Documentary AreaSimply the best Documentaries

Nicholas II abdicates, and civil war erupts. In May 1918, a year after the revolution, the Bolsheviks sent Anastasia, Alexei, Tatiana and Olga to join the rest of the family in Ekaterinburg. They're put in the Ipatiev mansion and It's given the name 'The House of Special Purpose.' As pro-royalist forces close in on the house where the Romanovs are imprisoned, the family's fate is sealed.

In 1994, a thirteen year old boy disappeared from San Antonio, Texas. Three and a half years later, he is found alive and well thousands of miles away in a village in southern Spain with a story of kidnapping and torture. His family is overjoyed to bring him home. But all is not quite as it seems.
The boy bears many of the same distinguishing marks he always had, but why does he now have a strange accent? Why does he look so different? Any why doesn't the family seem to notice these glaring inconsistencies? It's only when an investigator starts asking questions that this strange tale takes an even stranger turn.

This completed featured documentary series reveals long-buried information discovered during the filmmakers' seven-year investigation of a series of unsolved crimes, and the man suspected of being at its center – Robert Durst, scion of New York’s billionaire Durst family – and was made with his full cooperation. 'The Jinx' expose police files, key witnesses, never-before-seen footage, private prison recordings, and thousands of pages of formerly hidden documents. Directed and produced by Andrew Jarecki and produced and shot by Marc Smerling.

From Patrick Kennedy's emigration in 1849 to the death of JFK Jr. in 1999, the films charts the family's rise from poor Irish immigrants to an all-powerful dynasty, exploring the lives, careers, personal tragedies and scandals that have given rise to the idea of a Kennedy curse.
Featuring interviews with family members, and including rare archive, photos and letters, 'The Kennedys: A Fatal Ambition' sets the events in historical context, examines the family's unique characteristics and asks what part they may have played in many of the misfortunes.

The series chronicles David Beckham's meteoric rise to the pinnacle of world soccer and his transformation into a cultural icon. Beckham is one of the most well-known names on the planet, but few truly understand the man behind the fame. From his humble beginnings in working-class East London, through his unwavering determination to succeed, to his ongoing struggle to balance ambition, love, and family, David's journey is filled with numerous ups and downs. It is the story of one of the most recognized and scrutinized athletes of all time.
In the first episode of the series, we delve into the early defining moments of David Beckham's life, shaping both his career and personal journey. It starts with a history-making goal in 1996, catapulting David to fame. As he becomes a household name, big spending and brand deals further fuel his popularity. However, a pivotal moment comes when he receives a red card during a match between England and Argentina, ultimately leading to England's loss. Throughout this episode, we also get a glimpse of David's initial encounters with Victoria.

China's last empire, the Qing, lasted from 1644 to 1912. It began in violence and war as the Manchus swept down from the north, but invaders became emperors, with three generations of one family ruling the country. Among them, Michael Wood argues, was China's greatest emperor - Kangxi. Under the Qing, China doubled in size to include Xinjiang in the far west, as well as Mongolia and Tibet, creating the essential shape of China today. The new dynasty tolerated a diversity of cultures and religions, including Islam. In Kaifeng, Michael visits a women's mosque with a female imam, a delightful scene that ends with laughter and selfies! The Qing also undertook huge cultural enterprises. At a traditional printing house where the wood blocks are hand-carved, we see how the Complete Tang Poems were reproduced - all 48,000 of them. We travel through the wintry countryside to a remote village where a hardy audience watch open-air opera in the snow and visit a painter's studio, and 'storytelling' houses in Yangzhou. In the 18th century, China was arguably the greatest economy in the world, and we get a fabulous sense of the rich culture that came with prosperity. But then came the clash with the British, in the first Opium War, when a British expedition destroyed the Qing navy and extracted territory and trading rights. We leave with a glimpse of the future. 'Every dynasty has risen and declined,' says Michael, 'and has needed new life to regenerate, and this time the catalyst was the British.' Among the ports China ceded was an almost uninhabited island, Hong Kong, one of today's greatest financial centres, and Shanghai, a small town then but now one of the greatest cities in world.