Documentary AreaSimply the best Documentaries

It's a natural history epic. It's a compelling detective story. It's a scientific adventure at its best. It took Dr Fred Urquhart almost 40 years to discover the monarch butterflies' secret hideaway and prove the most incredible migration on Earth. Following the year-long annual migration cycle of the butterflies, the award-winning production team filmed hundreds of millions of monarchs in their remote overwintering sanctuaries in Mexico in 2011 and again in 2012 and also along their migratory routes from Canada, across the U.S. and into Mexico. The film immerses you in the astounding migration experience as two generations of the butterflies migrate north and then a Super Generation miraculously finds its way from Canada to a few isolated mountaintops in Mexico.

In the last four episodes, Eugene Levy’s journey turns into a celebration of contrast and courage. In the Maldives, he tries to find his sea legs at a luxurious private island resort that promises anything, anytime, anywhere. In South Africa, he experiences a powerful encounter with an elephant that changes the way he sees connection and empathy. In Portugal, he delights in rich Iberian cuisine, uncovering the soul of local traditions. Finally, in Tokyo, he steps into the ring as a sumo referee, embracing the balance between discipline, culture, and humor in a city bursting with life.

In July 1970, Jimi Hendrix stepped onto the stage of the Atlanta Pop Festival before an audience of more than 300,000 people—the largest American crowd of his career. This film presents rare, restored footage of that historic Independence Day performance, where he delivered unforgettable renditions of classics like Hey Joe, Voodoo Child (Slight Return), and The Star-Spangled Banner. Alongside the music, interviews with Hendrix, his bandmates Mitch Mitchell and Billy Cox, and contemporaries such as Paul McCartney provide insight into his artistry and state of mind at the time.
Framed against the cultural backdrop of Vietnam, civil rights struggles, and the countercultural movement, this documentary captures not only a milestone concert, but also the moment Hendrix became both a symbol and a voice for a restless generation.

From ephemeral home video clips to voice messages never before heard, this film weaves together the intimate, fragile, and incandescent life of a musician who defied convention—and whose flame was extinguished far too soon. We are drawn into a world where every whispered lyric, every undone recording, and every memory shared by those who loved him becomes a portal. We hear his own voice recounting his doubts. We see raw behind-the-scenes moments, fragile family relationships, and the creative tensions that accompany genius.
Through interviews with his mother, former lovers, bandmates, and collaborators, the story casts a luminous, unsettling light on the weight of legacy, the burden of expectations, and the search for identity in the shadow of a father whose name he both carried and sought to transcend. This is not just a chronicle of dates and albums—but a pulse, an echo, a lament and a celebration. It asks: when someone leaves too early, how do we piece together what remains? And what does it mean to live forever through music?

This documentary chronicles the unconventional journey of three teenage blues musicians—Billy Gibbons, Dusty Hill, and Frank Beard—from their modest Texan origins to becoming one of the most enduring and beloved rock bands in history. Through candid interviews, rare archival footage, and appearances by celebrity fans like Josh Homme, Steve Miller, and Billy Bob Thornton, the film paints an intimate portrait of the band's evolution, their signature style, and the mystique that’s kept them relevant for over five decades.
The narrative highlights key moments such as their early bar gigs, their rise during the MTV era, and the influence of their longtime manager Bill Ham. The storytelling allows viewers to connect directly with the band's legacy and the power of their music’s authenticity.

This archival-driven documentary delves into the early transformation of a young singer from Michigan into a global pop phenomenon between 1978 and 1992. Through rarely heard audio tapes and unseen footage, it reveals her vulnerabilities—her mother's untimely death, the losses of close friends, and the fierce ambition that fueled her rise. These emotional undercurrents are woven into a broader narrative of cultural rebellion: Embracing MTV, challenging conservative norms, and amplifying gay aesthetics—all leading to the provocative release of the Sex book and the emergence of an outspoken HIV/AIDS activist.
Immersive and intimate, the film portrays a determined artist who became more than a pop star—she emerged as a cultural catalyst. Highlighting her reinventions, bold provocations, and personal losses, it reframes her ascent as not just fame, but identity forged.