Some of the greatest documentaries are about subjects that no one would have thought would make for a compelling story. These films take seemingly mundane subjects and craft them into compulsively watchable entertainment:
Helvetica
The story of the world’s most popular font (you’ll recognize it as soon as you see it) encompasses design history, philosophy, sociology, and the psychology of typeface selection.
Hands on a Hardbody
This 1997 film follows a common car dealership promotion that took place in Longview, Texas: contestants must place their gloved hands on a shiny new truck and the last one to remove them wins the truck. What follows is a grueling, suspenseful, and strangely inspiring ordeal.
The Parking Lot Movie
Learn why a parking lot in Charlottesville, Virginia can be a special place, a place of learning, growth, and a rite of passage for its employees. Funny, insightful, and sometimes sad, this film uses its banal backdrop to say important things about life and growing up.
Please Vote for Me
A class of 8 year olds vote for a class monitor in the first election of its kind in China. The larger issue of the democratization of China and the nature of democracy runs through the story, as children and adults become involved in the election in both positive and negative ways.
