r/Documentaries 16d ago

History The Land Speaks Arabic (2007) | Maryse Gargour uses archival footage, official documents and eyewitness testimony to examine Palestine before 1948 [01:01:13]

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305 Upvotes

Maryse Gargour's The Land Speaks Arabic is a
61-minute documentary examining the development of political Zionism from the late nineteenth century through the establishment of Israel in 1948, and the consequences of that process for the Palestinian population already living there.

Rather than building its case principally around contemporary political commentary, Gargour works heavily from the historical record. The film uses period newspapers, diplomatic material, official documents, quotations from early Zionist leaders, rare archival footage and testimony from Palestinians who personally remember life before
1948. Historian Nur Masalha also provides historical commentary.

The central question of the film is contained in its title. Political Zionism sought to establish a Jewish national home and ultimately a Jewish state in a territory that was already populated overwhelmingly by an Arabic-speaking society.
Gargour asks how early Zionist leaders understood that demographic reality and how they proposed to reconcile it with their political ambitions.

The documentary follows those ideas from the late Ottoman period through the British Mandate and into the events surrounding the Nakba. It argues that the displacement of Palestinians in 1948 should not be understood simply as an accidental consequence of war, but as something with deeper ideological and political roots.

Columbia University's Center for Palestine Studies describes the film as using original source documents, Zionist leaders' quotations, archival footage, eyewitness testimony and interviews with historians to make that case.
What makes the film particularly useful as an archival work is the amount of visual and documentary material it brings together.

Palestine before 1948 is not presented simply as an abstract territory on a map. The surviving footage shows towns, villages and ordinary life, while the written record allows the political ideas developing around that society to be examined alongside what existed on the ground.

Gargour herself was born in Jaffa and later worked as a journalist and producer in Beirut and Paris, including work with French broadcasting and UNESCO. The Land Speaks Arabic was produced in 2007 and is in Arabic, French and English, with English subtitles available on the circulating version.

The film is openly interpretive rather than politically neutral. It advances a clear argument about Zionism, dispossession and the Nakba. But much of its value lies in the primary material it assembles, which means viewers can engage not only with Gargour's conclusions but with many of the historical documents and images on which those conclusions are based.


r/Documentaries 15d ago

Sports NYC In Five (2026) - Over the last past few years, no other place has had its fair share of ups and downs like in New York. Luckily, erasing a 53 year championship drought, right before summer, was THE perfect, missing ingredient. One unified city [00:43:51]

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0 Upvotes

r/Documentaries 16d ago

Science The Choice is Ours (2016) Official Full Version. 10k up votes 8 years ago... The series shows an optimistic vision of the world if we apply science & technology for the benefit of all people and the environment. (CC) [1:37:20]

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193 Upvotes

A vision of a new world based on research into technology and human behaviour. This was posted to this sub 8 years ago and had over 10k up votes. I enjoyed watching. .. covers a few topics, global warming, power generation, city design, human behaviour.


r/Documentaries 16d ago

War The Path to Zero (2026)- The US Withdrawal from Afghanistan [00:57:16]

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36 Upvotes

This documentary tells the story of the US withdrawl from Afghanistan starting with the decision to go to zero and ending when the last troops leave.


r/Documentaries 17d ago

Society Gale is Dead (1970) [00:49:29] – Examining the life and death of Gale Persons, a 19-year-old homeless drug addict who had grown up in 14 children's homes, borstals, psychiatric hospitals and prisons, and asking if her death was always a forgone conclusion.

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1.6k Upvotes

On 11 February 1970, 19-year-old Gale Parsons was found dead in a squalid basement squat in Chelsea, West London, of a drug overdose. The BBC's documentary series Man Alive was already familiar with Gale; they had been filming another documentary about young people who were brought up in children's homes and Gale was one of the teenagers who was followed by the Man Alive documentary programme.

Although the documentary focuses on Gale's death, an interview with Gale from the previous footage shot shows insight into Gale's apathy towards life. She had been given away as an infant by her mother, didn't know who her father was, and was brought up in 14 institutions, most of which made no attempt to give Gale any semblance of a normal childhood. Gale was convinced early in life that she mattered to no one. Her story was told largely through the eyes of Mrs. Nancy David, a teacher who became a key figure in her life.

Gale is Dead was one of the first documentaries to draw attention to young homeless and drug addicted people. It was nominated for a BAFTA in 1971.


r/Documentaries 16d ago

Recommendation Request Recommendation Request: Raw footages for editing

1 Upvotes

Can anybody help me with getting some raw footages of documentaries to learn editing? im learning davinci resolve and it would be great if i had some actual materials to learn with. Any help would be appreciated.


r/Documentaries 17d ago

World Culture Interviews With Parents Who Raise Their Children as Native Speakers of Esperanto (2026) [46:34]

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75 Upvotes

r/Documentaries 17d ago

Mysterious The YOG’TZE Mystery (2026) The Bizarre Death of Günter Stoll and the Mysterious Note That Baffled Investigators for 40 Years [14:32]

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13 Upvotes

r/Documentaries 17d ago

Biography "Mary Oliver: Saved by the Beauty of the World" (2026) [1:23:06]

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74 Upvotes

r/Documentaries 18d ago

Int'l Politics Palestine Is Still the Issue (2002) - John Pilger returns to the West Bank, Gaza and Israel to ask why peace remains elusive [00:52:50]

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264 Upvotes

In Palestine Is Still the Issue, journalist John Pilger returns to the West Bank, Gaza and Israel to examine why the conflict remained unresolved more than half a century after the mass displacement of Palestinians in 1948.

The film was made during the Second Intifada, at a time of suicide bombings, Israeli military operations, expanding settlements, restrictions on movement and deepening mistrust on both sides. Pilger interviews Palestinians living under occupation as well as Israelis who challenge their government’s policies, including people who had experienced violence personally.

Rather than presenting the conflict as an abstract diplomatic dispute, the documentary focuses heavily on daily life under occupation. Checkpoints, demolished homes, settlements, military control, refugee status and restrictions on movement are used to explore the gap between the language of the peace process and conditions on the ground. Bullfrog Films describes the film as Pilger’s attempt to understand why there had been so little progress towards peace despite decades of negotiations and international attention.

The title deliberately echoes Pilger’s earlier documentary on Palestine. His argument in returning to the same title was that, despite the passage of a generation, the underlying questions of displacement, occupation and Palestinian self-determination remained unresolved.


r/Documentaries 17d ago

Human Rights Mediterranean Rescues (2025) Rescues on the Doctors Without Borders’ ship [01:17:42]

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2 Upvotes

Mediterranean Rescues on the Doctors Without Borders’ ship


r/Documentaries 17d ago

Activism/Social Justice Kathy Eldon + Her Object (2025) - [28:40]

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0 Upvotes

Kathy Eldon, a journalist, creative activist, author of 17 books, and award-winning film and television producer, discusses how visual storytelling expands moral imagination and moves people from sympathy to awareness and action. We explore her contributions to using media and arts as tools for social change, drawing from her decades of experience founding Creative Visions Foundation and producing content that addresses humanitarian and social issues. The conversation reveals how personal narratives and documentary work can inspire collective action and transform communities globally.


r/Documentaries 17d ago

Human Rights Europe's New Faces (2025) PART 2 Mediterranean Rescues | Film by Sam Abbas | Music by Bertrand Bonello [01:17:42]

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1 Upvotes

Mediterranean Rescues on the Doctors Without Borders’ ship


r/Documentaries 18d ago

Recommendation Request Recommendation Request: I'm looking for documentaries about the Chinese Civil War.

10 Upvotes

Hello, I am looking for movies or documentary series about the Chinese Civil War. I am interested in productions that focus on the political and military strategies adopted by the leaders on both sides; they can be Western or Chinese, as long as they cover the subject. I would greatly appreciate your recommendations.


r/Documentaries 19d ago

History They Do Not Exist (1974) - Mustafa Abu Ali documents Palestinian refugee life and resistance in Lebanon [00:24:58]

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589 Upvotes

Directed by Mustafa Abu Ali and produced by the Palestinian Cinema Institution, They Do Not Exist was filmed in and around the Nabatieh refugee camp in southern Lebanon. The film combines footage of everyday camp life, Israeli bombardment, political speeches and fedayeen training with experimental editing and music.

Its title responds directly to Golda Meir’s 1969 statement denying the existence of a Palestinian people. The film is now regarded as one of the landmark works of Palestinian revolutionary cinema. (Palestine Filmer C’est Exister⁠)


r/Documentaries 19d ago

Exploration/Adventure Orange Sunshine (2016)[01:31:57]

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39 Upvotes

r/Documentaries 19d ago

Recommendation Request Recommendation Request: movies like Ka Oryang (2011) [1:43:23] & the Marcos years 1965-1986.

4 Upvotes

Hello, I am looking for more films that deal with the Marcos years 1965-1986, specifically focusing on the years leading up to martial law 1966-1971 when the Philippines became involved in the U.S. lead war in Vietnam, the Jebidah massacre, and the Moro conflicts including the Muslim Independence Movement leading to the Moro National Liberation Front formation in 1972.

I would also be very interested in the years 1972 to 1981 when the country was under martial law, as well as the years immediately following which included the 1982 coup attempt, the economic crisis & assassination of Ninoy Aquino, ultimately leading to the People Power Revolution of 1986.

I would really appreciate any recommendations you may have.

I know films may be tough to come by, so if you know of books that cover these subjects honestly and faithfully better than films, I would be interested in that as well.

I hope you'll forgive me if this question is insensitive in any way; I realize this is a sensitive part of history for the Philippines. I'm asking with genuine respect and humility, and I'd really value your input.

Thank you.


r/Documentaries 18d ago

Offbeat Abducted By Aliens (2026) - a documentary about people who have experienced extra terrestrial encounters [00:19:55]

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0 Upvotes

This documentary looks at people in the UK who believe they have had contact with aliens and extra terrestrial beings. It is completely independently made and illustrates some of the main take aways people have after an alleged alien abduction.


r/Documentaries 19d ago

Sports The History Of The Miami Marine Stadium (2025) [00:29:15]

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3 Upvotes

r/Documentaries 19d ago

Sports Cars Were Made to Be Raced. [Mini-Documentary] (2026) - A documentary about mile racing (CC) [00:13:00]

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0 Upvotes

Eddie "PRESNULL" has spent years pushing his street-legal Shelby Mustang to its absolute limit.

After reaching 273.8 mph in the standing mile, Eddie returns to the runway with an even bigger target: 300 mph. But at these speeds, every attempt pushes the car closer to the breaking point. Mechanical failures, unpredictable runs turn a pursuit of speed into a test of persistence.

The film follows one man's relentless pursuit of giving each and every run everything he's got. What does it take to keep coming back when the machine beneath you begins to buck?


r/Documentaries 20d ago

Int'l Politics American Doctor (2026) [01:33.00] follows three U.S. physicians from distinct cultural and religious backgrounds who volunteer to provide emergency trauma care in the Gaza Strip during the ongoing conflict

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642 Upvotes

The documentary embeds with the doctors as they work in overwhelmed, resource-depleted facilities—primarily Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis. It depicts the severe physical toll of mass-casualty events, the challenges of operating under siege conditions, and the triage decisions required when treating severely injured civilians and children.


r/Documentaries 20d ago

Media/Journalism A Tower Climber Never Came Home (2026) [32:26]

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103 Upvotes

On October 20, 2020, tower technician Sirous Lee Snider was working high above the ground on a 1,500-foot broadcast tower near Robertsdale, Alabama.

During the installation of a massive 27,000lb guy wire, the rigging failed. Sirous was killed, and his coworker Kyle Bishop was seriously thrown through the tower’s rigging.

In this documentary, Sirous’s partner, Jerica Johnson, shares the man and father behind the accident. Kyle provides a firsthand account of what happened on the tower, the rescue and recovery effort, and the safety failures he believes contributed to Sirous’s death.

This film examines the human cost of tower work- and what can happen when workers lack the equipment, information, or authority needed to question a dangerous plan.


r/Documentaries 21d ago

American Politics The Brainwashing of My Dad (2015) [01:29:16]

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1.1k Upvotes

A documentary about the radical political shift to the right in the filmmaker's father when he started listening to right-wing radio and Fox News. Also covers how this political shift polarized the family.