Category Archives: documentary

The last of the sea women

“The Last of the Sea Women” Documentary

Apple TV, documentary, foreign movie

What Is The Last of the Sea Women About?

Sue Kim directed the documentary The Last of the Sea Women. It tells the story of an extraordinary band of feisty grandmother warriors who wage a spirited battle against vast oceanic threats.

The History and Traditions of the Haenyeo Community

Often called real-life mermaids, the haenyeo divers of South Korea’s Jeju Island are renowned for centuries of diving to the ocean floor — without oxygen — to harvest seafood for their livelihood. Today, with most haenyeo in their 60s, 70s and 80s, their traditions and way of life are in imminent danger.

The Challenges Facing Modern Sea Women

But these fierce, funny, hardworking women refuse to give an inch, aided by a younger generation’s fight to revive their ancestral way of life through social media. Peering into what drives haenyeo young and old, this moving documentary zeroes in on their tight-knit friendships, savvy independence and infectious sense of empowerment.

The Role of Women in Preserving Cultural Identity

The story unfolds into an uplifting tale of women taking on world powers to protect their beloved ocean and inspire a new generation.

Pharrell Williams

“Piece By Piece” Unique LEGO Animation Style

animation, biography, comedy, documentary, true stories
Piece by Piece Lego movie about Pharrell Williams

Pharrell Williams always saw music as a portal to another dimension. He imagined wondrous swirls of sound and color that immersed him in another world.

Lego Movie about Pharrell Williams
Pharrell Williams stars in director Morgan Neville’s PIECE BY PIECE, a Focus Features release.
Credit: Courtesy of Focus Features / © 2024 FOCUS FEATURES LLC

What Is Piece by Piece About?

In Piece By Piece, Morgan Neville brings to life the global icon’s singular way of seeing, in vivid color, against the grain. The film opens up a new form of the cinematic experience. 

The film is Pharrell’s brainchild, and he adamantly believes that anyone can bring their dreams to life. LEGO animation tells his story, an improbable idea if audaciously original. The film deftly flits between genres to create a new animated biopic about an inimitable superstar. 

Pharrell Williams stars in director Morgan Neville’s PIECE BY PIECE, a Focus Features release.
Credit: Courtesy of Focus Features / © 2024 FOCUS FEATURES LLC

The Life and Career of Pharrell Williams

In the film, Pharrell tells his story in a way he has never done before. He recounts his journey as a young dreamer from the projects of Virginia Beach. He wills his way to success and redefines the sounds and styles of multiple generations in hip-hop and beyond.

Pharrell Williams stars in director Morgan Neville’s PIECE BY PIECE, a Focus Features release.
Credit: Courtesy of Focus Features / © 2024 FOCUS FEATURES LLC

Memorable Moments and Visual Storytelling

Pharrell shares this incredible journey with superstars from Jay-Z and Missy Elliott to Snoop Dogg and Kendrick Lamar. Explore raw, behind-the-scenes moments from Pharrell’s life, reimagined in Neville’s cinematic vision through playfully vibrant animation.

It is a kaleidoscopic jukebox odyssey that reveals Pharrell’s inner world and some of his most iconic creations.

Other films directed by Morgan Neville:

Won’t You Be My Neighbor?

They’ll Love Me When I am Dead

STEVE! (martin) a documentary in 2 pieces

Superman Reeve

“SUPER/MAN: THE CHRISTOPHER REEVE STORY” Poster and Storyline

documentary, true stories

Most people know the story of Christopher Reeve, who brought Superman back to the silver screen.

He rose to stardom when he landed the role in the 1970s. Yet in 1995, he had a near-fatal horse-riding accident that left him completely paralyzed. Reeve spends the remainder of his life supporting the search for a cure for spinal cord injuries.

Ian Bonhote and Peter Ettedgui directed the documentary, which surely will bring audiences to tears.

Apple TV Cowboy Cartel

“Cowboy Cartel” Trailer

Apple TV, crime, documentary, true stories
Cowboy Cartel documentary

Cowboy Cartel is a four-part documentary series featuring the remarkable story of a rookie FBI agent. Scott Lawson cracked the case of one of Mexico’s most ruthless cartels, Los Zetas and the multimillion-dollar money laundering operation they ran through the heart of the American Quarter Horse racing industry.

The documentary is an unbelievable true story of an unlikely hero from rural Tennessee. Lawson’s investigation took down the Treviño brothers, the leaders of Los Zetas, one of the most powerful cartels in Mexico. While the Treviños terrorized thousands in their pursuit of power, money and influence, Lawson risked his life on a hunch.

He tracked the brother’s racehorse transactions in the United States, infiltrating the deadly cartel and uncovering their international money laundering operations.

Cowboy Cartel features first-time interviews with FBI agent Scott Lawson, who broke the case; IRS agent Steve Pennington; Irving police officers Steve Junker, Brian Schutt and Kim Williams; Assistant United States Attorney Doug Gardner; Pulitzer Prize-winning New York Times journalist Ginger Thompson; and Joe Tone, the author of “Bones: Brothers, Horses, Cartels, and the Borderland Dream,” among many others. 

Clearly, Apple TV continues to expand its nonfiction programming, adding Cowboy Cartel to the list, which includes The Dynasty New England Patriots, Messi’s World Cup: The Rise of a Legend and Stephen Curry: Underrated.

Cirque Du Soleil

“Cirque Du Soleil: Without A Net” Poster

documentary, on Amazon

Dawn Porter directed Cirque du Soleil: Without a Net, a documentary focusing on the reboot of its renowned production after a year-long global shutdown.

The film follows performers who strive to maintain a positive attitude while waiting in uncertainty if they’ll ever perform again. The day arrives when the crew finds out Cirque du Soleil will perform, once again, in Las Vegas, and they must meet their legendary high standards.

They have eight weeks to prepare themselves because the show must go on!

Celine Dion documentary

“I Am: Celine Dion” Images and Poster

documentary, true stories
Celine Dion documentary by Irene Taylor

Directed by Academy Award nominee Irene Taylor, I Am: Celine Dion gives us a raw, honest, behind-the-scenes look at the iconic superstar’s struggle with a life-altering illness.

Serving as a love letter to her fans, this inspirational documentary highlights the music that has guided her life while showcasing the human spirit’s resilience.

Celine reminisced about her childhood.

Other films by Taylor:

Trees, and Other Entanglements

Leave No Trace

Moonlight Sonata: Deafness in Three Movements

Disney The Beach Boys

“The Beach Boys” Documentary

biography, Disney+, documentary

If you are lucky enough to have Disney+, catch the documentary celebrating The Beach Boys.

Frank Marshall directed the film about the legendary band that turned pop music on its ear. The iconic boy band created a harmonious sound that personified the California dream. Generations after generations listened to their music.

The documentary follows the band’s humble beginnings with family and features footage you may not have seen before. The film includes new interviews with the band and other luminaries in the business.

The Beatles: Let It Be

“The Beatles: Let It Be” Restoration Trailer

classic, Disney+, documentary, music, re-release

Michael Lindsay-Hogg directed Let It Be, a 1970 film about The Beatles. The release arrived during their breakup. You can now stream the fully restored documentary on Disney+.

Sorry, Disney+ has blocked two of these clips, but hopefully, they will lift the ban.

Disney's Tiger

Disney’s “Tiger”

children movies, documentary, family movies, kid movies

There is hardly any information about Disneynature’s Tiger movie. The trailer says most of what you need to know, but even that is not posted here, thanks to YouTube. The production went to India’s jungles and filmed tigers. Disney produces these films under the Disneynature banner to educate the world about nature.

Don Hahn, an executive producer of Earth and the subsequent Oceans and African Cats, noted that these documentaries take 5 years to make. “I think what’s encouraging to me and what’s fun for me is to take it on one-on-one. For example, now I’m at Disneyland actually doing this interview and I just walked out of a screening full of school kids. There were probably 400 school kids in this theater watching Oceans, and each one of them will take home a piece from that movie: a memory, a sense of responsibility, a sense of awe or wonderment at it. I think that a one-on-one relationship with a filmmaker and an audience, or an adult and a child, or a teacher and a student, is really crucial and important to changing our mindset.”

Hahn spoke about the environment viewed as a complete entity, which can come across as intimidating and overwhelming. Showing this movie to schoolchildren is an excellent way to spread positive environmental messages.

The film follows the newest class of Navy and Marine Corps flight squadrons and the veterans of the elite flight group

“The Blue Angels” Poster

documentary, on Amazon

Paul Crowder directs the documentary The Blue Angels, with J.J. Abrams and Glen Powell producing.

The film follows the newest class of Navy and Marine Corps flight squadrons and the veterans of the elite flight group. They undergo intense training and adventure, a season of heart-stopping, gut-wrenching aerial artistry.

You’ve had mouth-gaping entertainment if you have witnessed a Blue Angels performance.

Films directed by Pat Crowder:

UFO

1

Billy Joel – The Last Play at Shea

Amazing Journey: The Story of the Who

Once in a Lifetime: The Extraordinary Story of the New York Cosmos