An Academy Awards category that can’t help but consistently shortchange many deserving films year after year is that of the documentary feature.
Unlike higher-profile narratives pumped out by big studios, the documentary doesn’t require nor inspire big financial and promotional budgets. That leads to a bruising reality that many just come and go away too fast for us to see or take notice of them.
This year produced another gold mine for nonfiction filmmaking, both in theaters and on streaming platforms.
Here are 10 of my 2022 favorite nonfiction films, focusing on those that are available to view now or in the near future. Others — including the award-winning “All That Breathes,” about a valiant attempt to rescue birds in New Delhi, and “All the Beauty and Bloodshed,” about artist/activist Nan Goldin and her battle with the billionaire Sackler dynasty over its role in the devastating opioid epidemic — have played in theaters but haven’t yet become available to watch online (both of those are great and will air on HBO eventually.)
“Fire of Love”: Berkeley filmmaker Sara Dosa gave us a full-blown sensory experience like none other seen or heard in a documentary in 2022. Narrated with wistfulness by Miranda July, Dosa’s elegantly edited marvel celebrates both the daring, groundbreaking work of the late married French volcanologists Katia and Maurice Krafft as well as the feisty vision of French New Wave. Turn the volume up, sit back and watch in wonder on the biggest screen possible. Where to see it: Available on Disney+.
“Bad Axe”: David Siev turned the cameras on his colorful Cambodian-Mexican family when he and his girlfriend, now his wife, moved back home from the East Coast to the rural community of Bad Axe, Michigan, due to COVID-19 and shutdowns. Siev filmed his family as they struggled to keep their restaurant afloat during tenacious times, and stood up against racism after George Floyd’s murder as they encountered their own backlash and dealt with painful reminders from the past, including their patriarch’s scars from fleeing the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia. “Bad Axe” delivers not only a time capsule for that unprecedented period in America but of the resilience and resolve of one tightly knit family dealing with universal issues. This is no mere snapshot of our times, but a photo album of it. Where to see it: Available on various platforms.
“Retrograde”: Director Matthew Heineman’s immersive experience follows U.S. troops as they break try to meet an impossible deadline to exit Afghanistan and the resulting chaos as Afghan General Sami Sadat confronts a no-win situation with the Taliban taking over community after community. Heineman didn’t intend to get swept up in the swirling madness and danger, but like other great documentary makers and their original concepts — such as Orlando von Einsiedel’s “Virunga” and Bryan Fogel’s “Icarus” — his being willing to take a treacherous detour results in a better, more telling piece of journalism than imagined. “Retrograde” illustrates the futility of war and the tragedy of its fallout. Where to see it: Available on Disney+.
“Good Night Oppy”: Another documentary that appears at first to be simple and straightforward but is more complex is Ryan Murphy’s quietly profound and sweet to the core account how NASA researchers and scientists bond with two Mars rovers, Opportunity (Oppy) and Spirit. Murphy uses stellar animation to bring the two rovers and their expedition to Mars to life, a journey that lasted far longer than the expected 90-day mission. What makes “Oppy” such a warmhearted joy is seeing how scientists grew to love both ‘bots. Murphy’s family-friendly celebration of science also imparts a tender message about growing older, be it a ‘bot or a human. What a shame it didn’t land on the Oscar documentary shortlist. Where to see it: Available on Amazon Prime.
“The Territory”: Alex Pritz’s eye opener couldn’t be more relevant or timely. In a taut 88 minutes, with the backing of producer Darren Aronofsky, it throws us into a roiling battle in Brazil’s rainforest, where members of the Indigenous Uru-Eu-Wau-Wau community are trying to boot out illegal settlers who are homesteading on their land. Told from various perspectives — activists, the Uru-Eu-Wau-Wau people and so on — it’s an exceptional film that offers shards of hope as a younger generation takes matters into their own hands. Now that’s worth cheering on. Where to see it: Available on Disney+ and Hulu.
“Louis Armstrong’s Black & Blues”: Whenever a documentary focuses on a musical artist, the result can be fawning and overly precious. Doesn’t happen with Sacha Jenkins’ brilliant, nuanced portrayal of the jazz trailblazer. Jenkins doesn’t overlook the standard bio details — touching on Armstrong’s upbringing, his love for jazz and his relationships. But this vibrant portrait achieves more than that, hitting hard about how Armstrong fell out of favor in a changing environment, even as his actions led to changes beyond the parameters of the music industry. Because of that insistence to sidestep pat Wikipedia cataloging, Jenkins’ work is as rich of a portrait as if it were told in book form by classy biographers of the caliber of Ron Chernow or Doris Kearns Goodwin. Where to see it: Available on Apple TV+.
“Navalny”: Alexei Navalny, the political thorn in the side of Soviet President Vladimir Putin, gets the pulse-pounding documentary he deserves here. Daniel Roher’s film focuses on the brave Putin detractor and political adversary and his shocking, near-fatal poisoning. Roher digs into what happened and provides a damning indictment, from the finds of a journalist and others, that implicates Putin in the attempted assassination. “Navalny ” grips you from start to finish, and shakes, rattles and angers you in equal measures. Where to see it: Available on HBO Max.
“Nothing Compares”: Kathryn Ferguson asks us to revisit the public outrage and vitriol hurled the way of singer Sinead O’Connor, who, despite her extraordinary talent, might be best remembered as the troubled “SNL” guest who ripped apart the photo of Pope John Paul II. This poignant documentary provides the context on what led O’Connor to this act — a protest over the sex abuse of children within the Catholic Church — and creates a perspective-shifting watch. Ferguson’s impressive feature provides us with a harrowing portrait of the artist, who survived a horrible childhood. It goes well beyond the headlines and knee-jerk public reactions and becomes a testament to resiliency. Where to see it: Available on Showtime and Paramount+.
“Limitless With Chris Hemsworth”: OK, OK. It’s a documentary series not a standalone, but each 45-minute-plus episode of Disney+’s six-parter is densely packed with relevant tips and revelations about living better and confronting our inevitable mortality. Some might scoff that the “Thor” star has the clout, money and time to perfect his health and body. But he comes across as a vulnerable and sensitive soul with a curiosity, humor and fearlessness about living to his fullest potential that is admirable and moving. That final episode will lead to torrents of tears. I guarantee it. Where to see it: Available on Disney+.
“I Didn’t See You There”: Former Oakland filmmaker Reid Davenport offers us his unvarnished perspective from the vantage point of the wheelchair he commanders across the tricky streets of Oakland and beyond. The award-winning documentary from Davenport, who has cerebral palsy, takes an experimental approach to his experiences, illuminating what it feels like to be a person who exists in the shadow of the big top from the past. Where to see it: Debuts Jan. 9 on the PBS series POV where it will be available until Feb. 9.
Contact Randy Myers at [email protected].
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