Genre: Historical Documentaries
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Parabeton: Pier Luigi Nervi und römischer Beton (2012)
Directed by: Heinz Emigholz
This survey by Heinz Emigholz places Pier Luigi Nervi's distinctive architecture in the context of ancient Rome's great concrete buildings. Emigholz illustrates what Nervi's…
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The Black Power Mixtape 1967-1975 (2011)
Cast: Danny Glover, Harry Belafonte, Erykah Badu …
Directed by: Göran Olsson
From 1967 to 1975, a film crew directed their cameras at major figures in America's Black Power movement, generating hours of footage that remained unreleased for three decades. Archival…
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Ronald Reagan: An American Journey (2011)
Cast: Ronald Reagan
Directed by: Robert Kline
A Hollywood star who eventually became governor of California and the 40th President of the United States, Ronald Reagan ranks among the most important cultural and political figures of the…
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American Experience: Triangle Fire (2011)
Cast: Michael Murphy, Ami Ankin, Joanna Bonaro …
Directed by: Jamila Wignot
One of the deadliest fires in U.S. history occurred at New York City's Triangle Shirtwaist Factory in 1911, killing more than 140 workers -- mostly young women who were locked inside --…
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An African Election (2011)
Directed by: Jarreth J. Merz, Kevin Merz
Filmmaker Jarreth Merz directs this eye-opening documentary about the 2008 presidential elections in Ghana, chronicling the start-to-finish drama of campaigning in a nation that's long…
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American Experience: Robert E. Lee (2011)
Cast: Jason Alan Carvell, Kara Jackson, Michael Murphy …
Despite being on the losing end in the American Civil War, Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee remains one of the nation's most vital and popular military leaders. This installment of…
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After the Wall: A World United (2011)
Cast: George H. W. Bush, Mikhail Gorbachev, Helmut Kohl …
Directed by: Eric Stange
After serving as a geographic and ideological divide for 40 years, the Berlin Wall came down in 1989, bringing the reunification of Germany and an end to the Cold War. This documentary…
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American Experience: The Greely Expedition (2011)
Cast: Tim Hopper, Justin Mader, Michael Murphy …
Directed by: Rob Rapley
PBS's acclaimed documentary series uses a wealth of vibrant historical sources to examine the Greely Expedition, one of the late 19th century's most keenly anticipated scientific…
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American Experience: The Great Famine (2011)
Cast: David Ogden Stiers
Directed by: Austin Hoyt, Aisiyuak Yumagulov
This installment of "American Experience" sheds light on the devastating 1921 famine that left millions of Soviet Russians starving, a pandemic that prompted then-Secretary of Commerce…
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Secrets of the Dead: Lost in the Amazon (2011)
Cast: Liev Schreiber
Directed by: Peter von Puttkamer
PBS's acclaimed documentary series "Secrets of the Dead" sets out to find the fabled "Lost City of Z," charting Col. Percy Fawcett's final expedition into the Amazon in 1925 that…
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Wartorn 1861-2010 (2011)
Cast: James Gandolfini
Blending archival research with first-person accounts, this sobering film (executive produced by James Gandolfini) traces the history of posttraumatic stress, from the first documented Civil…
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Secrets of the Dead: China's Terracotta Warriors (2011)
Cast: Liev Schreiber
Putting 8,000 clay soldiers in historical context, this installment of "Secrets of the Dead" explores the origins of the famed terracotta warriors that were created -- in the span of only two…
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Chronicle of the Third Reich (2011)
Cast: Ian Kershaw, Brigitte Hamann, Goetz Aly …
Directed by: Michael Kloft
Sixty-five years after the fiery end of the Nazi empire in 1945, this authoritative documentary looks at the 12 years of German history that began with grand hopes of a better future for the…
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Irena Sendler: In the Name of Their Mothers (2011)
Cast: Irena Sendler, Jan Becker
Directed by: Mary Skinner
Polish social worker Irena Sendler's courageous crusade to save thousands of Jewish children from the Nazis comes into focus in this gripping documentary. Having miraculously survived…
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Last Summer at Coney Island (2011)
Directed by: J.L. Aronson
With an eye to the past and the future, this documentary shines a light on the archetypal American amusement park of Coney Island. Lingering over images of the park's pre-World War II…
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The Real Story: Escape from Alcatraz (2011)
Interviews with eyewitnesses and dramatic reenactments reveal the inside story on the events of June 11, 1962, when after months of meticulous planning, three inmates busted out of San…
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Paul Goodman Changed My Life (2011)
Cast: Paul Goodman
Directed by: Jonathan Lee
This documentary explores the little-known life of best-selling author Paul Goodman, "the most influential man you've never heard of." He may not be widely recognized by name, but his…
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King George VI: The Man Behind the King's Speech (2011)
Cast: Colin Firth, Tom Hooper, Mark Logue …
This well-researched documentary provides historical background for the fascinating story behind the Oscar-winning drama The King's Speech. Archival footage of King George VI is combined…
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Britain's Royal Weddings (2011)
Cast: Sophie Raworth
Britain's royal weddings are always a source of spectacle and speculation. This documentary looks at the history of Windsor Castle's grandest events. Starting in 1923, the…
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Lee & Grant (2011)
Cast: Jonathan Frakes, Michael L. Colosimo, Shaun C. Grenan …
Directed by: John Ealer
This insightful documentary offers a unique perspective on the contrasting family backgrounds, personal lives, battlefield strategies and legacies of Ulysses S. Grant and Robert E. Lee, two…
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Sholem Aleichem: Laughing in the Darkness (2011)
Cast: Rachel Dratch, Hillel Halkin, Peter Riegert …
Directed by: Joseph Dorman
Discover the man behind the musical "Fiddler on the Roof" in this biography of Sholem Aleichem. Vintage photographs, film clips and interviews with historians reveal Aleichem's world and…
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Pompeii: Back from the Dead (2011)
Cast: Don Wildman
Directed by: Paul Elston, Steffan Boje
This documentary uncovers long-buried secrets of the Italian city of Pompeii, which was preserved by volcanic pumice and ash 2,000 years ago. Modern genetic technology is used to explore the…
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Elusive Justice: The Search for Nazi War Criminals (2011)
Cast: Candice Bergen
Directed by: Jonathan Silvers
This gripping documentary chronicles the work of several tireless individuals who for decades have dedicated themselves to tracking down former Nazis, forcing them to answer for the…
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The War of 1812 (2011)
Cast: Joe Mantegna
Combining dramatic reenactments and interviews with historians and other authorities, this documentary examines the War of 1812, in which America once again fought the British in a battle…
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Engineering Ground Zero: Nova (2011)
Directed by: David Shadrack Smith
The venerable science show examines the construction of the One World Trade Center skyscraper and the National September 11 Memorial and Museum as the process unfolds on the former site of…