Top 5 Inspirational Documentary Films

Thankfully, there is a saving grace for those disgusted by the thought of sitting through another five installments of Harry Potter or the latest comic book rehash. Quality film making does exist, although you won’t typically find it at blockbuster or the local AMC  complex. The answer is documentary films.

Let’s be honest, Hollywood blockbusters have evolved into overpriced, poorly done and easy to forget by-products of popular culture. The days of clever scripts and fine acting are history, as sex and explosions dominate the visual landscape of modern film.

Documentary films stand out as shimmering jewels when compared to the disposable heroes of Hollywood. I’ve always believed in the mantra that fact is better than fiction, and the world is filled with true stories that need to be told. A well-done documentary can portray an insiders view of a world that we may never see first hand, and can aid in spawning awareness and sensitivity on subjects like genocide, child sex slavery and struggles of third world nations.

Here are our Top 5 Inspirational Documentary Films:

1. The Case for Christ (2007) PG
In this thought-provoking program, Lee Strobel — a former legal editor for the Chicago Tribune and a self-described atheist who became a Christian — shares the details of his spiritual quest and asks tough questions of a wide range of experts. Is the New Testament a reliable source? Did Jesus Christ in fact exist? Was he really the Son of God? And could Christ’s resurrection have actually occurred?

2. Ghosts of Rwanda: Frontline (2004) NR
A decade after the genocide in which Hutu extremists killed some 800,000 Rwandans, PBS’s Frontline takes a hard look at how such an atrocity occurred. The program examines the social, political and diplomatic conditions at the time of the genocide, provides firsthand accounts of the situation through interviews with officials, relief workers, U.N. peacekeepers, diplomats and survivors, and explores whether a similar situation could occur again

3. God Grew Tired of Us (2006) PG
After raising themselves in the desert along with thousands of other parentless “lost boys,” Sudanese refugees John, Daniel and Panther have found their way to America, where they experience electricity, running water and supermarkets for the first time. Capturing their wonder at things Westerners take for granted, this documentary, an award winner at the 2006 Sundance Film Festival, paints an intimate portrait of strangers in a strange land.

4. Born Into Brothels (2004) R
British filmmaker Zana Briski’s Oscar-winning documentary is a portrait of several unforgettable children who live in Calcutta’s red-light district, where their mothers work as prostitutes to ensure their survival. Spurred by the kids’ fascination with her camera, Briski decides to teach them photography. As they begin to look at and record their world through new eyes, the kids awaken to their own talents and sense of worth.

5. Inside North Korea (2006) NR
Disguised as a medical coordinator, National Geographic correspondent Lisa Ling gains access into the dictator-led North Korea and gives viewers a powerful glimpse inside one of the most restrictive countries in the world. Through personal accounts and exclusive footage, Ling exposes the difficulties the North Koreans face while living within such an oppressive regime, coping with poverty, hunger and the lack of civil freedoms.