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When artistry is the result of passion and compassion, what is left is a tangible relic of one or many cultural movements.
When Netflix picked up Sundance favorite What Happened, Miss Simone? chances are, the streaming platform didn’t realize the importance the documentary would have in this current civil rights movement months later — archival footage and interviews from the 1960s mirroring what we’ve seen happen in Ferguson, Staten Island, Baltimore, and Charleston just in the last year. Chronicling the life of musician and activist Nina Simone, the deeply moving documentary explains how nearly all of Simone’s work was influenced directly by the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s and how her words, in turn, affected how race relations were being discussed in a broken America.
If you watch What Happened, Miss Simone? and are eager for more documentaries about art and culture, here’s a mesh of subjects ranging from musicians, dancers, photographers, designers, and artists (in the more traditional, paint-on-canvas, sense of the word) available on streaming. Watch how each story is inspired by or has inspired a cultural movement.
'What Happened, Miss Simone?' (2015)
Featuring archival footage, exclusive interviews, and one hell of a moving soundtrack, director Liz Garbus brings the “High Priestess of Soul” back to life in this stunning documentary that shows how her music and activism were not mutually exclusive. [Where to stream What Happened, Miss Simone?]
'20 Feet from Stardom' (2013)
Always a step back from the front of the stage, being a backup singer is a relatively thankless job, despite the gig allowing the featured men and women to live out their true passion of belting it out — just as long as they don’t interfere with the spotlight. [Where to stream 20 Feet from Stardom]
'Diana Vreeland: The Eye Has to Travel' (2011)
Editor of two of the world’s most prestigious magazines, Harper’s Bazaar and Vogue, Diane Vreeland famously set an unparalleled precedent for women in the workplace. From her upbringing in Paris to her first day as a columnist and beyond, The Eye Has to Travel paints a portrait of a woman whose artistic vision seeped past the pages of her magazines and into Hollywood, ultimately helping lead to the tangible celebrity worship we hold in our hands when opening a copy of Vogue. [Where to stream Diana Vreeland: The Eye Has to Travel]
'L'amour Fou' (2010)
L’amour Fou, or “Mad Love,” delves into the life and relationship of iconic fashion designer Yves Saint-Laurent and his partner, Pierre Bergé. The intimate journey into the fashion mogul’s world of design and influence unveils the mystery behind the man whose vision has affected all realms of high-end retail, advertising, and lifestyle. [Where to stream L’amour Fou]
'Advanced Style' (2014)
Director Lina Plioplyte took to the streets of NYC to uncover the secret to aging naturally and gracefully. As told by seven fashion-forward, hyper-aware elderly New York women, Advanced Style debunks the stigma associated with old age as these ladies are living like they’re still in their twenties. [Where to stream Advanced Style]
'Finding Vivian Maier' (2013)
Arguably one of the most important street photographers of our time, Vivian Maier’s work was only recognized years after her death. A nanny on Chicago’s North Shore, Maier took photos of the city and its inhabitants before shipping off to New York and later Los Angeles, where she carried on her hobby. Flash-forward a few decades and hundreds of thousands of undeveloped negatives later, and we’re left with a slew of unanswered questions about the 20th Century’s most stealth photographic influencers. [Where to stream Finding Vivian Maier]
'Is the Man Who Is Tall Happy?' (2014)
Through a series of interviews with philosopher and activist Noam Chomsky, filmmaker Michel Gondry (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind) takes us on an animated venture into mind-bending discussions about science, evolution, language, art, politics, and human nature. [Where to stream Is the Man Who Is Tall Happy?]
'Exit Through the Gift Shop' (2010)
What would it look like if the subject of a documentary suddenly became the director? That’s what happened when the camera was pointed on elusive street art phenomenon Banksy, who inspired documentarian Thierry Guetta in such a way that Guetta decided to become a graffiti artist himself, calling into question both the sanctity of art and the duping of those who consume it. [Where to stream Exit Through the Gift Shop]
'Cutie and the Boxer' (2013)
Boxing painter Ushio Shinhara and his dutiful wife Noriko give whole new meaning to the term “starving artist” as two people who have dedicated their lives to the purity of their art form: punching paint into canvas. When the couple invite filmmaker Zachary Heinzerling into their home, however, a journey of self-discovery begins to happen for Noriko, whose powerful artistic vision has remained relatively dormant until now. [Where to stream Cutie and the Boxer]
'Ballerina' (2006)
Even if you aren’t into ballet, this fascinating exploration features five Russian dancers of the Mariinsky Theatre who have dedicated their bodies to their art for the chance to perform around the globe. Diligence, disappointment, and bloody feet inspire these ballerinas to fight their way to the front of the world’s stage and make you wonder why the heck this isn’t considered the most brutal sport out there. [Where to stream Ballerina]
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