7 Portrait Documentaries About Incredible People

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Written By Habiba Abdou

The world is full of people who leave some sort of mark in the world, but few are remembered in history for their achievements. Many portrait documentaries explore figures from the past and from the present who’ve made an impact on the world. They can deliver the valuable lessons we can learn from these people, or simply celebrate their legacy. From sport icons to world-changing scientists, here are 7 portrait documentaries that take a look at some of the most incredible people.

Dear Rider

Jack Burton Carpenter made snow sports cool with his contribution to the founding of the modern day snowboard. Dear Rider explores how Carpenter built his success with Burton Snowboards, one of the largest snowboarding brands in the world. It’s a celebration of the man who envisioned an affordable snow sport while skiing was mainstream, but only reserved for those with higher status. The documentary features interviews from family, friends, and other snowboarding icons who show their appreciation and treasure him in their memory. With archive footage and home videos, Dear Rider is a heartfelt salute to Carpenter.

👉 Watch Dear Rider on Amazon Prime

I Am Here

Ella Blumenthal is a 98-year-old woman who has made one of the greatest ahievemnts of all time: surviving the holocaust. More so, she still manages to hold an impeachable kindness and love for life despite her past. I Am Here gives Ella the spotlight to tell her story in her own words. With beautiful and heartbreaking animations, the documentary immerses you into her experiences, and imagines her accounts of Belsen-Belsen, Auschwitz, the Warsaw Ghetto, and Majdanek. An incredible soul, Blumenthal shows that she doesn’t let the horrors she experienced define her as the documentary follows her taking happy strolls on the beach and swimming laps. As Blumenthal sits with her children and grandchildren to recount her days during the war, I Am Here makes it clear that her resilience is an inspiration for all generations.  

👉 Watch I Am Here on Amazon Prime

👉 Buy I Am Here as DVD on Amazon

We Are As Gods

An environmentalist, activist, founder of multiple organisations, and creator of the world-changing “The Whole Earth Catalogue”, Stuart Brand is a name worth familiarising yourself with. We Are As Gods allows you to do just that, following Brand himself as he reflects back on his legacy which influenced some of the greats in Silicon Valley, such as Steve Jobs. But Brand doesn’t plan on leaving his legacy there. We Are As Gods follows him on his current project, where he details his efforts to restore ecosystems by bringing back extinct species. The documentary delves into the life of a man full of passion and drive to change the world, while also interviewing people who might find his newer project dangerous.

👉 Watch We Are As Gods on Amazon Prime

👉 Buy We Are As Gods as DVD on Amazon

RBG

Ruth Bader Ginsburg was an adored figure in the justice system, both inside and out of court. RBG explores her life and achievements as a lawyer, the second woman to serve as an associate of the Supreme Court, and a liberal icon. Through interviews of friends, family, colleagues, and Bader Ginsburg herself, RGB celebrates her legacy, in which she was always a voice for gender equality. There’s no one better suited to fill her position, with her compassion, ambition for good, and voice for equity being vital aspects for anyone working in government. The documentary also explores her presence in pop culture, where her loveable image has been turned into a hipster icon.

👉 Watch RBG on Amazon Prime

👉 Buy RBG as DVD on Amazon

Mothers Of The Revolution

Mothers Of The Revolution explores an event in history that would go on to change the world. In 1981, a group of women banded together to march from Wales to Berkshire, protesting over weapons being stored in RAF Greenham Common. The protest launched 70,000 women into action, starting a global revolution. With interviews from protesters who were there and archive footage of the protests, Mothers Of The Revolution will make you cry and applaud. It explores an important event in history that's seldom talked about, and gives the women of Greenham Common the praise they deserve. 

👉 Watch Mothers Of The Revolution on Amazon Prime

Hawking: Can You Hear Me?

Stephen Hawking is well known for his groundbreaking achievements in science, but Hawking:Can You Hear Me? rightfully amplifies these by focusing on the toll his health took on him. Diagnosed with Motor neurone disease at 21, which doctors were certain would kill him within a few years, Hawking went on to start a family and become a revolutionary physicist. The documentary details the true strength and resilience Hawking had to accomplish such an impactful legacy. With interviews from his wife and children, the documentary opens up the discussion of how disability can have a toll on a family. As much as the documentary celebrates the genius of Hawking, it gives his family the opportunity to speak out about the uglier sides of him. Hawking: Can You hear Me? is an intelligent character study of a genius - compassionate, inspiring, and sometimes distressing.

Hawking: Can You Hear Me? on IMDb

Becoming Cousteau

Jaques Cousteau used his status as an ocean explorer to warn about the dangers of climate change. Becoming Cousteau explores his life enriched with achievements through film, environmentalism, inventions, and discoveries. Consisting of mostly archive footage, the documentary gives a comprehensive guide to Cousteau's achievements, and how he became one of the biggest names in the environmentalist movement. He was well ahead of his time with his warnings about climate change, which he was able to bring to the attention of the world as he became more and more prominent. His passion for the ocean and the environment was magnetic with his advocacy for change.

👉 Buy Becoming Cousteau as DVD on Amazon

 
Habiba Abdou
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