My Favorite Documentaries | david-church-films

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My Favorite Documentaries

As a filmmaker, I plan on making documentaries as one of the main focuses of my career. As such, I have seen several documentaries, from wildlife to behind-the-scenes of movies. And so, this list you’re about to read is about my favorite documentaries (in no particular order).

They Shall Not Grow Old (Warner Bros./WingNut Films, 2018, directed by Peter Jackson) - This film, the first actual documentary from Peter Jackson, one of my filmmaking heroes, is one of the best documentaries I have seen. It was made to commemorate 100 years of the end of World War I, and it’s told through archival recordings of interviews conducted with WWI veterans, although there are no talking heads, as per other documentaries. However, the main highlight of They Shall Not Grow Old is that Jackson takes the old footage shot during WWI and colorizes it like never before. It’s so well done that as I watched it for the first time, I seriously couldn’t believe that I was seeing colorized footage instead of reenactments. In addition, sounds of weapons and colors of the uniforms are depicted accurately. Peter Jackson is a WWI aficionado, possessing military uniforms and weapons used during WWI. From this film, I learned about what it was like to be a British WWI soldier, from being recruited and being trained, to fighting in the trenches, to what it was like after the war. It’s a must-see for all war buffs, Peter Jackson fans, and documentarians. Also, to give everyone an enormous heads up, the film shows raw, nitty-gritty footage of war. At times, it can get very graphic, violent, and intense. With that said, I must quote TV disclaimers by saying, “Viewer discretion is advised.”
Africa’s Elephant Kingdom (Discovery Channel Pictures, 1998, directed by Michael Caulfield) - Africa’s Elephant Kingdom was definitely something I watched a lot as a kid. I had it on VHS, and now I’m glad to have it on DVD. The documentary is about the lives of a herd of elephants in Amboseli National Park in Kenya. The film shows elephant mating rituals, how elephants protect each other, and the hardships of a draught, among other things. Unlike a typical wildlife documentary told by a narrator who simply describes what’s going on, the film’s narration, provided by Avery Brooks, is told through the eyes of an old bull (male) elephant. The stunning cinematography and gorgeous soundtrack are key highlights of the film, especially with how the crew was able to get close ups of not just the titular fauna, but other species of African wildlife, such as one shot where a black rhinoceros comes up to the camera and sniffs it. Looking back on it, I do believe that Africa’s Elephant Kingdom is one of the central reasons as to why elephants are my favorite living animal. Check it out if you love elephants, enjoy gorgeous African settings, and like watching nature documentaries.
Lost in La Mancha (IFC Films, 2002, directed by Louis Pepe and Keith Fulton) - Now, we get into a documentary about filmmaking. The history of this film goes back to the mid to late 1990s, where director Terry Gilliam was aiming to make his passion project, The Man Who Killed Don Quixote. The documentary Lost in La Mancha was made to be the behind-the-scenes documentary of Gilliam’s film. As the documentary shows, the whole process of making the film had problems. For instance, there were concerns about actors showing up for rehearsals and getting a “soundstage” with horrible acoustics - and they had to keep within a $32 million budget. But things really went downhill during production - sound recording was ruining by flying aircrafts, a flash flood changed scenery and damaged equipment, and the actor cast to play Don Quixote, the late Jean Rochefort, suffered a hernia in one of his spinal discs, and had to leave the production. Since the flood and the illness of Rochefort were not considered “acts of God” as per the insurance policy, Gilliam lost the rights to his own film and screenplay to the insurance company. Though Gilliam eventually got the rights back and finally released The Man Who Killed Don Quixote in 2018 (with a slightly different story and a different cast), Lost in La Mancha is a clear view on how Murphy’s Law (anything that can go wrong will go wrong) can affect a film’s production. I highly recommend it to filmmakers. And heads up, there are many F-bombs dropped in this documentary, particularly whilst the film is in the production phase. And as a side note, I have heard that there is an upcoming sequel to this documentary, called He Dreams of Giants, about the now-released film’s behind-the scenes, and I hope to see it once its released and give it my thoughts.
Puma: Lion of the Andes (National Geographic, 1996, produced by Hugh Miles) - Like Africa’s Elephant Kingdom, this television documentary from National Geographic was something I watched a lot as a kid, particularly when I was six to seven years old. Puma: Lion of the Andes is a 56 minute film about a wildlife photographer, Hugh Miles, and the relationship he forms with a wild puma, also known as the cougar, panther, catamount, and mountain lion. Before Miles made the film, it’s said that no one was able to get up close to a wild puma, considering how elusive they are. Like the aforementioned Africa’s Elephant Kingdom, the music and cinematography are major highlights of the film. The music is hauntingly beautiful and quite grand, beautifully complimenting the gorgeous shots of Torres Del Paine National Park in Chile, where the documentary is set. The film not only informed me (and by extension, any audience member) that mountain lions are present in South America, but of other organisms that I did not know about, such as rheas, Andean condors, and guanacos, the wild ancestor of the llama. And again, like how Africa’s Elephant Kingdom helped fuel my love for elephants, Puma: Lion of the Andes helped fuel my fascination for mountain lions. Watch it if wildlife documentaries and cats are your cups of tea. (Note: I have listed a producer instead of a director because neither the end credits nor IMDb list a director.)
The Sweatbox (Xandu Films, 2002, directed by Trudie Styler and John-Paul Davidson) - If you’re lucky to come across The Sweatbox, then you’re in for another documentary about the troubled production of a movie. This documentary is about how a Disney movie titled Kingdom of the Sun was transformed into what we now know as The Emperor’s New Groove. Why do I say that people are lucky to see this? The film was never given an official, final cut release; the only way to see it is via a leaked workprint online (with some scenes that are absent), whether it’s on YouTube or another site. Basically, Kingdom of the Sun began development and pre-production in the mid-1990s. It was directed by Roger Allers, the co-director of 1994’s The Lion King. The film was described to be an epic musical, like The Lion King. Like how Elton John helped write songs for The Lion King, Allers contacted British musician Sting to compose songs for Kingdom of the Sun. Sting agreed, so long as his wife, Trudie Styler, could make a documentary about the making of the film. Though Allers, Sting, and company worked very hard on Kingdom of the Sun, Disney executives were concerned about it underperforming and falling behind schedule, so they brought in another director, Mark Dindal, to add comedy to the film and to help progress the film along. What was especially hard for the crew was that after showing Disney executives a very rough cut (which consisted of a few animated scenes and storyboards), the executives told them that the film was not working. As the deadline drew nearer and nearer, Allers asked for more time to complete the film. But when he was denied a six-month extension, he left the project, and it was up to Dindal and his crew to use two weeks to retool Kingdom of the Sun, which became a buddy-comedy now known as The Emperor’s New Groove, released in December 2000. Basically, The Sweatbox demonstrates executive meddling in the film industry, and the depiction of executive meddling is said to be one reason why Disney has not given the documentary a proper release. If you can find it on YouTube or elsewhere, give it a watch.
Dinosaur 13 (Statement Films/CNN Films & Lionsgate, 2014, directed by Todd Douglas Miller) - So, here we talk about a documentary that strikes a chord with me personally. It’s about dinosaurs and it’s about a famous case from my home State of South Dakota. Dinosaur 13 is about the finding, unearthing, and enormous legal battle of Sue, the nickname of a Tyrannosaurus rex specimen found outside Faith, South Dakota, in 1990. The fossil was found by its namesake, Sue Hendrickson. Hendrickson and Peter Larson of the Black Hills Institute excavated the fossil. Larson and the Institute received permission from the owner of the land, Maurice Williams, to unearth the remains. Then, in 1992, the FBI came to the Black Hills institute and confiscated Sue’s remains, placing them in Rapid City for a few years. What followed was a long legal battle over ownership of the fossil. The Sioux tribe, of which Williams is a member, claimed ownership of Sue. Also, Williams said that the Black Hills Institute only paid to excavate and clean the fossils, not own them, despite videos showing that Williams was recorded saying that he would be okay with the Black Hills Institute displaying the fossil. After a lengthy, several-year case, Williams was granted ownership of Sue, and Larson was sentenced to two years in prison for issues not exactly related to Sue. Williams decided to send Sue into an auction in New York City. Then, in October 1997, the fossil skeleton was sold to the Field Museum of Natural History Chicago, who won it in an auction with a bid of $7.6 million. The Field Museum then paid about $8.36 million for the rest of Sue (as they also had to pay the auction house), with backing from McDonald’s and the Walt Disney Company. Thankfully, Sue is still on display at the museum to this day. As stated before, I love Dinosaur 13 because of its paleontological subject matter, and that it ties into my home State of South Dakota. I enjoy the mix of actual footage of the excavation, confiscating, and auction of Sue, with some short reenactments and beautiful shots of the South Dakota landscape. And the musical score by Matt Morton helps drive the emotions home. In conclusion, I recommend this documentary to not only dinosaur fanatics, but anyone interested in law, fossil hunting, and people who appreciate all things South Dakota.
Grizzly Man (Discovery Docs & Real Big Productions/Lionsgate, 2005, directed by Werner Herzog) - In Grizzly Man, director Werner Herzog explores the life and death of Timothy Treadwell, a man who had spent 13 summers living amongst grizzly bears in the Alaskan wilderness. Herzog also gives his personal opinions on Treadwell, saying the he may have been unstable. And some of the interviews conducted with friends of Treadwell seem to concur with this assessment. Herzog is also shown listening to the audio of the deaths of Treadwell and his girlfriend, Amie Huguenard, by none other than a bear. Seeing Herzog disturbed really says something for the grisly (no pun intended) deaths of Treadwell and Huguenard. The film shows many of the tapes that Treadwell himself shot over his summers. It’s quite impressive to see just how close he got to these wild bears, even though he violated park regulations by doing so. I was also surprised to learn that he befriended some foxes during at least one of his stays in the wilderness. What I like about the documentary is the gorgeous cinematography of the Alaskan wilderness. I’ve always wanted to go there. In addition, viewers learn more about Timothy Treadwell. I had only heard of him via an Animal Planet TV series (the name of which I don’t remember right off hand), and there, it didn’t give a lot of details about his personal life. Lastly, I like how one can gather a cautionary tale out of Treadwell’s experiences and eventual death. So, I recommend giving it a watch, particularly if you’re into animal documentaries and Werner Herzog films. But be aware, there is a lot of swearing in this picture.

Now, before I end this note, I’d like to list some honorable mentions (again, in no particular order):

What Killed the Mega Beasts (Discovery Channel, 2002, directed by Chris Lent) - What Killed the Mega Beasts is a television documentary that first aired on Discovery Channel in 2002. The documentary looks into the extinction of Pleistocene megafauna (such as the woolly mammoths, the giant ground sloth, and the marsupial lion, just to name a few), and the three main theories about their extinction: chill (the climate changed too drastically), kill (humans hunted them to extinction), and ill (disease wiped out the Pleistocene megafauna). Seeing this documentary when I was just six years old, not only did it introduce me to said theories, but from What Killed the Mega Beasts, I learned about prehistoric mammals I had never heard of beforehand, such as the aforementioned marsupial lion (Thylacoleo carnifex) and the giant beaver (Castoroides ohioensis). And, in all honesty, this film was my first exposure to New Zealand, where it discussed the great moa birds. It’s funny, since I had actually seen The Fellowship of the Ring when it was first released to theaters, but I had no idea that it was filmed in New Zealand. Also, I would end up moving to New Zealand in 2008. With that said, if you’re interested in seeing proposed theories of extinction, learning about new species, and appreciate all things prehistoric, I recommend viewing this one.
A tie between Raising the Mammoth (Discovery Channel, 2000, directed by Jean-Charles Deniau) and Land of the Mammoth (Discovery Channel, 2001, directed by Emmanuel Mairesse) - These two Discovery Channel documentaries both center on the Jarkov mammoth, a woolly mammoth specimen that was found by the Jarkov family in Siberia, and excavated and studied by a team of scientists led by Bernard Buigues. In Raising the Mammoth, narrated by Jeff Bridges (who also narrated Lost in La Mancha), we learn about the discovery of the Jarkov mammoth, the evolution of the elephant family tree, the life of the prehistoric pachyderms, and, primarily, how the Jarkov mammoth was excavated and lifted from the ground. In Land of the Mammoth, narrated by Avery Brooks (who also narrated Africa’s Elephant Kingdom), while also exploring into the discovery of the Jarkov mammoth and elephant evolution, primarily delves into how the mammoth may have lived its life during the last ice age. If you like mammoths and all things Pleistocene, I recommend giving these both a watch!
Thomas & Friends: 70 Years of Friendship (HiT Entertainment/Mindfruit Studios, 2015, directed by Cassandra Chowdhury) - Oh, Thomas the Tank Engine. One of my favorite things ever! If you’ve read my long post from 2017 about the then upcoming changes to the series, then you know why I love this little blue engine. But I digress. 70 Years of Friendship is a short documentary (about 30 minutes) on the official Thomas & Friends YouTube channel. Released in 2015, the film was a part of the celebration of 70 years of the Thomas franchise. In case you didn’t know, before there was the beloved TV series, the Thomas stories started off as a series of children’s books called The Railway Series, first written by Reverend Wilbert Awdry in 1945. 70 Years of Friendship contains interviews with several people who are (or were at the time of the doc’s production) involved with Thomas the Tank Engine (such as then head writer Andrew Brenner and then producer Ian McCue), people who were involved with making Thomas toys, and several fans from around the world, both young and old. There are also interviews with adults who work with train-related activities (such as model railroads, tourist railroads, etc.), where they reflect on how popular Thomas is. One of the most surprising interviews is with Rick Sigelkow, the co-creator of Shining Time Station, Thomas’ American spin-off. There’s also an interview with Christopher Awdry, Wilbert Awdry’s son, in which he reads one of his favorite Thomas stories, “Thomas Comes to Breakfast.” In addition to covering a history of the Thomas franchise, the doc also give some behind-the-scenes glimpses at Sodor’s Legend of the Lost Treasure, one of the two Thomas & Friends specials released in 2015. To me personally, it not only shows what’s gone into making Thomas the Tank Engine, both past and present, but it shows the impact that the whole franchise has had ever since 1945. And this year, 2020, the Thomas franchise is celebrating 75 years! I know the show has changed a lot since 2015, but I have good faith that Thomas’ 75th anniversary celebration will be something to remember. And so, as a Thomas fan, I recommend watching 70 Years of Friendship!

Thank you very much for reading through this post. If you’ve seen any of these documentaries, let me know your thoughts on them. And if there are any documentaries that you recommend seeing, tell me in the comments.