These are some of the best documentaries to watch if you want to understand how the world works. Learn about human history, social development, laws of nature, political systems, the corporate world and much more that is a key element of the complex reality in which we live.
Below are documentaries that will (maybe) help you understand the world!
Lo and Behold: Reveries of the Connected World (2016)
The documentary is a look into a new future that will be transformed and co-shaped by the Internet; how the virtual world expands and develops and becomes an integral part of our everyday life. All the positive and negative impacts it has on society and the lives of individuals are presented.
Life in a Day, 2010
On July 24, 2010, thousands of people, as many as 80,000 to be exact, uploaded videos of their lives to YouTube worldwide. 4,500 hours of videos from 192 countries answered three questions: "What do you like?", "What are you afraid of?" and"What do you have in your pocket?" Producer Ridley Scott and Academy Award-winning director Kevin MacDonald masterfully stitched this footage together to create a 90-minute historical cinematic experiment.
Given, 2016
How does a six-year-old child see the world? In this documentary, a six-year-old travels with his family from Hawaii to 15 countries around the world. On the trip, he learns about different cultures, nature and the wider world. The absolutely breathtaking documentary reminds us how important it is to see humanity through the eyes of a child every now and then.
Tales by Light, 2015
The documentary series follows photographers who seek to document disappearing cultures and the last great unspoiled wildernesses around the world. Believing that photographs have the power to inspire change and that they are the bearers of invaluable lessons communicated to us by ancient peoples, the series received a second season after the first season. Certainly instructive and moving.
Human Planet, 2011
The six-part documentary series was in the making for two years. It sheds light on different world regions and societies. The series was created by the Discovery Channel and is a reminder of how wonderful, diverse and resourceful the human race is.
How to Survive the Plague (How to Survive a Plague, 2012)
The Oscar-nominated documentary is a stunning portrait of the early days of the AIDS outbreak, a time when those infected lived on the fringes of society, left to die, ignored by both the medical profession and the government. What was the historical path that took HIV sufferers from a death sentence to a manageable disease?
Trust Machine: The Story of Blockchain, 2018
If you are one of those who have never understood cryptocurrencies, this documentary will explain everything to you: how different cryptocurrencies (Bitcoin, Ethereum and others) have developed in the last decade and how different countries have coped with the new financial reality. What is the future of the crypto industry?
Space (Cosmos: A Personal Voyage, 1980)
The documentary was made in 1980 and is still the most watched documentary to date. In his enchanting voice, Carl Sagan takes us through 13 one-hour episodes covering a wide range of scientific and philosophical theories, from the beginning of the universe, the ancient lost library of Alexandria, life on Mars, UFOs and Hindu cosmology to the human brain, the origin of life, philosophical theories and on and on.
Century of Me (The Century of Self, 2002)
Although it is difficult to imagine a world without consumer culture driving the entire economy, such a world once existed. A world in which the theory of collective consciousness and crowd control had not yet been developed, where marketing as we know it today did not yet exist, where human desires were not manipulated by corporations in collaboration with psychologists. This is a documentary about the history and rise of individualism, psychotherapy, marketing and capitalism that make this world go round.
Hrana, dd (Food Inc., 2008)
What is the origin of the food you eat? How was it grown and processed? Who regulates and controls food production? And who has the biggest profit in the entire food chain? As the population grew, so did the need for food, and large food corporations put profits first, not human lives. The choice and offer of food is greater than ever, and the price we pay for it is high: new bacteria, obesity epidemic, cancer diseases, diabetes... For everyone who wants to know and understand what they eat!
An Inconvenient Truth (An Inconvenient Truth, 2006)
Ala Gora's documentary shows how modern technologies have transformed the planet and what deadly consequences they have caused. We are releasing huge amounts of energy into the atmosphere, which has been accumulating under the earth's crust for millions of years, and by releasing this energy into the atmosphere we are causing devastating global warming. Although the documentary is political in nature and contains quite a few factual untruths, it is definitely worth watching.
The Truth About Crisis (Inside Job, 2010)
What is behind the great financial crisis, the collapse of the banking system in 2008 that left millions of people homeless? The film The Truth About the Crisis reveals that the entire financial crisis may actually have been the result of insider dealing on Wall Street. It is a glimpse behind the scenes of the banking games that are intertwined with the world of politics and an attempt to explain why, after all these years, not a single one of those involved has been convicted and not a single regulatory law has been changed.
Planet Earth (Planet Earth, 2006)
One of the most incredible documentaries ever made. It took 40 camera crews and 5 years to capture all these incredible moments on planet Earth. They captured ecosystems that dramatically change human behavior, animal species and their struggle for survival, and much more. An informative and entertaining documentary that definitely leaves an indelible mark and will make us more protective of our little planet.
