Best Documentary Movies of 1991

A chronicle of the production problems — including bad weather, actors' health, war near the filming locations, and more — which plagued the filming of Apocalypse Now, increasing costs and nearly destroying the life and career of Francis Ford Coppola.

Adam Surat is the first film directed by Tareque Masud. It is a documentary about Bangladeshi painter Sheikh Mohammed Sultan (aks SM Sultan). Masud started the film in 1982 and completed seven years later.

Director Michael Apted revisits the same group of British-born adults after a 7 year wait. The subjects are interviewed as to the changes that have occurred in their lives during the last seven years.

This shows physicist Stephen Hawking's life as he deals with the ALS that renders him immobile and unable to speak without the use of a computer. Hawking's friends, family, classmates, and peers are interviewed not only about his theories but the man himself.

From the rain of Japan, through threats of arrest for 'public indecency' in Canada, and a birthday tribute to her father in Detroit, this documentary follows Madonna on her 1990 'Blond Ambition' concert tour. Filmed in black and white, with the concert pieces in glittering MTV color, it is an intimate look at the work of the music performer, from a prayer circle with the dancers before each performance to bed games with the dance troupe afterwards.

A richly lyrical documentary celebration of the vibrant beach life in the North East of England, constructed entirely out of Sirkka-Liisa Konttinen's black & white photographs.

Performances are bookended by interviews by the respective bands and Earache's Digby Pearson. 01. Napalm Death - If The Truth Be Known/Suffer The Children 02. Morbid Angel - Immortal Rites 03. Nocturnus - Lake of Fire 04. Paradise Lost - Dead Emotion 05. Prophecy of Doom - Rage Against Time 06. Godflesh - Christ Bait Rising 07. Cerebral Fix - Unity For Who/Enter The Turmoil 08. Sonic Violence - Manic 09. Bolt Thrower - Cenotaph 10. Vengeance Rising - Before The Time 11. Entombed - Left Hand Path 12. Carcass - Reek of Putrefaction

Appalachian Journey is one of five films made from footage that Alan Lomax shot between 1978 and 1985 for the PBS American Patchwork series (1991). It offers songs, dances, stories, and religious rituals of the Southern Appalachians. Preachers, singers, fiddlers, banjo pickers, moonshiners, cloggers, and square dancers recount the good times and the hard times of rural life there. Performers include Tommy Jarrell, Janette Carter, Ray and Stanley Hicks, Frank Proffitt Jr., Sheila Kay Adams, Nimrod Workman and Phyllis Boyens, Raymond Fairchild, and others, with a bonus of a few African-Americans from the North Carolina Piedmont. Narrated by Alan Lomax. The Association for Cultural Equity’s Alan Lomax Archive channel on YouTube additionally streams outtakes from this film: other strong performances by Sheila Kay Adams, Dellie Norton, and Cas Wallin, Lawrence Eller, the Hickses, Algia Mae Hinton and John Dee Holeman, Tommy Jarrell, John “Doodle” Thrower, and Nimrod Workman.

Brazilian speed-thrash-death metal band Sepultura are legendary for the extreme degree to which they delve into the depths of their genre. Always striving to be louder, faster, and deadlier (metaphorically, of course), Sepultura have inspired a countless number of modern metal bands as well as legions of obsessive fans. Under Siege was filmed live at Zeleste in Barcelona, Spain. For nearly an hour, Sepultura thrash through ten of their songs.

Get Back is a 1991 concert film starring Paul McCartney that documents The Paul McCartney World Tour of 1989–1990. The film was directed by Richard Lester, in a return to his Beatles-related work, and was released by Carolco Pictures and New Line Cinema, through the Seven Arts joint venture.

A visceral deconstruction of Academy Award nominated Peter Bogdanovich and the nervous breakdown he nearly had while shooting THE LAST PICTURE SHOW.

For 50 years radio dominated the airwaves and the American consciousness as the first “mass medium.” In Empire of the Air: The Men Who Made Radio, Ken Burns examines the lives of three extraordinary men who shared the primary responsibility for this invention and its early success, and whose genius, friendship, rivalry and enmity interacted in tragic ways. This is the story of Lee de Forest, a clergyman’s flamboyant son, who invented the audion tube; Edwin Howard Armstrong, a brilliant, withdrawn inventor who pioneered FM technology; and David Sarnoff, a hard-driving Russian immigrant who created the most powerful communications company on earth.

This historical music video features as its centrepiece The Doors' last televised appearance, aired on PBS in 1969.

Pantera's first home video release. It contains behind the scenes footage of the band partying as well as music videos and live performances.

Celebrities salute Disney Studios' 50th year in Burbank, California.

Seven Up series the first ever reality soap. The concept involves filming and getting to know a number of children, aged seven, across the nation. These children are then re-visited every 7 years to see how their lives are progressing. A varied group of children from different regions and social classes were selected. The Soviet group includes children from across the union, including Russia, Kirgizstan, Georgia and Lithuania. The filming took place during a time of civil and ethnic unrest and poverty.

An intimate look at Los Angeles-based funk rock foursome Red Hot Chili Peppers' creative process as they join producer Rick Rubin at a Hollywood Hills mansion to record their 1991 studio album 'Blood Sugar Sex Magik', which would go on to propel the band into critical acclaim and worldwide popularity.

A tribute to one of Hollywood's most beloved and respected actors.

A meeting of two world famous climbers, one an experienced mountaineer the other a sport climber, and a journalist (Ivan) results in a bet on which of the two is the best climber. Roger (the mountaineering expert) states that Martin (the sport climber) wouldn't survive a day on a 'real' climbing expedition, although he is considered to be the world's best sport climber (having just won an indoor 'world championship,' an event depicted in the opening scene). They plan to climb 'Cerro Torre,' in the Patagonia region of South America, near the Argentinian/Chilean border, one of the world's most difficult mountains, especially considering the extreme weather conditions common to the area.

Motörhead Live: Everything Louder Than Everything Else features Lemmy and his band of metal warriors shaking Munich's Deutsches Museum to its Foundations. 1. Metropolis 2. Going To Brazil 3. I'm So Bad (Baby I Don't Care) 4. Traitor 5. No Voices In The Sky 6. Just 'Cos You Got The Power 7. Angel City 8. Love Me Forever 9. R.A.M.O.N.E.S. 10. Orgasmatron 11. Killed By Death 12. Ace Of Spades

The Beatles First US Visit uniquely chronicles the inside story of the two remarkable weeks when Beatlemania first ignited America. The pioneering Maysles Brothers who filmed at the shoulders of John, Paul, George and Ringo, innovated an intimate documentary style of film-making which set the benchmark for rock and roll cinematography that remains to this day.

Radical feminist Andrea Dworkin's expose on the pornography industry.

African drummer leaves village, makes it big in the world. Great drumming!!

Documentary about the era of the first doctor, William Hartnell. It includes the pilot version of An Unearthly Child that was never broadcast. Hosted by Sylvester McCoy

This documentary, hosted by actor Burgess Meredith, explores the life and career of movie director Otto Preminger, whose body of work includes such memorable films as Anatomy of a Murder, Exodus, Laura, Forever Amber, Advise and Consent, In Harm's Way, The Moon Is Blue, The Man with the Golden Arm, and many other movies made from the '30s through the '70s. Interviews with actors Frank Sinatra, Vincent Price, James Stewart, Michael Caine, and others who worked with the flamboyant and sometimes control-obsessed director add information and insight to the story.

A revealing look at how workers' safety is being compromised with tragic results. Interviews with accident investigators, co-workers, and victims' families detail the causes and consequences of accidents, while extensive news footage and home videos taken by accident survivors and family members expose the hazards of such industries as commercial fishing, construction and chemical refineries. An indictment of inadequate governmental safeguards, this important film makes a plea for the protection of workers.

This documentary short, produced for West Virginia public TV's "Different Drummer" series, introduces us to Jesco White, a hard-living, tap-dancing Boone County resident whose repeated run-ins with the law have interfered with his dream of becoming as renowned a "mountain dancer" as his late father, D. Ray White. We meet Jesco's three distinct personalities; the gentle and loving Jesse, the violent and dangerous Jesco, and the extremely strange Elvis. We also encounter various members of Jesco's family, all nearly as eccentric as Jesco himself. You will ask, "Are these people for real?" Yes, they are.

How the Japanese process American pop culture and make it their own -- a mind-bending odyssey through cultural mixing.

Highlights from Eric Clapton's sold-out 24 night run at London's Royal Albert Hall are featured. 24 nights includes guest appearances from Robert Cray, Albert Collins, Buddy Guy, Jimmie Vaughan, and Phil Collins. Songs include "Running on Faith," "Wonderful Tonight," "Sunshine of Your Love," "Hard Times," and "Bell Bottom Blues."

This short-form documentary focuses on the true story of Alfons Heck, who as an impressionable 10-year-old boy became a high-ranking member of the Hitler youth movement during World War II. The story is told in his own words. This film originally aired as part of the "America Undercover" series on HBO.

Dmitri Dostoevsky, Leningrad tram driver and great-grandson of Fyodor Dostoevsky, travels to western Europe following the footsteps of his great-grandfather's own journey in 1862. Dmitri hopes his efforts will help him realise his dream of owning a Mercedes.

The story of Estelle Ishigo, one of the few Caucasians interned with Japanese Americans during World War II. The wife of a Japanese American, Ishigo refused to be separated from her husband and was interned along with him. Based on the personal papers of Estelle Ishigo and her novel Lone Heart Mountain.

A panorama of the Brazilian black experience, starting with the figure of the semi-illiterate popular artist and employee of a salt mine Gabriel Joaquim dos Santos.

A retrospective on the career of Robert Mitchum through interviews with friends and co-workers, scenes from his films, and the actor himself.

Documentary featuring a candid interview with Kie?lowski and rare behind-the-scenes footage from the set of The Double Life of Véronique

In 1986, Ross McElwee (Sherman's March) and Marilyn Levine were making a film about the 25th anniversary of the Berlin Wall, when the imposing structure was still very much intact as the world’s most visible symbol of hardline Communism and Cold War lore. They thought they were making a documentary on the community of tourists, soldiers, and West Berliners who lived in the seemingly eternal presence of the graffiti emblazoned eyesore. But in 1989, as the original film neared completion, the Wall came down, and McElwee and Levine returned to Berlin, this time to capture the radically different atmosphere of the reunified city.

This documentary celebrates Max Ernst, one of the most influential and visionary artists of the past century. The film covers the highlights of Ernst's fascinating career via a format that mirrors the restless reality of his life. An inveterate traveler and always on the move, Ernst lived and worked in Germany, France and America. His nomadic way of life kept him searching: "A painter is lost if he finds himself."

An adaption of the British TV series, this documentary chronicles the lives of a group of economically, racially and socially diverse 7-year olds living throughout America in 1990. The filmmakers will return every seven years to chronicle the children's growth.

Italia 90 was another fascinating tournament, a melting pot of different styles, culture and technique. The biggest tournament to date, it saw the emergence of the African nations with the free-flowing Cameroon capturing everyone's hearts. The final was tight and not for the squeamish, but the well-drilled and better-disciplined Germans prevailed 1-0 winners to claim the crown for the third time.

Longtime fans of bluegrass music and those only recently discovering it will appreciate this documentary on the genre, which was born of a combination of African and Celtic sounds and is the base of American country music. This film traces the musical form from its Appalachian roots to the present. The rise, fall, and consistent revival of bluegrass chronicled through oral history and visual record, resulting in a priceless film that even casual fans are sure to enjoy.

This video documentary follows Alice's career from his discovery by Frank Zappa at the Wiskey-a-GoGo in Los Angeles to his "Hey Stoopid" album in 1991. It looks at his personal life, like his long-time marriage to Cheryl and his battle with alchoholism, and professional relationships with his manager Shep Gordon and his producer Bob Ezrin. The Prime Cuts documentary was originally released in 1991 on VHS then reissued 16-Oct-2001 as part of a 2-disc DVD set with additional material.

Before there was Disneyland, there was Coney Island. By the turn of the century, this tiny piece of New York real estate was internationally famous. On summer Sundays, three great pleasure domes--Steeplechase, Luna Park and Dreamland--competed for the patronage of a half-million people. By day it was the world's most amazing amusement park, by night, an electric "Eden".

Documentary of the making of the sequel to the popular Schwarzenegger film, The Terminator.

“It ain’t easy…being green” is the favorite expression of Stormé DeLarverie, a woman whose life flouted prescriptions of gender and race. During the 1950’s and 60’s she toured the black theater circuit as a mistress of ceremonies and the sole male impersonator of the legendary Jewel Box Revue, America’s first integrated female impersonation show and forerunner of La Cage aux Folles.

A filmed record of Eric Bogosian's acclaimed one-man show.

This brief throwback piece focused on interview snippets from Hopkins, Demme, Glenn, Foster, FBI agent John Douglas and another unnamed FBI agent.

Documentary about the influential pop composer and record producer Joe Meek, who died in dramatic circumstances in 1967 after a bizarre childhood and a career, often controversial, which spanned the period from the mid-50s to the rise of the Beatles in the 60s. At the end of his life he was suffering from paranoid delusions that people were watching him through walls. Alan Lewens' film charts an Ortonesque tale of post-war Britain.

From award-winning director Nick Broomfield, The Leader, His Driver, and the Driver's Wife documents Broomfield's efforts to interview Eugene Terre'Blanche, leader of the sinister neo-nazi AWB Afrikaner Party in South Africa. Cameras capture awkward interactions with skittish AWB supporters, combat training of militant youth, and the coveted interview itself. Broomfield's access to these events is made possible by the leader's driver, whose wavering allegiance to the movement is explored as well.

Computer programmer/beekeeper Jacob gets a "television" implanted in his brain by a race of telekinetic bees, which causes him to experience severe hallucinations.