Best Documentaries of the 21st Century?

Inspired by IndieWire’s list of the 50 Best Documentaries of the 21st Century, I’m honouring non-fiction today. Joshua Oppenheimer’s “The Act of Killing” tops their list.

Can you believe, in its 93-year history, there has never been a documentary nominated for the Best Picture Oscar?

The failure, and subsequent backlash, to nominate a documentary in the category really kickstarted in the late ‘80s when both Errol Morris’ “The Thin Blue Line” and Michael Moore’s “Roger & Me” were snubbed. You can still find a few archived think-pieces from that era, especially for Morris’ seminal work, that make the case for non-fiction inclusion inaide the Best Picture lineup.

Those that came closest to a Best Picture nomination were probably 1994’s “Hoop Dreams” and 2004’s “Fahrenheit 9/11”. In 2006, there was a bit of talk about “An Inconvenient Truth” sneaking in, it was a big deal at the box-office, but that never materialized. Maybe if the field was ten nominees, it could have.

“Bowling For Columbine” should have absolutely been nominated in 2002, but was, if you can believe it, too controversial at the time.

Harvey Weinstein had a major campaign push for “Fahrenheit 9/11” in 2004. It had won the Palme d’Or, grossed over $100 million domestically and came at a time when vehement opposition towards the Iraq war was starting to seep into the mainstream. It would have absolutely gotten in if there was a 10-nominee field back then.

It’s a real shame that no documentary has ever been recognized by the Academy, especially in the 21st century, where non-fiction film has become a very popular medium. Netflix has only further boosted people’s interests these last few years.

My top 10 docs of the 21st Century:

“O.J. Made in America,” “Grizzly Man,” “Bowling For Columbine,” “This is Not a Film,” “Capturing the Friedmans,” “Exit Through the Gift Shop,” “Faces Places,” “The Act of Killing/The Look of Silence,” “Citizenfour,” and “Cameraperson.”

Here’s another 20:

“Icarus,” “Bloody Nose Empty Pockets” “The Truffle Hunters” “Être et Avoir,” “The Gleaners & I,” “I’m Still Here,” “Midnight Family” “They Shall Not Grow Old” “Three Identical Strangers” “Weiner” “Amy” “Heart of a Dog” “Searching For Sugar Man,” “The Cove,” “Anvil,” “Dave Chappelle’s Block Party,” “Spellbound,” The Look of Silence,” “American Dharma,” and “Fahrenheit 9/11”