More documentaries need soundtrack album releases. I’m mostly talking about their original music scores. You can tell a studio knows it’s got a great documentary score because it releases the album commercially. Looking at the winners of the Critics Choice Documentary Award for Best Score since its inception, all but (ironically) Jon Batiste’s American Symphony music can be found on their own. This month, two of the best documentary scores of 2026 were released in connection with their respective film or series: Time and Water by Dan Deacon and Lion by Hans Zimmer, Niccolò Pacella, and George Hutson Warren. Now I also need albums from Nuisance Bear, The Eyes of Ghana, and The Cycle of Love. Make it happen, Mubi, Breakwater, and Variance!

While I’m promoting things I love without receiving any compensation (if I ever do get paid to promote something, I’ll be transparent), Zipporah Films has another freebie deal to share. In honor of students heading to school, the company founded by the late Frederick Wiseman is giving away DVDs of his 2013 documentary At Berkeley. You just have to purchase one of the following: High School; High School II; Blind; or Deaf — all filmed at educational institutions. One of those is on our list of the best back-to-school documentaries, so that’d be my pick. Use code Back2School to get your free DVD before the deal expires on September 15.

Without further ado, 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 music film directed by Paul Thomas Anderson). 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 reach us at nonficseditor (at) gmail and let us know about its release plans.

Nonfics Pick Of The Week: The Cycle Of Love (2025)

I needed a positive documentary after a week of watching 9/11 commemorations, depressing political films on the current state of the world, and a handful of disappointments, and The Cycle of Love arrived just in time. It still brought me to tears, but out of joy. Directed by Orlando von Einsiedel (Oscar winner for The White Helmets and nominee for Virunga), this marvelously novel and constantly surprising film follows the epic, romantic journey of PK Mahanandia, who embarked on a bicycle trip from India to Sweden in 1977 to be reunited with the woman he loved. It’s one of the best movies I’ve seen this year, fiction or nonfiction.

Everything about this film is beautiful, from the seemingly simple yet extraordinary tale to the score by Patrick Jonsson and the dramatizations shot by Franklin Dow. There is more reenactment material here than some purists might prefer, but they are done with so much artistry that you could remove the documentary elements and have a brilliant drama on its own. As it exists, though, The Cycle of Love is driven by its documentary parts: talking-head interviews/narration involving only Mahanandia and the Penelope to his Odysseus, Lotta von Schedvin, as they tell their sides of the story.

[Continue reading our review of The Cycle of Love]

The Cycle of Love will be released in theaters on Friday, August 28, 2026.

Other Documentary Highlights

Boorman And The Devil (2025)

I could watch and listen to just John Boorman discuss the making of Exorcist II: The Heretic for hours. Unfortunately, the 112-minute Boorman and the Devil is not just the titular filmmaker monologuing about that notorious 1977 sequel. It’s not that I don’t also appreciate the commentary from stars Linda Blair and the late Louise Fletcher, or co-writer Rospo Pallenberg, or fellow filmmakers Mike Flanagan and Karyn Kusama, or film critics including Bilge Ebiri and Stephanie Zacharek, but their interviews have such a different tone than Boorman’s that it makes this documentary terribly uneven.

Boorman and the Devil isn’t unwatchable, especially if you’re interested in the story of the movie in question or have a greater interest in film history of that era, but it does try to pack in too much with a fast pace, playful style, ill-fitting expository voiceover narration, and an abundance of random soundtrack choices that don’t suit the material. I was constantly pulled out of the narrative by the coarseness of the documentary’s construction and desperation to entertain and amuse. I do now have an appreciation for some of the craft that went into Exorcist II, though I still don’t think I really needed to know so much about it to such an elaborate, disjointed extent.

Boorman and the Devil will be released in theaters on Friday, August 28, 2026.

Hanging By A Wire (2026)

Shockingly, my acrophobia wasn’t as much of a problem during Hanging by a Wire as I expected given the premise. The film follows the intense story of eight people, including six students who’d been on their way to school, trapped in a cable car suspended high above a valley in Pakistan after one of its wires snapped. There is some footage from the day, the clearest and most terrifying being drone shots that captured the situation up close and with an alarming perspective. Still, even with a kind of music score and sound design obviously employed to make this a scary film, it’s really not. And even with the frightful circumstances, it shouldn’t be.

There is a quickly discerned calculation to this documentary’s efforts. It seems to want us to initially think the people on board the cable car don’t make it. The story plays out as the events played out, so there is some tension there, until this or that character is confirmed to have survived, at which point they appear in the film in the present discussing their rescue. Still, there are too many tells in the phrasing and general mood of the storytelling participants that such stakes are diminished. That’s fine. This is a story of rescue, not to be teased with the possibility of it ending in tragedy but with a celebration of its improbable success amidst logical issues and setbacks and socio-political dissidence. As such, it’s almost on par with The Rescue.

Hanging by a Wire will be released in theaters on Friday, August 28, 2026.

Louisiana Story (1948)

Robert Flaherty teetered the line between fiction and nonfiction, and his final film, Louisiana Story, has been argued for and against classification as a documentary. Sure, the Cajun family on screen is made of locals who were not related and only cast to play as such, but that’s not any different than the characters in his more famous feature Nanook of the North. This docufiction is a bridge from one generation of documentary filmmakers to another as it employed Ricky Leacock as a cameraman. In our list of Leacock essentials, we wrote: “The attention to detail, both on the towering rig and among the creatures of the swamp, lends a quiet majesty to the humble explorations of the boy protagonist and his pet raccoon.” It also has one of our favorite documentary shots.

Louisiana Story will air on TCM on Tuesday, September 1, 2026.

Our Land (2025)

Since we first highlighted Lucrecia Martel’s nonfiction feature debut, Our Land, the film has been included on our list of the best documentaries of 2026. In honor of it making its streaming debut, here’s an excerpt from its entry on that list: “Lucrecia Martel’s Our Land…takes her interests in the ongoing complications of Argentina’s colonialist past into the nonfiction mode. The documentary uses the killing of an Indigenous leader and the murder trial that ensued as a way to examine related themes of identity, territory, and community in a uniquely structured form of cinematic debate. The result entails some biased manipulation, but it’s for artistic contemplation, not legal or historical record.”

Our Land begins streaming exclusively on The Criterion Channel on Tuesday, September 1, 2026.

Third Act (2025)

Tadashi Nakamura’s Third Act is yet another documentary by a director about his filmmaker parent, but as I wrote in my review last year, it’s “fortunately one of the better examples of this long, strange practice in nonfiction cinema.” I also celebrated the family tradition that it continues: the director’s dad, Robert A. Nakamura, once made a documentary about his own father. “It’s ultimately about both filmmakers,” my review continues, “their once-ashamed Japanese American identity, and the father-son bond they now have. It’s a beautiful multi-generational portrait.”

Third Act will begin streaming on The Criterion Channel on Tuesday, September 1, 2026, alongside films by Robert A. Nakamura.

Turning Point: Generation 9/11 (2026)

Brian Knappenberger not only delivers another installment of his successful U.S. history franchise with Turning Point: Generation 9/11, but this one specifically ties back to the docuseries that started it all, 2021’s Turning Point: 9/11 and the War on Terror. This is the first installment that isn’t multiple episodes, but it’s also much more zoomed in, with its focus on the legacy of 9/11 for the people who were very young when the attacks happened or were born in the 25 years since. My opinion of the feature is under embargo, so I can’t say much more than that, favorably or negatively. I might add to this highlight later when I can offer up additional thoughts.

Turning Point: Generation 9/11 will premiere and begin streaming exclusively on Netflix on Wednesday, September 2, 2026.

Untold Raygun: Breaking Badly (2026)

The latest installment of Untold goes for another unconventional sport and might pique the interest of viewers outside of the anthology series’ usual demo. Raygun: Breaking Badly spotlights the woman behind the memes and pop-cultural ridicule who was at the center of one of the most infamously cringeworthy Olympic moments in history. Rachael Gunn is the Australian academic who represented Oceania in the inaugural breakdancing competition at the 2024 Summer Games. You know, the one who awkwardly rolled around on the ground, performed the sprinkler, and delivered a kangaroo pose that went viral as she received a score of zero. Documentaries about hated yet misunderstood figures can be appealing, à la Penny Lane’s Listening to Kenny G, but will this one redeem Gunn or do further damage? My opinion is under embargo, so I can’t say what I think, but I’m interested to see the response.

Untold Raygun: Breaking Badly will premiere and begin streaming exclusively on Netflix on Tuesday, September 1, 2026, as an episode of Untold.

With The Marines At Tarawa (1944) & The Fighting Lady (1944)

Last week, for my latest column on Oscar-winning documentaries, I wrote about the short and feature that received their respective category’s Academy Awards in 1945: With the Marines at Tarawa and The Fighting Lady. The two films depict battles fought in the Pacific during World War II and therefore go very well together. As I explained:

“The short offers a look at one battle not shown in The Fighting Lady — even though that film’s carrier, the USS Yorktown (CV-10), was involved — which took place within that time frame. If you wanted to watch the pair together and preferred to do so chronologically, you’d have to pause The Fighting Lady around the 26-minute mark, put on With the Marines at Tarawa for its entire 18-minute runtime, and then continue the remaining 36 minutes of the feature. I wouldn’t recommend that. The films go together much better sequentially. I prefer the way I watched them: The Fighting Lady before With the Marines at Tarawa, even though the latter was released 10 months earlier and could be considered on par with receiving bad news first.”

With the Marines at Tarawa is available to watch in many places online, including the Internet Archive. The Fighting Lady is available to stream for free with ads on Tubi, Fawesome, and JustWatchTV.

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Documentary Release Calendar 8/28/26 – 9/3/26

Friday, August 28, 2026

Boorman and the Devil (2025) – A documentary feature about the making of Exorcist II: The Heretic. See our highlights section for more info and a brief review. (In Theaters)

Conan O’Brien Must Go Season 3, Episode 2 – The latest installment of a travel series starring Conan O’Brien. The latest episode takes the former late-night talk show host to the Netherlands. (HBO and HBO Max)

The Cycle of Love (2025) – A documentary feature by Oscar-winning director Orlando von Einsiedel (The White Helmets) about a Delhi street artist who rode his bicycle 6,000 miles to reunite with the woman he loved. See our highlights section for more info and a link to our review. *NONFICS PICK* (In Theaters)

Deadliest Catch Season 22, Episode 15: “Aleutian Solution” – The latest installment of a series that follows Alaskan crab fishermen. (Discovery Channel)

Hanging By a Wire (2026) – A documentary feature about the rescue operation to save a group of students trapped in a cable car high above a valley. See our highlights section for more info and a brief review. (In Theaters)

Runa Simi – A documentary about a father and son who dub The Lion King into the endangered Indigenous language Quechua. (In Theaters)

Threshold – A documentary feature about Olympic gold medalist cross-country skier Jessie Diggins. (VOD)

Saturday, August 29, 2026

Colorful Curacao (1939) – A short documentary installment of James A. FitzPatrick’s TravelTalks travelogue franchise that explores the titular Caribbean island. (TCM)

Forgotten Treasure (1943) – A short documentary about the film and art preservation efforts of the Museum of Modern Art in New York City. (TCM)

Michael Jackson: A Life in Music (2026) – A biographical documentary about the titular pop star. (In Theaters)

The Real Murders of Atlanta Season 4, Episode 8: “Lost & Found” – The latest installment of an Atlanta-focused true-crime docuseries. This episode involves a woman who went missing on the 10th anniversary of her cousin’s disappearance. (Oxygen)

Super Animals Season 4, Episode 2 – The latest episode of a nature docuseries for kids about animals with special traits. (National Geographic)

Sunday, August 30, 2026

Decades in Sports Episodes 6: “2010s” – The final installment of a six-part docuseries executive produced by Tom Hanks about milestones in sports in America. (CNN)

Hazardous History with Henry Winkler Season 2, Episode 19: “Horrible Hygiene” – The latest installment of a docuseries about dangerous toys and household items that were common in the past. This episode involves unsafe hygiene items and practices. (History)

The Mega-Brands That Built America Season 4, Episode 5: “The Underwear Boom” – The latest installment of a docuseries about iconic brands. This installment covers Hanes and other underwear brands. (History)

Unknown Serial Killers of America Season 2, Episode 5: “Phillip Jablonski” – The latest episode of a true-crime series about less-famous murderers. (Oxygen)

Monday, August 31, 2026

Arrest the Midwife (2025) – A documentary feature about the arrest of three midwives serving Amish and Mennonite communities. Presented as an episode of POV. (PBS)

The House in the Middle (1954) – A short film sponsored by the National Paint, Varnish and Lacquer Association about how fresh paint could benefit your home during an atomic blast. (TCM)

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

Seeing El Salvador (1945) – A short documentary installment of James A. FitzPatrick’s TravelTalks travelogue franchise that explores the titular country. (TCM)

Somebody Knows Something Season 1, Episode 5: “Garage Sale Murder” – The latest installment of a true-crime series about unsolved murder and missing persons cases. This episode involves a young woman gunned down as she set up a garage sale on her lawn. (Freeform)

Tuesday, September 1, 2026

9/11: Reclaiming Ground Zero (2026) – A documentary about what happened in the area of Manhattan known as Ground Zero after the 9/11 attacks. (DVD)

Being Frank: The Chris Sievey Story (2018) – A documentary feature about eccentric comedian Frank Sidebottom, best known for wearing an oversized papier-mâché head. (The Criterion Channel)

Declarations: Black Americans and the Revolutionary War (2026) – A medium-length documentary about Black men who fought in the American Revolution. (DVD)

Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Seattle Seahawks Episode 5 – The latest installment of the Hard Knocks franchise (technically Hard Knocks Season 22) goes behind the scenes with the titular football team. (HBO and HBO Max)

Homestead Rescue: Intervention Season 1, Episode 6: “North Carolina DIY or Die” – The latest episode of a docuseries that follows wilderness experts as they save lives. (Discovery)

I Ran From It and Was Still In It (2020) – A short poetic documentary about familial loss and separation. (The Criterion Channel)

Life in the Andes (1945) – A short documentary installment of James A. FitzPatrick’s TravelTalks travelogue franchise that explores the titular mountain range in South America. (TCM)

Living Los Sures (1984) – A medium-length documentary about the titular New York City neighborhood. (The Criterion Channel)

Louisiana Story (1948) – A docufiction feature directed by Robert Flaherty (Nanook of the North) about a Cajun boy, his pet raccoon, and oil drilling in the Bayou. See our highlights section for more info. *NONFICS PICK* (TCM)

Manzanar (1971) – A short documentary by Robert Nakamura about his experience in a Japanese internment camp during World War II. (The Criterion Channel)

Napoli, Napoli, Napoli (2009) – A hybrid feature film by Abel Ferrara about Naples. (The Criterion Channel)

New Wave (2024) – A documentary feature about the Vietnamese new wave music scene. (The Criterion Channel)

Our Land (2025) – A documentary feature directed by Lucrecia Martel about the case of the 2009 killing of an Indigenous leader in Argentina. See our highlights section for more info. Read our review of Our Land. *NONFICS PICK* (The Criterion Channel)

The Projectionist (2019) – A documentary feature by Abel Ferrara about a movie theater projectionist in Queens, New York. (The Criterion Channel)

Robert Wilson and the Civil Wars (1987) – A documentary feature about Robert Wilson’s effort to stage an epic opera for the 1984 Summer Olympics. Read our review of Robert Wilson and the Civil Wars. (The Criterion Channel)

Third Act (2025) – A documentary feature by Tadashi Nakamura about his father, the artist and activist Robert A. Nakamura. See our highlights section for more info. Read our review of Third Act. *NONFICS PICK* (The Criterion Channel)

Uncle Howard (2016) – A documentary feature about filmmaker Howard Brookner. (The Criterion Channel)

Untold Raygun: Breaking Badly (2026) – A documentary feature in the Untold series about the infamous Olympian breakdancer Rachael Gunn. See our highlights section for more info. (Netflix)

Wataridori: Birds of Passage (1976) – A short documentary by Robert A. Nakamura about three first-generation Japanese Americans. (The Criterion Channel)

Welcome to the Family: The Murder of Dan Markel (2026) – A four-part true-crime docuseries involving a murder of a man over a child custody case. (Hulu)

Yeah Yeah Yeahs: Hidden in Pieces (2025) – A concert film starring the titular band. (The Criterion Channel)

Wednesday, September 2, 2026

911: Did the Killer Call? Season 2, Episode 9: “Lying Consequences” – The latest installment of a true-crime docuseries about cases where the murderer is on the 911 call. (Investigation Discovery)

ER: Caught on Camera Season 1, Episode 9: “When Raccoons Invade Your Bedroom” – The latest installment of a docuseries in which medical patients recall experiences in hospital emergency rooms. (TLC)

Expedition X Season 12, Episode 3: “Curse of the Skinwalkers” – The latest installment of a paranormal investigation series. (Discovery)

Katy Perry: The Lifetimes Tour – Live from Paris (2026) – A concert film starring the titular singer. (In Theaters)

Sara Bareilles: Good Grief (2026) – A documentary feature that follows the titular singer-songwriter as she records her first new album in seven years. (In Theaters)

Songs of Slow Burning Earth (2024) – A documentary feature about Ukrainians during the Russian invasion. (OVID)

Turning Point: Generation 9/11 (2026) – A documentary feature in the Turning Point franchise directed by Brian Knappenberger (Turning Point: 9/11 and the War on Terror) about the legacy of the September 11 attacks. See our highlights section for more info.(Netflix)

Untold Stories of the ER Season 14, Episode 3 – The latest installment of a docuseries about difficult emergency room cases. (TLC)

Thursday, September 3, 2026

Canuto’s Transformation (2023) – A documentary about the legend of a man who transformed into a jaguar. (OVID)

Day of the Fight (1951) – A short documentary by Stanley Kubrick that follows a day in the life of a middleweight boxer. (TCM)

Film Geek (2023) – A personal documentary in which director Richard Shepard compiles film clips and his own archives for a look back at his love of cinema and his relationship with his father. Broadcasting early on Friday, September 4. (TCM)

Fito Páez: The World Within a Song (2026) – A documentary about the titular Argentinian rock star. (Netflix)

Flying Padre (1951) – A short documentary by Stanley Kubrick that follows a priest who is also a pilot. (TCM)

Engineering from Above Episode 4: “Record Breakers” – The latest installment of a docuseries presenting aerial views of engineering marvels. This episode looks at a bridge in France, an outdoor elevator in China, and a tunnel in the Alps. (History)

M20 Matamoros (2023) – A documentary feature about a group of men in the slums of Matamoros, Mexico, and the dance they created. (OVID)

Monsters of God Episode 5: “Head of the Snake” – The final installment of a five-part docuseries by Tiger King co-director Eric Goode about the history of exotic reptile smugglers. Read our review of Monsters of God. (HBO and HBO Max)

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Sneak Peek At What’s Coming Soon

9/4 – The Program: Texas Tech – A four-part docuseries narrated by Dennis Quaid about the Texas Tech University Red Raiders College Football Program. (Paramount+)

9/7 – OJ Unseen: Exploitation of Evil – A four-part docuseries about O.J. Simpson’s attempt at a comeback with a prank show. (Investigation Discovery)

9/18 – The History of Concrete – A documentary feature by John Wilson about concrete. Watch the new trailer for the film below. (In Theaters)

10/5 – My Omaha – A documentary feature by Nick Beaulieu about his effort to reconnect with his terminally ill father amidst Omaha’s racial justice movement. (PBS)

10/6 – Your Attention Please – A documentary feature about social media’s impact on youth safety and mental health. (VOD)

10/11 – Grandmasters – A documentary directed by Liza Mandelup (Caterpillar) about a new chess league involving Magnus Carlsen. (In AMC Theaters)

11/6 – Soul Patrol – A documentary feature about the men who were in the first Black special ops team in the Vietnam War. Read our review of Soul Patrol. *NONFICS PICK*(In Theaters)

11/13 – American Amazon – A nature documentary narrated by Jon Batiste about the wetlands of the American South. (In IMAX Theaters)

11/20 – Cameron Winter at Carnegie Hall – A concert film by Paul Thomas Anderson starring the titular musician. (In Theaters)

12/16 – To Hold a Mountain – A documentary feature about a shepherd mother and daughter who defend their land in Montenegro from military threats. (In Theaters)

More documentaries need soundtrack album releases. I’m mostly talking about their original music scores. You can tell a studio knows it’s got a great documentary score because it releases the album commercially. Looking at the winners of the Critics Choice Documentary Award for Best Score since its inception, all but (ironically) Jon Batiste’s American Symphony music can be found on their own. This month, two of the best documentary scores of 2026 were released in connection with their respective film or series: Time and Water by Dan Deacon and Lion by Hans Zimmer, Niccolò Pacella, and George Hutson Warren. Now I also need albums from Nuisance Bear, The Eyes of Ghana, and The Cycle of Love. Make it happen, Mubi, Breakwater, and Variance!

While I’m promoting things I love without receiving any compensation (if I ever do get paid to promote something, I’ll be transparent), Zipporah Films has another freebie deal to share. In honor of students heading to school, the company founded by the late Frederick Wiseman is giving away DVDs of his 2013 documentary At Berkeley. You just have to purchase one of the following: High School; High School II; Blind; or Deaf — all filmed at educational institutions. One of those is on our list of the best back-to-school documentaries, so that’d be my pick. Use code Back2School to get your free DVD before the deal expires on September 15.

Without further ado, 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 music film directed by Paul Thomas Anderson). 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 reach us at nonficseditor (at) gmail and let us know about its release plans.

Nonfics Pick Of The Week: The Cycle Of Love (2025)

I needed a positive documentary after a week of watching 9/11 commemorations, depressing political films on the current state of the world, and a handful of disappointments, and The Cycle of Love arrived just in time. It still brought me to tears, but out of joy. Directed by Orlando von Einsiedel (Oscar winner for The White Helmets and nominee for Virunga), this marvelously novel and constantly surprising film follows the epic, romantic journey of PK Mahanandia, who embarked on a bicycle trip from India to Sweden in 1977 to be reunited with the woman he loved. It’s one of the best movies I’ve seen this year, fiction or nonfiction.

Everything about this film is beautiful, from the seemingly simple yet extraordinary tale to the score by Patrick Jonsson and the dramatizations shot by Franklin Dow. There is more reenactment material here than some purists might prefer, but they are done with so much artistry that you could remove the documentary elements and have a brilliant drama on its own. As it exists, though, The Cycle of Love is driven by its documentary parts: talking-head interviews/narration involving only Mahanandia and the Penelope to his Odysseus, Lotta von Schedvin, as they tell their sides of the story.

[Continue reading our review of The Cycle of Love]

The Cycle of Love will be released in theaters on Friday, August 28, 2026.

Other Documentary Highlights

Boorman And The Devil (2025)

I could watch and listen to just John Boorman discuss the making of Exorcist II: The Heretic for hours. Unfortunately, the 112-minute Boorman and the Devil is not just the titular filmmaker monologuing about that notorious 1977 sequel. It’s not that I don’t also appreciate the commentary from stars Linda Blair and the late Louise Fletcher, or co-writer Rospo Pallenberg, or fellow filmmakers Mike Flanagan and Karyn Kusama, or film critics including Bilge Ebiri and Stephanie Zacharek, but their interviews have such a different tone than Boorman’s that it makes this documentary terribly uneven.

Boorman and the Devil isn’t unwatchable, especially if you’re interested in the story of the movie in question or have a greater interest in film history of that era, but it does try to pack in too much with a fast pace, playful style, ill-fitting expository voiceover narration, and an abundance of random soundtrack choices that don’t suit the material. I was constantly pulled out of the narrative by the coarseness of the documentary’s construction and desperation to entertain and amuse. I do now have an appreciation for some of the craft that went into Exorcist II, though I still don’t think I really needed to know so much about it to such an elaborate, disjointed extent.

Boorman and the Devil will be released in theaters on Friday, August 28, 2026.

Hanging By A Wire (2026)

Shockingly, my acrophobia wasn’t as much of a problem during Hanging by a Wire as I expected given the premise. The film follows the intense story of eight people, including six students who’d been on their way to school, trapped in a cable car suspended high above a valley in Pakistan after one of its wires snapped. There is some footage from the day, the clearest and most terrifying being drone shots that captured the situation up close and with an alarming perspective. Still, even with a kind of music score and sound design obviously employed to make this a scary film, it’s really not. And even with the frightful circumstances, it shouldn’t be.

There is a quickly discerned calculation to this documentary’s efforts. It seems to want us to initially think the people on board the cable car don’t make it. The story plays out as the events played out, so there is some tension there, until this or that character is confirmed to have survived, at which point they appear in the film in the present discussing their rescue. Still, there are too many tells in the phrasing and general mood of the storytelling participants that such stakes are diminished. That’s fine. This is a story of rescue, not to be teased with the possibility of it ending in tragedy but with a celebration of its improbable success amidst logical issues and setbacks and socio-political dissidence. As such, it’s almost on par with The Rescue.

Hanging by a Wire will be released in theaters on Friday, August 28, 2026.

Louisiana Story (1948)

Robert Flaherty teetered the line between fiction and nonfiction, and his final film, Louisiana Story, has been argued for and against classification as a documentary. Sure, the Cajun family on screen is made of locals who were not related and only cast to play as such, but that’s not any different than the characters in his more famous feature Nanook of the North. This docufiction is a bridge from one generation of documentary filmmakers to another as it employed Ricky Leacock as a cameraman. In our list of Leacock essentials, we wrote: “The attention to detail, both on the towering rig and among the creatures of the swamp, lends a quiet majesty to the humble explorations of the boy protagonist and his pet raccoon.” It also has one of our favorite documentary shots.

Louisiana Story will air on TCM on Tuesday, September 1, 2026.

Our Land (2025)

Since we first highlighted Lucrecia Martel’s nonfiction feature debut, Our Land, the film has been included on our list of the best documentaries of 2026. In honor of it making its streaming debut, here’s an excerpt from its entry on that list: “Lucrecia Martel’s Our Land…takes her interests in the ongoing complications of Argentina’s colonialist past into the nonfiction mode. The documentary uses the killing of an Indigenous leader and the murder trial that ensued as a way to examine related themes of identity, territory, and community in a uniquely structured form of cinematic debate. The result entails some biased manipulation, but it’s for artistic contemplation, not legal or historical record.”

Our Land begins streaming exclusively on The Criterion Channel on Tuesday, September 1, 2026.

Third Act (2025)

Tadashi Nakamura’s Third Act is yet another documentary by a director about his filmmaker parent, but as I wrote in my review last year, it’s “fortunately one of the better examples of this long, strange practice in nonfiction cinema.” I also celebrated the family tradition that it continues: the director’s dad, Robert A. Nakamura, once made a documentary about his own father. “It’s ultimately about both filmmakers,” my review continues, “their once-ashamed Japanese American identity, and the father-son bond they now have. It’s a beautiful multi-generational portrait.”

Third Act will begin streaming on The Criterion Channel on Tuesday, September 1, 2026, alongside films by Robert A. Nakamura.

Turning Point: Generation 9/11 (2026)

Brian Knappenberger not only delivers another installment of his successful U.S. history franchise with Turning Point: Generation 9/11, but this one specifically ties back to the docuseries that started it all, 2021’s Turning Point: 9/11 and the War on Terror. This is the first installment that isn’t multiple episodes, but it’s also much more zoomed in, with its focus on the legacy of 9/11 for the people who were very young when the attacks happened or were born in the 25 years since. My opinion of the feature is under embargo, so I can’t say much more than that, favorably or negatively. I might add to this highlight later when I can offer up additional thoughts.

Turning Point: Generation 9/11 will premiere and begin streaming exclusively on Netflix on Wednesday, September 2, 2026.

Untold Raygun: Breaking Badly (2026)

The latest installment of Untold goes for another unconventional sport and might pique the interest of viewers outside of the anthology series’ usual demo. Raygun: Breaking Badly spotlights the woman behind the memes and pop-cultural ridicule who was at the center of one of the most infamously cringeworthy Olympic moments in history. Rachael Gunn is the Australian academic who represented Oceania in the inaugural breakdancing competition at the 2024 Summer Games. You know, the one who awkwardly rolled around on the ground, performed the sprinkler, and delivered a kangaroo pose that went viral as she received a score of zero. Documentaries about hated yet misunderstood figures can be appealing, à la Penny Lane’s Listening to Kenny G, but will this one redeem Gunn or do further damage? My opinion is under embargo, so I can’t say what I think, but I’m interested to see the response.

Untold Raygun: Breaking Badly will premiere and begin streaming exclusively on Netflix on Tuesday, September 1, 2026, as an episode of Untold.

With The Marines At Tarawa (1944) & The Fighting Lady (1944)

Last week, for my latest column on Oscar-winning documentaries, I wrote about the short and feature that received their respective category’s Academy Awards in 1945: With the Marines at Tarawa and The Fighting Lady. The two films depict battles fought in the Pacific during World War II and therefore go very well together. As I explained:

“The short offers a look at one battle not shown in The Fighting Lady — even though that film’s carrier, the USS Yorktown (CV-10), was involved — which took place within that time frame. If you wanted to watch the pair together and preferred to do so chronologically, you’d have to pause The Fighting Lady around the 26-minute mark, put on With the Marines at Tarawa for its entire 18-minute runtime, and then continue the remaining 36 minutes of the feature. I wouldn’t recommend that. The films go together much better sequentially. I prefer the way I watched them: The Fighting Lady before With the Marines at Tarawa, even though the latter was released 10 months earlier and could be considered on par with receiving bad news first.”

With the Marines at Tarawa is available to watch in many places online, including the Internet Archive. The Fighting Lady is available to stream for free with ads on Tubi, Fawesome, and JustWatchTV.

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Documentary Release Calendar 8/28/26 – 9/3/26

Friday, August 28, 2026

Boorman and the Devil (2025) – A documentary feature about the making of Exorcist II: The Heretic. See our highlights section for more info and a brief review. (In Theaters)

Conan O’Brien Must Go Season 3, Episode 2 – The latest installment of a travel series starring Conan O’Brien. The latest episode takes the former late-night talk show host to the Netherlands. (HBO and HBO Max)

The Cycle of Love (2025) – A documentary feature by Oscar-winning director Orlando von Einsiedel (The White Helmets) about a Delhi street artist who rode his bicycle 6,000 miles to reunite with the woman he loved. See our highlights section for more info and a link to our review. *NONFICS PICK* (In Theaters)

Deadliest Catch Season 22, Episode 15: “Aleutian Solution” – The latest installment of a series that follows Alaskan crab fishermen. (Discovery Channel)

Hanging By a Wire (2026) – A documentary feature about the rescue operation to save a group of students trapped in a cable car high above a valley. See our highlights section for more info and a brief review. (In Theaters)

Runa Simi – A documentary about a father and son who dub The Lion King into the endangered Indigenous language Quechua. (In Theaters)

Threshold – A documentary feature about Olympic gold medalist cross-country skier Jessie Diggins. (VOD)

Saturday, August 29, 2026

Colorful Curacao (1939) – A short documentary installment of James A. FitzPatrick’s TravelTalks travelogue franchise that explores the titular Caribbean island. (TCM)

Forgotten Treasure (1943) – A short documentary about the film and art preservation efforts of the Museum of Modern Art in New York City. (TCM)

Michael Jackson: A Life in Music (2026) – A biographical documentary about the titular pop star. (In Theaters)

The Real Murders of Atlanta Season 4, Episode 8: “Lost & Found” – The latest installment of an Atlanta-focused true-crime docuseries. This episode involves a woman who went missing on the 10th anniversary of her cousin’s disappearance. (Oxygen)

Super Animals Season 4, Episode 2 – The latest episode of a nature docuseries for kids about animals with special traits. (National Geographic)

Sunday, August 30, 2026

Decades in Sports Episodes 6: “2010s” – The final installment of a six-part docuseries executive produced by Tom Hanks about milestones in sports in America. (CNN)

Hazardous History with Henry Winkler Season 2, Episode 19: “Horrible Hygiene” – The latest installment of a docuseries about dangerous toys and household items that were common in the past. This episode involves unsafe hygiene items and practices. (History)

The Mega-Brands That Built America Season 4, Episode 5: “The Underwear Boom” – The latest installment of a docuseries about iconic brands. This installment covers Hanes and other underwear brands. (History)

Unknown Serial Killers of America Season 2, Episode 5: “Phillip Jablonski” – The latest episode of a true-crime series about less-famous murderers. (Oxygen)

Monday, August 31, 2026

Arrest the Midwife (2025) – A documentary feature about the arrest of three midwives serving Amish and Mennonite communities. Presented as an episode of POV. (PBS)

The House in the Middle (1954) – A short film sponsored by the National Paint, Varnish and Lacquer Association about how fresh paint could benefit your home during an atomic blast. (TCM)

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

Seeing El Salvador (1945) – A short documentary installment of James A. FitzPatrick’s TravelTalks travelogue franchise that explores the titular country. (TCM)

Somebody Knows Something Season 1, Episode 5: “Garage Sale Murder” – The latest installment of a true-crime series about unsolved murder and missing persons cases. This episode involves a young woman gunned down as she set up a garage sale on her lawn. (Freeform)

Tuesday, September 1, 2026

9/11: Reclaiming Ground Zero (2026) – A documentary about what happened in the area of Manhattan known as Ground Zero after the 9/11 attacks. (DVD)

Being Frank: The Chris Sievey Story (2018) – A documentary feature about eccentric comedian Frank Sidebottom, best known for wearing an oversized papier-mâché head. (The Criterion Channel)

Declarations: Black Americans and the Revolutionary War (2026) – A medium-length documentary about Black men who fought in the American Revolution. (DVD)

Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Seattle Seahawks Episode 5 – The latest installment of the Hard Knocks franchise (technically Hard Knocks Season 22) goes behind the scenes with the titular football team. (HBO and HBO Max)

Homestead Rescue: Intervention Season 1, Episode 6: “North Carolina DIY or Die” – The latest episode of a docuseries that follows wilderness experts as they save lives. (Discovery)

I Ran From It and Was Still In It (2020) – A short poetic documentary about familial loss and separation. (The Criterion Channel)

Life in the Andes (1945) – A short documentary installment of James A. FitzPatrick’s TravelTalks travelogue franchise that explores the titular mountain range in South America. (TCM)

Living Los Sures (1984) – A medium-length documentary about the titular New York City neighborhood. (The Criterion Channel)

Louisiana Story (1948) – A docufiction feature directed by Robert Flaherty (Nanook of the North) about a Cajun boy, his pet raccoon, and oil drilling in the Bayou. See our highlights section for more info. *NONFICS PICK* (TCM)

Manzanar (1971) – A short documentary by Robert Nakamura about his experience in a Japanese internment camp during World War II. (The Criterion Channel)

Napoli, Napoli, Napoli (2009) – A hybrid feature film by Abel Ferrara about Naples. (The Criterion Channel)

New Wave (2024) – A documentary feature about the Vietnamese new wave music scene. (The Criterion Channel)

Our Land (2025) – A documentary feature directed by Lucrecia Martel about the case of the 2009 killing of an Indigenous leader in Argentina. See our highlights section for more info. Read our review of Our Land. *NONFICS PICK* (The Criterion Channel)

The Projectionist (2019) – A documentary feature by Abel Ferrara about a movie theater projectionist in Queens, New York. (The Criterion Channel)

Robert Wilson and the Civil Wars (1987) – A documentary feature about Robert Wilson’s effort to stage an epic opera for the 1984 Summer Olympics. Read our review of Robert Wilson and the Civil Wars. (The Criterion Channel)

Third Act (2025) – A documentary feature by Tadashi Nakamura about his father, the artist and activist Robert A. Nakamura. See our highlights section for more info. Read our review of Third Act. *NONFICS PICK* (The Criterion Channel)

Uncle Howard (2016) – A documentary feature about filmmaker Howard Brookner. (The Criterion Channel)

Untold Raygun: Breaking Badly (2026) – A documentary feature in the Untold series about the infamous Olympian breakdancer Rachael Gunn. See our highlights section for more info. (Netflix)

Wataridori: Birds of Passage (1976) – A short documentary by Robert A. Nakamura about three first-generation Japanese Americans. (The Criterion Channel)

Welcome to the Family: The Murder of Dan Markel (2026) – A four-part true-crime docuseries involving a murder of a man over a child custody case. (Hulu)

Yeah Yeah Yeahs: Hidden in Pieces (2025) – A concert film starring the titular band. (The Criterion Channel)

Wednesday, September 2, 2026

911: Did the Killer Call? Season 2, Episode 9: “Lying Consequences” – The latest installment of a true-crime docuseries about cases where the murderer is on the 911 call. (Investigation Discovery)

ER: Caught on Camera Season 1, Episode 9: “When Raccoons Invade Your Bedroom” – The latest installment of a docuseries in which medical patients recall experiences in hospital emergency rooms. (TLC)

Expedition X Season 12, Episode 3: “Curse of the Skinwalkers” – The latest installment of a paranormal investigation series. (Discovery)

Katy Perry: The Lifetimes Tour – Live from Paris (2026) – A concert film starring the titular singer. (In Theaters)

Sara Bareilles: Good Grief (2026) – A documentary feature that follows the titular singer-songwriter as she records her first new album in seven years. (In Theaters)

Songs of Slow Burning Earth (2024) – A documentary feature about Ukrainians during the Russian invasion. (OVID)

Turning Point: Generation 9/11 (2026) – A documentary feature in the Turning Point franchise directed by Brian Knappenberger (Turning Point: 9/11 and the War on Terror) about the legacy of the September 11 attacks. See our highlights section for more info.(Netflix)

Untold Stories of the ER Season 14, Episode 3 – The latest installment of a docuseries about difficult emergency room cases. (TLC)

Thursday, September 3, 2026

Canuto’s Transformation (2023) – A documentary about the legend of a man who transformed into a jaguar. (OVID)

Day of the Fight (1951) – A short documentary by Stanley Kubrick that follows a day in the life of a middleweight boxer. (TCM)

Film Geek (2023) – A personal documentary in which director Richard Shepard compiles film clips and his own archives for a look back at his love of cinema and his relationship with his father. Broadcasting early on Friday, September 4. (TCM)

Fito Páez: The World Within a Song (2026) – A documentary about the titular Argentinian rock star. (Netflix)

Flying Padre (1951) – A short documentary by Stanley Kubrick that follows a priest who is also a pilot. (TCM)

Engineering from Above Episode 4: “Record Breakers” – The latest installment of a docuseries presenting aerial views of engineering marvels. This episode looks at a bridge in France, an outdoor elevator in China, and a tunnel in the Alps. (History)

M20 Matamoros (2023) – A documentary feature about a group of men in the slums of Matamoros, Mexico, and the dance they created. (OVID)

Monsters of God Episode 5: “Head of the Snake” – The final installment of a five-part docuseries by Tiger King co-director Eric Goode about the history of exotic reptile smugglers. Read our review of Monsters of God. (HBO and HBO Max)

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Sneak Peek At What’s Coming Soon

9/4 – The Program: Texas Tech – A four-part docuseries narrated by Dennis Quaid about the Texas Tech University Red Raiders College Football Program. (Paramount+)

9/7 – OJ Unseen: Exploitation of Evil – A four-part docuseries about O.J. Simpson’s attempt at a comeback with a prank show. (Investigation Discovery)

9/18 – The History of Concrete – A documentary feature by John Wilson about concrete. Watch the new trailer for the film below. (In Theaters)

10/5 – My Omaha – A documentary feature by Nick Beaulieu about his effort to reconnect with his terminally ill father amidst Omaha’s racial justice movement. (PBS)

10/6 – Your Attention Please – A documentary feature about social media’s impact on youth safety and mental health. (VOD)

10/11 – Grandmasters – A documentary directed by Liza Mandelup (Caterpillar) about a new chess league involving Magnus Carlsen. (In AMC Theaters)

11/6 – Soul Patrol – A documentary feature about the men who were in the first Black special ops team in the Vietnam War. Read our review of Soul Patrol. *NONFICS PICK*(In Theaters)

11/13 – American Amazon – A nature documentary narrated by Jon Batiste about the wetlands of the American South. (In IMAX Theaters)

11/20 – Cameron Winter at Carnegie Hall – A concert film by Paul Thomas Anderson starring the titular musician. (In Theaters)

12/16 – To Hold a Mountain – A documentary feature about a shepherd mother and daughter who defend their land in Montenegro from military threats. (In Theaters)

Ahoy, comic fans! The story of the Maritimes’ beloved superhero Captain Newfoundland comes to the screen in a new documentary by Mike Feehan and Jamie Miller. Captain Newfoundland, premiering at the Atlantic International Film Festival in September, highlights the brainchild of Geoff Stirling, who gave Newfoundlanders someone to root for on late night TV.

People inspired by Captain Newfoundland tell how this alien astronaut broke ground for regional representation amid the mindless content field of 24-hour television and local broadcasting. The names inspired by Stirling’s creative vision include the film’s director, as Feehan became a comic book artist in his own right after seeing Captain Newfoundland light up the screen.

In this exclusive clip from Captain Newfoundland, fans share how the series helped to create local mythology by connecting audiences’ imaginations with the legend of the lost city of Atlantis. Is Newfoundland the portal to another world?

Watch a clip from Captain Newfoundland below. The film premieres at AIFF on Sept. 17.

Synopsis

Geoff Stirling isn’t just an “only in Canada” story, because he could only have come from one place – Newfoundland. When he set about pioneering 24-hour television broadcasting, he filled the late-night hours when other stations went off the air with his own fantastical creations – visions of crop circles, pyramids, and his own comic book superhero, Captain Newfoundland.

Hiring some of the medium’s most in-demand artists with his own money, he crafted books and animations that extolled the virtues of meditation and his belief that Newfoundland was the northern tip of ancient Atlantis, leaving his mark on traditional broadcasting while the images from his mind left an indelible mark on a generation of late night TV viewers – including a young Mike Feehan, who would go on to become a notable comic book artist influenced by Stirling’s legacy.

Mixing documentary-style interviews with dramatic and animated re-enactments of Stirling’s life and the mythical tales surrounding Captain Newfoundland, this documentary features insights from everyday citizens and famous Newfoundlanders alike, incorporating a mixed-media visual style reminiscent of NTV’s original broadcasting ethos.

Directed by Feehan and Canadian Screen Award nominee Jamie Miller, Captain Newfoundland aims to provide a deep, artistic insight into one man’s influence on generations of outside thinkers. By capturing the story of Geoff Stirling and the inspiration he provided to generations, the documentary seeks to preserve and celebrate a unique piece of Newfoundland’s media history, highlighting the broader relevance of Stirling’s life work in fostering a creative spirit that defies geographical and cultural boundaries. Through a blend of historical context and personal narrative, the documentary aims to immortalize an iconic figure whose life’s work continues to inspire artists and creators across the world.

The post Captain Newfoundland Explores the Lost Portal to Atlantis in New Clip from the Documentary appeared first on POV Magazine.

Dougle Reeve’s 1995 documentary follows Mizrahi into his 1994 fall collection. Access was helped amply by the fact that they were dating at the time.

In this episode, we welcome Sophie Darlington ASC, an award-winning cinematographer whose remarkable career has taken her around the world capturing wildlife and the natural world. In our conversation, she takes us behind the scenes of LION, sharing how she filmed the documentary over the course of four years in the wild, and what went into bringing the Jon Favreau–executive-produced project to life. She discusses the technologies used to craft the film’s stunning imagery, along with the challenges of this type of production.

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Netflix will release the film in theaters on Friday, October 23 following its Venice premiere.

I needed a positive documentary after a week of watching 9/11 commemorations, depressing political films on the current state of the world, and a handful of disappointments, and The Cycle of Love arrived just in time. It still brought me to tears, but out of joy. Directed by Orlando von Einsiedel (Oscar winner for The White Helmets and nominee for Virunga), this marvelously novel and constantly surprising film follows the epic, romantic journey of PK Mahanandia, who embarked on a bicycle trip from India to Sweden in 1977 to be reunited with the woman he loved. It’s one of the best movies I’ve seen this year, fiction or nonfiction.

Everything about this film is beautiful, from the seemingly simple yet extraordinary tale to the score by Patrick Jonsson and the dramatizations shot by Franklin Dow. There is more reenactment material here than some purists might prefer, but they are done with so much artistry that you could remove the documentary elements and have a brilliant drama on its own. As it exists, though, The Cycle of Love is driven by its documentary parts: talking-head interviews/narration involving only Mahanandia and the Penelope to his Odysseus, Lotta von Schedvin, as they tell their sides of the story.

There is also some archival footage seamlessly mixed into the film in case you need more nonfiction balance in this hybrid feature. Also, a lot of the sequences within the dramatization are actuality material — unscripted genuine moments with real people who weren’t cast but were met through the production’s own travels while recreating Mahanandia’s odyssey — and incorporated so perfectly. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything like it, at least not done this well. It might sound like a manipulative blurring of the authenticity of the tale being depicted, but it’s more of a blending of one real thing with another real thing, all in service of a greater truthiness.

There is more to The Cycle of Love than the romantic story at its center. It’s a timeless film for that aspect, as well as for its focus on racial and social/caste discrimination, but it’s also incredibly vital for the turbulent moment we’re currently living through. The title isn’t just a reference to Mahanandia’s mode of transport but also refers to the friends we meet along the way (sorry, I couldn’t avoid that phrasing). Empathy, respect, kindness, love — it’s all cyclical in how we treat others and are treated in return, whether in present situations and relationships or as time and lives go on. This is a tale that involves destiny and karma as well as determination. Its themes being based in Hindu ideology is essential to its richness as a true story and as a film.

I needed a positive documentary after a week of watching 9/11 commemorations, depressing political films on the current state of the world, and a handful of disappointments, and The Cycle of Love arrived just in time. It still brought me to tears, but out of joy. Directed by Orlando von Einsiedel (Oscar winner for The White Helmets and nominee for Virunga), this marvelously novel and constantly surprising film follows the epic, romantic journey of PK Mahanandia, who embarked on a bicycle trip from India to Sweden in 1977 to be reunited with the woman he loved. It’s one of the best movies I’ve seen this year, fiction or nonfiction.

Everything about this film is beautiful, from the seemingly simple yet extraordinary tale to the score by Patrick Jonsson and the dramatizations shot by Franklin Dow. There is more reenactment material here than some purists might prefer, but they are done with so much artistry that you could remove the documentary elements and have a brilliant drama on its own. As it exists, though, The Cycle of Love is driven by its documentary parts: talking-head interviews/narration involving only Mahanandia and the Penelope to his Odysseus, Lotta von Schedvin, as they tell their sides of the story.

There is also some archival footage seamlessly mixed into the film in case you need more nonfiction balance in this hybrid feature. Also, a lot of the sequences within the dramatization are actuality material — unscripted genuine moments with real people who weren’t cast but were met through the production’s own travels while recreating Mahanandia’s odyssey — and incorporated so perfectly. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything like it, at least not done this well. It might sound like a manipulative blurring of the authenticity of the tale being depicted, but it’s more of a blending of one real thing with another real thing, all in service of a greater truthiness.

There is more to The Cycle of Love than the romantic story at its center. It’s a timeless film for that aspect, as well as for its focus on racial and social/caste discrimination, but it’s also incredibly vital for the turbulent moment we’re currently living through. The title isn’t just a reference to Mahanandia’s mode of transport but also refers to the friends we meet along the way (sorry, I couldn’t avoid that phrasing). Empathy, respect, kindness, love — it’s all cyclical in how we treat others and are treated in return, whether in present situations and relationships or as time and lives go on. This is a tale that involves destiny and karma as well as determination. Its themes being based in Hindu ideology is essential to its richness as a true story and as a film.

Once the Oscars began awarding two documentary-specific categories, the honored features and shorts could represent contrasting approaches to nonfiction cinema. There’s a big difference between telling a true story in a film lasting more than an hour versus doing so in less than 40 minutes (sometimes, as in the case of the 1944 winner December 7th, the disparity between a feature and short version of the same film is night and day). With a few years in the history of documentaries at the Oscars, the feature and short winners corresponded fairly well: in 1946, the two films dealt with the World War II victory over the Nazis; in 1983, both involved ballet schools; the two 1995 films focused on the Holocaust. In 1945, however, the duo of documentary Oscar winners, the feature-length The Fighting Lady and the short With the Marines at Tarawa, were a particularly perfect pair for their similarities and differences.

The two films depict parts of the Pacific Theater of World War II in full color, with the feature covering multiple battles over a year in the life of an aircraft carrier. The short offers a look at one battle not shown in The Fighting Lady — even though that film’s carrier, the USS Yorktown (CV-10), was involved — which took place within that time frame. If you wanted to watch the pair together and preferred to do so chronologically, you’d have to pause The Fighting Lady around the 26-minute mark, put on With the Marines at Tarawa for its entire 18-minute runtime, and then continue the remaining 36 minutes of the feature. I wouldn’t recommend that. The films go together much better sequentially. I prefer the way I watched them: The Fighting Lady before With the Marines at Tarawa, even though the latter was released 10 months earlier and could be considered on par with receiving bad news first.

The short film was famously graphic in its portrayal of the Battle of Tarawa, which the U.S. won but at a tremendous cost in terms of American lives lost. Later victories in the Pacific saw more casualties, but this one was more surprising in its toll and, in some respects, was deemed a failure the Allies had to quickly learn from if they were going to succeed in the long run. The documentary doesn’t shy away from the facts, from its opening statement that some of the men we see on screen “will be dead tomorrow” to its climactic montage of floating bodies, additional fallen men dotting the island, and confirmation that “these are Marines dead.” Earlier, the film’s narration (voiced by actor William Lundigan) acknowledges that the casualties at Tarawa are high, which notably contrasts with a line from The Fighting Lady (narrated by actor Robert Taylor) proudly asserting after one battle, “Our losses are astonishingly light.”

Read more

Once the Oscars began awarding two documentary-specific categories, the honored features and shorts could represent contrasting approaches to nonfiction cinema. There’s a big difference between telling a true story in a film lasting more than an hour versus doing so in less than 40 minutes (sometimes, as in the case of the 1944 winner December 7th, the disparity between a feature and short version of the same film is night and day). With a few years in the history of documentaries at the Oscars, the feature and short winners corresponded fairly well: in 1946, the two films dealt with the World War II victory over the Nazis; in 1983, both involved ballet schools; the two 1995 films focused on the Holocaust. In 1945, however, the duo of documentary Oscar winners, the feature-length The Fighting Lady and the short With the Marines at Tarawa, were a particularly perfect pair for their similarities and differences.

The two films depict parts of the Pacific Theater of World War II in full color, with the feature covering multiple battles over a year in the life of an aircraft carrier. The short offers a look at one battle not shown in The Fighting Lady — even though that film’s carrier, the USS Yorktown (CV-10), was involved — which took place within that time frame. If you wanted to watch the pair together and preferred to do so chronologically, you’d have to pause The Fighting Lady around the 26-minute mark, put on With the Marines at Tarawa for its entire 18-minute runtime, and then continue the remaining 36 minutes of the feature. I wouldn’t recommend that. The films go together much better sequentially. I prefer the way I watched them: The Fighting Lady before With the Marines at Tarawa, even though the latter was released 10 months earlier and could be considered on par with receiving bad news first.

The short film was famously graphic in its portrayal of the Battle of Tarawa, which the U.S. won but at a tremendous cost in terms of American lives lost. Later victories in the Pacific saw more casualties, but this one was more surprising in its toll and, in some respects, was deemed a failure the Allies had to quickly learn from if they were going to succeed in the long run. The documentary doesn’t shy away from the facts, from its opening statement that some of the men we see on screen “will be dead tomorrow” to its climactic montage of floating bodies, additional fallen men dotting the island, and confirmation that “these are Marines dead.” Earlier, the film’s narration (voiced by actor William Lundigan) acknowledges that the casualties at Tarawa are high, which notably contrasts with a line from The Fighting Lady (narrated by actor Robert Taylor) proudly asserting after one battle, “Our losses are astonishingly light.”

Read more