Every documentary film here was chosen with a long flight in mind. These aren't algorithmically ranked, they were chosen because they actually work for this.
The best documentary movies on a long flight from the 80s and 90s perfect for when you need a good cry. Includes Baraka, Paris Is Burning, Koyaanisqatsi and ...
A long flight is one of the few times you have no choice but to sit still and actually watch a film - no phone calls, no errands, nothing to do but commit. Use it wisely.
The 80s and 90s remain a goldmine. Films that were commercially dismissed on release and now considered essential.
The best documentaries don't just inform - they change how you see something you thought you already understood.
A paralysingly beautiful documentary with a global vision-an odyssey through landscape and time-that attempts to capture the essence of life.
Where does voguing come from, and what, exactly, is throwing shade? This landmark documentary provides a vibrant snapshot of the 1980s through the eyes of New York City's African American and Latinx Harlem drag-ball scene. Made over seven years, PARIS IS BURNING offers an intimate portrait of rival fashion "houses," from fierce contests for trophies to house mothers offering sustenance in a world rampant with homophobia, transphobia, racism, AIDS, and poverty. Featuring legendary voguers, drag queens, and trans women - including Willi Ninja, Pepper LaBeija, Dorian Corey, and Venus Xtravaganza.
Takes us to locations all around the US and shows us the heavy toll that modern technology is having on humans and the earth. The visual tone poem contains neither dialogue nor a vocalized narration: its tone is set by the juxtaposition of images and the exceptional music by Philip Glass.
The films that give you a good cry do so because they've earned it. Not through sadness alone - through care. These films care.
After watching a great documentary, the world looks slightly different. That's not a small thing.
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