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The Best 'Cinema Eye's 25 Most Influential Documentaries' Movies

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1

Man with a Movie Camera 1929, 68 min.

Dziga Vertov • Starring: Mikhail Kaufman

Avant-garde / Experimental • City Symphony film • Culture and Society

Up by 1 in the past 45 days

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2

F for Fake 1973, 85 min.

Orson Welles • Starring: Joseph Cotten, Richard Wilson, Orson Welles

Avant-garde / Experimental • Biography • Con Artist / Hustler

Held position in the past 45 days

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3

Night and Fog 1956, 32 min.

Alain Resnais • Starring: Michel Bouquet, Reinhard Heydrich, Heinrich Himmler

Documentary • Essay Film • Foreign Language Film

Held position in the past 45 days

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4

Hoop Dreams 1994, 170 min.

Steve James • Starring: Spike Lee, Sheila Agee, Gene Pingatore

Biography • Culture and Society • Documentary

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5

The Thin Blue Line 1988, 103 min.

Errol Morris • Starring: Randall Adams, David Harris, Dale Holt

Biography • Culture and Society • Documentary

Held position in the past 45 days

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6

American Movie 1999, 107 min.

Chris Smith • Starring: Mark Borchardt, Tom Schimmels, Monica Borchardt

Biography • Documentary • Media Documentary

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7

Grizzly Man 2005, 103 min.

Werner Herzog • Starring: Werner Herzog, Kathleen Parker, Timothy Treadwell

Animal Picture • Biography • Documentary

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8

Shoah 1985, 503 min.

Claude Lanzmann • Starring: Simon Srebnik, Michael Podchlebnik, Motke Zaidl

Documentary • Foreign Language Film • History

Held position in the past 45 days

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9

Crumb 1994, 119 min.

Terry Zwigoff • Starring: Robert Crumb, Aline Kominsky, Charles Crumb

Biography • Culture and Society • Documentary

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10

Gimme Shelter 1970, 91 min.

Albert Maysles, David Maysles, Charlotte Zwerin • Starring: The Rolling Stones, Jefferson Airplane, The Flying Burrito Brothers

Concert Film • Culture and Society • Documentary

Held position in the past 45 days

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11

The Fog of War 2003, 107 min.

Errol Morris • Starring: Robert S. McNamara

Biography • Culture and Society • Documentary

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12

Grey Gardens 1975, 100 min.

Ellen Hovde, Albert Maysles, David Maysles, Muffie Meyer • Starring: Edith Bouvier Beale, Edith 'Little Edie' Bouvier Beale, Brooks Hyers

Biography • Culture and Society • Documentary

Held position in the past 45 days

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13

Don't Look Back 1967, 96 min.

D.A. Pennebaker • Starring: Donovan, Joan Baez, Alan Price

Biography • Culture and Society • Documentary

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14

Sans Soleil 1983, 100 min.

Chris Marker • Starring: Florence Delay, Arielle Dombasle, Riyoko Ikeda

Avant-garde / Experimental • Culture and Society • Documentary

Held position in the past 45 days

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15

Harlan County U.S.A. 1976, 103 min.

Barbara Kopple • Starring: John Corcoran, John O'Leary, Norman Yarborough

Americana • Biography • Documentary

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16

Burden of Dreams 1982, 95 min.

Les Blank • Starring: Huerequeque Enrique Bohorquez, Claudia Cardinale, Carmen Correa

Biography • Documentary • Media Documentary

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17

Capturing the Friedmans 2003, 107 min.

Andrew Jarecki • Starring: Arnold Friedman, David Friedman, Seth Friedman

Biography • Culture and Society • Documentary

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18

When We Were Kings 1996, 89 min.

Leon Gast • Starring: James Brown, Muhammad Ali, George Foreman

Biography • Documentary • History

Down by 2 in the past 45 days

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19

Bowling for Columbine 2002, 120 min.

Michael Moore • Starring: Charlton Heston, Matt Stone, Marilyn Manson

Culture and Society • Documentary • Law and Crime

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20

Hearts and Minds 1974, 112 min.

Peter Davis • Starring: Richard Nixon, Walt Rostow, Robert Kennedy

Anti-War Film • Documentary • Military and War

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