The BEST DOCUMENTARIES OF ALL TIME 🎥🎬 - Our favourite/top 10

[@markbone]

Also, don't forget the first 1000 people who click the link will get 2 free months of Skillshare Premium: skl.sh/markbone3

[@VisualsbyBruno]

Just signed up for Skillshare thanks for the assist 👍🏼 Also I'm definitely saving this video to go back and watch some of these docs

[@alastairstanley]

Thank you for this Mark, a welcome resource for downtime between hospital shifts; excited for what I'm going to learn!

[@asherhuskinson6815]

“Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son About His Father” is one of the best documentaries I’ve ever seen. So unique and brutal. I would highly recommend it!

[@markbone]

yes, Dear Zachary is crazy good!!!

[@MattRosvideos]

Agreed!

[@rasheed9705]

Yes! In my opinion the most emotionally compelling documentary I've ever seen.

[@cinema-q]

OoOoOo Mark, a thousand ppl have probably already said this but, to echo them, you HAVE to see Searching for Sugarman. Even being a documentarian, I never liked watching documentaries much but this one is 👌🏾👌🏾 Magnifique! Its one of those *plot twist* type of docs! Really remarkable.

[@Hangs4Fun]

Ken Burns is my favorite and his six part documentary on "National Parks: America's Best Idea" is my favorite doc. Maybe because im an avid wilderness backpacker/filmmaker and love our national parks and wilderness areas, but I've also enjoyed his other docs like The Civil War, Jazz, The Dust Bowl, The War, etc. I like his ability to get compelling stories out of interviews, his use of making photos 3 dimensional, and how he always brings the story more about the people and community around a topic and less about the one or two big names that are always attached to those historical topics. He has a way of telling a story we've all heard in away that any one of us could have been apart of as it relates to common every day people. His use of audio also really helps reinforce what he's showing us, which is a clever way to handle old footage or his making photos 3D. I really feel like im being brought back to the time he is telling the story of which is not easy to do when much of what you have to work with is old photos, footage, audio, etc.

[@meyerdigitalfilm]

Totally agree the WW2 and vietnam docu were awesome

[@rtorresajiaco]

A good one that I saw recently was "Honeyland", by Ljubomir Stefanov... Amazing Movie !!!

[@go4brad]

'Grizzly Man' is what got me into documentary filmmaking. To me, the best docs are the ones that break the expectations you have going into them. 'Minding the Gap' was another great film. I went in thinking it was about skateboarding... not so much. A great film. Thanks for the list. Great seeing "Baraka" on it.

[@cloudiow]

Yoooo this is really insightfull! Mark in the future could you perhaps do some breakdowns of your jobs / experiences. From the pre-production proces to the actual shoot and post? I now I am kinda asking for alot. But I do really aspire to be doing the kind of work you are doing in the doc/storytelling. And I would love to see how it works on like the 'bigger productions'. Thanks alot!

[@MoCo_Filmmaker]

A few of my favorites are, Hoop Dreams, Crumb, Dancing Outlaw, Making a Murderer, Pumping Iron, The Barkley Marathons: The Race That Eats Its Young, & Indie Game: The Movie .

[@markbone]

Great films

[@redbarondroneimages8871]

Love this video, thanks Mark. Nothing more magical than talented people sharing information and skills (For free!!!)

[@markbone]

🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻

[@nuiyoubysusanametzger3759]

Please continue this series 👏🏼😊

[@wintrowmedia3694]

I saw a documentary years back on Netflix called “Following Sean” (2007?) directed by Ralph Arlyck and it was absolutely fascinating! Its a sequel to his short film “Sean” filmed back in the late ‘60’s San Francisco scene. I don’t remember any fancy edits or camera work, but the THEN AND NOW subject and archival footage made for a great story. I’ll never forget watching it. Just discovered you and going down the rabbit hole. Love your work Mark!

[@jabumabaya]

You have a great list. I would say my favorites so far are Fear of 13, Three Identical Strangers and Free Solo

[@ManyWaysFilms]

I just found your channel a couple days ago and I can tell you that your channel is my favorite to watch about filmmaking

[@Maros_Mari]

Hey Mark thanks for great list. I would definitely recommend Act of Killing and Look of silence, also some European docs by masters like Chris Marker - Sans Soleil, Agnes Varda-Gleneurs and I. They have unique flavor like European cinema, great to get inspired.

[@bobbythompson901]

Which Way Home is a fairly recent film that had some powerful scenes. Harlan County USA is an all time favorite. Spellbound - I thought would have won an Oscar most years - but came out the same year as Bowling for Columbine. This Film is Not Yet Rated is interesting especially for film lovers. Thin Blue Line is one of the most significant docs for its use of reenactments. Any Maysles film - Gimme Shelter and Salesman in particular, but When We Were Kings is also amazing. Pennebaker revolutionized docs, I think Monterrey Pop is his best although many will argue for War Room.

[@markbone]

Gimme Shelter, Thin Blue Line and Fog of War were all runners up for us

[@paulgero]

I love Salesman and would also add Sherman's March, The Kids are Alright and Woodstock

[@atharvakulkarni1971]

Thank you I got a lot of great stuff to watch Bye I am going to start watching it right now 😊 Just Keep making such great videos for us ♥️

[@markbone]

Thank you mate!!!

[@madswaadenseholt368]

Some other honorable mentions: Honeyland (2019) All these sleepless nights (2016) - this is really bending the principals of documentaries The Good Postman (2016) The Yes Men (2003) - Very funny and groundbreaking for a lot of "prank" themed films and videos today The Dawn Wall (2017) There are a lot more great films - but these have probably impacted me the most (besides some of the ones you mentioned in the video)

[@aguilarballesterosjorgeeli5397]

Greetings from colombia, Nice job mark thanks a lot

[@tylerwhite3607]

Great recommendations. Wild wild country is an excellent doc series. Especially for archival footage. Directed by the Chapman brothers (Kurt Russell’s nephews)

[@TheBjornarv]

To anyone that like Koyaanisqatsi I highly recommend Lucky People Center International(1998). It`s my favorite movie in this kind of genre. The movie is often overlooked, but I think it deserves just as much attention🙌

[@markbone]

I’ll have to watch it! Everyone is recommending so many amazing films

[@68Snaps]

Hey thanks for the Skillshare trial! Thanks so much for all your documentary "masterclasses" (scattered masterclasses that is, but great masterclasses anyhoo). I'm currently preparing my 1st documentary, so I'm taking notes!!!! Thanks to you I have documentary styles, interview styles & tips sorted out. I feel ready and scared sh*tless at the same time! Loving it! :-)

[@markbone]

So glad this has been helpful!! So appreciate of your support

[@mazembeent]

Thanks for the list, some new ones I’ll be seeking out.I’d also give a vote for Searching for Sugarman and another documentary in a similar vein is Genghis Blues .

[@BarbierLukas]

Recently started watching more documentaries and the ones which stood out for me were : HUMAN, Finding Vivian Maier and Exit Through the Gift Shop.

[@markbone]

Ah damn! How could I forget about Finding Vivian Maier?!?! Such a good film!!

[@GreggGalgo]

Thanks for the list...

[@adsonmettler]

Keep bringing content man! Its inspiring for anyone who wants to develop into documentaries like me!👊

[@markbone]

🙏🏻

[@markbone]

We’re doing a documentary course if you’re interested theartofdocumentary.com

[@organismx]

Thanks for sharing.

[@juliareynes7243]

My favorite documentaries: - Sans Frapper (That Which Does Not Kill) by Alexe Poukine (very powerful talking head) - Pearl of Africa by Jonny Van Wallström - Icarus by Brian Fogel

[@markbone]

Icarus!! So freakin good

[@omarij5275]

Through the Fire: Sebastian Telfair 🔥🔥 Hoop Dreams is classic but Through the fire has a motivational aspect to it that cant be matched!

[@gonzapach8897]

I really liked "Free solo" (2018) and 28 up (1984). Thank you for the content, is really helpful. I must do a documentary in lockdown for the university here in Argentina, is really hard, because i can't go outside, and i am by myself (editing, filming, think the concept, etc). At least i have an a7rii, that is overkill in my country (searching for a top handle, we have no stock of anything in several months). I think i will make one about the network and connections in general, the situation is hard because half of students doesn't have the resources to a internet connection for the lessons. Rescate is one of my favorites too! Saludos por parte de tu fan de Argentina.

[@markbone]

Both great films!!

[@abinav4869]

My favourite 💓

[@PlanetPrince]

Keep your hair longer man! You got the flow! Thanks for the suggestions

[@markbone]

Keeping it!

[@khcstewie]

They Shall Not Grow Old by Peter Jackson is definitely one of my favorites. The colorization was what got me to watch it, but the stories alone are quite incredible. I'd recommend it to anyone who even has a passing interest on the subject matter. The novelty of colorization definitely isn't the only thing holding up this documentary.

[@meyerdigitalfilm]

Ken burns vietnam and ww2 docu was freaking awesome

[@markbone]

Ken Burns is a legend! Love his work

[@ZackHarold]

"Honeyland" all the way. It's an amazing movie-but even more amazing when you learn the filmmakers didn't know what any of the characters were saying to one another until they were in editing. They cut the film by body language.

[@markbone]

Man, Honeyland has been on my list for ages. Need to see it!

[@ZackHarold]

@@markbone Watch it tonight and report back!

[@crazyasianskills]

MINDING THE GAP!!!

[@jahzzii7]

You're so freaking awesome!

[@EelkeDekker]

Great suggestions: two of my favorites: Searching for sugerman. Because the story is so incredible. And The Imposter because of the way the interviews we’re shot and the re-enacting, and the plot. De

[@alastairstanley]

I love that you included "Last men in Aleppo" - tremendous respect for the courage and resilience shown by the White Helmets. In a similar theme I would highly recommend "Access to the Danger Zone" (links below) directed by Peter Casaer and narrated by Daniel Day-Lewis. This documentary provides an insight into the challenges of delivering humanitarian aid in armed conflicts and explores the strategies that Doctors Without Borders uses to save lives in the world's worst war zones, including Afghanistan, Somalia and eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. Available on iTunes: itunes.apple.com/us/movie/access-to-the-danger-zone/id1280587027?mt=6 Amazon: www.amazon.com/dp/B07C2J8BPF/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_ep_dp_Rom0AbW9BDP5P Google Play: play.google.com/store/movies/details/Access_to_the_Danger_Zone?id=kL0zf1L3yzw

[@markbone]

I’ll watch Access to the Danger Zone!!

[@joshuagallardo3326]

I love the Hunger Games...so sad what happened to those poor people.

[@eyeflyfilms]

"Big River man" is a super low budget/amateur doc, but fascinating! Also "king of kong", "superheroes", and "three identical strangers" are interesting. Cheers

[@markbone]

I LOVE Big River Man, and Kings Of Kong. I actually reference it in a an upcoming video! Both are insanely good documentaries

[@eyeflyfilms]

@@markbone it looks like we have similar taste man... Guess that's why I enjoy your content so much. Hope we get to meet up or work on something together one day!

[@whotfisgreg8540]

“More than a game.” About Labron James. While its not the best documentary I’ve seen, this was the documentary that got me into documentaries.

[@markbone]

Great film

[@RayAngeloLeal]

I would highly recommend watching Free Burma Rangers directed by Brent Gudgel and Chris Sinclair. A solid story about faith in the warzone.

[@thomasontour3123]

I recommend the senna documentary it's amazing it's quite sad but it's brilliant

[@caysh3352]

grizzly man is great. i recommend Minding the Gap, so good and personal for people my age (teens, early 20's)

[@rsmith02]

For ones that personally moved me, "Boogie Man: The Lee Atwater Story" is one of the best ones I've seen, moving you with his personal story and disgusting you with a look behind the scenes at a new destructive generation of US politics where winning is all that matters. "Wild Wild Country" on Netflix is a heck of a journey that humanizes and demystifies a group of people who were intentionally mysterious and misunderstood and did truly horrific things in the name of their spiritual guru. "The Thin Blue Line" and "Fog of War" by Error Morris give insight into intelligent use of re-enactments and how to interview people to get them to say things they might not otherwise.

[@alejandrooliva8371]

Were can I watch Hale county Tish evening?

[@markbone]

I believe you can rent it on iTunes

[@gnkstudios6138]

I was hoping you would mentioned the rock climber one on Netflix Forgot the name. But that one is brilliant! Baraka is absolutely amazing. Love your vids man. I consider weddings, docs too.

[@markbone]

Free Solo!

[@jasonmason066]

The Dawn Wall!

[@gnkstudios6138]

@@markbone yes! Free Solo was sooooo good. That film had my heart racing for him and his girlfriend lol

[@Fakano]

Other great ones: The classics, of cine verite "La bête lumineuse & Pour la suite du monde, and some modern ones: The act of killing, la bete lumineuse, and my absolute favorite last years oscar nominated "Honeyland" absolutely fantastic. If you have the stomach of course... "Shoah" 11 years in the making. Enjoy.

[@documentaryinprogress]

Make sure to complete the Koyyanisqatsi trilogy with Powaqqatsi (1988) and Naqoyqatsi (2002). No Ron Fricke there, but same principles. And speaking of Ron Fricke, if you liked Baraka you will definitely like Samsara (2011): same style, same director, also filmed in 70mm format, and absolutely entrancing.

[@markbone]

I saw Samsara in 70mm... it was stunning but didn't impact me emotionally the same way that Baraka or Koy. did. I also have Chronos on Blue-Ray, great film but still not Fricke's best

[@EddieChuCaiHan]

"Don't F**k With Cats" I recently watch this Documentary and it just blow my mind the way they tell the story and the way the shoot it

[@MoCo_Filmmaker]

Would love to know if you've seen the "Dancing Outlaw", it was actually an episode for a PBS series called Different Drummer just a half hour one.

[@atdavidlee]

Two docs I absolutely love, MAKE produced by Musicbed and Ten Days: A Modern Success Story by Ryan Booth

[@elliotauxant4195]

My favourites: F for Fake, American Movie, dominion, dear Zachary, Shoah

[@markbone]

Dear Zachary is insane!!!

[@elliotauxant4195]

Mark Bone Cried all day! Would recommend all the others if you haven’t seen them, all masterpieces.

[@rossnitschke1449]

Check out "Wild Horse Redemption"

[@markbone]

Ill have to!

[@JosueLemus]

Finding Vivian Maier

[@Radiakt]

YOyo...this might be off topic but gonna ask anyway...i know you shoot sony...what settings(1080/4k)/lens/lights you use to film your talking heads? i find it hard recreating the look you get...my skins look horrible on talking head so i might need some tips!

[@markbone]

I use an A7III, on a Sony 16-35 2.8 G Series. Which a Falcon Eyes 818 RGB Light with softbox. My camera is set to 5500K for white balance. I shoot on HLG3. I also got a dope tan recently.

[@rsmith02]

Shoot Cine 2 and use the Leeming LUT to correct its colors. If you want to add background punch with colored lights you can.

[@emiliobello2538]

My favorite documentaries are The Cave, The Gatekeepers, My Octopus Teacher, He Named Me Malala, Won't You Be My Neighbor and Pope Francis A Man Of His Word

[@hl1693]

Thanks for your recommendations, lot of great films! I would suggest two films: - Killing Time: Entre Deux Fronts By Lydie Wisshaupt-Claudel (2015) a great film about marines going back to US to 22 Palms and the boredom in between two deployement (2 fronts) Beautiful cinematogrpahy, every shot is perfect, great edit. - Treasure Island by Guillaume Brac (2018) a french documentary about a summer at a nautique base, it's just great, hard to resume, beautiful cinematography, unbelivable characters and situations but in the same time it's so calm and serene. It could be diffcult to find it in english but it worth the effort!! I would love to have your opinion on those two.

[@markbone]

I’ll add these to my list

[@BenjaminRowlandTV]

Great recommendations - I've got some additional docs to check out now! One I highly recommend is "Winter On Fire." It centers around a large protest in Ukraine. It is available on Netflix ( I think they bought it.)

[@markbone]

sick! I'll take a look

[@SlavaVeres]

All these great DOCS are mostly AMERICAN films and this list does not represent international masterpieces • however we THANK YOU for sharing this list with us!!!

[@tompennington1569]

You gotta add Samsara to your Baraka and Koyaanisqatsi list.

[@markbone]

I love Samsara visually but it didn’t emotionally or narratively impact me the way those other two films did

[@creatingkinok]

Somehow, by liking Werner Herzog, Mark Bone manages to become even more inconceivably based.

[@edwassermann8368]

is it financially viable to have a doc on netflix for filmmakers without a big name?

[@markbone]

Documentaries are generally not financially viable lol. If you get your funding from netflix etc you get your day rate or project salary but there isn’t much money on the backend like dramatic films

[@edwassermann8368]

@@markbone thanks very much for sharing your insight. It's surprising that Netflix isn't valuing that sort of content more financially. Is it different when they acquire docus from the festival circus? I read about one example, an outlier probably, that they paid $10 million for distribution rights for a documentary about Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez after it was a success at Sundance? Is that a unicorn sorta thing in the docu world?

[@rsmith02]

That documentary ("Knock Down the House") bet on 4 unknown people getting into politics. It turned out one of them did and became a major figure in her own right, so that might be why it did unusually well? She won the primary before this film was released and picked up by Netflix. It is a really great film in its own right and I hope inspires others to run for office.

[@karunwisamuel5047]

Finding Vivian Meier

[@markbone]

The best. I should have added it

[@karunwisamuel5047]

I've started seeing the films you mentioned

[@TAPPChannel]

looking good... Covid19 case won't stop any time soon... If you're filming videos with other people you can do to your hair saloon too :)

[@markbone]

Hair Salons open up this Wednesday in Toronto! My wife is excited because she can finally go back to work

[@TAPPChannel]

@@markbone oohh so she works in hair saloon?? Or somewhere else but she don't want to go to work without visiting hair saloon first?! :D Here in Chicago hair saloons are opened for 4-5week now...

[@ThisIsWideAngle]

This is a beautiful list for shure. Still sad about every "best documentary" list without The Act Of Killing by Joshua Oppenheimer.

[@CiMichel]

I'm reveling in the fact that we have the same hair style right now!

[@markbone]

YES! This means I look like a pro-volleyball player and not a hockey head

[@TapTwice]

Nice list for Inspiration. I am going to do a documentary about a somewhat controversial guy. He´s like the Swiss Jordan Petersen. I wonder if someone knows a good documentary that could help me get inspiration for that.

[@markbone]

I would watch Particle Fever, Transcendent Man or We Steal Secrets

[@stevenkralovec]

At 7:06 when you said it was “pharisitical” did you mean “pharisaical”? I think I gotcha

[@markbone]

Yes, pharisaical, I mispronounced... WHOOPS.

[@orifandesh]

watched

[@KiblerDesign]

I can't believe you forgot The Blair Witch Project.

[@markbone]

🤣😱

[@scoginatorphoto1960]

I recommend the documentary, "Cameraperson."

[@christianiguess]

Drinking game: watch all of Mark Bone's videos and take a shot every time Mark brings up "Rescate" Haha, joking of course. A great documentary to check out is "Mele Murals", it's about graffiti artists in Hawaii using wall murals to connect with their culture and help bring native Hawaiian children into a modern and artistic lifestyle through graffiti.

[@markbone]

Bro! You’ll be drunk in the first 5min

[@KNAPVIDS]

Dude... do you even know you impatc life of another people. Im a bartander and i started to shot videos cuz of u.. and i fuck it love it.. love from croatia

[@markbone]

Wow! Thanks man 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻 keep crushing it brother

[@MySouLisBlue]

roll my nike shutter

[@mexiweze]

The Imposter

[@markbone]

SUCH A GOOD FILM

[@mexiweze]

@@markbone Amen to that!

[@ianjames9970]

"All Time" did not start in the 1980's.

[@markbone]

You sound like a Nanook of the North or John Grierson fan ;)

[@givebackdocumentaryproduct5981]

Dude all the mens because of covid are starting looking like hippies ( including me). Keep the long hair it looks good and when everyone finally cuts their hair yours will stand out. Long hair is cool.lol

[@markbone]

Done. I’ll keep my hair

[@jhornett]

Meru

[@melaniewiersma7910]

Athlete A

[@GerryBraatz]

Black fish is garbage. Love your channel, hate that doc.

[@abinav4869]

My favourite 💓