MRQE Ranks: The 10 Best of 2011 - The 10 Best Documentaries

1

The Interrupters (2011)

Cast: Eddie Bocanegra, Ameena Matthews, Ricardo Williams, Tio Hardiman, Gary Slutkin

Director: Steve James

Synopsis: Award-winning filmmaker Steve James delivers another powerful look at life in urban America with this documentary. As gang violence became more com... [MORE]

2

Pina (2011)

Cast: Pina Bausch, Regina Advento, Malou Airaudo, Ruth Amarante, Rainer Behr

Director: Wim Wenders

Synopsis: Pina Bausch was one of Europe's most celebrated choreographers, fusing the discipline of ballet with the freedom of modern dance and approaching he... [MORE]

3

Project Nim (2011)

Cast: Bob Angelini, Bern Cohen, Bob Ingersoll, Reagan Leonard, Dr. James Mahoney

Director: James Marsh

Synopsis: Oscar-winning director James Marsh (Man on Wire) shifts his focus from man to monkey to tell the remarkable story of Nim, a chimpanzee who managed ... [MORE]

4

Senna (2010)

Cast: Ayrton Senna, Reginaldo Leme, Richard Williams, Alain Prost, Frank Williams

Director: Asif Kapadia

Synopsis: Buckle in and hit the blacktop with Brazilian Formula One champion Ayrton Senna as filmmaker Asif Kapadia draws on archival footage to reveal how t... [MORE]

5

Bill Cunningham New York (2010)

Cast: Bill Cunningham, Anna Wintour

Director: Richard Press

Synopsis: Bill Cunningham is a fashion photographer, but unlike most in his profession, he rarely spends a day in a photo studio. Cunningham's work has been ... [MORE]

6

Hell and Back Again (2011)

Cast: Nathan Harris, Ashley Harris, Christian Cabaniss, Eric Meador, Edward Hubbard

Director: Danfung Dennis

Synopsis: A soldier dealing with the painful consequences of war finds coming home isn't much of a consolation in this documentary. Filmmaker Danfung Dennis ... [MORE]

7

Cave of Forgotten Dreams (2010)

Director: Werner Herzog

Synopsis: In 1994, one of the most remarkable archaeological discoveries of the decade came to light in a cave in Southern France, known as the Chauvet-Pont-... [MORE]

8

Into the Abyss (2011)

Cast: Lisa Stotler-Balloun, Delbert Burkett, Fred Allen, Richard Lopez, Michael Perry

Director: Werner Herzog

Synopsis: Acclaimed filmmaker Werner Herzog uses a disturbing triple homicide that took place in Conroe, Texas as a springboard to exploring capital punishme... [MORE]

9

Tabloid (2010)

Cast: Joyce McKinney, Jackson Shaw, Peter Tory, Troy Williams, Kent Gavin

Director: Errol Morris

Synopsis: Award-winning documentary filmmaker Errol Morris spins a remarkable true-life story of love, sex, obsession, abduction, religion, and scandal. Joyc... [MORE]

10

Being Elmo: A Puppeteer's Journey (2011)

Cast: Kevin Clash, Joan Ganz Cooney, Whoopi Goldberg, Rosie O'Donnell, Frank Oz

Director: Constance Marks

Synopsis: Most American parents are very much aware of Elmo, the child-like fuzzy red Muppet on Sesame Street who has become a favorite among the show's yout... [MORE]