Best Documentary Movies of 2009

A compilation of interviews, rehearsals and backstage footage of Michael Jackson as he prepared for his series of sold-out shows in London.

Michael Moore comes home to the issue he's been examining throughout his career: the disastrous impact of corporate dominance on the everyday lives of Americans (and by default, the rest of the world).

A serial killer decides to dissect the critically panned Star Wars prequels to determine their TRUE flaws.

A look at the making of the film Troll 2 (1990) and its journey from being crowned the "worst film of all time" to a cherished cult classic.

Where's Em been? School, fool. But despite his fame and fortune, this exclusive documentary shows that returning to the halls of high school wasn't exactly easy for this international superstar.

A documentary about the making of David Fincher's 2008 film THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON. Virtually every element in the evolution of the Fincher's film is documented here, from the project's attachment to numerous other directors during the 1990s, to its shoot in 2006 and 2007 in New Orleans, to its complex, CGI-intensive postproduction process.

Darwin's great insight – that life has evolved over millions of years by natural selection – has been the cornerstone of all David Attenborough’s natural history series. In this documentary, he takes us on a deeply personal journey which reflects his own life and the way he came to understand Darwin’s theory.

A chronological account of the heavy metal band Iron Maiden's 2008 world tour through India, Australia, Japan, USA, Canada, Mexico and South America in a jet piloted by the band's front man, Bruce Dickinson. Features interviews with the musicians, their road crew and fans.

"Which Way Home" is a feature documentary film that follows unaccompanied child migrants, on their journey through Mexico, as they try to reach the United States.

By the mid-1980s, the fabled animation studios of Walt Disney had fallen on hard times. The artists were polarized between newcomers hungry to innovate and old timers not yet ready to relinquish control. These conditions produced a series of box-office flops and pessimistic forecasts: maybe the best days of animation were over. Maybe the public didn't care. Only a miracle or a magic spell could produce a happy ending. Waking Sleeping Beauty is no fairy tale. It's the true story of how Disney regained its magic with a staggering output of hits - "Little Mermaid," "Beauty and the Beast ," "Aladdin," "The Lion King," and more - over a 10-year period.

Ten of Muhammad Ali's former rivals pay tribute to the three-time world heavyweight champion.

The Clifford Ball was an absolutely phenomenal, unequivocably religious, amazing event at the former Air Force Base in Plattsburgh, New York, in August 1996. Phish performed three sets and an encore on each of the two show days, of a Friday-to-Sunday event, where some 70-80,000 fans camped on site for three days.

The making of the iconic 2010 Pirelli Calendar. Eleven models appear in the Calendar: Catherine McNeil, Abbey Lee Kershaw and Miranda Kerr of Australia, Eniko Mihalik from Hungary, Marloes Horst of the Netherlands, Lily Cole, Daisy Lowe, and Rosie Huntington-Whiteley from the UK, Georgina Stojilijkovic of Serbia and two Brazilian natives, Gracie Carvalho and Ana Beatriz Barros.

On the night of Oct. 2, 2005, Hart and Dana Perry's 15-year-old son Evan jumped to his death from his New York City bedroom window. This moving film is the story, told by his filmmaker parents and others who knew him, of Evan’s life and death, and his life-long struggle with bipolar disorder. It delves into the complexity of Evan's disease, sharing his family's journey through the maze of mental illness. In showing how one family deals with generations of loss and grief, the film defies the stigma related to mental illness and suicide and tells a human story that touches everyone.

Throughout the 1980s, Miami, Florida, was at the center of a racial and cultural shift taking place throughout the country. Overwhelmed by riots and tensions, Miami was a city in flux, and the University of Miami football team served as a microcosm for this evolution. The image of the predominantly white university was forever changed when coach Howard Schnellenberger scoured some of the toughest ghettos in Florida to recruit mostly black players for his team. With a newly branded swagger, inspired and fueled by the quickly growing local Miami hip hop culture, these Hurricanes took on larger-than-life personalities and won four national titles between 1983 and 1991. Filmmaker Billy Corben, a Miami native and University of Miami alum, will tell the story of how these “Bad Boys” of football changed the attitude of the game they played, and how this serene campus was transformed into “The U.”

Realizing the urban legend of their youth has actually come true, two filmmakers delve into the mystery surrounding five missing children and the real-life boogeyman linked to their disappearances.

The troubled fraternal relationship between songwriters Robert B. Sherman and Richard M. Sherman, the Oscar and Grammy-winning Sherman Brothers, famous for the iconic hits they wrote for Disney.

From the acclaimed director of American Movie, the documentary follows former Los Angeles police officer turned independent reporter Michael Ruppert. He recounts his career as a radical thinker and spells out his apocalyptic vision of the future, spanning the crises in economics, energy, environment and more.

The Medieval and Renaissance blade, a profound and beautiful object handcrafted by master artisans of old. An object of great complexity, yet one with a singular use in mind- it is designed to kill. The truth of the sword has been shrouded in antiquity, and the Renaissance martial arts that brought it to being are long forgotten. The ancient practitioners lent us all they knew through their manuscripts. As gunslingers of the Renaissance they were western heroes with swords, and they lived and died by them. Yet today their history remains cloaked under a shadow of legend.

John Cazale was in only five films - The Godfather, The Conversation, The Godfather - Part Two, Dog Day Afternoon and The Deer Hunter - each was nominated for Best Picture. Yet today most people don't even know his name. I KNEW IT WAS YOU is a fresh tour through movies that defined a generation.

Intent on shaking up the ultimate 'sacred cow' for Jews, Israeli director Yoav Shamir embarks on a provocative - and at times irreverent - quest to answer the question, "What is anti-Semitism today?"

Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May are dropped deep in the Bolivian rainforest armed only with three 4x4s which they bought from the local small ads for a maximum of £3,500 each. They attempt to drive from the heart of Bolivia to the coast of Chile, encountering drug lords and the debilitating effects of high altitude. Without a doubt one of the toughest challenges the `Top Gear' team has ever faced.

Louis has gained access to Coalinga Mental Hospital in California, which houses more than 500 of the most disturbed criminals in America, convicted paedophiles. Most have already served lengthy prison sentences, but have been deemed unsafe for release. Instead, they have been sent here for an indefinite time. Spending time with those undergoing treatment, Louis wrestles with whether he can ever allow himself to believe men whose whole history is defined by deception and deceit.

Paramore play their hits and songs from their album, 'Brand New Eyes,' exclusively for 'MTV Unplugged. Set List: 1. Ignorance; 2. That's What You Get; 3. Misery Business; 4. Brick by Boring Brick; 5. Decode

Imagine a world of incredible color and beauty. Of crabs wearing jellyfish for hats. Of fish disguised as frogs, stones and shag carpets. Of a kaleidoscope of life dancing and weaving, floating and darting in an underwater wonderland. Now, go explore it! Howard Hall and his filmmaking team, who brought you Deep Sea and Into the Deep, take you into tropical waters alive with adventure: the Great Barrier Reef and other South Pacific realms. Narrated by Jim Carrey and featuring astonishing camerawork, this amazing film brings you face to fin with Nature's marvels, from the terrible grandeur (and terrible teeth) of a Great White to the comic antics of a lovestruck cuttlefish. Excitement and fun run deep Under the Sea!

Documentary focusing on the Disney studio's making of the 1940 classic animated film Pinocchio.

Filmed and built over the span of 2005-2009, Mind Field is the 4th full lengh audio/visual offering by AWS. A document of the team's raw talent and eclectic personalities interlaced with the workshop's undying pursuit of visual individuality and creative freedom.

Malegaon, a small town tucked away near the heart of India geographically, is fraught with communal tension and under severe economic depression. To escape the harsh reality of their world, its people seek refuge in the fantastical world of cinema. This passion for cinema has spurred a group of cinema enthusiasts to make their own films-quirky, low budget, socially aware and notoriously funny spoofs of Bollywood films.

Directors Robert Townsend and Quincy Newell offer this comprehensive and hilarious examination of the history, evolution and cultural significance of African American comedy in America, from the earliest minstrel shows to the latest HBO special. Featuring interviews with cultural critics and loads of comedic clips, this program features appearances by a who's-who of black comedians including Chris Rock, Bill Cosby, Whoopi Goldberg and many more.

Werner Boote presents an up-close and personal view of the controversial and fascinating material that has found its way into every facet of our daily lives: plastic. He takes us on a journey around the globe, showing that plastics have become a threat for both environment and human health.

A documentary chronicling Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour's preparations for the 2007 fall-fashion issue.

A documentary focusing on the life of dot-com entrepreneur Josh Harris, and his exploits over the last decade.

William Darrell Mays Jr. was an American television direct-response advertisement salesperson. Throughout his career, he promoted a wide variety of products, including OxiClean, Orange Glo, Kaboom, and Zorbeez.

The late Len Bias still leaves more questions than answers. When Bias dropped dead two days after the 1986 NBA Draft, he forever altered our perception of casual drug use and became the tipping point of America's drug crisis in the mid-80's. Future generations continue to face the harsh punishment of drug policies that were influenced by the public outcry after his heartbreaking death. Instead of becoming an NBA star, he became a one-man deterrent, the athlete who reminded everyone just how dangerous drug use can be. Amazingly, questions still linger about his death nearly a quarter-century later. How good could he have been in the pro ranks? Has he become underrated or overrated as the years pass? How could a University of Maryland superstar and Boston Celtics lottery pick be derailed by a cocaine binge? Was Bias a one-time user as we were led to believe, or was there a pattern of recreational use that led to his fatal last night? Did he fall in with the wrong crowd.

COAL COUNTRY tells of the dramatic struggles around the use and acquisition of coal.

“We really do look at the story and characters first,” producer David Heyman says. “That's the heart and that's the soul of the film.” And that's the heart and soul of this incisive, decade-spanning exploration of how the series' actors bring the beloved Harry Potter characters to life. Discover which parts of the J.K. Rowling books helped Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, and more stars make their roles leap from page to screen. See screen tests, including Evanna Lynch (Luna Lovegood) and Jessie Cave (Lavender Brown) working with the established stars. Learn why so many of Britain's acting greats wanted to be part of Harry Potter's world... and which ones became mentors to the young stars. Share each director's vision as you watch Daniel, Rupert and Emma grow up with Harry, Ron and Hermione. Your journey into Harry’s world continues.

An unsentimental elegy to the American West, Sweetgrass follows the last modern-day cowboys to lead their flocks of sheep up into Montana's breathtaking and often dangerous Absaroka-Beartooth mountains for summer pasture. This astonishingly beautiful reveals a world in which nature and culture, animals and humans, vulnerability and violence are all intimately meshed.

The magic begins. The choices, the breakthroughs, the early decisions that impacted all the films are explored here via rare footage, cast and crew reminiscences and more. Learn about the extensive search by producer David Heyman and director Chris Columbus for the perfect actors to portray Harry, Ron and Hermione and see the earliest meeting of Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson. Be on the scene as imagination and know-how combine to create a look that's distinctly wizardly. From details tiny (what about Hermione's buckteeth?) to huge (Quidditch, anyone?), this is the fun and fascinating opening of a whole new portal into Harry's world.

Contemporary philosopher Roger Scruton presents a fascinating argument for the importance of beauty in our art and in our lives, and explores what truly is and is not beautiful, regardless of its beholder.

A feature-length documentary about our complex relationship with manufactured objects and, by extension, the people who design them.

This emotionally-gripping, visually-stunning documentary exposes the opposing forces of both light and dark that compete for attention within every human being and presents the hidden power of the "Shadow" alongside some of today's most provocative thinkers and beloved teachers.

When a gang of suburban teens stumbled across a bunch of abandoned instruments and formed The Fleshtones little did they know that 30 years later they'll still be struggling to rock - and pay the bills.

What if you were a Hollywood movie star with an obsession for cars and racing? Eric Bana is such a star!

This documentary takes a piercing investigative look at the economic, political and ecological implications of the worldwide disappearance of the honeybee. The film examines our current agricultural landscape and celebrates the ancient and sacred connection between man and the honeybee. The story highlights the positive changes that have resulted due to the tragic phenomenon known as "Colony Collapse Disorder." To empower the audience, the documentary provides viewers with tangible solutions they can apply to their everyday lives. Vanishing of the Bees unfolds as a dramatic tale of science and mystery, illuminating this extraordinary crisis and its greater meaning about the relationship between humankind and Mother Earth. The bees have a message - but will we listen?

Architecture through the cinematographic lens. The visual fusion between the third and the seventh arts. The Third & The Seventh is a FULL-CG animated piece that tries to illustrate architecture art across a photographic point of view where main subjects are already-built spaces.

The story of how Michael Morpurgo's children's novel became one of the most popular and acclaimed productions in the National Theatre's history.

In a remote corner of the Himalaya, in the forbidden Kingdom of Mustang, mysterious caves, perched high on cliff faces and carved by humans thousands of years ago, have lain just beyond reach — until recently. In April of 2007, a team of climbers and scientists climbed inside the long-hidden chambers for the first time in modern history.

Diana is not the only one for whom the monthly period is no fun at all. Headaches, nausea, depression -- why is it so widely accepted that women all over the world should feel so lousy on a regular basis? And why is the subject still not openly discussed? With a keen sense of perspective, humor, and self-mockery, Diana goes in search of answers in this documentary.

A behind-the-scenes look at the making of 'Caddyshack', one of the most memorable box-office comedies of all times.