UKC

Who in your opinion makes the best documentaries?

What are the top 3 documentaries you've seen over the last 15 years?

Doesn't need to be climbing related, although can be.

Thanks.

In reply to Dominicandave:

Do you mean who commissions the best Docs, or who produces them, or directs them, or presents ?

In reply to Jim C:

Presents

In reply to Dominicandave:

That would be Louis Theroux then.

In reply to Removed Userena sharples:


A non Attenborough answer!

Controversial , and against the current media love in for Saint David

In reply to Jim C:

Attenborough is outstanding, but a lot depends on how much you're into warbling doobries.

In reply to Removed Userena sharples:

Nice save.

In reply to Dominicandave:

Riding Giants,
Bitter Lake,
The corporation.

In reply to Dominicandave:

Louis Theroux and the brilliant Jonathan Meades

In reply to Dominicandave:

The best 3 I've seen are:

Precinct 7 5
the Wolfpack
The Act of Killing

All three utterly compelling viewing

In reply to Dominicandave:

Rob Reiner, Larry David

In reply to Dominicandave:
Attenborough, Cox and Theroux. Mainstream I know but I'm a mainstream guy.

I love science documentaries but most of them are distractingly over produced. If an interesting physisist is talking about something I'm happy for one camera to be on them and just listen to the content...I don't need to watch their twisted reflection in a large steel orb while they talk with the drip drop water sound effects overlaid (thanks horizon). I don't need the editors to cut to the same clip of an explosion every time someone says "big bang" nor do i need the presenter to be walking dramatically through some gloomily lit abandoned building with the camera spinning around them only interjected by them occasionally stopping for a theatrical close up shot.

In reply to Dominicandave:

I was wrong to think that ALL documentaries from over pond are of the quality of The Forensic Files. I stumbled across some stuff made by Ken Burns last year and I found it to be very good. The Roosevelts was a very good watch. Prohibition was almost as good.

In reply to Dominicandave:
Very good.
Some new names for me here, given me something to look forward to. But I take it no one as of yet gets punched as often as Roger Cook did, these confronting investigative reporters seem to have died out.

In reply to Sharp:

Cox is an interesting guy in himself to watch. I follow him on fb and he has quite an interesting life, and is a very clever guy. Saying that often his stuff is so far removed from what my head can handle I'll lose interest, I have to be in a certain frame of mind to absorb his stuff.

In reply to felt:

Rob Reiner seconded. The greatest documentary of all time. It was real wasn't it?

In reply to Dominicandave:

I'll watch pretty much anything fronted by Prof Ian Stewart or Dr Jim Al-khalili. I find them both engaging and informative.

Michael Portillo is one I find watchable. His railway-based programs are surprisingly enjoyable.

Not a fan of Brian Cox. Just cannot enjoy his style, almost smarmy. Or Louis Theroux, again style of presenting puts me off.

In reply to Bjartur i Sumarhus:


It's such a fine line between stupid ... and clever.

In reply to nathan79:


youtube.com/watch?v=D1rtS604Px8&

In reply to Dominicandave:

Jonathan Dimbleby has made some exceptional documentaries over the years, even though he's best known for Any Questions on Radio 4. I was fortunate enough to work with him in the late 70s as an assistant film editor on the 6-part series he made on South America. Much more recently he's made documentaries about Prince Charles, Russia, Africa and South America again.

In reply to Dominicandave:

My life as a turkey. Honestly!

In reply to Removed Userena sharples:

his current one is shit.

In reply to Dominicandave:
Anything directed by Adam Curtis (Bitter Lake, Power of Nightmares, Century of the Self), Alex Gibney (Going clear, Enron: Smartest Guys..., Taxi to the Darkside), or Asif Kapadia (Senna, Amy).

For science stuff I'd agree with nathan79 on Prof Ian Stewart and Dr Jim, would also add Marcus du Sautoy to that and maybe Mark Miodownik. With a bit of searching you can find most of their stuff online. Never been a fan of Cox either.

Anything that's been on Storyville (BBC4) is usually worth watching. From the last few years I particularly liked Lockerbie: My Brother's Bomber, Searching for Sugar Man, and Which Way is the Front Line from Here?

In reply to Dominicandave:

Wot! No one has mentioned Ray Mears or Bear Grills!!

In reply to Trangia:


Or Ross Kemp!

In reply to Dominicandave:

A good list.

http://www.bfi.org.uk/sight-sound-magazine/greatest-docs

In reply to Dominicandave:

I think Gordon Buchanans are very good.

In reply to Sharp:


Too right, too right. Not forgetting over zooming in.

I think the Dibnah programmes excelled in straight camera work and enough time to tell the story. The story is the thing, not the programme. Horizon never got that.

Philomenas Cunk is pretty good