Documentary Movies
Garlic Is as Good as Ten Mothers (1980)
A zesty paean of praise to the greater glories of garlic. This lip-smacking foray into the history, consumption, cultivation and culinary/curative powers of the stinking rose features chef Alice Waters…
Sun Ra: A Joyful Noise (1980)
Robert Mugge filmed jazz great Sun Ra on location in Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Washington, D.C. between 1978 and 1980. The resulting 60-minute film includes multiple public and private performances, poetry…
Larisa (1980)
Elem Klimov’s documentary ode to his wife, director Larisa Shepitko, who was killed in an auto wreck.
Lightning Over Water (1980)
Director ‘Nicholas Ray’ is eager to complete a final film before his imminent death from cancer. Wim Wenders is working on his own film Hammett (1983) in Hollywood, but flies…
Divine Madness (1980)
Divine Madness is a 1980 concert film directed by Michael Ritchie, and featuring Bette Midler during her 1979 concert at Pasadena’s Civic Auditorium. The 94-minute film features Midler’s stand-up comedy…
D.O.A. (1980)
Documentary chronicling the rise and fall of the punk movement with rare interview footage of Sid Vicious and Nancy Spungen. Also concert and news footage.
The Great Rock ‘n’ Roll Swindle (1980)
A rather incoherent post-breakup Sex Pistols “documentary”, told from the point of view of Pistols manager Malcolm McLaren, whose (arguable) position is that the Sex Pistols in particular and punk…
Fist of Fear Touch of Death (1980)
A television reporter interviews fighters and promoters about Bruce Lee in preparation for a tournament to claim the title of “Successor to the Bruce Lee legacy”. Footage from Bruce Lee’s…
AC/DC: Let There Be Rock (1980)
1. Live Wire 2. Shot Down In Flames 3. Hell Ain’t A Bad Place To Be 4. Sin City 5. Walk All Over You 6. Bad Boy Boogie 7. The…
Talking Heads (1980)
People of different age, profession and social status answer two simple questions: who they are and what they want from life.
Rude Boy (1980)
Rude Boy is a semi-documentary, part character study, part ‘rockumentary’, featuring a British punk band, The Clash. The script includes the story of a fictional fan juxtposed with actual public…
The Candidate (1980)
Made with an eye to the autumn of 1980 when the German parliamentary elections took place, The Candidate examines Germany’s history past and present and Franz Josef Strauß, the man…
Poto and Cabengo (1980)
Documentary by Jean-Pierre Gorin about twin girls who spontaneously developed their own unique language as children.
Take It to the Limit (1980)
This movie is a fun look back into a bygone era of motorcycling. More than the ubiquitous “history of Harley” type documentaries, this move looks at the entire culture of…
Walkabout to Hollywood (1980)
Produced and directed this documentary for BBC in the 1980’s, about David Gulpilil, acclaimed Australian Aboriginal actor, dancer and musician. The film shows how Gulpilil is always working to bridge…
Mary Millington’s True Blue Confessions (1980)
A tribute to Britain’s number one sex symbol of the 1970’s – Mary Millington. Made a year after her tragic death, this film uses archive footage from all aspects of…
Women in Rock (1980)
A documentary about women in the punk rock scene in Europe.
The Motion Picture Camera (1979)
The history and development of motion picture machinery is lovingly and authoritatively presented and narrated by ASC cinematographer and film preservationist, Karl Malkames, using actual early motion picture cameras from…
Fårö Document 1979 (1979)
In 1969, with Sven Nykvist as cinematographer, Ingmar Bergman made The Fårö Document, a film that ended with a rather pessimist view of the island’s future. One of the scenes…
Libidomania (1979)
Mondo Movie dealing with various sexual aberrations and perversions. The sources of inspiration include Freud, De Sade and Richard von Kraft-Ebing.
Frank Zappa: Baby Snakes (1979)
Rock artist Frank Zappa hosts a concert in New York City. This movie contains tons of on-stage footage, off-stage footage, and animation.
The War at Home (1979)
Documentary film about the anti-war movement in the Madison, Wisconsin area during the time of the Vietnam War. It combines archival footage and interviews with participants that explore the events…
Soft Fiction (1979)
Chick Strand’s SOFT FICTION is a personal documentary that brilliantly portrays the survival power of female sensuality. It combines the documentary approach with a sensuous lyrical expressionism. Strand focuses her…
Paul Robeson: Tribute to an Artist (1979)
This Academy Award-winning documentary short Paul Robeson: Tribute to an Artist, narrated by Sidney Poitier, traces the career of Paul Robeson through his activism and his socially charged performances of…
Derek and Clive Get the Horn (1979)
A documentary recording the making of Peter Cook and Dudley Moore’s comedy album Derek and Clive Ad Nauseam.
The Wobblies (1979)
“Solidarity! All for One and One for All!” With that slogan, the Industrial Workers of the World, aka the Wobblies, took to organizing unskilled workers into one big union and…
Mai presus de orice (1979)
Docu-drama about the earthquake in Romania, on March 4, 1977. The film was not broadcast in the country.
The Who: The Kids Are Alright (1979)
Through concert performances and interviews, this film offers us a comprehensive look at the British pioneer rock group, The Who. It captures their zany craziness and outrageous antics from the…
Going the Distance (1979)
Canadian documentary film directed by Paul Cowan about the 1978 Commonwealth Games.
Daughter Rite (1979)
A feminist documentary about female relationships, especially between mother and daughter.
UFO Journals (1979)
A documentary exploring the existence of extra-terrestrials.
Town Bloody Hall (1979)
Norman Mailer and a panel of feminists — Jacqueline Ceballos, Germaine Greer, Jill Johnston, and Diana Trilling — debate the issue of Women’s Liberation.
Is This Fate? (1979)
A portrait of a family in Berlin in the late 1970s, this film focuses on the mother.
A Respectable Life (1979)
“A Respectable Life” – A decade has gone by and the spirit of the preceding film, Dom kallar oss mods, has disappeared. Kenta is an alcoholic and lives with his…
The Battle of Chile: Part III (1979)
Guzmán’s final installment shifts from covering the actions of Allende’s opponents to those who battled to revive & promote their toppled leader’s vision for a new Chile.
Grand Opera: An Historical Romance (1979)
Grand Opera marks a stock-taking of Benning’s work and his life, presenting a personal and artistic autobiography woven together with a series of events dealing with the historical development of…
Dirt (1979)
From motorcycles to Swamp buggies; from Pike Peak to Baja California – “Dirt” covers the motorsports world of off-road racing and competitions. There is humor, drama, and suspense in this…
We Are All for the Fatherland (1979)
After the 1978 Israeli invasion of Lebanon, children try to sing the national anthem as citizens search for hope in the war-torn South.
Einstein’s Universe (1979)
A documentary produced in 1979 to celebrate the centenary of the birth of Albert Einstein. Narrated and hosted by Peter Ustinov and written by Nigel Calder.
Faces of Death (1978)
A collection of death scenes, ranging from TV-material to home-made super-8 movies. The common factor is death by some means.