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The 10 Top Documentaries of 2011


Influence Film Club’s Top Documentaries of 2011 shows is a testament to the power of documentary film. These are real stories about real people (and our animal friends) that deserve to be seen and talked about. These docs tell the stories of David and Golliath, those who have redefined and stood up against cultural norms, people who have dedicated their lives to a passion, and those who remind us that there is more than meets the eyes. Our top documentaries of 2011 inspire us to be the change we want to see in the world, and invite meaningful discussions about the world immediately surrounding us and the world at large.

The Black Power Mixtape
Essential viewing to anyone concerned with contemporary U.S. history, THE BLACK POWER MIXTAPE is a compilation of footage shot by a group of Swedish journalists following the American Black Power Movement between 1967 and 1975.

Buck
A look inside the life of Buck Brannaman, a man with an almost surreal aptitude for communicating with horses. He overcame tremendous odds to become the real life ‘horse whisperer.’

If a Tree Falls
IF A TREE FALLS offers a rare and provocative look at the Earth Liberation Front, the radical environmental group that the FBI calls America’s number one domestic terrorist threat.

Pina
PINA is a visually stunning documentary featuring the ensemble at Tanztheater Wuppertal Pina Bausch. The film pays tribute to and reflects upon the unique and inspiring life and art of the great German choreographer, Pina Bausch, who died in the summer of 2009.

Project Nim
PROJECT NIM tells the story of a chimpanzee who was the focus of a 1970’s landmark experiment to prove that an ape could learn to communicate through sign language if raised and nurtured like a human child.

Big Boys Gone Bananas*
What is a big corporation capable of in order to protect its brand? BIG BOYS GONE BANANAS!* follows filmmaker Fredrik Gertten and his partners as they refuse to be bullied and silenced by the fruit giant, Dole Food Company.

Kumaré
KUMARÉ is a documentary about a man who impersonates a wise Indian Guru and builds a following in Arizona. At the height of his popularity, the Guru Kumaré must reveal his true identity to his disciples to unveil his greatest teaching of all.

Jiro Dreams of Sushi
JIRO DREAMS OF SUSHI is a thoughtful and elegant meditation on work, family, and the art of perfection, chronicling Jiro Ono’s life as both an unparalleled success in the culinary world and as a loving yet complicated father.

Miss Representation
By exploring the under-representation of women in positions of power and influence in America, MISS REPRESENTATION challenges the media’s limited portrayal of what it means to be a powerful woman.

Bully
BULLY is an intimate account on how bullying affects 13 million American children every year. Bringing human scale to this startling statistic, the film offers an unflinching look at how bullying has impacted 5 kids and their families.