Best Documentary Movies of 1908

Originally it was called White City because when it opened, all the buildings were painted white. It was a fairgrounds, intended to celebrate the 1904 Entente Cordiale between France and Great Britain, that would, a decade later, leading to the unbreakable web of alliances that would cause the First World War.

These extraordinary views of life and landscape in Beijing were filmed during the last years of China's Qing dynasty, before the 1911 Xinhai Revolution overthrew imperial rule. The focus is on everyday life, and the views of hawkers, laborers, traders, and artisans reveal the city’s vibrant street culture. Especially striking is the shot of a barber preening his client’s 'Manchu queue' hairstyle.

A jungle travelogue looking for monkeys.

Brussels in the Belle Epoque, recorced on film in a straightforward way. Camera work and editing are purely functional. The film observes busy everyday life in the metropolis as it happens on the street (including Boulevard Anspach, Rue de la Loi, Boulevard Emile Jacqmain), in the parks (Brussels Park and Parc du Cinquantenaire) and on the markets (including Grand Place). The iconic buildings feature extensively, buildings such as the Bourse, the Law Courts, St. Michael and St. Gudula Cathedral, Brussels' City Hall and the Parliament. After the tram ride through the Forêt de Soignes to the Congo Museum in Tervuren, the film ends with panoramic images of the city.

Here's a travelogue that takes its audience to Palermo and shows them the big sights, and the hidden ones. It ends with a slow but impressive panorama shot of the skyline.

Shots of Morocco, including a harbour town with a fortress.