Best Documentaries by Year
2628
241
1950
Sergei Gerasimov, Ivan Dukinsky
Documentary / War
China / Soviet Union
Russian
2645
247
1950
Thor Heyerdahl
Thor Heyerdahl, Herman Watzinger, Erik Hesselberg
Documentary / Adventure
Norway / Sweden
Norwegian
2690
265
1950
James Algar
Winston Hibler, Mogens Lind
Documentary / Short / Family
USA
English
2751
304
1950
Isidore Isou
Jean Cocteau, Jean Louis-Barrault, Blaise Cendrard, Marcel Achard
Documentary / Experimental
France
French
2719
283
1949
Chuck Jones, Friz Freleng, Rudolf Ising, Hugh Harman, Robert Clampett, Tom Palmer, Jack King, Robert McKimson, Norm McCabe, Abe Levitow
Mel Blanc, Bea Benaderet, Billy Bletcher, Stan Freberg, Arthur Q. Bryan
Animation / Comedy / Family / Short / Documentary / Biography
USA
English
2719
283
1949
Chuck Jones
Frank Graham
Animation / Short / Documentary
USA
English
2719
283
1949
Jack Hannah, Jack King
Clarence Nash, Ronald Colman, Pinto Colvig, James MacDonald, Dessie Flynn
Animation / Family / Comedy / Documentary / Serial
USA
English
2737
296
1949
Georges Franju
Georges Hubert, Nicole Ladmiral
Documentary / Short / Drama
France
French
1288
35
1948
Robert J. Flaherty
Joseph Boudreaux, Lionel Le Blanc, E. Bienvenu
Documentary / Drama
USA
English
2449
166
1948
Sidney Meyers
Gary Merrill, Donald Thompson, Clarence Cooper
Documentary / Drama
USA
English
2645
247
1948
Nicole Védrès
Claude Dauphin, Monty Woolley
Documentary / History
France
French
2661
255
1946
George Stevens
Documentary / History / War
USA
English
2661
255
1946
unknown
Gloria Blondell
Animation / Short / Documentary / Family
USA
English
2719
283
1946
Gunther von Fritsch
Charles Reineke, Ben Hall, Ralph Montgomery, Gil Perkins, Jason Robards Sr.
Short / Drama / Documentary
USA
English
2027
91
1945
John Huston
Mark W. Clark, John Huston
Documentary / War / History
USA
English
2508
181
1945
André Malraux, Boris Peskine
Andrés Mejuto, Julio Peña, Pedro Codina, Miguel Del Castillo
Documentary / Drama / War
Spain / France
French
2605
228
1945
Garson Kanin, Carol Reed
Dwight D. Eisenhower, Robert Harris, Peter Ustinov
Documentary / War / History
UK / USA
English
2661
255
1945
Frank Capra, Anatole Litvak
Walter Huston, Lloyd Nolan, Franklin Delano Roosevelt
Documentary / War / History
USA
English
2719
283
1945
Frank Capra
George C. Marshall, Anthony Veiller
Documentary / War / History / Short
USA
English
2765
310
1945
Humphrey Jennings
Michael Redgrave, Myra Hess, John Gielgud, Frederick Allen, George Woodbridge
Documentary / Short
UK
English
2661
255
1944
Frank Capra, Anatole Litvak
Anthony Veiller, Walter Huston, Douglas MacArthur
Documentary / War / History
USA
English
2661
255
1944
unknown
Martha Graham
Documentary
USA
English (Silent)
2661
255
1944
William Wyler
Robert Morgan, Vince Evans, Captain James A. Verinis
Documentary / War / History
USA
English
2661
255
1944
Stuart Heisler
William Broadus, Clarence Brooks, Norman Ford, Carlton Moss, Clyde Turner
Documentary / Short / War / Drama / History
USA
English
2719
283
1944
unknown
Leon Errol, Martha O'Driscoll, Lois Collier, Milburn Stone
Short / War / Documentary / History
USA
English
2012
89
1943
Humphrey Jennings
Philip Dickson, George Gravett, Fred Griffiths, Johnny Houghton
Documentary / Drama / History / War
UK
English
2661
255
1943
Frank Capra, Anthony Veiller
Walter Huston, Anthony Veiller, Winston Churchill, Adolf Hitler
Documentary / War / History
USA
English
2661
255
1943
Frank Capra, Anatole Litvak
Anthony Veiller, Walter Huston, Joseph Stalin, Adolf Hitler
Documentary / War / History
USA
English
2661
255
1943
Frank Capra, Anatole Litvak
Walter Huston, Adolf Hitler, Winston Churchill, Charles de Gaulle
Documentary / War / History
USA
English
2661
255
1943
Frank Capra, Anatole Litvak
Walter Huston, Anthony Veiller, Adolf Hitler, Winston Churchill
Documentary / War / History
USA
English
2661
255
1943
Frank Capra
Walter Huston, Adolf Hitler, Franklin Delano Roosevelt
Documentary / War / History
USA
English
2719
283
1943
John Ford, Gregg Toland
Walter Huston, Harry Davenport, Dana Andrews, Paul Hurst, George O'Brien
Short / Documentary / History / War
USA
English
2719
283
1943
Perce Pearce, James Algar, Clyde Geronimi, Jack Kinney, H.C. Potter
Alexander de Seversky, Art Baker, Billy Mitchell
Documentary / Animation / War
USA
English
NR
-
1943
Dave Fleischer, Dan Gordon, Isadore Sparber, Seymour Kneitel
Jack Mercer, Margie Hines, Dave Barry, William Pennell, Tedd Pierce, Gilbert Mack
Animation / Short / Musical / Family / Comedy / Fantasy / Comic / Documentary / Serial
USA
English
2628
241
1942
Roman Karmen, N. Komarevtsev, Valeri Solovtsov, Yefim Uchitel
Documentary / War
Soviet Union
Russian
2719
283
1942
John Ford
Donald Crisp, Henry Fonda, Jane Darwell, Irving Pichel, James Roosevelt
Short / Documentary / History / War
USA
English
2733
294
1942
Humphrey Jennings, Stewart McAllister
Chesney Allen, Bud Flanagan, Leonard Brockington, Myra Hess
Documentary / Short / War
UK
English
2628
241
1940
Humphrey Jennings, Harry Watt
Quentin Reynolds, King George VI, Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother
Documentary / War / Short
UK
English
2661
255
1940
Zora Neale Hurston, Jane Belo
Documentary / Short / Religion
USA
English
2661
255
1940
Fayard Nicholas, Harold Nicholas
Fayard Nicholas, Harold Nicholas
Documentary / History / Biography
USA
English
2719
283
1940
Dave Fleischer
Jack Mercer, Mae Questel, Gus Wickie
Animation / Short / Musical / Family / Comedy / Fantasy / Comic / Documentary / Serial
USA
English
2628
241
1939
Pat Jackson, Humphrey Jennings, Harry Watt
Short / Documentary / War
UK
English
2645
247
1939
Herbert Kline, Hans Burger, Alexander Hammid
Leif Erickson
Documentary / War
USA
English
2661
255
1939
Ralph Steiner, Willard Van Dyke
Morris Carnovsky
Documentary / Short
USA
English
2661
255
1939
Ray Dowidat, Esther Dowidat
'Old Man' Guettler, Hans Guettler, Bill Guettler
Short / Documentary
USA
English (Silent)
2661
255
1939
unknown
Marian Anderson
Music / Documentary
USA
English
2661
255
1939
Robert R. Snody
Marjorie Lord, Jimmy Lydon, Ruth Lee, Harry Shannon, Adora Andrews, Douglas Stark
Drama / Documentary
USA
English
2661
255
1939
Gregory Bateson, Margaret Mead
Margaret Mead
Documentary / Short
USA
English
2661
255
1939
Charles Lamont
Fernando Soler, Luana Alcañiz, Juan Torena
Drama / Documentary
USA
Spanish
526
7
1938
Leni Riefenstahl
Jesse Owens, Adolf Hitler, Rudolf Hess, Leni Riefenstahl
Documentary / Sports / History
Germany
German
567
9
1938
Leni Riefenstahl
Rolf Wernicke, Glenn Morris
Documentary / Sports / History
Germany
German
2525
186
1938
Len Lye, Norman McLaren, William Coldstream, Pat Jackson, Lotte Reiniger, Harry Watt, Basil Wright
John Grierson, Stuart Legg, Evelyn Corbett, Dwight Godwin, Charlotte Leigh
Documentary / Musical / Animation / Short / Experimental / Comedy / Romance
UK / Canada
English
2525
186
1938
Ben Sharpsteen, Clyde Geronimi, Dick Lundy, Jack King, Jeff Kurtti
Florence Gill, Clarence Nash, Pinto Colvig, Billy Bletcher, Cliff Edwards
Animation / Family / Comedy / Documentary / Serial
USA
English
2661
255
1938
Jack Glenn
Jackson Beck, Adolf Hitler, Fritz Kuhn
Documentary / Short / War
USA
English
2661
255
1938
Henri Cartier-Bresson, Herbert Kline
Documentary / War
USA
English
2719
283
1938
unknown
Django Reinhardt, Stéphane Grappelli
Short / Documentary / Biography / Music
UK
English
2719
283
1938
Dave Fleischer
William Costello, Jack Mercer, Mae Questel, Gus Wickie
Animation / Short / Musical / Comedy / Fantasy / Comic / Documentary / Serial
USA
English
2284
127
1937
Michael Powell
Belle Chrystall, Niall MacGinnis, John Laurie, Eric Berry
Drama / Documentary
UK
English
2645
247
1937
Joris Ivens
Ernest Hemingway, Jean Renoir
Documentary / War
USA
English
2661
255
1937
C. Allen Alexander
George Washington Carver
Documentary / Biography / History
USA
English (Silent)
2661
255
1937
unknown
Herbert Morrison
Short / Documentary / History
USA
English
2454
168
1936
Harry Watt, Basil Wright
John Grierson, Stuart Legg
Short / Documentary
UK
English
2661
255
1936
Pare Lorentz
Thomas Chalmers
Documentary / Short / Drama / History / Biography
USA
English
2661
255
1936
Edmund Padilla, Felix Padilla
Documentary
USA / Mexico
English (Silent)
498
5
1935
Leni Riefenstahl
Adolf Hitler, Hermann Göring, Rudolf Hess, Josef Goebbels, Heinrich Himmler
Documentary / Experimental / War
Germany
German
1589
46
1934
Robert J. Flaherty
Colman 'Tiger' King, Maggie Dirrane, Michael Dirrane
Documentary
UK
English
2628
241
1934
Dziga Vertov
V.I. Lenin, Nadezhda Krupskaya, Joseph Stalin, Dolores Ibárruri
Documentary / History / Biography
Soviet Union
Russian
2645
247
1934
Friedrich Dalsheim, Knud Rasmussen
Thorvald Stauning
Romance / Drama / Documentary
Denmark
Danish
2719
283
1934
unknown
Cab Calloway, Louis Prima, Jimmy Dorsey, Woody Herman, Stan Kenton, Desi Arnaz
Documentary / Music
USA
English
2047
93
1933
Luis Buñuel
Abel Jacquin, Alexandre O'Neill
Short / Documentary / Drama / Experimental
Spain
French
2104
101
1932
Sergei M. Eisenstein, Grigori Aleksandrov
Sergei Bondarchuk, Grigori Aleksandrov
Documentary / Experimental / Romance
Soviet Union / USA / Mexico
Russian (Silent)
962
21
1931
F.W. Murnau, Robert J. Flaherty
Anne Chevalier, Matahi
Documentary / Drama / Romance
USA
English
2661
255
1931
Anthony Young
John J. Bradley, Emile Gauvreau
Documentary / War / History
USA
English
1908
71
1930
Curt Siodmak, Robert Siodmak, Edgar G. Ulmer, Fred Zinnemann
Erwin Splettstößer, Brigitte Borchert, Wolfgang von Waltershausen
Documentary / Drama / Romance
Germany
German (Silent)
2661
255
1930
Alfred Ames, Howard Kahn
Tim Sample
Documentary / Short
USA
English (Silent)
2661
255
1930
Antonio Rodríguez Fuentes, Josefina Barrera Fuentes
Documentary
USA
Spanish (Silent)
2719
283
1930
H.P. Carver
Chief Yellow Robe, Chief Buffalo Child Long Lance, Chief Akawanush, Spotted Elk
Drama / Action / History / Biography / Documentary
USA
English
2721
285
1930
unknown
Richard E. Byrd, Clair D. Alexander, Bernt Balchen, George H. Black
Documentary / Adventure / Biography / History
USA
English
74
1
1929
Dziga Vertov
Documentary / Experimental
Soviet Union
Russian (Silent)
2661
255
1929
Aloha Wanderwell
Aloha Wanderwell, Walter Wanderwell
Documentary
USA
English (Silent)
2761
308
1929
Mannus Franken, Joris Ivens
Documentary / Short / Experimental / History
Netherlands
Dutch (Silent)
2661
255
1928
unknown
Daniel Joseph Jenkins
Documentary / Short / Music
USA
English
2661
255
1928
Solomon Sir Jones
Documentary / Short
USA
English (Silent)
1923
73
1927
Walter Ruttmann
Documentary / Experimental
Germany
German (Silent)
2406
156
1927
Merian C. Cooper, Ernest B. Schoedsack
Kru, Chantui, Nah, Ladah, Bimbo the Monkey
Adventure / Documentary / History
USA
English (Silent)
2628
241
1927
Wadad Orfi
Aziza Amir, Assia Dagher, Ahmed Galal, Wadad Orfi, Stephan Rosti
Documentary
Egypt
Arabic (Silent)
2719
283
1927
Walt Disney, Ub Iwerks
Animation / Family / Comedy / Documentary / Serial
USA
English (Semi-Silent)
2118
104
1926
Robert J. Flaherty
Fa'amgase, Pe'a, Ta'avale, T'ugaita
Documentary
USA
English (Silent)
2628
241
1926
Francisco Gómez Hidalgo
Francisco Franco, Millán Astray, José Sanjurjo, Juan Belmonte
Documentary
Spain
Spanish (Silent)
2628
241
1926
Dziga Vertov
Documentary / Experimental
Soviet Union
Russian (Silent)
2309
132
1925
Merian C. Cooper, Ernest B. Schoedsack
Merian C. Cooper, Ernest B. Schoedsack, Marguerite Harrison
Documentary / Epic
USA
English (Silent)
2719
283
1924
Herbert G. Ponting
Robert Falcon Scott, Herbert G. Ponting
Documentary / Biography
UK
English (Silent)
636
12
1922
Robert J. Flaherty
Nanook, Nyla, Cunayou, Allee, Allegoo
Documentary / Drama / Biography
USA
English (Silent)
1475
43
1922
Benjamin Christensen
Maren Pedersen, Clara Pontoppidan, Elith Pio, Oscar Stribolt, Tora Teje
Documentary / Horror
Denmark / Sweden
Swedish (Silent)
2719
283
1922
unknown
Ramon Novarro, Jack Warner, Max Linder, Vola Vale
Documentary / Short
USA
English (Silent)
2719
283
1922
Jack Cunningham
Cecil B. DeMille, Gloria Swanson, Rudolph Valentino, Marion Davies, Bebe Daniels
Documentary / Short
USA
English (Silent)
2628
241
1921
Vladimir Gardin, Vsevolod Pudovkin
Documentary
Russia
Russian (Silent)
2661
255
1921
Paul Strand, Charles Sheeler
Short / Experimental / Documentary
USA
English (Silent)
2661
255
1921
Paul Fenton
Documentary / Animation / Short
USA
English (No Dialogue)
2628
241
1920
Lev Kuleshov
Aleksandra Khokhlova, Lev Kuleshov, Leonid Obolensky, A. Reich
Documentary
Russia
Russian (Silent)
2305
131
1919
Frank Hurley
Ernest Shackleton, Captain F. Worsley, Lieutenant J. Stenhouse, Captain L. Hussey
Documentary / Adventure
Australia / UK
English (Silent)
2719
283
1917
unknown
Pedro León
Documentary / Short / Western
USA
English (Silent)
2719
283
1916
Robert C. Bruce
Walter
Documentary / Drama / Short
USA
English (Silent)
2661
255
1914
Edward S. Curtis
Maggie Frank
Documentary / Drama
USA
English (Silent)
2661
255
1913
Edwin Middleton, T. Hayes Hunte
Bert Williams, Sam Lucas, J. Leubrie Hill, Emma Reed, Billy Harper
Documentary / Music
USA
English (Silent)
2661
255
1913
George Veditz
George Veditz
Documentary / Short
USA
English (Silent)
2661
255
1911
Winsor McCay, J. Stuart Blackton
John Bunny, Winsor McCay, George McManus
Short / Animation / Documentary / Comedy
USA
English (Silent)
2661
255
1910
unknown
James J. Jeffries, Jack Johnson
Documentary / Sports
USA
English (Silent)
2661
255
1908
Joseph K. Dixon, Roland Dixon
Plenty Coups
Documentary / Short
USA
English (Silent)
2661
255
1906
unknown
Documentary / Short / History
USA
English (Silent)
2661
255
1906
Miles Brothers
Short / Experimental / Documentary
USA
English (Silent)
2661
255
1903
Alfred C. Abadie
Documentary / Short
USA
English (Silent)
2661
255
1901
Thomas Edison
William McKinley, George Dewey, John Davis Long
Documentary / Short
USA
English (Silent)
2661
255
1901
Thomas Edison
William McKinley, Melville W. Fuller, George Dewey
Documentary / Short
USA
English (Silent)
2661
255
1897
Enoch J. Rector
James J. Corbett, Bob Fitzsimmons, Billy Madden, George Siler, John L. Sullivan
Documentary / Sports
USA
English (Silent)
2591
222
1895
Louis Lumière
Documentary / Short
France
French (Silent)
2615
233
1895
Auguste Lumière, Louis Lumière
Short / Documentary
France
French (Silent)
2661
255
1895
William K.L. Dickson, William Heise
Annabelle Moore
Documentary / Short
USA
English (Silent)
2661
255
1894
William K.L. Dickson
Fred Ott
Documentary / Short
USA
English (Silent)
2661
255
1893
William K.L. Dickson
Charles Kayser, John Ott
Short / Documentary
USA
English (Silent)
2661
255
1891
William K.L. Dickson
Experimental / Documentary / Short / Sports
USA
English (Silent)
