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nonfics.bsky.social @nonfics.bsky.social · 11h

'The Queen of Versailles' is now streaming on Prime Video. Here's director Lauren Greenfield on the film, discussing the importance of good cinematography in documentaries and more: bit.ly/37VDCAJ

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nonfics.bsky.social @nonfics.bsky.social · 15h

Happy birthday to documentarian Astra Taylor! We recommend renting 'What is Democracy?' or streaming it via Kanopy or Kino Film Collection. You won't regret it. It was one of the best films we saw at CIFF in 2018, as covered here. buff.ly/2x7oRJP

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nonfics.bsky.social @nonfics.bsky.social · 15h

D. A. Pennebaker's 1967 Bob Dylan film, 'Don't Look Back,' is available to stream on HBO Max. Here we consider what makes it a classic: buff.ly/3DbSzlX

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nonfics.bsky.social @nonfics.bsky.social · 16h

Now streaming on Prime Video: ‘Cold Case Hammarskjöld’ follows an exhaustive investigation into one man’s mysterious death, unearthing a far-flung conspiracy that might just rewrite history as we know it. buff.ly/2Z7RhlS

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nonfics.bsky.social @nonfics.bsky.social · 16h

Filmmaker Michael Powell was born on this date in 1905. We recommend watching the documentary 'Made in England: The Films of Powell and Pressburger' about his collaboration with Emeric Pressburger. It's on Kanopy and Fawesome. Here's our review: buff.ly/3Wh5A4r

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nonfics.bsky.social @nonfics.bsky.social · 17h

Today in Documentary 'NAZA' and 'Linkin Park: Unshatter' are both new in theaters Chris Smith's 'The Widower: ‘Til Death Do Us Part' debuts on Netflix 'Unmasking A Monster: Aileen Wuornos' premieres on Investigation Discovery Find more to watch here: www.nonfics.com/p/week-in-do...

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nonfics.bsky.social @nonfics.bsky.social · 17h

'Coroner to the Stars,' a documentary about the famed L.A. County Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Thomas Noguchi, is now available on demand. Read our review: www.nonfics.com/p/coroner-to...

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nonfics.bsky.social @nonfics.bsky.social · 18h

10 years ago today, Ava DuVernay's '13th' premiered at the New York Film Festival. It would go on to receive an Academy Award nomination for Best Documentary Feature. Now it's on Netflix. Here's our review from the time of its release: www.nonfics.com/p/13th-is-an...

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nonfics.bsky.social @nonfics.bsky.social · 18h

'NAZA,' the sophomore effort from Oscar-winning 'No Other Land' directors Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor, opens today in limited release in the U.S. Here's our review of the film: www.nonfics.com/p/naza-review

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nonfics.bsky.social @nonfics.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

Iconic fashion editor Diana Vreeland was born on this day in 1903. Learn all about her in the documentary 'Diana Vreeland: The Eye Has to Travel,' which is streaming on Tubi, Kanopy, YouTube, and Pluto TV.

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nonfics.bsky.social @nonfics.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

Joshua Oppenheimer on the ethical dilemmas of ‘The Act of Killing’ and the fiction of observational documentary www.nonfics.com/p/interview-...

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nonfics.bsky.social @nonfics.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

Documentary legend Toni Myers was born on this date in 1943. Her name is on almost every space-related IMAX documentary as a writer, director, producer, and/or editor. Watch one of them from this list of the best space documentaries of all time today: buff.ly/2XB7SLi

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nonfics.bsky.social @nonfics.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

Sam Pollard's 'Slavery By Another Name' is one of today's documentary DVD releases. This week, we highlighted the film along with Ava DuVernay's later, similarly focused, Oscar-nominated feature '13th.' www.nonfics.com/p/week-in-do...

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nonfics.bsky.social @nonfics.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

Filmmaker Nicolas Winding Refn celebrates his birthday today. We recommend watching 'My Life Directed by Nicolas Winding Refn' (currently free on Fandango at Home), which is on this list of documentaries about the struggles and triumphs of filmmaking: buff.ly/2VVbcPY

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nonfics.bsky.social @nonfics.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

On this date in 2014, 'The Rise and Rise of Bitcoin' premiered at the Zurich Film Festival. You can watch it now for free on Tubi, Pluto TV, and Prime Video. Here's our review: buff.ly/4dpVIKY

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nonfics.bsky.social @nonfics.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

Robert J. Flaherty's 'Moana' is considered the first docufiction film. Later re-released with sound, its restoration was one of the highlights of the New York Film Festival in 2014. Here's our write-up from that event, now that the film is streaming via Kino Film Collection: buff.ly/3eEvGb5

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nonfics.bsky.social @nonfics.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

Shirley Clarke's 'Portrait of Jason,' one of our favorite documentary portraits of LGBTQ+ culture, premiered at the New York Film Festival on this day in 1967. Find it on this list: buff.ly/2w77jfv

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nonfics.bsky.social @nonfics.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

Today in Documentary 'Funny Money: The Dane Cook Story' & 'The Road Between Us: The Ultimate Rescue' debut on Paramount+ 'Miller Night Football' debuts on HBO Max 'The Swan: Behind the Mirror' debuts on Hulu Find more to watch here: www.nonfics.com/p/week-in-do...

nonfics.com

This Week In Documentary

Theatrical & Streaming Releases - New & Recommended - September 25-October 1, 2026

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nonfics.bsky.social @nonfics.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

On this date in 2014, Martin Scorsese and David Tedeschi's 'The 50 Year Argument' made its broadcast debut on HBO. Here's our review of the documentary, which is about the New York Review of Books: buff.ly/2Kee9XD

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nonfics.bsky.social @nonfics.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

‘Star Wars: The Last Jedi’ director Rian Johnson shares his top 10 documentaries: www.nonfics.com/p/breaking-b...

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nonfics.bsky.social @nonfics.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

Alex Gibney creates compelling portraits of zealots. Elizabeth Holmes is particularly engaging because, for a time, she embodied the vision and values we all aspire to. Read our review of his film about her, 'The Inventor: Out for Blood in Silicon Valley': www.nonfics.com/p/the-invent...

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nonfics.bsky.social @nonfics.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

Tons of films offer help or information regarding what's best for your health. These are the most essential. www.nonfics.com/p/documentar...

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nonfics.bsky.social @nonfics.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

On this date in 1994, the (original) final episode of Ken Burns's 'Baseball' was broadcast on PBS. Now, as the regular MLB season comes to a close (and it's Pete Filson's birthday), we recommend watching the documentary series and also locating it on this list: www.nonfics.com/p/best-baseb...

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nonfics.bsky.social @nonfics.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

In honor of #NationalDrinkBeerDay, we recommend cracking one open and watching Les Blank's infectiously fun 'In Heaven There Is No Beer?' now streaming on The Criterion Channel. It's one of the best documentaries ever to debut at Sundance, per our list: buff.ly/s3Qkw4U

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nonfics.bsky.social @nonfics.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

8 years ago today, 'Free Solo' opened in theaters. The film later won an Oscar and multiple Emmys and made Alex Honnold a star. Watch it now on Hulu and read our positive and negative thoughts on the documentary here: buff.ly/2TOPxb4

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nonfics.bsky.social @nonfics.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

Robert Flaherty's 'Louisiana Story,' featuring camerawork by Ricky Leacock, hit theaters on this day in 1948. Now it's on Prime Video, Cineverse, Fawesome, and TCM on Demand. Here's our guide to that and more Leacock films to watch online: buff.ly/2XpIZC0

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nonfics.bsky.social @nonfics.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

55 years ago today, Emile de Antonio's 'Millhouse: A White Comedy' was released. You can find the film now on The Criterion Channel. We recommended that and the filmmaker's other documentaries here: www.nonfics.com/p/week-in-do...

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nonfics.bsky.social @nonfics.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

Today in Documentary 'Holding Liat' and 'Sanatorium' begin streaming on DocPlay Find more to watch this week here: www.nonfics.com/p/week-in-do...

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nonfics.bsky.social @nonfics.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

Here's everything documentary fans need to watch this week: www.nonfics.com/p/week-in-do...

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nonfics.bsky.social @nonfics.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

Liz Garbus and Davis Guggenheim are among the executive producers behind this addictive three-part true-crime documentary about an allegedly murderous ex-wife. www.nonfics.com/p/a-killer-s...

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nonfics.bsky.social @nonfics.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

"We were all wet and cold and had been climbing for 18 hours and getting hypothermic, and there was another huge storm coming, and we had to get the shelter up, and the last thing you feel like doing is climb out to get a shot. But I did it." www.nonfics.com/p/how-to-mak...

nonfics.com

How to Make a Movie While Scaling a Mountain

Nonfics is now a newsletter!

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nonfics.bsky.social @nonfics.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

For World Tourism Day, take a virtual tour of the Big Apple. Each one of these docs does a phenomenal job of telling and/or showing us a lot about New York. www.nonfics.com/p/10-best-do... #TourismDay

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nonfics.bsky.social @nonfics.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

“The term ‘observational cinema’ excludes the interpretation, selection, and dramatic structure inherent in making a movie. 'Fly-on-the-wall' is another degrading phrase that is used...a fly is not an intelligent, sentient being." - Frederick Wiseman www.nonfics.com/p/its-time-t...

nonfics.com

It’s Time to Stop Calling Observational Documentaries “Fly on the Wall”

The term “fly on the wall” is typically credited to Ricky Leacock, though I’m unaware of the source of that claim, and true or not his coinage is only as it pertains to documentary filmmaking.

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nonfics.bsky.social @nonfics.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

“Not really food porn. That’s not classy enough. It’s 'food erotic fiction.' A guy cries trying to make eggs, and you want to cry too. What more do you want?” - Seth Meyers on 'Jiro Dreams of Sushi.' buff.ly/2MngDpD Watch it now that it's streaming free with ads on YouTube.

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nonfics.bsky.social @nonfics.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

On this date in 1975, 'Grey Gardens' premiered at the New York Film Festival. This timeless classic has been deemed by critics worldwide as one of the best documentaries of all time, as listed here: buff.ly/2vikTNq

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nonfics.bsky.social @nonfics.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

Today in Documentary 'Kill. Bury. Print,' a new documentary produced by Rachel Maddow, debuts on Peacock. 'Beginning While Ending: A Life Like Most Others' & 'The Boston Bulldogs' are in theaters. Find more to watch this week here: www.nonfics.com/p/week-in-do...

nonfics.com

This Week In Documentary

Theatrical & Streaming Releases - New & Recommended - September 25-October 1, 2026

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nonfics.bsky.social @nonfics.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

30 years ago today, 'The Line King: The Al Hirschfeld Story' debuted in theaters. You can now stream the film (highlighted in this week's newsletter) on Tubi, Kanopy, Shout! TV, or Pluto TV. And find the film on our list of the best documentaries about artists here: buff.ly/2Pxy2OE

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nonfics.bsky.social @nonfics.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

Now streaming for free with ads on YouTube, the visually innovative documentary 'Liyana' is a testament to the healing power of storytelling. Read our review: buff.ly/2P2bJAJ

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nonfics.bsky.social @nonfics.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

The 1995 documentary 'Unzipped,' which follows fashion designer Isaac Misrahi, is back in theaters this weekend with a new 4K restoration release, and it's our Pick of the Week here: www.nonfics.com/p/week-in-do...

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nonfics.bsky.social @nonfics.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

The further we get from the dawn of the web, the more complex it gets and the more issues arise. Meanwhile, documentaries keep getting better as a whole. So, it’s safe to say that we’ll be seeing other films deserving of being on this list in the future. www.nonfics.com/p/10-best-do...

nonfics.com

10 Best Documentaries About The Internet

Last week, National Geographic debuted a three-part documentary special called The ’90s: The Last Great Decade? Although it didn’t spend a lot of time on the rise of the web, the history of that…

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nonfics.bsky.social @nonfics.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

Winnie Madikizela-Mandela was born on this date in 1936. Here's our review of 'Winnie,' a quietly powerful film about her, which is still inexplicably unavailable to stream despite being a Sundance award winner: buff.ly/2GiIPpp

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nonfics.bsky.social @nonfics.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

'The Island President' is now streaming for free with ads on YouTube. We recommend watching the documentary and reading our interviews with director Jon Shenk about the film. Part 1: buff.ly/2B1NnPd Part 2: buff.ly/6RaqQih

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nonfics.bsky.social @nonfics.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

With Lance Oppenheim's dramatized 'To Catch a Predator' movie 'Primetime' now in theaters, we also recommend watching David Osit's documentary 'Predators,' which is streaming on Paramount+. You can find our review of the latter here: www.nonfics.com/p/mr-nobody-...

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nonfics.bsky.social @nonfics.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

Happy birthday to Nev Schulman, one of the main characters of the 'Catfish' film, who then became the host of the 'Catfish' TV series. Here's a look at other documentaries that spawned or inspired TV shows: buff.ly/2NKjxpY

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nonfics.bsky.social @nonfics.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

85 years ago today, the World War II film 'Norway in Revolt' was released in theaters as a 'March of Time' newsreel. It went on to be among the 11 inaugural nominees for the Oscar for Best Documentary (Short Subject). You can read about what beat it and why here: www.nonfics.com/p/churchills...

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nonfics.bsky.social @nonfics.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

Today in Documentary 'Ryuichi Sakamoto: Diaries,' 'Ai Weiwei’s Turandot' & 'Playing with Fire: An Ecosexual Emergency' are now in theaters NatGeo's 'Chilean Mine Rescue: Race Against Time' is now streaming on Disney+ & Hulu Find more to watch this week here: www.nonfics.com/p/week-in-do...

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nonfics.bsky.social @nonfics.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

The concert film 'Pulp: What Do You Do For An Encore?' is now on Mubi. You can find our take on the documentary here: www.nonfics.com/p/week-in-do...

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nonfics.bsky.social @nonfics.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

On this day in 1957, nine Black students were admitted into Little Rock’s Central High School thanks to President Eisenhower and the U.S. Army's intervention. For the full story, watch the doc short 'Nine from Little Rock,' which we highlight here: buff.ly/2nw5aG4

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nonfics.bsky.social @nonfics.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

Christopher Reeve was born on this date in 1952. Everyone should spend the occasion watching 'Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story' on HBO Max. Read our review of the film here: buff.ly/3XBhA0a

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nonfics.bsky.social @nonfics.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

These films show monumental events, heroic achievements and paths toward progress, tales from the Civil Rights Movement and beyond. www.nonfics.com/p/10-importa...

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