Episode Summary

Episode 141 marks the beginning of a new chapter for The Documentary Life — not as a relaunch or reboot, but as a recommitment to the questions that matter most. After a five-year hiatus, host Chris G. Parkhurst reflects on the realities that shaped both his filmmaking and his life: burnout, financial uncertainty, raising a family while making documentaries, and the realization that building a meaningful body of work requires more than simply finishing films. It requires learning how to sustain a life around them.

Chris is joined by acclaimed documentary filmmaker Ondi Timoner, the only director to win the Sundance Grand Jury Prize twice, for a candid conversation about longevity, reinvention, creative identity, and what it truly takes to remain in documentary filmmaking over decades. Together, they explore the myths surrounding success, the importance of making work without waiting for permission, balancing creative ambition with personal life, and why the most valuable lessons in documentary filmmaking are often the ones no one teaches.

This episode isn’t about shortcuts, funding strategies, or career hacks. It’s about the conditions that allow documentary filmmakers to keep doing meaningful work over the long term. If you’ve ever questioned whether it’s possible to build a sustainable documentary life, this conversation is for you.

In This Episode

In This Episode

• Why documentary filmmaking is about building a sustainable life—not just completing a film.
• Chris shares the personal story that reshaped his understanding of success, funding, and creative longevity.
• Why many of the most important skills documentary filmmakers need are never formally taught.
• Acclaimed filmmaker Ondi Timoner reflects on more than three decades of independent documentary filmmaking and what has enabled her to keep creating.
• The myth that one breakthrough film changes everything—and what actually happens after success.
• Reinvention, resilience, and adapting to changing industries without losing your creative voice.
• How filmmakers can avoid tying their identity entirely to the films they make.
• The importance of stepping away from the edit, reconnecting with nature, and creating space for reflection.
• Why editing remains one of the most essential storytelling skills a documentary filmmaker can develop.
• What it really means to live—and sustain—a documentary life.

Chapters

[00:00] Introduction and core themes of the season

[07:08] The financial realities and disillusionment in filmmaking

[12:05] Ondi Timoner’s background and entry into documentary

[26:16] Reinvention and personal transformation in filmmaking

[36:13] The relationship between filmmaker identity and their work

[43:40] Balancing personal life and documentary work

[49:15] Practical advice for sustaining a documentary career

Featured Guest

Acclaimed documentary filmmaker Ondi Timoner has spent more than three decades telling stories about visionary individuals who challenge convention, reshape culture, and push the boundaries of what’s possible. The only filmmaker to win the Sundance Grand Jury Prize twice, her body of work spans music, technology, politics, social justice, and deeply personal human stories. In this conversation, Ondi shares hard-earned insights on creative longevity, reinvention, work-life balance, and why sustaining a career in documentary filmmaking requires far more than talent alone. Whether you’re just beginning your documentary journey or questioning how to keep going after years in the field, her perspective offers an honest, generous, and deeply experienced guide to building a life in nonfiction storytelling.

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Documentary Life Reflection

Documentary Life Reflection

When I stepped away from the podcast five years ago, I didn’t stop living a documentary life—I was simply living it in its most difficult form. I was learning that making documentaries isn’t only about story, craft, or perseverance. It’s also about learning how to build a life that can carry the work without sacrificing everything else that’s meaningful.

My conversation with Ondi Timoner reminded me that there is no single path through documentary filmmaking. Every career is shaped by different opportunities, setbacks, reinventions, and moments of doubt. But beneath those differences is a shared commitment: we continue because we believe paying attention to other people’s lives still matters.

Perhaps that’s the real business of documentary filmmaking. Not simply finding funding or finishing the next film, but creating the conditions that allow us to keep showing up—with curiosity, with integrity, and with enough balance that we can continue doing this work for years to come.

One Thing to Take With You

A sustainable documentary life isn’t built by finishing one great film. It’s built by making choices that allow you to keep making the next one.

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Quotes from the Episode

1. Chris Parkhurst

“Documentary filmmaking is not a naïve choice. It is a deliberate one. It is the decision to pay attention in a world that rewards distraction.”

1. Chris Parkhurst

“The business of documentary filmmaking isn’t really about deals or funding strategies. It’s about survival. It’s about whether you can stay in this work long enough to keep making it without losing everything else in the process.”

1. Ondi Timoner

“No one can stop you from making your movies. It’s not like you need permission.”

1. Ondi Timoner

“We tell the truth beneath the headlines and provide bridges of compassion into worlds that other people might never otherwise enter.”

1. Ondi Timoner

“Nature will return you to yourself. Trust those messages that you hear.”

6.

Chris: “It’s not, ‘How do I make this film?’ It’s, ‘How do I build a life where making films is actually sustainable?'”

About The Documentary Life

The Documentary Life is a podcast exploring the craft, business, and lived experience of documentary filmmaking. Through conversations with filmmakers from around the world, host Chris G. Parkhurst explores not only how documentaries are made, but what it means to build a meaningful, sustainable creative life.

And Lastly…

Stories matter. Listening matters. Human connection matters.

Thanks for spending part of your documentary life with us.

When I interviewed Ross McElwee in 2012, in support of Photographic Memory, he said his next signature first-person-style documentary was to be about the production of a Hollywood remake of Sherman’s March, his breakthrough feature from 1985. Fourteen years later, he is finally releasing that next documentary, but it’s much different from what was anticipated. First of all, Sherman’s March was never remade. Second of all, McElwee’s son, Adrian, died of an accidental drug overdose in 2016, and that tragedy became the foundation for the film, nevertheless titled Remake.

While I acknowledged in my 2012 interview that I was extremely nervous to talk to McElwee, one of my favorite directors and a total stranger at the time, I have to say I was even more anxious to talk to him again in 2026. Never mind that I’d become more acquainted with him in recent years as I helped arrange for his lifetime achievement honor at the Critics Choice Documentary Awards in 2023. This time, the content of his latest work would be more difficult to discuss, and focusing the conversation only on the making of the film would still involve talking about Adrian.

Fortunately, I maintained my tact. I also seem to have partly remade my 2012 interview, which is fitting since Remake not only concerns the unmade fictional adaptation of Sherman’s March but also repeats ideas and footage from other McElwee films and sometimes even comes across as an attempt or wish for a redo of Photographic Memory. It was clearly a tough documentary to make, and I’m sure it’s been the toughest one for him to keep talking about, too. I start by casually telling him, but I truly am grateful he made the time to share the following words with us all.

Read more

When I interviewed Ross McElwee in 2012, in support of Photographic Memory, he said his next signature first-person-style documentary was to be about the production of a Hollywood remake of Sherman’s March, his breakthrough feature from 1985. Fourteen years later, he is finally releasing that next documentary, but it’s much different from what was anticipated. First of all, Sherman’s March was never remade. Second of all, McElwee’s son, Adrian, died of an accidental drug overdose in 2016, and that tragedy became the foundation for the film, nevertheless titled Remake.

While I acknowledged in my 2012 interview that I was extremely nervous to talk to McElwee, one of my favorite directors and a total stranger at the time, I have to say I was even more anxious to talk to him again in 2026. Never mind that I’d become more acquainted with him in recent years as I helped arrange for his lifetime achievement honor at the Critics Choice Documentary Awards in 2023. This time, the content of his latest work would be more difficult to discuss, and focusing the conversation only on the making of the film would still involve talking about Adrian.

Fortunately, I maintained my tact. I also seem to have partly remade my 2012 interview, which is fitting since Remake not only concerns the unmade fictional adaptation of Sherman’s March but also repeats ideas and footage from other McElwee films and sometimes even comes across as an attempt or wish for a redo of Photographic Memory. It was clearly a tough documentary to make, and I’m sure it’s been the toughest one for him to keep talking about, too. I start by casually telling him, but I truly am grateful he made the time to share the following words with us all.

Read more

The Coppola matriarch shot about 80 hours of footage during production on her daughter’s third film, which has now been transformed into “Making Marie Antoinette.”

A feature documentary on Garrett Brown, the cameraman and inventor who freed the camera from tripods and dollies with the Steadicam, has begun principal production. Titled “Thank You Mr. Brown” and directed by longtime Brown collaborator Andrew Schwartz, the film counts Francis Ford Coppola among its executive producers and is shooting now in Philadelphia, New York, and Los Angeles.

For anyone who has ever balanced a rig on an arm and vest, walked a shot backward down a flight of stairs, or simply marveled at how a camera can seem to float, Garrett Brown‘s name carries enormous weight. The Steadicam he built in the mid-1970s reshaped how movies move, and its DNA runs through nearly every stabilization tool we use today, from mechanical sleds to the motorized gimbals that now dominate sets. This new documentary sets out to put the person behind those inventions on screen, tracing a career that touched cinema, television, music videos, and live sports.

Who is Garrett Brown, and why does this matter

Brown is credited as the inventor of the Steadicam, the body-worn camera stabilizer that made smooth, untethered moving shots possible without laying dolly track. Before his system arrived, a fluid tracking move generally meant a dolly on rails, a technology that had been around since the earliest days of filmmaking but that could only reach as far as the track allowed. The Steadicam changed that calculus, and its impact was immediate and lasting.

He did not just invent the tool, he operated it on some of the most recognizable sequences in film history. Brown flew the camera up the museum steps in “Rocky,” moved through the hedge maze in Stanley Kubrick’s “The Shining,” and captured the speeder bike chase in “Return of the Jedi,” beginning with his early work on Hal Ashby’s “Bound for Glory.” His inventiveness extended well beyond the Steadicam to systems including the SkyCam and the DiveCam, cable-suspended and specialty rigs that transformed how live sports and events are covered for television.

(For an amazingly insightful article featured on “The Steadicam and The Shining Revisited” by Garrett Brown originally published in American Cinematographer in August 1980, and republished in 2022, click here.)

The Motion Picture Academy has recognized Brown repeatedly. He received a 1978 Academy Award of Merit for the invention and development of the Steadicam, a 1999 Technical Achievement Award for the Skyman flying platform for Steadicam operators, and a 2006 Scientific and Engineering Award for the concept behind the SkyCam flying camera system. That trio of honors spans nearly three decades and underlines just how sustained his contribution to the craft has been.

The people behind the film

The documentary is directed by Andrew Schwartz, who describes Brown as a mentor and friend of nearly two decades. In a statement, Schwartz called Brown one of the most curious and energetic minds he has encountered, and framed the subject’s life story as equal parts Albert Einstein and Forrest Gump. He added that while Brown works on his own book, the film aims to pull back the curtain on someone who reshaped storytelling and image-making across movies, television, music videos, and sports.

Francis Ford Coppola executive produces alongside Lauren Zarelli Renaud for C’est What Studio. The start of production was announced by EBE Productions owner William Forbes, who also produces, together with Nick Ditri, who serves as producer and music supervisor, and Douglas Skinner (Name of the Game, John Henry) as line producer. Co-producers include Kim Berrios Lin, Colin Geddes, and Katarina Gligorijevic (Name of the Game, Mad God). Forbes said that everyone can learn from the persistence and grit that took Brown from building contraptions in his barn to changing movies, television, and sports.

The production has also lined up voices from the operating community. Among those interviewed is Larry McConkey, a pioneering Steadicam operator whose credits include Django Unchained, World War Z, 12 Years a Slave, Shutter Island, Carlito’s Way, and Sleepless in Seattle. McConkey has spoken about the Steadicam as more than a technical feat, describing it as a genuinely powerful way to tell a story that resonated with audiences and filmmakers alike.

From barn workshop to the modern gimbal era

Part of what makes this film timely is the moment the stabilization market finds itself in. The Steadicam brand was acquired by Tiffen in the year 2000, and the company has continued to develop the platform, most recently with electronically assisted systems like the Tiffen Steadicam Axis and the Volt technology we examined in our Volt 3 first look. Brown himself has remained a visible presence, lending his voice to products such as the Steadicam Volt smartphone stabilizer and speaking about what mechanical rigs can still do that gimbals cannot.

At the same time, the broader category has shifted dramatically. Since Freefly launched its Mōvi line in 2013, motorized gimbals have flooded the market and made the idea of flying a camera far more affordable, a trend we have tracked through releases like the DJI RS 5 and high-end hybrids such as the ARRI TRINITY 2 and ARTEMIS 2. Steadicam-style rigs and electronic gimbals now coexist, each serving different camera weights, budgets, and shooting styles. A film about the origin of that entire lineage lands at a fitting moment, when the tools Brown inspired are more varied than ever.

The tradition Brown started also runs through the operators who carried it forward, including the late Dan Kneece, the David Lynch collaborator we paid tribute to and who learned directly in Brown’s orbit. Documenting the inventor’s own story helps connect those threads for a new generation of camera professionals who may know the gimbal in their hands far better than the barn workshop where it all began.

When and where it is being shot

Filming is underway in Brown’s hometown of Philadelphia, the setting of “Rocky,” as well as in New York and Los Angeles. The production has not yet announced a release window or distribution plan, so for now the news is the start of principal photography and the notable names attached to it. We will follow the project as more details, including a release timeline, are confirmed.

A documentary finally putting the mind behind the Steadicam on screen feels overdue. Are you still flying a mechanical rig, or has a gimbal taken over your kit? Don’t hesitate to let us know in the comments below!

It seems foolish to mess with greatness, but every now and then, someone in Hollywood tries to remake a documentary. Audiences can see a terrific example of this process in Remake, Ross McElwee’s film about the efforts to adapt his breakthrough documentary Sherman’s March into a drama and then an episodic series. Remake, which is now playing in theatres and opens in Toronto July 17 (check back soon for our interview with McElwee), considers what it means to get another chance in a medium that allows few, if any, second takes.

While the various scripted incarnations of Sherman’s March ultimately expired before they came to fruition, POV’s conversation with McElwee highlighted how few docs actually come to screen as dramas. Although we agreed that the dramatic interpretation of Grey Gardens offers a terrific exception. It’s a surprisingly great film that suggests that docs are under-used as source material. The trend seems to be on an upward climb, however, as Hollywood and independent corners reliably offer a few doc-to-drama adaptations annually. In recent years, films like Next Goal Wins, The Fire Inside, The Smashing Machine, and Song Sung Blue have reimagined non-fiction films with varying degrees of success.

To further explore the “based on a documentary” canon, are ten double bills of dramatic films and documentaries that inspired them.

Music of the Heart

Horror maestro Wes Craven makes a rare step away from slicing and dicing teenagers in this wholesome oddity in his oeuvre. The novelty delivers, though, as Craven directs Meryl Streep to an Oscar nomination in this touching story about a violin teacher who motivates inner city students through music. The film draws inspiration from the Oscar-nominated 1995 documentary Small Wonders about Roberta Guaspari and her fight for music programs in education. Music of the Heart has a whiff of the 1990s’ race relations dramas that may seem a bit dated despite being made with best intentions. It’s basically Dangerous Minds with violins in lieu of gangsta rap. That said, it anticipates later hybrid works that cast people in the drama of their own lives by inviting many of Roberta’s own students to appear in the film, and Streep delivers a terrific performance that’s as good as every other credit on her resume. Instead of learning a new accent, she picked up playing the violin for the part. Bonus point for novelty: Streep got the part after Madonna dropped out.

Stream Music of the Heart on VOD and Small Wonders on OVID.

Grey Gardens

This adaptation of the 1975 masterpiece by David and Albert Maysles and Ellen Hovde and Muffie Meyer may be the true case where lightning strikes on the list. Few dramas drawing inspiration from a documentary have as high a bar to meet as Grey Gardens does. However, stars Drew Barrymore and Jessica Lange perfectly capture the spirit of the Beales of Grey Gardens. Their performances as Little Edie and Big Edie, respectively, harness the essence that makes the documentary an all-time great: its eye for character. The adaptation understands that the magic of the original film lies in the idiosyncratic distinctiveness of its stars, but the empathetic eye through which it observes their story shows the power of vérité at its finest. The film, directed by Michael Sucsy, who co-wrote the adaptation with Patricia Rozema, won six Primetime Emmys including Best Made for TV Movie and Best Actress for Lange, while Barrymore won the Golden Globe and the actor. It’s an astonishingly good film that defies all expectations.

Stream Grey Gardens, the drama, on Crave, while the doc is freely available on YouTube.

Freeheld

The landmark human rights case that saw former police officer Laurel Hester fight for the right to transfer her pension to her partner, Stacie, after receiving a terminal cancer diagnosis fuels the extraordinary 2007 short documentary Freeheld. That short doc won Oscars for director/producer Cynthia Wade and producer Vanessa Roth and seemingly offered an obvious story ready to be filled out with juicy material for stars to take the story back to the Academy Awards. The dramatic version somewhat delivers on expectations. It features deeply moving performances by Julianne Moore as Hester and Elliot Page as Stacie, but doesn’t quite capture the heartbreaking power of the documentary as it gets bogged down in the procedural scenes. Perhaps the difference is one of timing as the documentary serves as a call to arms in the push for marriage equality and rights for same sex couples, while the drama essentially offers a period piece, bringing little new to a topic that was dominating headlines—although it’s certainly an emotionally compelling tale.

Stream Freeheld, the drama, on Tubi.

Loving

Another marriage drama comes in this dramatic adaptation of Nancy Buirski’s acclaimed documentary The Loving Story. Both films chronicle the historic case of Richard and Mildred Loving, a mixed race couple who were charged and convicted for violating Virginia’s Racial Integrity Act. The films revisit how the Lovings took their case to the Supreme Court and won, leading to all legal restrictions for marriage on the basis of race to be overturned. Jeff Nichols’ soulful interpretation of the story simply invites audiences to marinate in the strength of the Lovings’ marriage to identify with their plight. The years between Loving and the Loving case allow the deeply moving drama to speak to the moment as it hit theatres at the end of Obama’s second term and on the eve of Donald Trump’s first reign of terror, powerfully reminding audiences of an all-too-recent past. Ruth Negga scored a well-deserved Oscar nomination for her turn as Mildred, but Joel Edgerton should have been equally recognized as Richard.

Loving is available on VOD, while The Loving Story is on Tubi.

The Walk

Cutting-edge visual effects prove no match for jaw-dropping archival footage in this clunky take on James Marsh’s Oscar winner Man on Wire. Director Robert Zemeckis simply lets the visual wizardry overwhelm the human drama. The film recreates the story of French high-wire thrill-seeker Philippe Petit, who daringly tip-toed across the Twin Towers on a tightrope in 1974. It flops hard, especially since Marsh’s film actually leans heavily upon dramatic recreations to fill out the material. Joseph Gordon Levitt is fine as Petit, but the action of Zemeckis’s interpretation of the story simply can’t muster the same power as Marsh’s elaborately realized account of the tightrope walker’s feat. That’s largely because Petit himself serves as such a colourful storyteller. The absence of his voice and perspective leaves the remake lacking. People call Petit’s act “the artistic crime of the century,” but Zemeckis’s film might deserve that label too.

Stream Man on Wire on Tubi, Plex, and Hoopla. The Walk is on Netflix.

Lords of Dogtown

Could the misfire of Lords of Dogtown account for the relatively slim field of doc to drama adaptations? This project has all the right ingredients for a hit as nearly every hot name from the early aughts leads to it while exploring IMDb rabbit holes. The film adapts the 2001 hit Dogtown and Z-Boys, Stacy Peralta’s energetic and revitalizing portrait of skateboarders. Sean Penn narrates this breezy freewheeling documentary about Los Angeles youth. The doc serves logical source material, especially since it won the Audience Award at Sundance and grossed over $1.5 million at the box office—which sounds small today, but was notable when the film was released in 2001. By comparison, Lords of Dogtown flopped hard while trying to recapture the doc’s testament to youth, even with director Catherine Hardwicke landing the project after her breakthrough Thirteen and Heath Ledger scoring the lead, offering a great performance that was inevitably eclipsed by his turn in Brokeback Mountain later that year. The doc more than recouped its money, but the drama barely made half its $25 million production budget at the box office.

Lords of Dogtown is on Netflix, while Dogtown and Z-Boys is on Crave and Tubi.

Charm City Kings

Charm City Kings valiantly tried to do the Dogtown and the Z-Boys thing by adapting a film about youth culture with an earnest attempt to bring a great story into the mainstream. The film reimagines Lotfy Nathan’s 2013 documentary 12 O’Clock Boys, which observes the lives of urban dirt bike riders as they pop wheelies and tell square society to eat their dust. The remake, directed by Ángel Manuel Soto, features some great performances, including a breakout turn by Jahi Di’Allo Winston as teenage biker Mouse. After debuting to critical acclaim at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival and scoring an encore slot at SXSW, Charm City Kings seemed poised to be a festival circuit darling. However, it’s arguably one of many cinematic casualties of the COVID-19 pandemic, as thwarted festival plans and delayed theatrical releases inevitably chalk it up to one of many films that year to launch on streaming before falling into obscurity. It deserves renewed attention.

Stream Charm City Kings on Crave and 12 O’Clock Boys on TUBI.

Party Monster  

Child star Macaulay Culkin attempted a comeback with this trashy fable about a homicidal New York City club kid in search of his fifteen minutes of fame. However, the former Home Alone star seemed about as stranded as Kevin McCallister on Christmas Eve with this dark and sleazy urban nightmare. In the canon of docs to dramas, however, Party Monster endures as an intriguing entry, even if it’s not an especially great one. The film sees RuPaul’s Drag Race producers Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato rework their 1998 documentary of the same name, although it’s technically an adaptation of the book Disco Bloodbath by James St. James (Seth Green’s character in the film). This unique case lets fans see how filmmakers interpret the same story across modes of storytelling. Readers can see a similar—although far better—example with Tasha Hubbard’s reimagining of her documentary Birth of a Family in last year’s drama Meadowlarks.

Stream Party Monster, the documentary, on WOW Presents Plus, while the drama is a DVD bargain bin staple.

The Eyes of Tammy Faye

Bailey and Barbato find themselves on the list a second time. Their irreverent 2000 documentary The Eyes of Tammy Faye serves as inspiration for the biopic of the same name that scored Jessica Chastain an Oscar for playing the televangelist whose fame and influence were kyboshed by a charlatan husband. One can debate Tammy Faye’s involvement with, or knowledge of, her husband’s dirty tricks, but both films are largely sympathetic. The drama may be a little too by-the-numbers for its down good, but the documentary offers an audaciously original work that embraces camp and salutes its subject for her advocacy for queer rights and her message of hope and inclusion. RuPaul narrates the documentary and it’s essential viewing for Drag Race fans since the icon receives a name-check nearly every season. Chastain’s performance in the drama is top tier Snatch Game material, even if the make-up leans a bit too heavily on the chipmunk cheeks.

Stream The Eyes of Tammy Faye, the drama, on Disney+. The documentary is on WOW Presents Plus and on VOD and DVD.

A Man on the Inside

It’s not a movie, but in the spirit of Sherman’s March nearly becoming a series, here’s a plug for a documentary that successfully made the transition to episodic drama. The Netflix sitcom A Man on the Inside reimagines Maite Alberdi’s 2020 documentary The Mole Agent about an elderly man who moves into a retirement community under cover while investigating allegations that staff members are mistreating residents. The documentary has many fans for its moving portrait of isolation and institutional loneliness, while the series finds an unexpectedly great premise for situational comedy. It may be a bit of a stretch to buy Ted Danson as a senior who needs the same level of care that other residents do, but the man’s ageless charm sells the ruse well. He finds a late-career highlight in this throwback to 1990s’ sitcoms that delivers heart and humour with equal measure.

Stream A Man on the Inside on Netflix and The Mole Agent on Hoopla.

The post Based on a Documentary: Explore the Canon of Non-Fiction Remakes appeared first on POV Magazine.

Filmmaker Michael Sarnoski (“Pig” and “A Quiet Place: Day One”) takes on a revisionist version of the Robin Hood story with his new film, “The Death of Robin Hood.” When you hear Robin Hood, you probably think of the man who steals from the rich and gives to the poor. But what if he was just an outlaw? A violent outlaw who has to reckon with his past.

In this episode, Sarnoski reflects on adapting one of history’s greatest legends and how we can all relate to Robin Hood’s internal struggle with his sense of identity and self-mythology. We talk about the delicate balance of historical authenticity and emotional truth, why audiences are so interested in modern retellings of folklore right now, and the stories we tell about ourselves that come to define us. “Storytelling is how we understand ourselves. Storytelling is religion. Storytelling is how we place ourselves in the cosmos.”

Filmmaker Michael Sarnoski (“Pig” and “A Quiet Place: Day One”) takes on a revisionist version of the Robin Hood story with his new film, “The Death of Robin Hood.” When you hear Robin Hood, you probably think of the man who steals from the rich and gives to the poor. But what if he was just an outlaw? A violent outlaw who has to reckon with his past.

In this episode, Sarnoski reflects on adapting one of history’s greatest legends and how we can all relate to Robin Hood’s internal struggle with his sense of identity and self-mythology. We talk about the delicate balance of historical authenticity and emotional truth, why audiences are so interested in modern retellings of folklore right now, and the stories we tell about ourselves that come to define us. “Storytelling is how we understand ourselves. Storytelling is religion. Storytelling is how we place ourselves in the cosmos.”

Have you seen the documentary Black Woodstock? How about Exposing the Myth of Southern Charm? Chances are, if you follow our recommendations, you have. But not under those titles. Their real names are Summer of Soul (…Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised) and Natchez, respectively. The former is an Oscar winner, yet that may not have been enough to appeal to audiences since IMDb, TV Guide, and Plex all list Questlove’s debut feature as Black Woodstock. Natchez, which made our list of the best documentaries of 2025, has been renamed Exposing the Myth of Southern Charm on the PBS Documentaries YouTube channel, where many are finding and watching it.

I understand the desperation of documentaries these days. I get the desire to garner views. See Anthony Kaufman’s latest newsletter for more on the dismal state of theatrical box office for nonfiction titles. I am also happy for audiences to discover these two films in particular, any way they can. But it’s quite confusing. It’s bad enough when titles are changed post-festival run, a la School Life (formerly In Loco Parentis) and last year’s Teenage Wasteland (formerly Middletown). It’s also bad enough when series like Independent Lens chop documentaries to new runtimes to fit PBS schedules without transparency. At the end of the day (and end of the year in many cases), I want to be sure I’m seeing and recommending the same version and title of a documentary that audiences are seeing. Otherwise, what am I doing this for?

Below are this week’s documentary highlights, followed by daily listings for all known releases and broadcasts, along with a brief look at what’s coming soon for doc fans (including the latest from Alex Gibney). Please consider becoming a paid subscriber to receive more in-depth highlights and reviews in the future, plus full access to special posts like our best-of lists, and to give me more time to watch more (if not everything) available. If you have a doc needing coverage or a mention, you can now reach us at nonficseditor (at) gmail.

Nonfics Picks Of The Week: The Best Documentaries Of 2026 Mid-Year

Last week, we published our updated list of the best documentaries of 2026 (so far) for the year’s halfway mark. These are films commercially released in the last six months and do not include several favorites we’ve seen at festivals that are due in theaters or on streaming later. Five more titles were added, and we increased the ranking to 15 documentaries, including two features that cracked the top three. At this point, no title from the initial ranking has fallen off. However, we anticipate some will be pushed out by the end-of-year list, which will be extended to 26 entries.

This list is exclusive to paid subscribers because it’s one of our most popular pieces and helps Nonfics continue as a mostly free publication. For our financial well-being, we can’t share the titles here. The image in the header collage above is from the documentary that previously held the top spot, and the one attached to this section is from another that was already on the list. I will say many of this year’s bunch were independent theatrical releases that aren’t yet easily seen at home. Congrats to distributors Icarus Films and Oscilloscope Laboratories, both of which have two titles in the midyear mix. Additionally, four are now available on Netflix, two are on The Criterion Channel, and others are streaming on Hulu, Prime Video, or Paramount+.

Other Documentary Highlights

Caterpillar (2023) & Fiume O Morte! (2025)

Two of this week’s home video releases are among the best documentaries of the last two years. Liza Mandelup’s Caterpillar, which is also currently available on Netflix, made the 2025 list for its character-driven story of a man who undergoes a risky procedure to alter his eye color. The film is coming out on DVD and Blu-ray, and I recommend the latter to appreciate Ben Whatley’s cinematography. Igor Bezinovic’s Fiume o Morte! is on the best of 2026 list for being the year’s “most original documentary” and a “revelation of creative nonfiction.” The film’s tale of a fascist Italian poet who took over an Adriatic seaport after World War I is funny enough on its own, but it’s even more amusing if you take it as a dig at some of today’s leaders, too.

Caterpillar will be released on DVD and Blu-ray (via Good Deed Entertainment) and Fiume o Morte! will be released on DVD (via Icarus Films) on Tuesday, July 7, 2026.

Chronicle Of A Summer (1961)

This week would have marked the 105th birthday of French philosopher and sociologist Edgar Morin (born in Paris on July 8, 1921). I somehow missed that he passed away on May 29. He wasn’t primarily a filmmaker, but he did co-direct the landmark cinéma vérité feature Chronicle of a Summer with Jean Rouch, and that documentary turned 65 this year. Most critics consider it one of the best documentaries of all time, meaning it’s essential viewing whether you end up preferring it or not (I like it, but it didn’t make my all-time list). In memory of Morin, in honor of his birthday, and for its anniversary, you should watch it this Thursday.

Chronicle of a Summer is available to stream on The Criterion Channel.

Crazy Horse (2011)

Another French landmark celebrates its anniversary this year, as the cabaret Le Crazy Horse de Paris turned 75 years old in May. For the occasion, I recommend watching Frederick Wiseman’s Crazy Horse, which has an anniversary of its own (15 years) this fall. You can stream the film, which goes behind the scenes, into the dressing room, and out into the audience of the iconically infamous nude burlesque shows, via Kanopy. You can also pick up a physical copy from Zipporah Films for free for a limited time. Through July 31, 2026, you can claim a free DVD of Crazy Horse with the code CRAZYSUMMER when you buy any other documentary on DVD or Blu-ray from the Frederick Wiseman Store on the Zipporah Films website (note: I received no direct request or any payment to promote this offer). I also recommend my 2012 interview with the late documentarian about the making of Crazy Horse.

Lumière, Le Cinema! (2024)

Another film (also with an exclamation point in its title) that made my midyear list of the best documentaries of 2026 so far is the Doc Option of the week. If you’re planning on taking your kids to see Minions & Monsters this week (or if, like my father-in-law, you’d go even without the kids), you should pair the experience with a viewing of Thierry Frémaux’s Lumière, Le Cinema! so everyone properly appreciates the beginning of the new animated sequel. That’s right, the Minions now have a connection to classic nonfiction cinema, as the opening of their latest movie sees them inserted into such Lumière landmarks as Workers Leaving the Lumière Factory, The Arrival of a Train at La Ciotat Station, and The Waterer Watered.

They also infiltrate some of Eadweard Muybridge’s earlier chronophotography works and Georges Méliès’s most famous sci-fi masterpiece, and encounter silent stars Charlie Chaplin, Harold Lloyd, and Buster Keaton. Of course, you could just show your kids the specific films being referenced (I’d link to my old Cinephile Summer Camp column if Film School Rejects was still alive), but given that Lumière, Le Cinema! is one of the best documentaries of the year, I can’t resist giving it another push here.

Lumière, Le Cinema! is available to stream on The Criterion Channel.

The Man Will Burn (2026)

A few days after you celebrate America’s 250th anniversary this weekend, you can enjoy a look at a microcosmic metaphor for the United States in this four-part docuseries about Burning Man. I will embarrassingly admit that I didn’t realize the difference between Burning Man and Coachella, and immediately wondered when I’d learn about the massive music stars who’ve performed at the desert concert festival. See, I usually don’t concern myself with remote overcrowded events. But I’m glad this documentary has arrived and made me concerned about the continued existence of Burning Man. It’s not my scene. I’ll never attend. Yet I enjoyed this virtual experience.

Helmed by Oscar winner Jehane Noujaim (The Square) and Kumare director Vikram Gandhi, The Man Will Burn chronicles five years of Burning Man’s operations as its leadership faces disagreements on how it’s run and what it means, a colossal obstacle in the COVID-19 pandemic, and the threat of disastrous weather. The first couple of episodes also tell of its history, going back to its origins involving a San Francisco counterculture group in the 1980s. What’s most interesting about the evolution of Burning Man is that it resembles the potential evolution of any idealistic society, including the United States of America, from its philosophical foundation to the reluctant but necessary introduction of bureaucracy and an economic system, and ultimately climaxing with the whole thing being appropriated by the uber-wealthy.

The series itself peaks with the third episode, and the fourth then plays like a supplemental chapter that focuses on just the flooding debacle of 2023. It’s not as interesting or necessary to the overall story as the rest, other than to emphasize that Burners make up a unified community that works together to get through anything thrown their way, be it individual loss or a collective physical scenario where everyone is stuck in place. One of the things that The Man Will Burn does well, however, is follow a handful of characters attending the event, some of them for the first time, showing viewers the diversity of these people interested in Burning Man for a variety of personal reasons. They remain a constant to the end of the series that holds it together, where other narratives and themes are somewhat abandoned.

The Man Will Burn premieres on HBO and HBO Max on Thursday, July 9, 2026.

Mary Oliver: Saved By The Beauty Of The World (2026)

I’m not well-versed in poetry and wasn’t familiar with Mary Oliver, but that’s one of the reasons I love documentaries. They provide introductions to so many people from all areas of interest. Mary Oliver: Saved by the Beauty of the World is your basic biographical feature, driven by talking heads discussing the Pulitzer Prize winner’s life and writing, but it also has John Waters, who will always be one of my favorite documentary interviewees. Any time he had something to say about Oliver, the film had my full attention. Even better, though, this documentary includes segments in which famous fans, including Steve Buscemi, Helena Bonham Carter, Oprah Winfrey, and Stephen Colbert, read Oliver’s poems, which gives them a new cinematic life.

Mary Oliver: Saved by the Beauty of the World will be released in theaters via Kino Lorber on Friday, July 3, 2026.

Sherman’s March (1985)

One of my favorite documentaries of all time, Ross McElwee’s Sherman’s March, is being re-released this weekend with a new 4K restoration. The theatrical engagement is also happening in anticipation of McElwee’s latest film, Remake, which comes out next Friday. A lot of the new documentary is about an attempt to adapt Sherman’s March into a fiction feature or television series, so if you’ve never seen it, you should do so. Actually, I recommend catching up with all of McElwee’s films ahead of the release of Remake since they’ve all kind of led up to this one.

Anyway, Sherman’s March specifically follows McElwee’s first-person narrative through academic and romantic pursuits in the mid-1980s. Part of the documentary is about Union General William Tecumseh Sherman’s “March to the Sea” campaign during the U.S. Civil War, and part is about McElwee’s dating life while working on this project. It’s one of the closest things to a documentary rom-com there is, and it’s also a fascinating look at the South, where McElwee grew up but no longer calls home. Sherman’s March also features one of the most memorable appearances of one of the most memorable documentary characters of all time, Charleen Swansea.

Sherman’s March is available to stream on Fandor via Prime Video, and its 4K restoration will be released in New York City on Friday, July 3, 2026, and in Los Angeles on Friday, July 17, 2026.

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Documentary Release Calendar 7/3/26 – 7/9/26

Friday, July 3, 2026

Donkey Baseball (1935) – A short documentary about the fad of playing baseball while riding donkeys. (TCM)

Lost Opportunities (2026) – A short documentary about a disabled father fighting to maintain a relationship with his son. (In Theaters)

Mary Oliver: Saved by the Beauty of the World (2026) – A documentary feature about the titular poet and queer icon. See our highlights section for more info and a brief review. (In Theaters)

Sherman’s March (1985) – A 4K re-release of a classic first-person documentary feature by Ross McElwee about his romantic pursuits amidst his Civil War history project. See our highlights section for more info.*NONFICS PICK* (In Theaters)

Souvenirs of Death (1948) – A short film following the journey of a souvenir World War II pistol. (TCM)

Saturday, July 4, 2026

Let’s Sing a Stephen Foster Song (1948) – A short film about four of Stephen Foster’s most famous songs. (TCM)

We Never Sleep (1956) – A short documentary in the RKO-Pathé Screenliner series about the oldest private detective agency in America. (TCM)

Sunday, July 5, 2026

The Food That Built America Season 7, Episode 11: “Spilling the Tea” – The latest installment of a docuseries about popular American foods. This episode involves iced tea drinks, including Snapple. (History)

Hazardous History with Henry Winkler Season 2, Episode 11: “Young & the Reckless” – The latest installment of a docuseries about dangerous toys and household items that used to be common. This episode involves stupid stunts kids would perform. (History)

In the Eye of the Storm Season 4, Episode 2: “That Car’s Flying!” – The latest installment of a docuseries about natural disasters. This episode looks at severe Hurricane Idalia. (Discovery Channel)

A Look at the World of Soylent Green (1973) – A short documentary about the making of the sci-fi film Soylent Green. (TCM)

Monday, July 6, 2026

History’s Greatest Machines with Dolph Lundgren Episode 6: “World’s Fastest” – The latest installment of a docuseries about the machines that shaped our world. (History)

Lethally Blonde Season 2, Episode 6: “Hooters Gone Girl” – The latest installment of a true-crime docuseries involving people pursuing beauty and fame. This episode involves a Hooters waitress/OnlyFans model. (Investigation Discovery)

True North: Canadian Myths and Black Power (2025) – A documentary about the Black liberation movement in Montreal in the late 1960s. Presented as an episode of Independent Lens. (PBS)

Tuesday, July 7, 2026

Caterpillar (2023) – A documentary about a man who travels to India to permanently change his eye color. See our highlights section for more info. Read our review of Caterpillar. *NONFICS PICK* (DVD and Blu-ray)

Dark Side of the Ring Season 7 – The return of this docuseries that shares the darkest stories of professional wrestling. (Vice)

Expedition Unknown Season 17, Episode 3: “Death Jars of Laos” – The latest installment of a docuseries that follows an archaeologist looking for lost artifacts. (Discovery)

Fiume o Morte! (2025) – A documentary feature about a Croatian city occupied by an Italian poet in 1919. See our highlights section for more info. Read our review of Fiume o Morte! *NONFICS PICK* (DVD)

Oscar Micheaux: The Superhero of Black Filmmaking (2021) – A biographical documentary about the titular pioneering African-American filmmaker. (TCM)

The Proof is Out There: Unexplained Edition Season 2, Episode 6: “Cryptid Creatures” – The latest installment of a docuseries about strange phenomena captured on camera. (History)

The Secret of Skinwalker Ranch Season 7, Episode 8: “Rocket Men” – The latest installment of a docuseries about UFO phenomena at the Skinwalker Ranch. (History)

Sofonisba’s Chess Game (2025) – A documentary about the titular painting by Sofonisba Anguissola. (DVD and Blu-ray)

Strange Journey: The Story of Rocky Horror (2025) – A documentary feature about The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Read our review of Strange Journey: The Story of Rocky Horror. (Blu-ray)

Where the Horses Heal the Soul (2026) – A documentary feature about therapy horses. (DVD)

Wednesday, July 8, 2026

ER: Caught on Camera Season 1, Episode 1 – A docuseries in which medical patients recall experiences in hospital emergency rooms. (TLC)

Motoring in Mexico (1943) – A short documentary installment of James A. FitzPatrick’s TravelTalks travelogue franchise that explores the Pacific International Highway from Mexico City to Acapulco. (TCM)

Thursday, July 9, 2026

The Man Will Burn (2026) – A four-part docuseries by Jehane Noujaim (The Square) and Vikram Gandhi (Kumare) about Burning Man. See our highlights section for more info and a brief review. *NONFICS PICK* (HBO and HBO Max)

On the Trail of the Iguana (1964) – A short documentary on the making of the film The Night of the Iguana. (TCM)

Surviving Earth Episode 5: “When the Forests Collapsed” – The fourth installment of an eight-part docuseries about extinct creatures. This episode involves amphibians. (NBC)

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Sneak Peek At What’s Coming Soon

7/10 – The March to War: Iran, Israel, and the USA – A three-part docuseries about the American and Israeli war against Iran. Watch the trailer for the series below. (OVID)

7/17 – American Pachuco: The Legend of Luis Valdez – A documentary feature about the titular activist and filmmaker. (In Theaters)

7/22 – A Toxic Love Story – A true-crime documentary about a revenge plot involving a newly married U.S. marshal. Watch the new trailer for the film below. (Netflix)

8/7 – Cookie Queens – A documentary feature about Girl Scouts selling cookies. Read our review of Cookie Queens. (In Theaters)

8/20 – Novak Djokovic: The Wolf in Winter – A documentary feature about tennis star Novak Djokovic. (Prime Video)

10/16 – Musk – A documentary feature directed by Oscar-winning filmmaker Alex Gibney about Elon Musk. (In Theaters)