10 Documentaries To Check Out While Social Distancing
Updated: Apr 27, 2020
So far, we've talked about television shows to binge and movies to watch on Disney+. Now, let's talk about some of the amazing documentaries to be found on the streaming service while you are social distancing yourself during the Coronavirus.
Frank and Ollie
Produced in 1995, this is a fabulous documentary on the lives of two of Disney's most prolific artists - Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnson. The two worked on a variety of films during their storied careers at Disney, including Bambi, Alice In Wonderland, and Lady and the Tramp. This is a must for any Disney fan.
Empire of Dreams: The Story Of The Star Wars Trilogy
This is the quintessential documentary on the making of the original Star Wars trilogy. Clocking in at 2 1/2 hours, the film contains so much wonderful archival footage and interviews. This is as comprehensive a Star Wars history as you're going to get.
The Crimson Wing: Mystery of the Flamingos
Unlike most Disneynature films, The Crimson Wing went straight to video. I didn't know what to expect before I watched it, but found myself utterly intrigued at the life story of these majestic birds in Tanzania. It's beautifully filmed and wonderfully colorful.
Waking Sleeping Beauty
This is an incredible documentary looking at Walt Disney Animation between 1984 to 1994, from the lows of The Black Cauldron to the highs of The Lion King. Far from a puff piece produced by Disney, the film really shows the trials and tribulations of the department as they sought to produce the best animation for it to present to the public.
Jane
This is a fantastic documentary about Dr. Jane Goodall and her studies of the chimpanzees in Gombe (which continue even today, making it the longest running research of any given animal). There is some amazing archival footage used for the film, looking almost as clear as if it were filmed today. Dr. Goodall mostly narrates the documentary and she is just so fascinating.
Marvel 75 Years: From Pulp To Pop!
This documentary is a must for any Marvel fan or fans who want to learn more about Marvel history. Hosted by actress Emily VanCamp (Sharon Carter in the Marvel movies), the film goes from the early days of Timely comics to some of the most prolific action movies our time.
The Flood
This beautiful documentary follows the lives of animals living in the Okavango Delta in Botswana which, once a year, goes from barren wasteland to watery wonderland. While life is hard for some animals because of the climate change, it is a boon for others. This a must for anybody who likes animal documentaries.
The Boys
This film documents the lives of Richard and Robert Sherman, arguably Disney's most prolific song writing duo. While the two were brothers and worked with each other for years, the two of them didn't get along that well, leading to almost estrangement toward the end. It's a sad but powerful documentary.
Born In China
Beautifully shot, this DisneyNature film details the lives of three animals throughout China - a panda, a golden monkey and an ever elusive snow leopard. The locales are dazzling and lush. It's a wonderful look into the lives of these animals rarely documented.
Viking Warrior Women
While it is mostly thought that all Viking warriors were men, this film goes forth to document that there were many strong Viking women out there. We are treated to all the scientific research that show us that these Viking warrior women both existed and thrived over 1,000 years ago. It's an excellent look into a topic not often explored.