Documentary AreaSimply the best Documentaries

A majestic presence, towering over Paris for more than 130 years, the Eiffel Tower is an iconic symbol of 19th-century progress and grandeur. When it was built for the 1889 Paris world’s fair, its creator, Gustave Eiffel, was at the height of his fame and ready to take on the dream of every engineer and architect - to build the world’s tallest man-made structure. He had just two years, two months and five days to erect his 300-metre iron colossus. Drawing on three decades of civil engineering innovation and works across the globe, Eiffel, a magician of iron building, was perfectly poised for this extraordinary feat.

Eric Clapton’s Unplugged album redefined acoustic rock, delivering raw emotion and masterful musicianship. But what was happening behind the scenes? The film revisits this landmark performance, exploring its origins, impact, and enduring legacy. Featuring rare footage, expert analysis, and intimate reflections from those closest to the project, this documentary peels back the layers of one of the most celebrated live recordings in history.
From the heartbreaking inspiration behind Tears in Heaven to the reinvention of Layla, this film delves deep into the emotions and artistry that shaped Clapton’s stripped-down masterpiece. With never-before-seen insights and behind-the-scenes revelations, Eric Clapton Unplugged... Over 30 Years Later is a must-watch for music lovers, shedding new light on a performance that forever changed the landscape of acoustic music.

This episode covers the European refugee crisis, the largest refugee migration since World War II. Following the refugees on their journey, Vice sets out to cover not only the trials of those seeking asylum from the Syrian conflict, but the reactions from the Western world and the countries that have sought to take them in. Unfortunately, but perhaps not surprisingly, the response in many regions has been oppositional, especially in the aftermath of the Paris and Brussels ISIS attacks. In addressing this modern world crisis, Vice depicts the severe trials and tribulations faced by the desperate refugees, and the consequences, noticed or unnoticed, of turning them away.

What if death didn't have to be the final goodbye? ‘Eternal You’ is a gripping documentary that delves into the emerging industry of startups using AI to create digital avatars of the deceased. By harnessing the digital footprints left behind, these companies offer grieving individuals a chance to interact with their lost loved ones, blurring the lines between life and afterlife. The film explores this groundbreaking technology and its impact on bereaved families, delving deep into our innate desire for immortality. But at what cost does this technological resurrection come?
‘Eternal You’ raises profound questions about the ethics of commodifying grief and the psychological consequences of defying traditional notions of mortality. Does interacting with a digital echo of a loved one aid the healing process, or does it make letting go even harder? As we stand on the cusp of unprecedented technological possibilities, this documentary challenges us to consider whether we truly want—and are ready for—this new reality.

Dr Hannah Fry travels down the fastest zip wire in the world to learn more about Newton's ideas on gravity. His discoveries revealed the movement of the planets was regular and predictable. James Clerk Maxwell unified the ideas of electricity and magnetism, and explained what light was. As if that wasn't enough, he also predicted the existence of radio waves. His tools of the trade were nothing more than pure mathematics. All strong evidence for maths being discovered.
But in the 19th century, maths is turned on its head when new types of geometry are invented. No longer is the kind of geometry we learned in school the final say on the subject. If maths is more like a game, albeit a complicated one, where we can change the rules, surely this points to maths being something we invent - a product of the human mind. To try and answer this question, Hannah travels to Halle in Germany on the trail of perhaps one of the greatest mathematicians of the 20th century, Georg Cantor. He showed that infinity, far from being infinitely big, actually comes in different sizes, some bigger than others. This increasingly weird world is feeling more and more like something we've invented. But if that's the case, why is maths so uncannily good at predicting the world around us? Invented or discovered, this question just got a lot harder to answer.

Agnes Varda, one of the leading lights of France's honored French New Wave cinema era, and professional photographer and muralist, J.R., partake on a special art project. Together, they travel around France in a special box truck equipped as a portable photo booth and traveling printing facility as they take photographs of people around the country.
With that inspiration, they also create special colossal mural pictures of individuals, communities and places they want to honor and celebrate. Along the way, the old cinematic veteran and the young artistic idealist enjoy an odd friendship as they chat and explore their views on the world as only they can.