Instead of TV series: 6 documentaries from which you can not break away

Description: This article offers six fascinating documentaries that can replace the usual series. The author explains why it is sometimes worth putting aside feature films and plunge into the world of real stories, sciences and discoveries. The selection is aimed at a wide audience who are looking for intellectual and emotional entertainment.



Introduction
If the school curriculum seemed to you “yearning dreary”, perhaps it was not in the subjects themselves, but in the format of their presentation. Modern documentaries show that physics, biology, economics and history can be much more interesting than we imagined. Instead of choosing the next series for an evening viewing, we offer to immerse ourselves in the world of facts, real events and unique discoveries. Below are six amazing documentary films that will teach you to look at familiar things from a new angle and, perhaps, light a spark of curiosity in you.

Documentary studies have long ceased to be a boring chronicle, accessible only to a narrow circle of researchers. Studios spend millions of dollars shooting impressive episodes of wildlife, companies hire the best directors to create socially significant projects, and streaming services consistently produce documentary series that are not inferior to art shows in the heat of passion. It is time to discover this genre, where each sentence of the author is not a fiction, but a real story that can inspire and expand horizons.

Main part



1. The Untold History of the United States
(Director: Oliver Stone; Release Year: 2012; Country: United States)
Oliver Stone, winner of several Oscars, is known for his unconventional views on historical and political events. In this documentary series, he examines key moments in American history that are often ignored by textbooks. From covert intelligence operations to behind-the-scenes economic intrigue, Stone tries to show an alternative version of the events that have shaped the world stage over the past decades.
What's unusual about him? The director is not afraid to reveal “uncomfortable” facts and go against the official version. This is not just a chronology, but an analysis that allows a different look at the global politics of the twentieth century. The film will be useful to anyone interested in history, diplomacy and how world conflicts have become instruments of influence.


2. Planet Earth.
(Original title: "Planet Earth"; studio: BBC; year of release: 2006; countries: UK, USA)
This unique BBC series revolutionized the natural documentary genre. Filming, which lasted more than five years, covered all continents and the most inaccessible corners of the planet. Viewers will see how the ice of Antarctica becomes an arena for emperor penguins, how the inhabitants of the African savannah compete for survival, and how deep-sea creatures live in complete darkness on the bottom of the World Ocean.
The main advantage of Planet Earth is its visual grandeur. Each series is a real journey, showing the harmony and fragility of the surrounding nature. If you are used to the series-one-day, then you will be waiting for a journey through glaciers, deserts and ocean depths. After viewing, you may want to protect the planet more carefully, because now you will see how diverse and amazing it is.


3. "The Secret."
(Original title: "The Secret"; year of release: 2006; country: USA)
The film, which became a bestseller and generated a wave of discussions in the mid-2000s. The main idea is the “law of attraction” and how our thoughts can influence reality. The authors argue that the human subconscious plays a key role in achieving success, and visualizing the desired results can significantly change life.
Not everything about The Secret is scientifically critical, but its role in popularizing psychological theories aboutaffirmations and the power of positive thinking cannot be overstated. If you approach the film with a degree of criticality, it can inspire profound changes and awaken interest in the topic of self-development. It is worth a look to everyone who is looking for non-standard motives for personal growth and thinks about the energy of human thoughts.


4. Girl in the River: The Price of Forgiveness
Original title: "A Girl in the River: The Price of Forgiveness" (2015)
Short documentary, awarded the “Oscar”. The story revolves around a young girl who is the victim of an "honor killing" in one of Pakistan's conservative communities. Miraculously surviving, she decides to fight for justice and challenges the cultural traditions that allow such crimes.
A complex and difficult picture, affecting the issues of women's rights, religious rites, family honor. Despite the dark themes, the film gives hope, because the heroine demonstrates incredible courage and desire to change her fate. For viewers tired of fictional dramas, the film shows that real life is sometimes full of tragedies and feats greater than any artistic scenario. You may want to learn more about the cultural diversity of the world and the challenges people face in other countries.


5. "Space: Space and Time"
(Original title: Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey; Release Year: 2014; Countries: United States, Others)
Reincarnation of the famous project of Carl Sagan, but already with the leading Neil DeGrasse Tyson – astrophysicist and popularizer of science. If as a child, astronomy lessons seemed like a boring listing of formulas and dates, this series will make you look at the cosmos with a fresh look. It talks about the structure of galaxies, the origin of life on Earth, the properties of light, and a host of other phenomena — all with impressive visualizations and simple examples.
Each series is a small journey, revealing the vastness of the universe and the scale of scientific discoveries. Tyson presents the material in a friendly manner, accessible even to people far from physics. Space teaches us how the universe works, and reminds us that science can be as exciting as a detective series.



6. Earthlings.
(Original Title: Earthlings; Release Year: 2005; Country: United States)
This film is often called “the most shocking documentary” because it questions the attitude of humanity towards animals in the context of industrial animal husbandry, fashion, scientific experiments. Footage showing the conditions of keeping animals on farms and in laboratories may seem too explicit and cruel. However, the authors of “Earthlings” believe that to show reality is the only way to change the mass consciousness.
Why is it worth watching, even if it is uncomfortable? Because "Earthlings" put before the viewer questions of morality and call to think about their own contribution to what is happening in the world. Not everyone will come out of this film as vegans, but she will not leave indifferent. The cruelty shown on the screen is only a fragment of the real state of affairs in the field of human use of animals. But the film motivates a deep reassessment of values.

Conclusion
Documentary film has long since evolved from boring films for school audiences to a full-fledged genre capable of captivating, shocking, inspiring and even changing our views of the world. Some of the above films can be difficult to perceive, others - to impress the beauty and scale of filming, still others - to stimulate interest in scientific discoveries or historical events.
But they have one thing in common: the reality here is so powerful that it sometimes surpasses any fictional scenario. Documentary film does not need a plot, because it writes itself a script from the lives of people, animals, entire civilizations. If your usual movie menu is dominated by series, give one of these movies a chance - it is possible that you will feel the extra depth and get a lot of food for thought.
Each of the proposed tapes expands our horizons in its own way and returns to the question: “How much do we still not know, do not notice?” Sometimes just one movie can push you to explore a new topic or even lead to lifestyle changes. This is perhaps the magic of documentary.

Glossary

• Documentary (documentary)A film based on real events, facts, and real shooting, rather than fiction.
• Environmental awarenessunderstanding and responsible attitude of man to nature, animals, resources of the planet.
• Short filmA short film (usually less than 40 minutes). In this case, “Girl in the River” won the Oscar in the short document category.
• AstrophysicsScience at the intersection of astronomy and physics, studying the physical characteristics of celestial bodies and cosmic objects.
• Law of AttractionThe concept of “pop psychology,” according to which a person’s thoughts and intentions can influence events in the real world.
• Honor killingA term denoting the practice of killing a relative (usually a woman) whose behavior, according to the family, tarnished the "honor" of the clan.
• BiographyA genre of research or that tells about the life and activities of a particular person; sometimes the term is used for documentaries about people.
• Critical thinkingAbility to analyze, reason logically and experience doubt about the information received, without taking it on faith without verification.