mockumentary but is real, and she came to like the people who love their chickens; you learn about a world you never knew. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• Class Action Park (2020), documentary. Recommended by Jason Rugg on Documentary First episode 167. An HBO Max doc about Action Park, a 1980s New Jersey theme park with outrageously unsafe rides. It's funny and insane until the sad parts about people who died. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• Clive Davis: The Soundtrack of Our Lives (2017), documentary. Recommended by host Christian Taylor on Documentary First episode 152. Found it on Netflix and learned a lot: a lawyer unexpectedly put in charge of Columbia Records who had a gift for discovering artists (Janis Joplin, Whitney Houston, Aretha Franklin, Barry Manilow), lost his career to a scandal and came back; she found it a fascinating story of an unintended game-changer. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• Cold War on Ice, documentary. Recommended by Jake Schroeder on Documentary First episode 273. About the 1972 Summit Series, eight Canada vs. Soviet Union games little known in the US; "a war," and for hockey fans one of the most entertaining things you could watch. Said it may be on YouTube. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• Count Me In (2021), documentary. Recommended by host Christian Taylor on Documentary First episode 180. Netflix doc interviewing rock drummers about how they became drummers and how they think; well scripted and shot; she gained respect for drummers. Best if you like music and drums. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• Crip Camp: A Disability Revolution (2020), documentary. Recommended by Quinnolyn Benson-Yates on Documentary First episode 272. A personal favorite that made her cry; about the heart of community and the start of the disability rights revolution. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• Crumb (1994), documentary. Recommended by Erik Ewers on Documentary First episode 275. A fascinating character study of a very eccentric 1960s cartoonist. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• David Foster: Off the Record (2019), documentary. Recommended by Steve Cohen on Documentary First episode 257 · Billy Joel: And So It Goes, Part 2. Recently saw Barry Avrich's David Foster documentary; found Foster very raw and thought Avrich got him to be completely honest. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• Dawson City: Frozen Time (2016), documentary. Recommended by Phil Maher on Documentary First episode Archival Footage: Why Use Home Movies?. Dawson City was the end of the line for film distribution, so unwanted nitrate reels were dumped and buried under an ice rink, then found decades later preserved in the permafrost: a treasure trove of lost early-1900s footage, including reels of the 1919 Black Sox scandal. He calls it a really cool film that tells its story almost silently, through archival clips and intertitles. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son About His Father (2008), documentary. Recommended by Juan Pablo Reinoso on Documentary First episode 222. He called it heartbreaking, upsetting and beautiful, and said it deals with mental illness. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• Diamond Hands: The Legend of WallStreetBets (2022), documentary. Recommended by Evan Wise on Documentary First episode 237. He saw it as a News and Doc Emmy judge; it tells the GameStop stock story and won him over by recreating the internet on screen for the whole film, in a fun, weird and humanizing way. He thinks it is on Peacock (originally MSNBC). Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• Elway to Marino (2013), documentary. Recommended by host Christian Taylor on Documentary First episode 206. A quick aside after Andrew's 30 for 30 pick: she calls the 30 for 30s phenomenal and Elway to Marino one of her all-time favorites, enjoyable even if you're not a deep sports fan. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• Elway to Marino (2013), documentary. Recommended by host Christian Taylor on Documentary First episode 273. ESPN 30 for 30 tied to guest Jake Schroeder's John Elway stories; she loves it and calls it the best one. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• Empire of Dreams: The Story of the Star Wars Trilogy (2004), documentary. Recommended by Josh Lindsay on Documentary First episode 175. 2004 making-of on Disney+ about George Lucas and the original trilogy; good behind-the-scenes look at filmmaking for Star Wars fans. About 2.5 hours. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• Eyewitness: D-Day (2019), documentary. Recommended by host Christian Taylor on Documentary First episode 195. A UK-made National Geographic docudrama on Disney+ mixing archive, reenactments and actors voicing veterans' written accounts; she found the hybrid unusual and it felt more like a narrative feature. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• F for Fake (1973), documentary. Recommended by Zach Callahan on Documentary First episode 182. Orson Welles's 1973 doc-essay about art forger Elmyr and the Howard Hughes hoax, really about what is fake vs real; brought back to it for its unreal editing; master-class filmmaking. On HBO Max. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• Fire of Love (2022), documentary. Recommended by Joe Amodei on Documentary First episode 194 · Joe Amodei's 5 Film Business Tips. National Geographic film about the husband-and-wife volcanologists who got closer to volcanoes than anyone; he found the footage mesmerizing and the ending heartbreaking, and noted it was Oscar-nominated. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• Fire of Love (2022), documentary. Recommended by Inbal Lessner on Documentary First episode 231. She saw it on an IMAX screen in LA and could have watched three more hours of the lava. She calls the crafting, editing and writing gorgeous. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• Free Solo (2018), documentary. Recommended by Quinnolyn Benson-Yates on Documentary First episode 272. Named it "in light of Epic Bill," her own film; it was a model she studied while making it. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• Fyre Fraud (2019), documentary. Recommended by Jason Rugg on Documentary First episode 151. The Hulu counterpart to Netflix's Fyre; watch both to see how differently two films can tell the same event. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• Fyre: The Greatest Party That Never Happened (2019), documentary. Recommended by Jason Rugg on Documentary First episode 151. Fyre Festival collapse; he pairs it with Fyre Fraud as a creative lesson: two docs about the same event from opposite perspectives, one built from footage shot on the island, the other a retrospective with interviews and social media clips. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• Fyre: The Greatest Party That Never Happened (2019), documentary. Recommended by Charles Olivier on Documentary First episode 270. Says it is incredibly well put together structurally and won awards, while the rival Hulu doc (Fyre Fraud) had the sit-down with the fraudster and more content but is the weaker film; watch it for how director and editor earned the character moments. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• Generation Wealth (2018), documentary. Recommended by host Christian Taylor on Documentary First episode 158. Pivotal to how she made The Girl Who Wore Freedom: seeing Lauren Greenfield write, shoot and narrate her own lived experience gave her the model to narrate her film from her own perspective instead of a Ken Burns-style narrator; she outlined Greenfield's film to learn its structure. Also thought-provoking and timely on materialism and greed; she warns of some disturbing, risque images. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• George Stevens: A Filmmaker's Journey (1984), documentary. Recommended by Joe Amodei on Documentary First episode 216 · Joe Amodei on Getting Distribution. Joe called it the best documentary he's ever seen about a filmmaker, possibly because George Stevens's son made it, and said it's full of clips from Shane and Stevens's other films. He got onto it while reading George Stevens Jr.'s memoir My Place in the Sun, which covers Stevens filming in Normandy and Carentan during WWII. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• Gimme Shelter (1970), documentary. Recommended by Andrew Cohen on Documentary First episode 207. Rolling Stones doc about the concert where someone was killed; he was inspired by its structure (the band at the editing table as a frame story) and how one anecdote tells a bigger story about an era. Rent on Prime Video; also airs on TCM. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• Glitch: The Rise & Fall of HQ Trivia (2023), documentary. Recommended by Jason Rugg on Documentary First episode 192. A fascinating rise-and-fall story, if a little long and slow; also a nostalgic look back at life just before the pandemic. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• Hands on a Hardbody (1997), documentary. Recommended by Josh Lindsay on Documentary First episode 179. Doc about a Texas dealership contest where contestants keep a hand on a pickup truck until one remains; everyone has a reason they need the truck; hilarious and great by the end if you give it more than 10 minutes. Buy on Apple TV. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• Harlan County, U.S.A. (1976), documentary. Recommended by Cecilia Peck on Documentary First episode 231. It was made by their shared mentor Barbara Kopple, who embedded with striking Kentucky coal miners for a year. She calls it essential viewing for documentary filmmakers because it shows how embedding makes you relate to people you think you have nothing in common with. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker's Apocalypse (1991), documentary. Recommended by Erik Ewers on Documentary First episode 275. "A given": the documentary about the making of Apocalypse Now. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• Hollow Tree (2022), documentary. Recommended by Ken Burns on Documentary First episode 209 · Ken Burns, Part 2. New film by Kira Akerman, whom he mentors, following three young women in Louisiana coming to terms with climate change and the changing Mississippi/Atchafalaya; he has given notes on it every six months. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• Hoop Dreams (1994), documentary. Recommended by Josh Lindsay on Documentary First episode 164. A nearly three-hour film following boys who dream of the NBA. It shows how few actually make it, which makes it sobering but well made. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• How to Survive a Plague (2012), documentary. Recommended by David McMahon on Documentary First episode 239. David France's 2012 film about ACT UP using civil disobedience to force government and drug companies to release AIDS treatments; built from found footage (VHS of meetings, news) plus members on camera; a portrait of a movement that forced the government's hand. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• I Called Him Morgan (2016), documentary. Recommended by Michèle Stephenson on Documentary First episode 220. It tells the story of jazz musician Lee Morgan through the voice of the woman who was his lover and also his killer. She loves how it built a visual language over the audio tapes, mixing old and new New York footage so you can't tell past from present, and said it partly inspired Going to Mars. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• Inside Job (2010), documentary. Recommended by Jason Rugg on Documentary First episode 159. Oscar-winning doc on the 2008 financial crisis; a fantastic story he has rewatched several times, though he picked it on the cinematography episode as an example of weak visuals: deep-focus early-digital RED One interviews with distracting backgrounds. "Story is king." Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• Into the Deep (2020), documentary. Recommended by Tayler Gilchrist on Documentary First episode 186. A true-crime doc (dir. Emma Sullivan, Netflix) best seen knowing nothing; she loves the storytelling because it starts out seeming to be about one thing and turns into something shocking. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• Jagged (2021), documentary. Recommended by Jeff Kurtenacker on Documentary First episode 150. Recently saw the HBO doc on the making of Alanis Morissette's Jagged Little Pill, one of his favorite albums in high school; calls it fascinating. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• Jago: A Life Underwater (2015), documentary. Recommended by Nate Dappen on Documentary First episode 202. James Reed's 2015 film about an 80-year-old free-diving hunter told with very little dialogue and reenactments with his young relatives; he thinks it is Reed's best and better than My Octopus Teacher. On Amazon and CuriosityStream. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• Jane (2017), documentary. Recommended by host Christian Taylor on Documentary First episode 174. 2017 doc on Jane Goodall, directed by Brett Morgen; she was mesmerized by Goodall as a child; lots of footage of her early life and work. Watched on a Delta flight. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• Jiro Dreams of Sushi (2011), documentary. Recommended by Jason Rugg on Documentary First episode 157. One of his all-time favorites: a subtitled film about a Michelin-starred Tokyo sushi master and his family; incredibly precise, packed with macro shots of knives through fish, and a fascinating father-son story (the son still apprenticed after decades, the left-handed son who built a mirror-image restaurant). Mindy adds she loves its layered family story and minimalist approach. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• Jiro Dreams of Sushi (2011), documentary. Recommended by Erik Ewers on Documentary First episode 275. One of his favorites: a slice-of-life film about a man making some of Japan's greatest sushi in a restaurant inside a subway station. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• Joan Didion: The Center Will Not Hold (2017), documentary. Recommended by Anne Easton on Documentary First episode 248. Didion is one of her favorite writers (she has had to stop reading her because she was starting to write like her); loved the recent documentary, which she thinks is on Netflix. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• Julia (2021), documentary. Recommended by host Christian Taylor on Documentary First episode 173. 2021 CNN film by Julie Cohen and Betsy West on Julia Child; well made, fascinating archival footage, many things she didn't know (e.g. WWII service); heavy on women producers. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• Katharine Hepburn (2019), documentary. Recommended by Anne Easton on Documentary First episode 248. Hepburn is one of her favorite actresses, a trailblazer for women; she liked learning that Hepburn chose roles where her characters fell on their faces because audiences disliked seeing good things happen to someone from an affluent background, which humanized her. She thinks it is on Netflix. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• Keys to the City: Chronicles of a New York Locksmith (2023), documentary. Recommended by Chad Gilchrist on Documentary First episode 217. Chad, sitting in as co-host, picked a friend's short doc, Ian Moubayed's film published by The New Yorker, about a Brooklyn locksmith shop passed down through generations. He called it a quiet, verité, beautiful story about a dream being handed off, with lots of negative space. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• King of Kings: Chasing Edward Jones (2022), documentary. Recommended by host Christian Taylor on Documentary First episode 197. French director Harriet Marin Jones's search into her grandfather Edward Jones, a Black Chicago numbers king caught between the mob and the feds; she praised its use of photos, parallax animation and color. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• Kiss the Future (2023), documentary. Recommended by Teddy Cannon on Documentary First episode 244. Self-promotion: he was an archival producer on it. On Paramount+; about the siege of Sarajevo in the early 90s and the power of one person to change things; the footage is incredible and it feels relevant to Ukraine now. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• Kiss the Future (2023), documentary. Recommended by Teddy Cannon on Documentary First episode Why Does One Documentary Clip Cost $70,000?. A project he's proud of, about U2's role in ending the Siege of Sarajevo; its rarely seen archival footage "literally makes the piece" instead of the usual recycled news clips. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• Leonard Bernstein: Reaching for the Note (1998), documentary. Recommended by Steve Cohen on Documentary First episode 257 · Billy Joel: And So It Goes, Part 2. His "number one": friend Susan Lacy's Leonard Bernstein documentary, which he calls far and away one of the most superior artist documentaries, top of his list. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• Lost in La Mancha (2002), documentary. Recommended by host Christian Taylor on Documentary First episode 168. Josh recommended it to her during GWF's worst stretch. Terry Gilliam's failed attempt to make The Man Who Killed Don Quixote made her feel better, made her laugh, and taught her what not to do. Gilliam finally finished the film in 2018. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• Louis Armstrong's Black & Blues (2022), documentary. Recommended by host Christian Taylor on Documentary First episode 187. Built from Armstrong's own reel-to-reel recordings so he tells his story in his own words; she found the visual solution to an audio-only archive brilliant. Notes it was produced by Sarah Bernstein (Imagine). On Apple TV+. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• Lucy and Desi (2022), documentary. Recommended by host Christian Taylor on Documentary First episode 179. 2022 Amazon doc directed by Amy Poehler, built around Lucy and Desi's own audio recordings and their daughter Lucie Arnaz; touching, funny and educational. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• Made You Look: A True Story About Fake Art (2020), documentary. Recommended by host Christian Taylor on Documentary First episode 176. Netflix doc by Barry Avrich on the largest art fraud in U.S. history ($80M fake-painting scam); she loved it during the pandemic; good if you like true crime. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• Making "Do the Right Thing" (1989), documentary. Recommended by Joe Brewster on Documentary First episode 220. It's by St. Clair Bourne, Joe and Michèle's early mentor, whom Joe praised for never wavering in his commitment to the form and his message. Joe warned it is hard to find. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• Man on Wire (2008), documentary. Recommended by Christopher Loren Ewers on Documentary First episode 275. His favorite documentary of all time: masterful filmmaking, a master class in visual storytelling, and tense even though you know the walk succeeded. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• Mercury 13 (2018), documentary. Recommended by host Christian Taylor on Documentary First episode 204. Netflix doc about women who trained for the space program alongside Glenn and Grissom, passed the same tests, then had their program shut down; she loved learning it from the surviving women. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• Meru (2015), documentary. Recommended by Quinnolyn Benson-Yates on Documentary First episode 272. Studied it because it was very similar in structure and showed the path Jimmy Chin and Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi took toward the more ambitious Free Solo. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• Minding the Gap (2018), documentary. Recommended by Zach Callahan on Documentary First episode 172. His favorite documentary of all time: Bing Liu's film following three skateboarding friends in Rockford, IL from youth into adulthood, dealing with family, addiction and domestic violence; a story about forgotten working-class Midwestern people. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• Minding the Gap (2018), documentary. Recommended by Mark Pedri on Documentary First episode 213. Bing Liu's personal skateboarding film from Rockford, IL that grows into a story about fatherhood, friendship and family; he related as a small-town Wyoming kid, admired Liu's bravery and the skate sound design. Thinks it is on Hulu. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• Miracle: The Boys of '80 (2015), documentary. Recommended by host Christian Taylor on Documentary First episode 273. Just out on Netflix, about the 1980 US Olympic hockey team that beat the Soviets; timely during the Winter Olympics. Called it phenomenal. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• Morena(s) (2022), documentary. Recommended by Laela Kilbourn on Documentary First episode 217. Laela called it an entirely verité film about a Dominican immigrant in Buenos Aires who struggles to keep her restaurant going and wants to bring her teenage son over. She said it is one of the most beautiful films she has ever seen, made by two first-time filmmakers (Vicky Apolinario and Iván de Lara), one of whom had been her second AC. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• Mountain Queen: The Summits of Lhakpa Sherpa (2023), documentary. Recommended by Greg Fitzpatrick on Documentary First episode 249. About a Nepali woman who climbed Everest 10 times, raised three kids and had a very hard personal life after moving to the US; he called it an inspiring, entertaining story of grit and perseverance, with what she overcame off the mountain even harder than Everest. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• Muscle Shoals (2013), documentary. Recommended by Jeff Kurtenacker on Documentary First episode 150. A favorite from recent years about the Alabama hit-making studio of the 60s and 70s; fascinating how that swamp sound was made, largely by white session players on Black music, and why artists came from everywhere to record there. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• My Darling Vivian (2020), documentary. Recommended by host Christian Taylor on Documentary First episode 156. First saw it at the Chagrin film festival in 2020; about Johnny Cash's first wife Vivian, an unbelievable and heartbreaking story with phenomenal footage woven together very creatively, and interviews with her daughters. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• My Date With Drew (2004), documentary. Recommended by Josh Lindsay on Documentary First episode 151. One of his favorite films: a broke Gen-X wannabe filmmaker uses six degrees of separation to try to get a date with Drew Barrymore, filming on a camcorder bought on a 30-day return policy. Inspiring, feel-good and fun, with a great story arc. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• My Octopus Teacher (2020), documentary. Recommended by host Christian Taylor on Documentary First episode 159. Beautifully shot, mostly underwater, on Netflix: a filmmaker taking time to re-evaluate his life befriends an octopus that changes his perspective; she found its truths spiritually profound. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• Navalny (2022), documentary. Recommended by Zach Callahan on Documentary First episode 172. Follows Alexei Navalny after the 2020 assassination attempt and his return to Russia; plays like a real Russian spy novel, including a scene where he confronts the people who tried to kill him. Saw it on HBO Max the week before. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• Navalny (2022), documentary. Recommended by Chad Gilchrist on Documentary First episode 191. Cameras followed the Russian opposition politician through the assassination attempt, giving an inside look; well made and gripping. In English and Russian. HBO Max. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• Netflix vs. the World (2019), documentary. Recommended by host Christian Taylor on Documentary First episode 244. She watched it with her husband; it tells the story of how Netflix began, which she found fascinating, especially for anyone interested in the industry and what is happening in it now. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• New York Doll (2005), documentary. Recommended by Sophia Dilley on Documentary First episode How Do You Get a Documentary Made? (RKO). A quirky, fun deep cut about Arthur "Killer" Kane of the New York Dolls, with a heartbreaking turn and a lot of heart and warmth; a follow doc with surprises. As a punk fan she loves it, and notes director Greg Whiteley went on to make Cheer. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• No Other Land (2024), documentary. Recommended by Abby Ginzberg on Documentary First episode 245. Oscar-nominated; Israeli and Palestinian filmmakers together document the ongoing destruction of a West Bank town; she calls it an amazing vérité film that lets you meet the people affected, and it made her cry many times. Had no US distribution yet. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• Obi-Wan Kenobi: A Jedi's Return (2022), documentary. Recommended by Jason Rugg on Documentary First episode 179. Hour-long Disney+ behind-the-scenes on making the Obi-Wan series, including Ewan McGregor on following Alec Guinness; he'd only started it. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• Oceans (2009), documentary. Recommended by Panu Aaltio on Documentary First episode 255. Hard to pick a favorite, but Bruno Coulais's score was a big influence on his Tale of... nature-doc series: a director had him watch it as a reference, and its cinematic, expressive style became the style he adopted for his nature work. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• Ordinary Men: The Forgotten Holocaust (2022), documentary. Recommended by host Christian Taylor on Documentary First episode 206. A German Netflix documentary on the ordinary men (dentists, tax collectors) who became killers, framed around the postwar trial: a fascinating study of the human condition that looks at WWII through a very different lens. As a WWII storyteller she was glad a streamer released one in 2023, when most say they're not interested. "I highly recommend it." Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• Our Father (2022), documentary. Recommended by Jeff Kurtenacker on Documentary First episode 174. Netflix doc on Indianapolis fertility doctor Donald Cline who used his own sperm; DNA sites exposed dozens of half-siblings. He'd give it about three stars because it never reaches resolution or a motive. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• OUTATIME: Saving the DeLorean Time Machine (2016), documentary. Recommended by Brandon Cawood on Documentary First episode 232 · To Dye For. He's a huge Back to the Future fan. It follows Joe Walser and team restoring the original "A car" DeLorean that had decayed on the Universal backlot. It's now in the Petersen Museum, which he always visits. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• Pandas (2018), documentary. Recommended by host Christian Taylor on Documentary First episode 153. Saw it on the plane home; a 46-minute IMAX short narrated by Kristen Bell about a Chinese reserve trying to rewild pandas with help from a black-bear expert; stunning footage and a clever pairing of 70s/80s music with the pandas. On Hulu. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• Paradise Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills (1996), documentary. Recommended by Evan Wise on Documentary First episode 237. He calls it brilliant and says the film changed the lives of three people who were not guilty of murder; he had discussed it earlier in the interview. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• Particle Fever (2013), documentary. Recommended by Neil Losin on Documentary First episode 201. Follows physicists at the Large Hadron Collider hunting the Higgs boson; he expected to be bored but the character-driven suspense, deep coverage and Walter Murch's edit absorbed him. On CuriosityStream. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• Perfect Bid: The Contestant Who Knew Too Much (2017), documentary. Recommended by host Christian Taylor on Documentary First episode 177. Netflix doc on Ted Slawson gaming The Price Is Right; interesting story, but she said it wasn't well executed - visually unappealing, inconsistent interview settings, too deep in the weeds. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• Porcelain War (2024), documentary. Recommended by Abby Ginzberg on Documentary First episode 245. Oscar-nominated film by a US and a Ukrainian filmmaker about people making porcelain figures in Ukraine during the war; she calls it beautiful, artistic, contemporary and moving. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• Reggie's Forest, documentary. Recommended by D. Mitry on Documentary First episode 195. One of the last two docs he enjoyed, both seen at the Julien Dubuque Film Festival; no further reason given for this one. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• Robert's Village (2021), documentary. Recommended by host Christian Taylor on Documentary First episode 164. A short in her Dubuque festival block about Robert, a Ugandan massacre survivor who became a custodian at Colorado State University. With a student's GoFundMe he built schools in his village. It moved her deeply. Directed by Brian Buss, with info at robertsorphanage.org. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• Rock Hudson: All That Heaven Allowed (2023), documentary. Recommended by Nicolás Repetto on Documentary First episode 205. Just watched it; knew little about Hudson and thought it brilliantly showed his life from early on to his final days. On Max. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• Science Fair (2018), documentary. Recommended by Sophia Dilley on Documentary First episode How Do You Get a Documentary Made? (RKO). She saw it at SXSW. It follows teenagers competing at a science fair and was so much fun; she loves human stories that aren't mainstream but have so much magic. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• Searching for Sugar Man (2012), documentary. Recommended by Alex Ivany on Documentary First episode 221. Alex said it's told like a mystery about a musician surrounded by rumors of his death, whose music became famous in South Africa but not the US, with two superfans uncovering the story. He called the crafts exquisite and said you learn something new around every corner. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• Searching for Sugar Man (2012), documentary. Recommended by Andrew Gans on Documentary First episode Danny Gans: The Man of Many Voices. A film he goes back to again and again: a filmmaker traces a musician whose album flopped at home but made him a star in another country, with a big twist at the midpoint. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• Searching for Sugar Man (2012), documentary. Recommended by Jonathan de Jong on Documentary First episode 284. He calls it one of the best documentaries ever made and proof that a modern-day fairy tale still exists; he thought what the filmmakers attempted was impossible right up to the ending. It fits his own work about human connection and shows what storytelling can do. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• Secret Mall Apartment (2024), documentary. Recommended by Nick Bruckman on Documentary First episode 265 · The Price of Milk. About artists who secretly lived inside the Providence Place mall for nearly a decade; he recommends it as a great story about artists, gentrification and self-expression and as an example of getting a film out without distributors, since director Jeremy Workman ran his own theatrical release and grossed over $1M. Discloses Workman edited the Price of Milk trailer. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• Senna (2010), documentary. Recommended by Laela Kilbourn on Documentary First episode 217. Laela said it is told entirely in archival footage with voiceover from interviewees you never see, cut so well that it feels like it's happening in real time, as if shot verité. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• Shuffle, documentary. Recommended by Andrew Gans on Documentary First episode Danny Gans: The Man of Many Voices. He saw it at several festivals and knows the filmmakers; it exposes rehab centers defrauding and overcharging patients, and he found it powerful. Not yet released. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• Sidney (2022), documentary. Recommended by Joe Amodei on Documentary First episode 183. Saw it in Toronto; even though Poitier's story is well known it still surprised him, and he liked that it addresses head-on the criticism Poitier faced for his roles (e.g. Guess Who's Coming to Dinner). On Apple TV+. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• Sour Grapes (2016), documentary. Recommended by host Christian Taylor on Documentary First episode 217. Christian said she watched it that week on Netflix. It's a crime documentary about wine fraud, and she learned a lot about winemaking and wine theft. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• Sr. (2022), documentary. Recommended by host Christian Taylor on Documentary First episode 194 · Joe Amodei's 5 Film Business Tips. Robert Downey Jr.'s black-and-white documentary about his aging, dying father; she liked how they treated him with dignity and let him make his own version of the film, and it resonated with her own father's aging. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• Stevie Van Zandt: Disciple (2024), documentary. Recommended by Brian Skerry on Documentary First episode 228. He had just watched it on HBO the night before (it played Tribeca). Joan Jett, Jackson Browne and Paul McCartney appear. He calls it the story of a guy who never quit, and learned a lot he didn't know about Van Zandt. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie (2023), documentary. Recommended by Jason Rugg on Documentary First episode 200. Fascinating and heartbreaking look at how Fox hid his Parkinson's for years, including footage where he masked symptoms; sad but with hope. On Apple TV+. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie (2023), documentary. Recommended by Matt Beurois on Documentary First episode 238. It surprised him by letting the camera get so intimate with Fox and his disease; he liked the cinematography and interviews, and found it simple, human and courageous. Thinks it will become a legacy documentary. On Apple TV+. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• Summer of Soul (...Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised) (2021), documentary. Recommended by Craig Renaud on Documentary First episode 204. He had just watched it on a plane; called it brilliant filmmaking by Questlove, full of "archival gold." Jason added it is on Hulu. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• Super Size Me (2004), documentary. Recommended by Jason Rugg on Documentary First episode 160. The first documentary he remembers seeing. Morgan Spurlock eats only McDonald's for a month and has to say yes whenever offered a supersize. It made Jason stop wanting fast food. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• The Alpinist (2021), documentary. Recommended by Josh Lindsay on Documentary First episode 160. Part of a wave of climbing docs (Free Solo, Dawn Wall). It follows a young climber who seems to lack the brain's normal fear brakes, which makes him extraordinary at what he does. Josh calls it excellent and inspiring, a little heavy but fine to watch with kids. On Netflix. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• The Automat (2021), documentary. Recommended by host Christian Taylor on Documentary First episode 165. She went for Mel Brooks and loved it. It's a funny, warm history of Horn & Hardart's nickel food-vending automats, with Mel Brooks, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Elliott Gould, Carl Reiner and Colin Powell. Directed by Lisa Hurwitz. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• The Deepest Breath (2023), documentary. Recommended by Gail Gilbert on Documentary First episode 210. Free-diving doc a friend saw; beautifully shot, engaging look at a life-threatening extreme sport and a world she never knew existed. Jason confirms it is on Netflix. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• The Dissident (2020), documentary. Recommended by Chad Gilchrist on Documentary First episode 187. Follows the fallout from Jamal Khashoggi's disappearance; he praised the storytelling and technical craft and admired people who put themselves in danger to advance humanity. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• The Go-Go's (2020), documentary. Recommended by host Christian Taylor on Documentary First episode 150. One of her all-time favorites; she saw it at Sundance, where Jeff let her go in and she got to meet the band; the band was the soundtrack of her senior year. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• The Go-Go's (2020), documentary. Recommended by host Christian Taylor on Documentary First episode 162. She saw it at its Sundance 2020 premiere and met the band there. Alison Ellwood's film reveals the behind-the-scenes story (the manager, drugs, money fights) she never knew, though the band was the soundtrack of her senior year. She saw her teenage self in it and thinks people her age will relate. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• The Greatest Night in Pop (2024), documentary. Recommended by David Paterson on Documentary First episode 224. He watched it with his wife, who usually doesn't like docs, and they both loved this making-of about "We Are the World", recorded the night of the Grammys. He noted its 98% Rotten Tomatoes score and recommended it highly (on Netflix). Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• The Inventor: Out for Blood in Silicon Valley (2019), documentary. Recommended by Jason Rugg on Documentary First episode 163. The new Hulu miniseries The Dropout reminded him of it. It covers Elizabeth Holmes and the Theranos blood-test fraud, which started as a real goal she couldn't achieve and turned into lying to investors. On HBO Max. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• The Kid Stays in the Picture (2002), documentary. Recommended by Steve Cohen on Documentary First episode 257 · Billy Joel: And So It Goes, Part 2. Says it has resonated with him "forever"; it is about Robert Evans. He wondered aloud if it was a narrative rather than a doc (it is a documentary). Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• The Kid Stays in the Picture (2002), documentary. Recommended by Jeffrey Roth on Documentary First episode 269. The Robert Evans doc; he liked how it used film tools (camera, color, animated photos, now called "the Kid Stays in the Picture effect") when docs did not look that way, and it has stuck with him for 23 years. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• The Kingmaker (2019), documentary. Recommended by Mindy Cook on Documentary First episode 158. Lauren Greenfield's later film on Imelda Marcos in the Philippines; very good and fascinating, especially watched after Generation Wealth because of the shared themes; she admires Greenfield's storytelling and has studied under cinematographers who worked with her. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• The Miles Davis Story (2001), documentary. Recommended by host Christian Taylor on Documentary First episode 160. She found it fascinating for both story and editing, especially how cuts, jumps and zooms bring the archival photos to life. She couldn't find a director credit (it is Mike Dibb's film for Channel 4), and was struck that an actor voices Davis's raspy voice in first person convincingly. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• The Mystery of Marilyn Monroe: The Unheard Tapes (2022), documentary. Recommended by host Christian Taylor on Documentary First episode 181. Netflix doc whose storytelling weaves disparate interviews into the theme of her life; heartbreaking, and made her think about paying attention to and standing by the people close to you. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• The Pez Outlaw (2022), documentary. Recommended by Robin Canfield on Documentary First episode 276. He recommends it to lots of people because it's fun and grabs you to the end: a man smuggling European Pez dispensers into the US, with high production value in how it shows imagined scenes. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• The Pigeon Tunnel (2023), documentary. Recommended by Gail Gilbert on Documentary First episode 210. Errol Morris doc on John le Carré that she saw at IDA's fall docs festival; striking mirror-and-reflection interview photography fitting a film about spies' multiple lives, but she felt it repeated itself and Morris needed someone to tell him no. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• The Rescue (2021), documentary. Recommended by Josh Lindsay on Documentary First episode 152. Disney+/Nat Geo doc on the Thai boys' soccer team trapped in a flooded cave; even knowing the ending you are on the edge of your seat; thrilling, emotional, with drama, politics and volunteers. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• The Rescue (2021), documentary. Recommended by Jason Rugg on Documentary First episode 180. Nat Geo doc (Disney+) on the 2018 Thai cave rescue; watched after 13 Lives; heartbreaking, incredible and worth your time. Also recommends watching the narrative 13 Lives (Amazon Prime). Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• The Sparks Brothers (2021), documentary. Recommended by Robbie Davis on Documentary First episode 180. Edgar Wright (his favorite director) blends music and visuals; the doc on the band Sparks features many famous fans and playful visual techniques (color, stop-motion, cutouts). He had never heard of the band before and was glad to be introduced. On Netflix. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck (2023), documentary. Recommended by host Christian Taylor on Documentary First episode 200. Watched on a plane; mixed feelings: a man telling his life story with found footage, not scientific; she would not pay $5.99 to rent it but said watch it if it's on your flight. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• The Thin Blue Line (1988), documentary. Recommended by Josh Lindsay on Documentary First episode 153. Errol Morris's 1988 doc was groundbreaking for using reenactments and for helping free a wrongly convicted man; then watch Documentary Now!'s spoof of it, which is funnier if you've seen the original. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• The Thin Blue Line (1988), documentary. Recommended by Erik Ewers on Documentary First episode 275. Personal: his mentor Paul Barnes edited it. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• The Trial of Adolf Eichmann (1997), documentary. Recommended by host Christian Taylor on Documentary First episode 221. Christian said it's hard to watch but important: real trial footage from Israel in which victims confront Eichmann. Seeing history with your own eyes is irreplaceable, and it reminds us of human cruelty and the need to be kind. She says it's on Netflix. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• The Two Escobars (2010), documentary. Recommended by Andrew Cohen on Documentary First episode 206. He wrote a college paper on it: the ESPN 30 for 30 on soccer player Andres Escobar and Pablo Escobar, whose life stories ran in parallel and briefly overlapped. He was captivated by how well it moves between the two stories, and thinks it's one of the better documentary takes on Escobar. On Disney+. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• The Wolfpack (2015), documentary. Recommended by Jason Rugg on Documentary First episode 162. A friend showed it to him after college. A director meets six long-haired brothers who were kept by an abusive father in a NYC apartment for most of their lives and learned about the world through movies (especially Tarantino). It's a fascinating look at how strange a life can get depending on your parents. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• The Wrecking Crew (2008), documentary. Recommended by Robbie Davis on Documentary First episode 182. Doc on the session musicians who played on countless '60s-'70s hits (Beach Boys, Monkees, Sonny & Cher) without credit; made over many years by guitarist Tommy Tedesco's son. On Hulu. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• They'll Love Me When I'm Dead (2018), documentary. Recommended by host Christian Taylor on Documentary First episode 182. Netflix doc on Orson Welles making The Other Side of the Wind late in his career; a fascinating, messy look inside his head showing both genius and madness. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• Three Identical Strangers (2018), documentary. Recommended by Josh Lindsay on Documentary First episode 163. A crazy true story of triplets separated at birth that is fascinating and sad, and well produced. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• Three Identical Strangers (2018), documentary. Recommended by Yvette Amirian on Documentary First episode 219. She said she shows it to her students. She likes how it uses traditional tools (talking heads, recreations, archival footage, a little verité near the end) in unusual ways, and she admires its pace, music and structure. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• Three Identical Strangers (2018), documentary. Recommended by Eric Gardner on Documentary First episode 247. He skipped it when it came out because of the hype, but the filmmaking, editing and storytelling lay it out like a thriller with twist after twist; a perfect combination of a great idea and great filmmaking. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• Touching the Void (2003), documentary. Recommended by Alex Harz on Documentary First episode 242. The 2003 film about two climbers on an unclimbed Andes peak where things go badly; it stuck with him during his training for the big mountains because of its life, survival and mountaineering lessons, and it helped start his journey to Everest. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• Travelin' Band: Creedence Clearwater Revival at the Royal Albert Hall (2022), documentary. Recommended by host Christian Taylor on Documentary First episode 183. She knew nothing of CCR's history and fell in love with the band; the second half is the live concert, and Jeff Bridges' narration is excellent; she warns the happy story doesn't match what happened to the band later. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• Undefeated (2011), documentary. Recommended by Robbie Davis on Documentary First episode 181. 2011 Oscar-winning doc about coach Bill Courtney and the Manassas High School football team in North Memphis; his philosophy that football reveals character; Robbie sobbed twice. On Netflix. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• Undefeated (2011), documentary. Recommended by Andre N. Jackson on Documentary First episode Beyond Banners. The direct inspiration for his own film. He found it so compelling he rushed through whatever he was doing to get back to it, and it won the Oscar. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• Val (2021), documentary. Recommended by Josh Lindsay on Documentary First episode 173. Val Kilmer's own camcorder footage across his career, his throat cancer and his children; worth it if you grew up on his films or like docs about actors. On Amazon. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• Virunga (2014), documentary. Recommended by Peter Kelly on Documentary First episode 268. A Netflix doc about Virunga National Park that highlights the animals and the people protecting them, and exposes oil companies trying to strip its protected status to drill. Called it one of his favorites ever. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• When We Were Kings (1996), documentary. Recommended by Sarah Burns on Documentary First episode 239. She and David watched it while thinking about their Muhammad Ali film; directed by Leon Gast (1996), about the lead-up to the 1974 Ali vs. Foreman fight, with lots of vérité footage and the concert beforehand; joyful to watch. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• Will & Harper (2024), documentary. Recommended by host Christian Taylor on Documentary First episode 242. She watched it two nights before with her sister Anne, who recommended it; Will Ferrell's road trip with his old SNL friend Harper after Harper's transition. She found it touching and educational, was proud of Will for doing it, and says it will challenge people's thinking. On Netflix. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• Won't You Be My Neighbor? (2018), documentary. Recommended by Josh Lindsay on Documentary First episode 159. The 2018 Mr. Rogers doc; he'd rewatch it over the Tom Hanks film; powerful and worth seeing even if you didn't grow up with him. Christian adds that Fred Rogers speaks for himself. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• Won't You Be My Neighbor? (2018), documentary. Recommended by Josh Haygood on Documentary First episode 225. He grew up on Mr. Rogers, but says the real reason is the editing: the pacing, texture and gentle, respectful construction make the film feel like Fred Rogers himself. He tells every editor to study it. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• Yacht Rock: A Dockumentary (2024), documentary. Recommended by Teddy Cannon on Documentary First episode Why Does One Documentary Clip Cost $70,000?. Packed end to end with archival footage, and its archival producer got third billing; he was glad to see his field recognized. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch

Docuseries (37)

• American Experience: The Vote (Parts 1 and 2) (2020), docuseries. Recommended by Christy Carpenter on Documentary First episode 245. She is a history buff; written and directed by Michelle Ferrari, it covers the last stretch of the fight to ratify the 19th Amendment, which squeaked through Tennessee by one vote, full of colorful characters with different tactics. Two 2-hour episodes on PBS Passport. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• Ancient Apocalypse (2022), docuseries. Recommended by Anže Rozman on Documentary First episode 203. Explores Graham Hancock's theory of a lost ice-age civilization and a comet impact around 12,800 years ago; he has followed Hancock for years. He said the (library) music choices were horrendous and too loud. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• D.B. Cooper: Where Are You?! (2022), docuseries. Recommended by host Christian Taylor on Documentary First episode 188. Watched with her family; not top-tier, but it moves between the case and the filmmakers' own obsession, and she loved the quirky "Cooperites" community; the Vietnam-vet code-breaking angle convinced her. Netflix. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• Five Came Back (2017), docuseries. Recommended by Jason Rugg on Documentary First episode 153. Netflix series about five Hollywood directors (Wyler, Capra, Stevens, Ford, Huston) who went to document WWII; he calls it phenomenal. Christian adds details about Capra's training films and Wyler. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• Formula 1: Drive to Survive (2019), docuseries. Recommended by Mindy Cook on Documentary First episode 158. Not a racing or sports fan, but she loves the story and drama; it gave her a new appreciation for F1, with behind-the-scenes strategy, team rivalries and a wealthy world she'd otherwise never see; watching it feels like travelling. New season dropping that night, on Netflix. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• Full Swing (2023), docuseries. Recommended by Josh Lindsay on Documentary First episode 207. Netflix golf docuseries following a few pro golfers, their families and the LIV Golf controversy; he does not watch golf but found it phenomenal and entertaining. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• Generation Hustle (2021), docuseries. Recommended by Josh Lindsay on Documentary First episode 156. HBO Max docuseries on con artists (including WeWork's founder and the fake heiress Anna Sorokin); he also points to Netflix's Inventing Anna as the narrative retelling and praises its cinematography. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• Harry & Meghan (2022), docuseries. Recommended by host Christian Taylor on Documentary First episode 213. Netflix docuseries she has now finished; fascinating personal look at a life few will experience, showing famous people as regular humans. She came to it through watching Suits. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• Human Footprint (2023), docuseries. Recommended by Jason Rugg on Documentary First episode 201. Insightful series that made him think; especially the segment on golf-course grass in Palm Springs; never boring and each segment is the right length. On PBS. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• Light & Magic (2022), docuseries. Recommended by Josh Lindsay on Documentary First episode 177. Disney+ docuseries on the original ILM crew inventing effects technology for Star Wars; inspiring, a palate cleanser after dark true crime; for Star Wars and filmmaking fans. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• Light & Magic (2022), docuseries. Recommended by Robbie Davis on Documentary First episode 185. Re-recommending it (said it had been picked before by someone else): an underdog story of how ILM was built and revived the special-effects industry, starting with Star Wars; on Disney+. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• McCartney 3,2,1 (2021), docuseries. Recommended by Jeff Kurtenacker on Documentary First episode 150. Rick Rubin (one of the speaker's heroes) sits with Paul McCartney and solos tracks from the masters while McCartney explains his choices; fascinating even though he's not a big Beatles fan. Recommended to Jason in reply to Get Back. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• McMillions (2020), docuseries. Recommended by host Christian Taylor on Documentary First episode 151. She first learned of it at Sundance from a McDonald's-Monopoly-style promo; a fascinating series where you can't believe what happens, with constant twists, very well done and funny despite being sad. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• Meltdown: Three Mile Island (2022), docuseries. Recommended by host Christian Taylor on Documentary First episode 189. Her husband had wanted to watch it for months; she expected it to be dull but was hooked within minutes; masterfully woven and very informative. Netflix docuseries. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• MH370: The Plane That Disappeared (2023), docuseries. Recommended by host Christian Taylor on Documentary First episode 193. Netflix series on the 2014 disappearance; well done, tragic that it is still unsolved, and uses some motion graphics (tying to the episode's animation topic). Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• Mr. McMahon (2024), docuseries. Recommended by host Christian Taylor on Documentary First episode 240. She and her husband just started this Netflix docuseries about the WWE's head; she is fascinated because the story had to change when allegations came out after most interviews were filmed, and it opened up a world she knew nothing about. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• Myth & Mogul: John DeLorean (2021), docuseries. Recommended by Jeff Kurtenacker on Documentary First episode 190. A Back to the Future fan, he liked seeing DeLorean's rise, his sense of what young car buyers wanted, and the evidence about whether he was set up by the FBI; no verdict on guilt. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• Not So Pretty (2022), docuseries. Recommended by Whitney Cawood on Documentary First episode 232 · To Dye For. It's in the same vein as their film. It looks at cosmetics and everyday products women use that have "not so pretty" consequences. On HBO/Max. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• Pepsi, Where's My Jet? (2022), docuseries. Recommended by host Christian Taylor on Documentary First episode 185. A true David-vs-Goliath story she knew nothing about; the ending was a little unsatisfying, but she enjoyed it and says it shows one critical error to avoid when taking on a big corporation. Four-part Netflix series. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• Quarterback (2023), docuseries. Recommended by Josh Lindsay on Documentary First episode 206. Hooked on Netflix's sports series; this one follows three NFL quarterbacks. Not a big NFL fan, he loved the behind-the-scenes stories and seeing how wrong his assumptions were about their lives and pressures. Very entertaining, though he wished it went deeper into a day in their lives. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• Secrets & Spies: A Nuclear Game (2024), docuseries. Recommended by Jake Taylor on Documentary First episode 240. He has been watching it slowly; it tells the Cold War from a US CIA agent's and a KGB agent's point of view, with stories like KGB agents leaving joke notes for Americans they were bugging, showing the humanity on both sides. He is a history buff. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• Sinatra: All or Nothing at All (2015), docuseries. Recommended by host Christian Taylor on Documentary First episode 150. She is addicted to it and rewatches it, partly because she loves the mid-century era; she admires how the filmmakers built the story almost entirely from Sinatra's own interviews and his family's, structured around the set list of his 1971 retirement concert. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• Sinatra: All or Nothing at All (2015), docuseries. Recommended by Steve Cohen on Documentary First episode 257 · Billy Joel: And So It Goes, Part 2. Calls "the Frank Sinatra documentary" one that will always stand; he loves that there are no talking heads and it is all done with audio. Admits he'd argue with Susan Lacy about it. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• Somebody Feed Phil (2018), docuseries. Recommended by host Christian Taylor on Documentary First episode 171. Mindy Cook recommended it on the trip. She loves Phil Rosenthal's childlike wonder and the lighthearted, warm tone, though she found early production value low. She even tracked down the mangosteen he raves about in Thailand. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• Spy Ops (2023), docuseries. Recommended by host Christian Taylor on Documentary First episode 207. Netflix docuseries of intelligence operatives telling spycraft stories; the Afghanistan episode meant a lot to her because her son fought there, but a later episode (on the attack on Pope John Paul II) was less gripping. Still worth checking out. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• The Andy Warhol Diaries (2022), docuseries. Recommended by Jessica Levin on Documentary First episode 264. Likes how it reveals a complicated, non-transparent artist and gets beneath the surface to show where his cultural revolution came from; also liked the multi-part chapter format where each part builds on the last. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• The Beatles: Get Back (2021), docuseries. Recommended by Jason Hoban on Documentary First episode 150. Peter Jackson's Disney+ series follows the Beatles making music; it shows who they really were and, for a sound engineer, all the people and technical work (mic positions, George Martin) behind the records. You hear favorite songs before they were finished. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• The Billionaire, the Butler and the Boyfriend, docuseries. Recommended by host Christian Taylor on Documentary First episode 278. With only audio and photos to work with, the filmmakers used blurred, top-down security-camera-style recreations of each room, which drew her in; a bit repetitive, but it held her for all three episodes. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• The G Word with Adam Conover (2022), docuseries. Recommended by Jason Rugg on Documentary First episode 177. Netflix comedic/educational series by the Adam Ruins Everything host on how the federal government actually works; he's only seen one episode. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• The Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst (2015), docuseries. Recommended by Anne Easton on Documentary First episode 248. She rewatched it because there is a second season; she recounted Durst killing people including his friend Susan Berman and the hot-mic bathroom confession in the final episode. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• The Roosevelts: An Intimate History (2014), docuseries. Recommended by host Christian Taylor on Documentary First episode 209 · Ken Burns, Part 2. Feels it is less watched than his other series; loves how it shows two relatives in different worlds shaping history, plus the narration, sound, music and archival imagery. Last saw it on Netflix. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• The Staircase (2004), docuseries. Recommended by Kara Talve on Documentary First episode 203. A murder trial series she loves (on Netflix); she believes the owl theory and that Michael Peterson is innocent. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• Trafficked with Mariana van Zeller (2020), docuseries. Recommended by Jason Hoban on Documentary First episode 174. Nat Geo docuseries (Hulu) where the journalist goes straight to the source of black markets: fentanyl, scams, counterfeit money. Start from episode one. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• Web of Make-Believe: Death, Lies and the Internet (2022), docuseries. Recommended by host Christian Taylor on Documentary First episode 175. Netflix docuseries on how the internet affects/radicalizes people; she described the swatting, D.C. murder conspiracy and ex-alt-right episodes. Not finished yet. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• Wild Wild Country (2018), docuseries. Recommended by host Christian Taylor on Documentary First episode 163. A docuseries by Chapman and Maclain Way about the Rajneeshee cult taking over a small town in Oregon. She found it mind-boggling that this happened and she never heard about it. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• World War II in Color (2009), docuseries. Recommended by host Christian Taylor on Documentary First episode 191. 13-part British docuseries (2008-09) mixing original and colorized footage across all fronts; seeing familiar black-and-white material in color adds a new level. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• Worst Roommate Ever (2022), docuseries. Recommended by host Christian Taylor on Documentary First episode 157. Netflix docuseries; though she didn't think she liked crime docs, her husband got her hooked; she found it mind-blowing that these things really happened and learned what not to do when taking roommates. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch

Short films (7)

• Gamehawker, short documentary. Recommended by Armin Korsos on Documentary First episode 278. A short, Patagonia-backed conservation film about falconry by his friend Josh Izenberg, free on YouTube; it's about birds, like his own film. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• Night and Fog (1956), short documentary. Recommended by Alan Govenar on Documentary First episode 267. A Holocaust film walking through the remains of a death camp; he said the narration's interplay of words and pictures had a great impact on him as a filmmaker, and it matters now as we must fight "the politics of erasure." Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• Night Mail (1936), short documentary. Recommended by Ken Burns on Documentary First episode 209 · Ken Burns, Part 2. A 20-minute black-and-white 1936 GPO film of the overnight mail train from London to Scotland; he saw it his first year at Hampshire College and thought it a perfect, beautiful film. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• Ryan (2004), animated short. Recommended by Jason Rugg on Documentary First episode 193. Chris Landreth's 13-minute Oscar-winning 2004 animated short, free online; a great starting point for animation in documentary because it mixes so many styles. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• The Last Repair Shop (2023), short documentary. Recommended by Alex Ivany on Documentary First episode 221. A 40-minute, Oscar-nominated short about the workers at an LA shop that repairs students' instruments. He said at heart it's about people repairing themselves, and it's beautifully told. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• The Martha Mitchell Effect (2022), short documentary. Recommended by host Christian Taylor on Documentary First episode 182. Short Netflix doc on Martha Mitchell, the Watergate-era disrupter who was mistreated by the Nixon administration and later proved right; good for "your history brain"; loved the archival material though not the highest-quality doc. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• The Other Side of Home (2016), short documentary. Recommended by Yvette Amirian on Documentary First episode 219. A roughly 40-minute short, shortlisted for the Oscar, by Armenian filmmaker Naré Mkrtchyan, about a Turkish woman who finds out she has Armenian roots. Naré had asked her to cut it, and she couldn't fit it into her schedule, which she calls one of her biggest career regrets. She praised how it keeps its distance while adding personal elements. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch

Everything else they recommended (29)

• 20,000 Hertz: The Price Is Right theme episode, podcast. Recommended by Jason Rugg on Documentary First episode 189. The composer of The Price Is Right theme was swindled out of an estimated $40-50 million because he didn't know what he was signing; ties into the episode's music-rights topic. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• A Family Affair (2024), narrative. Recommended by host Christian Taylor on Documentary First episode 240. Not a documentary; she watched it the night before expecting to dislike it and loved it as a warm romcom. Jake and his wife could not finish it. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• A French Village (2009), narrative series. Recommended by Flavie Poisson and Thomas Neighbour on Documentary First episode 154. Their favorite series (Un village français, French TV drama from 2009, first season free on Amazon Prime); not a documentary but very realistic about life under the German occupation, showing people's choices weren't black and white. Christian adds a story from it about a lumber merchant deciding whether to work with the Germans. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• All Quiet on the Western Front (2022), narrative. Recommended by Ben Feithen on Documentary First episode 188. Not a documentary; as a former young soldier who deployed overseas it resonated with him; better in German with subtitles, with stunning visuals, and timely because trench-style attrition warfare is happening again. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• Bank of Dave (2023), narrative. Recommended by host Christian Taylor on Documentary First episode 244. Not a documentary but based on a true story; a British film on Netflix that surprised her, with a surprise music theme; she cried tears of joy at the ending. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• Blockbuster, podcast. Recommended by Josh Lindsay on Documentary First episode 165. A podcast that dramatizes filmmakers' stories with actors, starting with Spielberg and Lucas, then James Cameron. It's told as a story rather than bullet points, and he especially recommends it for people who grew up in the '80s. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• Brent Forrester's How to Write Comedy Television (class), class. Recommended by Jason Rugg on Documentary First episode 181. Not a documentary: a live Zoom writing class by Brent Forrester (The Office, The Simpsons); he found his breakdown of character (give characters a contradiction) incredibly useful; about $100. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• Chernobyl (2019), narrative series. Recommended by Jeff Kurtenacker on Documentary First episode 189. A dramatized historical series, not a documentary; he keeps thinking about how preventable the disaster was and was struck by the look, color grade and acting; liked the Geiger-counter-inspired score. HBO. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• Closed for Storm (2020), narrative. Recommended by Robbie Davis on Documentary First episode 183. About Jazzland / Six Flags New Orleans, which closed after Katrina and never reopened; living in Mississippi, where Katrina looms large, he found it useful context for the people around him. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• Directors on Directors: Greta Gerwig and James Cameron (Variety) (2023), youtube video. Recommended by Jason Rugg on Documentary First episode 214. Not a documentary: a 42-minute Variety YouTube conversation; he liked hearing two writer-directors at opposite career ends swap lessons (e.g., Cameron cutting the True Lies helicopter scene to save the schedule). Humanizes directors. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• Documentary Now! (2015), comedy series. Recommended by Josh Lindsay on Documentary First episode 153. Bill Hader and Fred Armisen's spoof series remaking famous docs; hysterical, and funnier after seeing The Thin Blue Line. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• Every Frame a Painting (2014), youtube series. Recommended by Jason Rugg on Documentary First episode 164. A YouTube video-essay channel (now inactive) that set the tone for film video essays and mini-docs on YouTube. Jason calls it a must-watch if you love filmmaking, citing the Marvel music video as an example. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• Fresh Air (NPR): Bloomberg's Lucas Shaw on the future of TV and film (July 20, 2023) (2023), podcast. Recommended by host Christian Taylor on Documentary First episode 203. A ~45-minute interview with insights on where Hollywood is going; her takeaway was that the big corporations are in the business of selling and advertising, not entertainment. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• Halo 4 Is Worse Than You Remember (Parts 1 and 2), youtube video. Recommended by Jason Rugg on Documentary First episode 191. A two-hour deep dive into why Halo 4 didn't work (color, character and armor design, writing, gameplay); worth it for anyone interested in media design even without playing the games. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• Landscapers (2021), narrative. Recommended by Josh Lindsay on Documentary First episode 150. Not a documentary but based on a true story: an HBO Max limited series about a couple jailed for killing her parents. He loves how creatively it mixes drama, comedy, fourth-wall breaks and stagey reenactment; great actors. He's halfway through. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• Launch, podcast. Recommended by Jason Rugg on Documentary First episode 152. Not a film: John August's documentary-style podcast chronicling the launch of his first novel and all the pitfalls of publishing; short and interesting. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• Leave the World Behind (2023), narrative. Recommended by host Christian Taylor on Documentary First episode 214. Narrative feature, not a doc (she "changed the rule"); watched it with Flo Plana and it stuck with her; a mystery/thriller whose ending caught her cold but she came to find hopeful. On Netflix. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• Master Cinematographer Conrad Hall, ASC Talks Cinematography, youtube video. Recommended by Jason Rugg on Documentary First episode 204. A two-hour YouTube interview/day-in-the-life with Conrad Hall, found while researching the sepia-to-color look of Butch Cassidy; Hall talks camera moves, lighting and exposure while examples from his films are cut in. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• The Greatest Beer Run Ever (short doc) (2015), youtube video. Recommended by Jason Rugg on Documentary First episode 182. 12-minute short where the real veterans reunite to tell the story of the man who carried beer to friends in Vietnam; fun. He watched it alongside the Apple TV+ narrative adaptation, which he also liked. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• The Inside Outtakes (Bo Burnham) (2022), youtube video. Recommended by Jason Rugg on Documentary First episode 176. Free hour-long YouTube special of outtakes, alternate takes and cut songs from Inside; a fascinating look at the creative process. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• The Iron Claw (2023), narrative. Recommended by Jake Taylor on Documentary First episode 240. A narrative A24 film, not a documentary, offered only because of the WWE connection; sad and hard to watch, but as one of four brothers he felt the weight of the family relationships, and it gives a view into pro wrestling. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• The Last of Us Podcast (2023), podcast. Recommended by Jason Rugg on Documentary First episode 190. The show's writers break down why they changed things from the video game for TV, e.g. an action-free episode they could only tell as a series; great for anyone into adaptations. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• The Prestige TV Podcast (Barry, Season 4 episodes with Bill Hader), podcast. Recommended by Jason Rugg on Documentary First episode 195. Not a documentary; Bill Hader breaks down writing, directing and acting in Barry, which he called fascinating and a good listen for creative people. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• The Staircase (2022), narrative series. Recommended by Josh Lindsay on Documentary First episode 176. Recommends the HBO Max dramatized series (Colin Firth, Toni Collette) about Michael Peterson's wife's death; it made him want to see the original French-made docuseries, which he hasn't seen yet. Compelling if you like true crime, though a hard subject. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• Unsung Hero (2024), narrative. Recommended by host Christian Taylor on Documentary First episode 226. A narrative feature based on a true story, then in theaters, about an Australian family's hard times and the mother who held them together on their way to success in Christian music. She calls it uplifting. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• We Didn't Start the Fire: The History Podcast, podcast. Recommended by Jason Rugg on Documentary First episode 165. Each episode explains one line or reference from the Billy Joel song, with experts. Billy Joel himself appears. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• Why You Should Watch Experimental Docs (Thomas Flight, YouTube video essay) (2022), youtube video. Recommended by Jason Rugg on Documentary First episode 183. An 18-minute essay tracing the history of experimental documentaries (including early French work and Werner Herzog) that points to many individual docs; good if you want to look beyond traditional documentaries. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• Worth (2020), narrative. Recommended by Jeff Kurtenacker on Documentary First episode 150. Not a documentary but a true story (Michael Keaton) about valuing lives for the 9/11 victims fund; he hasn't watched it (only the trailer, put off by the accent) but found the premise interesting. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch
• Xumo documentary channel, streaming channel. Recommended by Jason Rugg on Documentary First episode 168. Not one doc but a free ad-supported streaming service with a 24/7 documentary channel (Food, Inc.; Scott's Pizza Tours). He'd never have found those docs otherwise. Watch the episode on YouTube · Listen to the episode · Where to watch