Documentary AreaSimply the best Documentaries

During 1959-1961 both the Americans and Soviets are planning manned space flight, and we see both sides preparing to do so with the development of the Vostok programme (Russia) and Project Mercury (USA). After difficulties and failures on both sides, the Soviets succeed in putting Yuri Gagarin into space first, with the Americans putting Alan Shepard up shortly afterwards.

During 1964-1969 both sides now plan to put a man on the Moon - while the Soviets struggle, the Americans pull ahead in the space race with Project Gemini, but then suffer a disaster with the Apollo 1 fire. The Soviet space programme suffers its own blows: Sergei Korolev dies when his heart fails during an operation, Soyuz 1 crashes and kills cosmonaut Vladimir Komarov, and their planned moon rocket, the N-1 rocket, fails to successfully launch. In America, von Braun has difficulties with the Saturn V, but they are overcome, and the rocket successfully launches the first manned lunar mission, Apollo 8, and the first manned lunar landing, Apollo 11.

A team of artists and activists exposes the hidden world of extinction with never-before-seen images that will change the way we see the planet. Two worlds drive extinction across the globe, potentially resulting in the loss of half of all species. The international wildlife black market at the expense of creatures that have survived on this planet for millions of years. And the other surrounds us, hiding in plain sight — a world that the oil and gas companies don’t want the rest of us to see. Using covert tactics and state-of-the-art technology, the Racing Extinction team exposes these two worlds in an inspiring affirmation to preserve life as we know it.

Raging Teens follows a group of young boys and girls throughout their teenage years and captures the changes that the body undergoes through puberty. Its main focus, however, is on Beatrice and the changes she undergoes such as shopping, growing breasts, pubic hairs and her first period (her mother bought her some Chocolate Éclairs to help celebrate which must be a British thing). The boy's side covers testosterone and what changes it spurs in a lad's body such as facial hair, their voice cracking at the wrong time, and parts of the body that have until now lain dormant. You also learn that a pubic hair only grows for 6 months, which keeps it short, and is actually flat oval and not round which is why they curl.

Rainforests face more threats than ever before, but remain the last stronghold for some truly astonishing animal families. Today we know rainforests are some of the most wondrous and important habitats on Earth. It is the richest habitat on earth, teeming with millions of dramatic plants and animals. From giant landscape gardeners to a whole family supported by a single leaf, there are surprises at every turn.

(Click CC for subtitles) Hannes Rossacher's documentary is a great journey. It begins in summer 1988 on the Ostseestrand in East Germany and accompanies the band on their long, sometimes painful, but finally successful conquest of the American continents up until 2001. It continues with their farewell to the US after the events of September 11th and ends in front of thousands of cheering Americans in Madison Square Garden. For the documentary, Rammstein provided extensive, previously unreleased footage and photos from the band archive. In numerous interviews from various periods in the band's history, the band members speak about their experiences across the Atlantic.
Old and new friends and acquaintances, as well as many American colleagues, pay tribute to the band and recount anecdotes. Chad Smith (Red Hot Chili Peppers), Moby, CJ Ramone, Steven Tyler (Aerosmith), Iggy Pop, Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley from KISS, Wes Borland (Limp Bizkit), Marilyn Manson, Melissa Auf der Maur, Scott Ian (Anthrax), Jonathan Davis and Munky Shaffer from Korn, Shawn Crahan (Slipknot), director David Lynch, actor Kiefer Sutherland and many more.