Best Documentaries of 2023

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Best Documentaries of 2023

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For more than three decades, we have diligently curated a list of the best documentaries each year. In the ever-evolving landscape of documentary filmmaking, 2023 has emerged as yet another remarkable year of real-life storytelling. This list recognizes films reviewed in 2023, either newly available in theaters, on Blu-Ray, or through streaming services. Meticulously chosen from our extensive collection of reviews, these titles showcase the diversity and artistic ingenuity present in this year's documentary offerings.

By incorporating these films into your collection, you can offer audiences a rich array of perspectives and subjects. From documenting political upheavals and the complexities of war to exploring the biographies of unique individuals and family dynamics to shedding light on the struggles for reproductive rights and the impact of pandemics, these educational documentaries offer a comprehensive view of the human experience. 

Video Librarian recommends these films for public and academic librarians looking to expand their collections, educators seeking to utilize cinema for their classroom syllabus, and other community leaders who want to enlighten their communities with public film screenings. These top-tier documentaries of 2023 not only educate but also foster empathy, understanding, and a deeper connection to the world we inhabit.

This year, the 13 documentaries on our list include the following subjects: 

Whether you're seeking thought-provoking content for educational purposes or diverse narratives for entertainment, these best documentaries of 2023 recommended by Video Librarian stand as noteworthy contributions to your institution's film catalog. Let this list serve as a valuable resource in streamlining collection development for the upcoming year.

Judged Bodies: The Fight for Reproductive Rights

Directed by Mariana Carbajal | EPF Media | 69 mins 

The educational documentary focuses on how the lack of abortion or reproductive healthcare is a human rights violation. To make matters worse, many women in the country come from disadvantaged backgrounds, making healthcare even more elusive. The film documents this struggle beautifully. It also discusses violence against women in the country, and how this serious issue intertwines with the fight for reproductive health. Even as other countries pass abortion legislation, the country remains at a standstill.

The film is an eye-opening look into a group of women fighting for their rights. It is, at times, extremely hard to watch but Judged Bodies: The Fight for Reproductive Rights balances current events and history with great precision. The educational documentary would work well in a film series about feminist movements and women’s rights. Judged Bodies: The Fight for Reproductive Rights would also be an effective addition for anyone studying modern history, as well as modern political resistance movements.

Read the full review of Judged Bodies: The Fight for Reproductive Rights

Seeds: Black Women in Power

Directed by Éthel Oliveira and Julia Mariano | New Day Films | 105 mins 

Brazil, 2018: in the wake of the assassination of Rio de Janeiro city councilor Marielle Franco, the elections turned into a political upheaval led by Black women. Franco had been a symbol of hope and change, one of the few Black women in office at the time, fearlessly advocating for Brazil’s marginalized communities: her assassination was a blatant attempt to silence these voices.

The documentary is a testament to the power of collective action: the women featured in the film hail from diverse backgrounds but are bound together by mutual support and a shared commitment to creating a better future. As you watch the film, you can’t help but admire their extraordinary courage, as they risk their lives fighting for change.

Read the full documentary review of Seeds: Black Women in Power

 Do I Need This?

Directed by Kate Schermerhorn | New Day Films | 62 mins

This unique documentary follows the life of director Kate Schermerhorn during a major transitional period. Her aging parents are moving out of their dream home to an assisted living home, and while the change is necessary, Kate feels fear and revulsion watching her mother give away every piece of her childhood.

While Do I Need This? focuses its marketing on the analysis of consumerism, the documentary offers a unique case study on American life, grief, and family dynamics. Highly Recommended. Editor's Choice.

Read our full documentary review of Do I Need This? 

King on Screen 

Directed by Daphné Baiwir | Dark Star Pictures | 75 mins

There is nothing to complain about in King on Screen. The interviews are thoughtful and interesting, the archival footage used is well-considered, and the film’s pacing is perfect: Each moment is informative in some way, making this documentary as informational as it is entertaining. 

King on Screen is a perfect fit for any public library collection and university collections that serve bustling film or writing departments. Highly Recommended. Editor’s Choice. 

Read our full documentary review of King on Screen

Plan C 

Directed by Tracy Droz Tragos | Good Docs | 94 mins

The documentary follows Plan C’s founders and a good dozen other activists and doctors fighting to provide a simple, safe, and effective means of family planning to those in states making abortion illegal.

These women are true outlaws, and many of them cannot appear on film because of their patently illegal actions in providing abortion pills to people in states like Texas and Oklahoma. Censored and voices altered, they still lend their voices to this documentary, showing us exactly what lengths some people will go to when defending individual autonomy in the face of overwhelming and unjust laws. 

This documentary is incredibly brave and features dozens of equally courageous women who share their experiences both with providing care and receiving care even though state governments have placed a death sentence on such activities in some of these states. Highly Recommended. Editor’s Choice.

Read our full documentary review of Plan C 

Time of Pandemics

Directed by Tricia Hlongwe and Rehad Desai | Icarus Films | 87 mins 

Unlike the United States, South Africa is very familiar with pandemics and their lasting tolls on society if not contained. The country has one of the highest per-capita rates of HIV with at least nine million people infected with the disease. When COVID-19 hit, South African filmmaker Rehad Desai was inspired to begin documenting the work of those combatting the virus, comparing it to early and ongoing HIV/AIDS activism and government action.

Time of Pandemics is a fantastic documentary from start to finish. Rehad Desai’s documentary style and effortless ability to connect past and present make this film as informative as it is interesting to watch. Those interested in Covid and other pandemics will want to watch this documentary.

Read our full documentary review of Time of Pandemics 

Love Me Tenderloin

Directed by  Henri Quenette | Planet Group Entertainment | 71 minutes

The nearly 50 square block area of San Francisco known as the Tenderloin is a historically significant neighborhood. 

Love Me Tenderloin follows four such Tenderloin residents: Joseph “Indian Joe” Phmondon, Deforest “Woody” Woods, Bridchette Johnson, and Arnold Reed. Each has had experience with addiction and homelessness, but they all have different experiences and drives.

This intimate documentary follows these four people through their day-to-day experiences in the Tenderloin as they seek work, community, food, and shelter.  Anyone studying addiction, recovery, homelessness, or San Francisco will want to see this outstanding documentary. Highly Recommended. Editor’s Choice.

Read our full documentary review of Love Me Tenderloin 

Up on the Mountain

Directed by Olivier Matthon | Collective Eye Films | 84 mins

The documentary Up on the Mountain, by Olivier Matthon and Michael Reis, tells the story of a diverse group of Southeast Asian refugees, Latino immigrants, and white Americans who harvest wild mushrooms for a growing number of restaurants and buyers. But despite the sustainability of their harvest, these independent workers are repeatedly denied access to public lands. 

Up on the Mountain is an understated, yet beautiful tale that educates viewers about mushrooms and the harsh realities of the politics surrounding the harvesting, in a subtle manner that doesn’t hit you over the head. This documentary would be perfect for library programming seeking to educate those learning more about mycology and social and political issues in the agricultural world. 

Here at Collective Eye Films, we have always gravitated to environmentally focused-documentaries. Up on the Mountain is one of those films not only for the thoughtful and beautiful way it tells this story but in the intersection of race, politics, and environmental conversation within it. Keeping true to the notion that documentary films are powerful tools for change, it strives to unearth a story that'll make a difference.

Read our full documentary review of Up on the Mountain 

Ophir

Directed by Olivier Pollet and Alexandre Berman | Documentary Educational Resources | 97 mins

With at least 29,000 years of human occupation, the Autonomous Region of Bougainville in Papua New Guinea has a long history and has birthed a rich culture. Ophir takes a deep look at the recent colonization of the island by Australian interests.

Ophir chronicles the history of this conflict from the beginnings of the colonial period to the 2010s, focusing on the successes and populism of the infamous armed rebellion, which succeeded in halting BCL’s operation. The people of Bougainville face a new challenge, as multiple interests seek to re-open the Panguna mine just as the first signs of ecological recovery appear.

This award-winning documentary is a must-have for library shelves. Highly Recommended. Editor’s Choice.

Read our full documentary review of Ophir

Instructions for Survival

Directed by Yana Ugrekhelidze | Frameline | 72 mins 

Georgia is a country sandwiched between the black sea and Azerbaijan. It has a long history of conflict and annexation with larger empires including Rome, Persia, Byzantium, and the USSR. Instructions for Survival focuses on one arm of this hatred: Transphobia.

Alexander is a transgender Georgian trying to live his life. He and his wife were forced to move and hide when they first married, and now -with the Georgian state taking an official and violent stance against all queer individuals- they seek to flee the country for fear for their lives.

This documentary doesn’t intrude to the point of pure voyeurism like many similar films. Every shot has meaning. Every shot has intention. Thoughtful, pensive, engrossing, and honest, Instructions for Survival belongs in every queer documentary collection. Highly Recommended. Editor’s choice.

Read our full documentary review of Instructions for Survival 

 Searching for Gerda Taro

Directed by Camille Ménager | Icarus Films | 57 mins

Born Gerta Pohorylle, Gerda Taro was a young but notable photographer active in Spain during the height of the Spanish Civil War and the first-ever female war photographer to die in combat. Jewish in Nazi Germany and an outspoken leftist anti-fascist, she fled to Paris after her arrest for distributing pamphlets. It was in Paris that she met the man who would become a noted war photographer of the mid-20th century, Robert Capa. There, the two became photojournalists and lovers, working out of a dark room in their bathroom.

Searching for Gerda Taro includes a solid hour of expert analysis and discussion about the woman behind the photos. This touching documentary addresses her more brutal works of war photography. It is not suited for all audiences, but anyone studying photojournalism or women in photography will want to see Searching for Gerda Taro. Highly Recommended. Editor’s Choice. 

Read our full documentary review of Searching for Gerda Taro

The Great 14th: Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama in His Own Words

Directed by Rosemary Rawcliffe | Green Planet Films | 82 mins

The Great 14th, which aired on PBS stations throughout 2022, manages to give a novel look at His Holiness’ well-documented life, precisely because it does not directly concern itself with his public image nor frame itself through an editorial lens. Rather, it sits back and lets the man himself tell the story.

Told in a brisk but elegant 80 minutes, the film revolves around a long interview with His Holiness, supplemented by a breadth of archival footage, including remarkable scenery of life in Tibet before the Chinese invasion. Many scenes dissolve some of the distance we might feel from him as a public person, giving us a sense of his personal story through the images that flow from his own memory.

Read our full documentary review of The Great 14th 

American Native

Directed by Steven Oritt | Indican Pictures | 84 mins

American Native is an in-depth documentary that dives into a long-standing struggle along the border of New York and New Jersey. In the mountains just thirty minutes from Manhattan, a nation struggles for national recognition. Since their first attempts in the 1970s, the Ramapough Indians have been petitioning the Bureau of Indian Affairs for federal recognition.

This fantastic documentary is an absolute must-see for anyone interested in Native American cultures and Indian law in the US. Excellently researched, meticulously structured, and brutally honest, American Native shows a clear sympathy for the long-misunderstood Ramapough tribe. 

Read our full documentary review of American Native 

RadioActive Soldiers: The Oppenheimer Aftermath 

Directed by L. Douglas Keeney | 2023 | 56 mins 

Following the devastating bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, which hastened the end of the Second World War, the world was thrust into what would be known as the atomic age. RadioActive Soldiers: The Oppenheimer Aftermath powerfully captures the impact of this emerging era through interviews with soldiers who survived the first nuclear bomb tests as the US government raced to better understand nuclear weaponry amidst the emerging geopolitical tension between the US and the Soviet Union. 

Chilling film footage from these nuclear bomb tests and firsthand accounts from witnesses make this documentary a must-watch for audiences wishing to learn more about this period in history and the ugly truth that thousands of American soldiers were forced to learn when they became human guinea pigs testing out the next generation of weaponry. It is a pointed and well-crafted reminder of the lengths people will go to when under a perceived or imminent threat. Considering the world we now find ourselves in as the war in Ukraine continues to rage, this reminder could not be more timely or critical. 

Read our full documentary review of Radioactive Soldiers: The Oppenheimer Aftermath