10 Documentaries You Never Heard of but should see...

Here I am again pushing along the missions of independent documentarians; their stories, discoveries, research and ultimately the films. Most enter into the creation on some sort of mission that does not revolve around financial reward, but in the end, helping them to recoup some of their expenditures is a good thing to do. That, of course, is my job, and I enjoy every moment of it.

With that said, below are 10 films that I have personally found to be of great informational value. Some are new, some of not. Some are serious and some are just plain fun. Let's get started with this quick 10-film round-up:

NO MATTER WHERE: THE HEALTHCARE DOCUMENTARY

Kevin Johnson's new film, No Matter Where, is about as topical as one can imagine. It exposes a glimpse into the healthcare industry that most people have never thought about. The Information Exchange Challenge.

It might be an obvious conclusion that since virtually all medical practices use computers to record patient information, and since hospitals also use computers for such information, that these two worlds must be exchanging that information. Well, that is not the case, and the issues surrounding such exchange are not only politically personal but technologically challenging. You can read more about the film and stream it for a just a few dollars at NO MATTER WHERE. It is also available on Amazon.

BLACKHEARTS

In the 1950's there was a contingency of people who considered Rock & Roll immoral. In the 2010's, there are entire nations that consider Rock & Roll illegal.

Blackhearts is a film about freedom of [musical] expression set on the backdrop of one of the more extreme rock genres... Black Metal. But whether you did the music, the story will take you by surprise as the musicians who play it sometimes do so under the most extreme conditions. In some places on our planet, if you play the wrong chord, you're going to jail. And, we're not talking jails where you get 'three square a day'.

You are read more about this brand new film at Blackhearts, and you can purchase, stream or download it on Amazon (DVD or Stream/Download).

SOLITARY STRENGTH: The Story of Cattlewoman Dorothy Stover Hall

At the height of the Great Depression Dorothy Stover Hall saved her paycheck and at the age of 26 bought a 130 acre ranch.

The American West, Sustainability and Women’s History combine in a tale of the spirited determination of one working woman who spent her life going against the grain. Her legacy is one of confidence, integrity and self-contained dignity.

You can read more about the film and watch the trailer at Solitary Strength. It is also available for purchase at Amazon.

GAME SHOW DYNAMOS

If you're seeking a truly fun, somewhat lighter side experience, Patricia Boiko's Game Show Dynamos tells the story of a married couple that sought out the one avenue to save their family from ruin. They started entering TV game shows in the 1950's and for over 30 years appeared in them over and over again. The result? They went from poverty road to a life of winning. From Tic-Tac-Doe to To Tell the Truth to Jeopardy to Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, Bernard and Claire Boiko rocked the game show world even through the federal investigations into TV game show fixings.

74 time Jeopardy winner Ken Jennings said Game Show Dynamos was "“An endlessly charming look at one of the only purely American art forms–the humble game show–and a uniquely American family that spent the better part of forty years winning on them. Even if you’re not a game show junkie like I am, this documentary has lovely gifts for you.”

You can watch the trailer and read more about this fun film at Game Show Dynamos. And, if interested, you can pick up a copy on Amazon.

THE MIGHTY HUMBLE BLUEBERRY

You eat them all the time. They are known to be one of the healthiest fruits. But how on earth (no pun intended) did the little blueberry go from being a wild berry in the bogs of New Jersey to being a stellar food in the produce isle?

Nancy O'Mallon's award winning film, The Mighty Humble Blueberry, unearths the story of the versatile, delicious and all-American blueberry. By telling the tale of the woman who dedicated her life to bringing it into cultivation, the film blends American history and ingenuity with wonderful personal drama.

You can read more about this fruity tale and watch the trailer at Blueberry. It is, of course, also available on Amazon.

WHITTLE: THE JET PIONEER

From aviation historian Nicholas Jones (Eric Brown: A Pilot's Story) comes the incredible story of Sir Frank Whittle. His (not-so-little) little invention during WWII (1938) not only thrust the Allies into victory, but in the long run changed the size of the planet, making it smaller for all. What was his ingenious creation? The Jet Turbine.

Whittle – The Jet Pioneer reveals the titanic struggle of a young aviator and engineer as the Nazis took Europe into total war. It was a race for air superiority between Germany and the Allies. Ultimately the young inventor became one of the most influential Britons of the 20th century, and in this film, Whittle tells his own story from the challenges presented by the RAF to the alliance with GE Aviation.

Watch the trailer and read more about the film at Whittle. Or, rev up your engine and order a copy on Amazon.

A PARTING GIFT

Around the world, people donate their bodies to medical science and education. Unlike with organ donation, these donors gift their entire corpse to a medical school, and thus become silent teachers after their death in the hopes that somehow someone learns from their body what they can otherwise not learn from it while they were living.

A Parting Gift follows first-year medical students in the Anatomy Department at Dublin’s Trinity College as their education is enriched by direct contact with donor remains. It provides a rare glimpse into the educational process and the emotional process students go through in preparation to learn from the deceased.

More information and the trailer is available at A Parting Gift. Copies are available on Amazon.

CUDDLE

It should never surprise anyone the kind of business that evolves and catches on. The film Cuddle explores the boom in... ahem...professional cuddling.

From award winning filmmaker Jason O’Brien comes this unique documentary chronicling a revolutionary movement taking place around the world. It plays off contemporary loneliness and provides a touching reprieve to our society's evolving social issue of isolation. The business is somewhat controversial indeed.

Check out more info and the trailer at Cuddle. You can also touch a copy at Amazon.

IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF ST. PETER

David Suchet (from PBS's Poirot series) hosts this major two-part documentary series produced for the BBC. Suchet explores how a humble fisherman, known for his stubborn and impetuous personality became a leading figure in the early church, playing a key role in keeping the movement from splintering.

Suchet travels from Peter’s humble Galilean birthplace to Jerusalem, where a terrified Peter denies his beloved friend and teacher on the eve of the crucifixion. The series follows the biblical account to reveal the miraculous life of one of the most important figures in church history.

Explore more about the series and watch the trailer at St.Peter. Journey to Amazon for your copies today!

CAR BOMB

Forget about nuclear missiles (for a moment), the decisive and far more commmon weapon today is the car bomb. We now know you can defeat a Superpower, start a civil war or just blow up your own government with a trunk-load of homemade explosives and a battered old car or truck. From the Middle East to Oklahoma, Afghanistan and New York’s Times Square, the car bomb has shaped human conflict. Even today it remains the number one terrorist threat across the world.

In this startling film, ex-CIA agent Robert Baer, whose life was depicted by George Clooney in the Oscar-winning movie `Syriana,` uncovers the history of this extraordinary weapon for the first time.

“Through emotional interviews with other bomb experts and even bomb-layers, Baer takes the viewer on a history of the weapon that [he] considers one of, if not the most dangerous weapon of the 21st century. Baer talks to historians, other CIA agents and even former terrorists, some of whom are quite shaken by the memories and questions Baer brings up as an interviewer.” – DVD Talk

Trailer and info at Car Bomb. Copies are available from Amazon.

If you enjoy exploring the world through documentary film, visit Soundview Media Partners today. You'll find hundreds of selections with detail and trailers. Subject categories range from Politics to Music, Art, Environment, Religion, History and much more.