Movies like Obscura (2018)

Finding Vivian Maier (2014)

Vivian Maier's photos were seemingly destined for obscurity, lost among the clutter of the countless objects she'd collected throughout her life. Instead these images have shaken the world of street photography and irrevocably changed the life of the man who brought them to the public eye. This film brings to life the interesting turns and travails of the improbable saga of John Maloof's discovery of Vivian Maier, unravelling this mysterious tale through her documentary films, photographs, odd collections and personal accounts from the people that knew her. What started as a blog to show her work quickly became a viral sensation in the photography world. Photos destined for the trash heap now line gallery exhibitions, a forthcoming book and this documentary film.

Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary

Nothing Like a Dame (2018)

BBC Arena's documentary on the Dames of British Theatre and film featuring Maggie Smith, Eileen Atkins, Judi Dench and Joan Plowright on screen together for the first time as they reminisce over a long summer weekend in a house Joan once shared with Sir Laurence Olivier.

Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary

Nude (2017)

NUDE explores perceptions of nudity in art by chronicling the creative process of photographer David Bellemere as he's commissioned by NU Muses founder Steve Shaw to shoot a fine art calendar of nude photographs.

Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary

Val (2021)

For over 40 years Val Kilmer, one of Hollywood's most mercurial and/or misunderstood actors, has been documenting his own life and craft through film and video. He has amassed thousands of hours of footage, from 16mm home movies made with his brothers, to time spent in iconic roles for blockbuster movies like Top Gun, The Doors, Tombstone, and Batman Forever. This raw, wildly original and unflinching documentary reveals a life lived to extremes and a heart-filled, sometimes hilarious look at what it means to be an artist and a complex man.

Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary

They'll Love Me When I'm Dead (2018)

As his life comes to its end, famous Hollywood director Orson Welles puts it all on the line at the chance for renewed success with the film The Other Side of the Wind.

Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary

All the Beauty and the Bloodshed (2022)

The life of internationally renowned artist and activist Nan Goldin is told through her slideshows, intimate interviews, ground-breaking photography, and rare footage of her personal fight to hold the Sackler family accountable for the overdose crisis.

Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary

Evil Influencer: The Jodi Hildebrandt Story (2025)

Unravel the case of Utah therapist Jodi Hildebrandt, whose child abuse arrest with parenting YouTuber Ruby Franke exposed a twisted tale of manipulation.

Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary

42 Up (1999)

Director Michael Apted revisits the same group of British-born adults after a 7 year wait. The subjects are interviewed as to the changes that have occurred in their lives during the last seven years.

Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary

Music by John Williams (2024)

His unforgettable scores are an essential part of some of the most beloved movies of our time, over a career that spans decades. See and hear maestro John Williams' own story, with insights from filmmakers, musicians, and others he has inspired, complete with rare behind-the-scenes looks at the making of movie history.

Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary

As I Was Moving Ahead Occasionally I Saw Brief Glimpses of Beauty (2000)

A compilation of over 30 years of private home movie footage shot by Lithuanian-American avant-garde director Jonas Mekas, assembled by Mekas "purely by chance", without concern for chronological order.

Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary

Avatar: The Deep Dive - A Special Edition of 20/20 (2022)

An inside look at one of the most anticipated movie sequels ever with James Cameron and cast.

Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary

Dawson City: Frozen Time (2017)

The true history of a collection of some 500 films dating from 1910s to 1920s, which were lost for over 50 years until being discovered buried in a sub-arctic swimming pool deep in the Yukon Territory, in Dawson City, located about 350 miles south of the Arctic Circle.

Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary

The Walking Dead: The Return (2024)

Stars of "The Walking Dead," Andrew Lincoln and Danai Gurira, walk down memory lane and visit iconic locations where pivotal moments between their characters, Rick and Michonne, were filmed.

Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary

Mapplethorpe: Look at the Pictures (2016)

Nude men in rubber suits, close-ups of erections, objects shoved in the most intimate of places—these are photographs taken by Robert Mapplethorpe, known by many as the most controversial photographer of the twentieth century. Openly gay, Mapplethorpe took images of male sex, nudity, and fetish to extremes that resulted in his work still being labelled by some as pornography masquerading as art. But less talked about are the more serene, yet striking portraits of flowers, sculptures, and perfectly framed human forms that are equally pioneering and powerful.

Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary

28 Up (1985)

Just two years away from turning 30, participants in Michael Apted's documentary series are facing serious questions of identity and purpose, wondering whether they've found their place in the world.

Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary

Stan Lee (2023)

Celebrate the legacy of Stan Lee as the co-creator of such legendary characters as Fantastic Four, Iron Man, the X-Men, The Avengers, and hundreds more.

Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary

Koyaanisqatsi (1983)

Takes us to locations all around the US and shows us the heavy toll that modern technology is having on humans and the earth. The visual tone poem contains neither dialogue nor a vocalized narration: its tone is set by the juxtaposition of images and the exceptional music by Philip Glass.

Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary

Maria by Callas (2017)

Told through performances, TV interviews, home movies, family photographs, private letters and unpublished memoirs, the film reveals the essence of an extraordinary woman who rose from humble beginnings in New York City to become a glamorous international superstar and one of the greatest artists of all time.

Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary

The Curious Birth of Benjamin Button (2009)

A documentary about the making of David Fincher's 2008 film THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON. Virtually every element in the evolution of the Fincher's film is documented here, from the project's attachment to numerous other directors during the 1990s, to its shoot in 2006 and 2007 in New Orleans, to its complex, CGI-intensive postproduction process.

Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary

Jim: The James Foley Story (2016)

In August, 2014, a video of the public execution of American photojournalist James Foley rippled across the globe. Foley wore an orange jumpsuit as he knelt beside an ISIS militant dressed in black. That image challenged the world to deal with a new face of terror. And it tested one American family. Seen through the lens of filmmaker Brian Oakes, Foley’s close childhood friend, Jim takes us from small-town New England to the adrenaline-fueled front lines of Libya and Syria, where Foley pushed the limits of danger to report on the plight of civilians impacted by war.

Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary

The Daily Photographer (2026)

Entertaining portrait of Erlend Štaub - a self-made professional photographer working at the president's annual reception, theatrical premieres, and film festivals like Black Nights and Cannes, and talking about life and everything in it.

Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary

Life Will Give You Pictures (2024)

An 83-year old Belgian man lives in a ramshackle mansion in Antwerp together with his son, who passes his time in the attic. But he is no ordinary old man, rather a photographer who, more than just about anybody else, chronicled the golden era of late 20th Century culture with candid snaps of such movers and shakers as The Beatles, The Stones, Jane Birkin, David Bowie and Frank Zappa – and thousands of others. © Business Doc Europe

Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary

Are You Really My Friend? (2017)

In 2011, photographer Tanja Hollander decided to visit each one of her Facebook "friends" (all 626 of them) in their homes and make formal portraits of each of them. Armed with her cameras and iPhone, Tanja traveled throughout the U.S. and around the world for 5 years, meticulously documenting her experiences in real time and creating a historical narrative, both visual and written, along the way. Her project is an exploration of friendships, the effects of social networks, the intimate places we call home and the communities in which we live.

Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary

Infinity: The Universe of Luigi Ghirri (2022)

In this poetic portrayal of Luigi Ghirri (1943–1992), a master of contemporary photography, the director gives voice and, in particular the image, to the protagonist. The photographer takes the audience on a tour of the outskirts of daily life as seen from the corner of his eye, the area in between what is artificial and authentic or grand and small – the meso-scale.

Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary

Moments without Proper Names (1987)

Parks makes himself the subject, tracing his development as a person and an artist through a non-narrative abstract self-portrait that combines his photographs with his poetry, musical compositions and scenes from his films. It also features footage of Parks, plus interpretations of his personal reminiscences performed by actors Avery Brooks, Roscoe Lee Browne, and Joe Seneca.

Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary

Bettie Page: Pin Up Queen (1998)

Bettie Page was the top pin-up queen of the 50s and developed a cult following in the 80s. She is known for her distinctive hair style and is reputed to be the most photographed pin-up model of all time. This compilation shows Bettie's playful side, featuring her scenes from the full-length burlesque films Striporama (1953), Varietease (1954) and Teaserama (1955) and a dozen complete short films from the 50s including Tantalizing Betty Dances Again, Tambourine Dance, Joyful Dance by Betty, Betty's Hat Dance, Dream Dance by Betty, Dance of Passion, Betty's Clown Dance Part 2, Betty's Lingerie Tease Dance, Betty's Second G-String Dance, Betty's Fireplace Dance, and Pin-Up Beauties Fight (with June King).

Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary

Instant Dreams (2017)

There could hardly be a more telling contrast between the analog and digital eras than the beautifully blurry memories captured in a Polaroid picture and the thousands of pin-sharp photos on an iPhone. In this ambitious visual essay, Willem Baptist explores the visionary genius of Edwin H. Land, the inventor of the Polaroid camera. Even today, all sorts of people are keeping his instant dream alive. Former Polaroid employee Stephen Herchen moved from the United States to Europe to work in a laboratory developing the 2.0 version of Polaroid. Christopher Bonanos, the author of Instant: The Story of Polaroid, tells us, "When I heard Polaroid would stop making film, it felt like a close friend had died." Artist Stefanie Schneider, who is working with the last of her stock of Polaroid film, is using the blurring that occurs with expired film as an additional aesthetic layer in her photographic work.

Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary

What Remains (2005)

At home at her Virginia farm, photographer Sally Mann reflects on the controversy surrounding her earlier collections while forging ahead with new work in this intimate portrait of an artist. Also offering insights into the photographer's career are Mann's husband and her now-grown offspring.

Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary

That Click (2019)

A man at the cutting edge of fashion, photojournalism and portraiture, photographer to the stars Douglas Kirkland has portrayed over sixty years of pop culture. This fascinating feature takes a closer look into the career of one of the most important photographers of the last century. His subjects, who are some of the biggest stars of Hollywood and the fashion world, provide testimonials.

Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary

Escala de grisos (2021)

Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary