This is a good one. As a journalist (an out of work one but that aside) this is a subject right up my alley! I looked at the title, then saw the photo of David Attenburough, and thought some people will probably think of him. To me Attenburough is a bit overrated. But that's a personal opinion. He's not really a filmmaker. He's a narrator. Also my opinion. There are SO many outragiously great documentary makers out there, that never have a chance, purely because they lack the marketing team and the big bag of money behind them. Sadly, that's the truth for many. Not everyone can call themselves SIR Attenburough afteral...
But hey, enough about the politics in film making and on to my favorite documentaries.

source made in LunaPic

3. Third Eye Spies

A documentary about the us of psychics in crime research, as well as the fact that the CIA has studied these psychic abilities, as well as remote viewing, and has used this knowledge and the people involved with it, in their own activities.

There is more than meets the eye, quite literally. In this documentary, no stone has been left unturned. With interviews made with members of law enforcement, psychic mediums that were used for crime research, and spy work, often successfully, as well as eye witness accounts, it becomes clear to the viewer that these practices are rather common.

A question one has to ask is the following: the film description states that the CIA has studied these psychic abilities for more than 20 years.
However, exactly how long has this been done, and more importantly: how many times have these abilities been used for their own work.

I believe the film answers many questions but has left me, and with me many others, with more questions than answers. It comes in third place for me because it gave me more reason to dive deeper into this unknown, and sometimes unbelievable, world of psychics and remote viewers.

2. The Century of the Self

This documentary is focused on the work of Sigmund and Anna Freud, and how authorities and corporations alike have used their theories to manipulate the public into 'buying their products', whether this was an actual product, or a means of control. I think this film was ahead of its time, as well as accurate at the time. We're still seeing these theories being used in todays society. Well, some do, most don't.

Either way, the film shows exactly what was taken from Freud's psychoanalitical perspectives, and how it was used on unsuspecting human beings successfully. A must watch if you want to understand the innerworkings of government entities, and corporate works.

1. Gonzo - The Life and Work of Hunter S. Thomas

source

The name says it all. This documentary was made as a biography of the brilliant journalist Hunter S. Thompson.

I still remember the first time I heard about this man. I was 15 and 'accidentally' picked up his book "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas", and read it, not so accidentally. It blew me away, so I read it again. It blew me away even more.
It took me a while longer to completely understand his writings, if I ever did. But it was the beginning of my somewhat unhealthy infatuation with the man and his work.

In an interview Thompson stated that 'You should just write about whatever you want.' What I loved about the man was that he didn't just write about what he wanted, but he also lived exactly like he wanted. An example we should all strive to be like, in my opinion.

Journalism was already on my list of future jobs. Hunter S. Thompson made the list shorter. I wanted to write like him, and maybe I even wanted to be like him.
I certainly had great admiration for the man, the writer, the journalist, and for the fearless way he lived his life. Yes, most of it was soaked in alcohol and drugs, but that didn't make him a lesser writer. If anything, it made him better.

This documentary makes a good attempt to portray the life and work of Hunter. From his youth, his time in the military, his crazy life until his chosen death. Nothing was coincidental and at the same time: everything was. After his death, the question arose: would he be in heaven or in hell, and in his own words: he would probably get kicked out of both...

Honorary mention: Any documentary by Jacques Cousteau

As a child, I would sit on the edge of my seat, with my mouth wide open, whenever we were treated by one of the master pieces by this genius. I love anything that has the ocean as the subject so this was always a treat for me.

His work is brilliant, with amazing film work, and the music to match the theme.
The most impressive film I had ever seen was when he and his crew brought the Calypso down into the Blue Hole in Belize, and what they found there! Amazing!

Why he didn't make it into my top 3?
Well, that's because of his sometimes unethical ways. For instance: he used dynamite in coral reefs to study the fish, which were obviously dead. I've also heard that he used dynamite in an area to open it up so his boat could get through. Yeah, not something to admire. However, he was the co-inventor of the aqua lung, which was the beginning of scuba diving.
Therefore, I believe he deserves the honorary mention. Nothing more, nothing less.

Thank you if you made it down this far. But what about you? Are there any documentaries that impressed you enough to write about?