HBO Documentary Films

Stand Up & Shout: Songs from a Philly High School | United States of America
Genre
Documentary featuring Philadelphia teenagers from HIll-Freedman World Academy engaged in a unique songwriting collaboration that captures both the hard times they're living in and the joy that music brings.

The Apollo
Genre
IMDB
6.8 (642 votes)
The history of New York City's Apollo Theater in Harlem is given the full treatment.

Siempre, Luis | United States of America
Genre
IMDB
6.5 (140 votes)
A story that embodies the tenacity and passion of the American Dream, this documentary is a portrait of the pioneering activist Luis A. Miranda Jr. Luis is a decades-long fighter for Latino communities, a key player in the New York and national political arena, and a loving father of three – including the award-winning composer, lyricist and actor, Lin-Manuel Miranda.

Genre
IMDB
7.6 (1105 votes)
Defying the state legislature that outlawed abortion, the Catholic Church that condemned it, and the Chicago Mob that was profiting from it, the members of “Jane” risked their personal and professional lives to support women with unwanted pregnancies. In the pre-Roe v. Wade era — a time when abortion was a crime in most states and even circulating information about abortion was a felony in Illinois — the Janes provided low-cost and free abortions to an estimated 11,000 women.

Unveiled: Surviving La Luz del Mundo | United States of America
Genre
IMDB
7.5 (191 votes)
Explore the horrifying story of the Christian church La Luz del Mundo (LLDM) and the sexual abuse that scores of members, many of them minors, say they have suffered at the hands of its successive leaders, known as the "Apostles."

Genre
IMDB
7.8 (745 votes)
Featuring a series of revealing interviews with Shaquille O'Neal, this four-part documentary tells the story of a basketball legend unlike any other, whose larger-than-life personality transcended the sport and transformed him into a cultural icon.

The Anarchists | United States of America
Genre
IMDB
5.8 (859 votes)
Unfolding over six years, what begins as an impulsive one-off gathering turns into an ever-growing annual event attracting sponsorship from crypto-currency companies and featuring speakers such as Ron Paul and BitCoin investor Roger Ver. And when rule-avoidant freedom activists come together in one of the most dangerous cities in the world, utopian ideology collides with the unpredictability of human nature.

George Carlin's American Dream | United States of America| United Kingdom
Genre
IMDB
8.3 (3426 votes)
This two-part documentary chronicles the life and work of the legendary comedian, tracking George Carlin’s rise to fame and opens an intimate window into Carlin’s personal life, including his childhood in New York City, his long struggle with drugs that took its toll on his health, his brushes with the law, his loving relationship with Brenda, his wife of 36 years, and his second marriage to Sally Wade. Intimate interviews with Carlin and Brenda’s daughter, Kelly Carlin, offer unique insight into her family’s story and her parents enduring love and partnership.

The Invisible Pilot | United States of America
Genre
IMDB
6.3 (960 votes)
The tale of a charismatic, daredevil husband and father who unexpectedly jumped off a bridge in 1977, despite a seemingly happy home life and a lucrative career as a pilot. His small-town Arkansas community searches for his body in vain while family and friends seek answers. Years later, a mysterious story emerges involving hypnosis, secret identities and a double life of dangerous missions and law-breaking. And that’s just the beginning…

Phoenix Rising | United States of America
Genre
IMDB
7.2 (3389 votes)
Actress and activist Evan Rachel Wood takes her experience as a survivor of domestic violence and pursues justice, heals generational wounds, and reclaims her story. Almost a decade after escaping a dangerous relationship, Wood co-authors and successfully lobbies for passage of The Phoenix Act, legislation that extends the statute of limitations for domestic violence cases in California.

The Murders at Starved Rock | United States of America
Genre
IMDB
6.6 (1225 votes)
This documentary series explores the 1960 brutal murders of three women in Starved Rock State Park in LaSalle County, Illinois, and the decades of questions and doubts that have haunted the son of the prosecutor in the case, as the man found guilty seeks to clear his name after sixty years in prison.

Nuclear Family | United States of America
Genre
Ry Russo-Young turns the camera on her own past to explore the meaning of family. In the late 70s/early 80s, when the concept of a gay family was inconceivable to most, Ry and her sister Cade were born to two lesbian mothers through sperm donors. Ry’s idyllic childhood was threatened by an unexpected lawsuit which sent shockwaves through her family’s lives and continues to reverberate today.

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