14 Eye-opening Documentaries That Must Be Shown in Schools

Accessing “quality” information has become almost impossible today. Even what we learn from educational institutions can sometimes be insufficient. We can say that documentaries are a salve for our wounds right here.

Together, we will look at eye-opening documentaries that make people question everything they eat, criticize the realities of social media, take them on a journey towards threatened natural wonders, and expand the perception of time and space.

A philosophical journey: Examined Life

• Year: 2008
• Cast: Kwame Anthony Appiah, Judith Butler, Michael Hardt
• Director: Astra Taylor
• IMDb: 7

Compiling short interviews with famous philosophers such as Cornel West, Slavoj Zizek, Michael Hardt and Peter Singer, the documentary film takes philosophy out of academic journals and classrooms and back to the streets.

A saddening and thought-provoking documentary: Where to Invade Next

• Year: 2015
• Cast: Michael Moore, Johnny Fancelli, Christina Fancelli
• Director: Michael Moore
• IMDb: 7.5

With his new documentary Where to Invade Next, Michael Moore seeks solutions to America’s social and economic problems by “invading” countries such as Finland, Italy and France.

Criticizing social media realities: The Social Dilemma

• Year: 2020
• Cast: Tristan Harris, Jeff Seibert, Bailey Richardson
• Director: Jeff Orlowski-Yang
• IMDb: 7.6

The Social Dilemma, which deals with issues such as the harms of social media and the use of personal data, which are known to almost everyone today; It is a must-see production.

Making people question everything they eat: Food, Inc.

• Year: 2008
• Cast: Michael Pollan, Eric Schlosser, Richard Lobb
• Director: Robert Kenner
• IMDb:7.8

A dazzling “exposure” of the modern food industry, Food, Inc. is a documentary that is both fascinating and horrifying. This documentary, which everyone who is health-conscious should definitely watch, is one of the productions that will change your perspective on life.

Examining a moral dilemma: Icarus

• Year: 2017
• Cast: Bryan Fogel, Dave Zabriskie, Don Catlin
• Director: Bryan Fogel
• IMDb: 7.9

Icarus, which tells the story of Russia’s state-sponsored doping program, is an eye-opening documentary for professional sports enthusiasts, as well as a compelling narrative that will attract even those who are not interested in the subject.

Leading to skepticism: Citizenfour

• Year: 2014
• Cast: Edward Snowden, Glenn Greenwald, William Binney
• Director: Laura Poitras
• IMDb: 8

Focusing on the wiretapping scandals in America, Citizenfour is one of the documentaries that examines the civil liberties of the 21st century in a shocking way.

Natural wonders under threat: Chasing Coral

• Year: 2017
• Cast: Andrew Ackerman, Pim Bongaerts, Neal Cantin
• Director: Jeff Orlowski-Yang
• IMDb: 8

While Chasing Coral takes the audience from the incredible natural wonders of the Earth to its breathtaking beauties, it also gives serious warnings about their uncertain future, which is under threat at any moment.

Focused on success: Steve Jobs: The Lost Interview

• Year: 2012
• Cast: Robert X. Cringely, Steve Jobs
• Director: Paul Sen
• IMDb: 8

Steve Jobs: The Lost Interview, a documentary released in theaters in 2012, consists of a 70-minute interview that Steve Jobs gave while he was managing NeXT, the company he founded after leaving Apple in 1995.

It will make you feel warm: My Octopus Teacher

• Year: 2020
• Cast: Craig Foster, Tom Foster
• Director: Pippa Ehrlich
• IMDb: 8.1

We recommend taking a pack of tissues with you before watching My Octopus Teacher, which offers a heartwarming perspective on how a meaningful connection can overcome any obstacle. Because your tears will flow like a flood…

The peak of humor: Cunk on Earth

• Year: 2022
• Cast: Diane Morgan, Jim Al-Khalili, Shirley J. Thompson
• Director: Christian Watt
• IMDb: 8.1

Cunk on Earth, the mini-documentary series for Netflix from Black Mirror creator Charlie Brooker, is one of the most successful works of recent times. In the series, Philomena Cunk asks tough questions to experts in their field about the progress of humanity. This mockumentary, which makes you laugh bitterly, literally reveals the point humanity has reached by tracing the history of civilization.

The facts that hit us like a slap in the face: Before the Flood

• Year: 2016
• Cast: Leonardo DiCaprio, Ban Ki-moon, Alejandro G. Iñárritu
• Director: Fisher Stevens
• IMDb: 8.2

Before the Flood, which is about global warming and climate change, is one of the most striking documentaries that reveals that we have no more time to waste for our future. In addition, the fact that successful actor Leonardo DiCaprio both produced the documentary and released it for free shows once again his sensitivity towards the environment.

We witnessed lives full of success: Genius

• Year: 2017-
• Cast: Samantha Colley, Seth Gabel, Antonio Banderas
• Creator: Kenneth Biller
• IMDb: 8.2

We witness the life of Albert Einstein in the 1st season, Pablo Picasso in the 2nd season, and Aretha Franklin in the 3rd season of this documentary series, which focuses on the world’s most successful names and their fascinating stories in each season.

Colorful life in water: The Blue Planet

• Year: 2001
• Cast: David Attenborough, Pierce Brosnan, Peter Scoones
• Director: Alastair Fothergill
• IMDb: 9

Although two-thirds of the Earth’s surface is covered with water, scientists know little about both the oceans and the surface of the Moon. This documentary series tracks a wide variety of aquatic creatures, from giant blue whales to microscopic coral polyps.

Expanding the perception of time and space: Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey

• Year: 2014
• Cast: Neil deGrasse Tyson, Christopher Emerson, Keythe Farley
• Director: Bill Pope
• IMDb: 9.3

In this documentary, which conveys even very complex subjects in a fluent and easy-to-understand language, we embark on a vast adventure in the universe with Carl Sagan’s student, Neil deGrasse Tyson.