The IDA (International Documentary Association) Award nominees were announced this past Friday, and what a year it has been. From the explosive Fire of Love to the inspiring All That Breathes, and all the engaging projects in between, 2022 has raised the bar. But how do we measure success? Box Office Grosses? The success of Social Impact Campaigns?
Documentaries offer a direct experience of real-world phenomena and people are yearning for connection. Whether the subject is nature, science, history, or biographical, this evolving genre has demonstrated massive profit potential. They are also creating positive change.
“In feature films the director is God; in documentary films God is the director.”
—Alfred Hitchcock
Case in point, here are the top ten highest-grossing documentaries.
Deep Sea (2006) Released on March 3, 3D featured an IMAX experience under the sea. The film starred Johnny Depp and Kate Winslet as the narrators who guide the viewer through the depths. Even director Howard Hall swam with a right whale which the audience can witness on the screen. This documentary won a Golden Reel Award in 2007 and generated over $98 million at the worldwide box office.
Earth (2007) contributed to the collection of nature documentaries. James Earl Jones, who also voiced Darth Vader in Star Wars (1977) narrates for viewers, venturing through animals’ perspectives in the land, sea, and air. Nominated for a BAFTA TV Award for Best Director in 2008, the film collected over $108 million at the international box office.
Dad, Where Are We Going? (2014) A Chinese film based on a South Korean TV show, this depicted a group of celebrity fathers who go on a vacation with their children–solving puzzles or participating in other fun activities. Although imdb.com rates this movie 4/10, the production received over $111 million at the worldwide box office.
March of the Penguins (2005) witnesses the lives of emperor penguins in the unforgiving Antarctic. Starring the legendary Morgan Freeman for narration in the English version, the Oscar-winning documentary won 21 other awards, 15 nominations, and over $127.3 million at the international box office.
Everest (1998) follows with $127.9 million at the worldwide box office. This documentary showcases the challenges an international team of climbers must endure in their trek to the highest peak on the planet–even the film crew had to stop work in order to rescue the few climbers that survived. Liam Neeson narrated this movie, which won a Chris Award for Science, Technology & Travel in the 1998 Columbus International Film & Video Festival.
Space Station 3D (2002) takes the viewers to the skies and beyond. With Tom Cruise as the guide, director Toni Myers created the first 3D live-action film shot in space. The documentary offers insight into the lives of astronauts on the International Space Station. Internationally, the movie accrued over $128 million.
Jackass 3D (2010) At the opposite end of humanity’s pinnacle of engineering is an equally entertaining stunts documentary. Team members endure physically abusive, but hilarious stunts–even the director Johnny Knoxville loses one of his teeth. Winning the Women's Film Critics Circle Award for Worst Male Images in a Movie, the film collected over $171 million at the worldwide box office.
Fahrenheit 9/11 (2004) was Michael Moore’s graphic documentary, sharing how the Bush Administration used the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, as an opportunity for unjust wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The film received 29 awards, 17 nominations, allegedly the longest-standing ovation in the history of the Cannes Film Festival, and made over $222 million at the international box office.
Grand Canyon: The Hidden Secrets (1984) explored the human history of one of the world’s most famous natural formations. Directed by Keith Merrill, the movie grossed over $239 million internationally.
The highest-grossing documentary of all time is Michael Jackson’s This Is It (2009). Featuring world-class American singer Michael Jackson, this film exhibited his backstage footage, interviews, and rehearsals of dancers preparing for his highly-received shows in London. The movie grossed $261,183,588 worldwide.
“It is a real-life action-adventure movie, complete with explosions and unaltered footage that will leave any moviegoer's mouth hanging open. It is also one that makes absolutely clear, in terms that anyone can understand, that climate change is urgent, unprecedented, and something that human beings must act on right away.”
David Ferris, Forbes Magazine
Documentaries not only make a profit but many are made to create positive change in the world. Here is a list of ten of the highest-rated social impact documentaries made since 2000.
I am Not Your Negro (2016) is a documentary based on James Baldwin’s unfinished personal account covering the lives and murders of Medgar Evers, Malcolm X, and Martin Luther King Jr. The Oscar nominee for Best Documentary Feature received a 7.9/10 on IMDB and a 99% rating on the Tomatometer.
The Silence of Others (2018) covers the persecution of Spanish society under the 40-year dictatorship of Francisco Franco. The documentary won 30 awards and 14 nominations and received an 8/10 on IMDB and a 100% on the Tomatometer.
Bowling for Columbine (2002) examines the cause of firearm deaths in the United States. The Oscar-winning Michael Moore film also won 38 other awards, including the 55th Anniversary Prize during the 2002 Cannes Film Festival. It has an 8/10 on IMDB and a 95% Tomatometer rating.
Chasing Coral (2017) is a documentary featuring marine scientists seeking to understand why coral reefs continue to vanish at an alarming rate. The film won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Nature Documentary and an Audience Award for Documentary during the 2017 Sundance Film Festival. It has an 8.1/10 on IMDB and a Tomatometer rating of 100%.
The Collective (2019) is a documentary following a team of Romanian newspaper reporters trying to uncover a massive healthcare fraud that enriches institutional figures and kills innocents. The Oscar nominee for Best International Feature Film and Best Documentary Feature won 34 other awards and 53 nominations. It has an 8.1/10 on IMDB and a 99% Tomatometer rating.
Blackfish (2013) is a documentary about the wrongs of marine mammal captivity and Tilikum–an orca notorious for killing trainers at Seaworld. The film was nominated for a BAFTA award for Best Documentary in 2014 and won 6 awards. It has an 8.1/10 on IMDB and a 98% on the Tomatometer.
Disclosure (2020) is a documentary about transgender people in Hollywood and the movie industry’s impact on transgender lives and American culture. It received 4 awards, 6 nominations, an 8.2/10 on IMDB, and a 98% on the Tomatometer.
13th (2016) is a documentary that presents the prison system in the United States and the country’s history of racial inequality. The Oscar nominee won 4 Primetime Emmy awards as well as an 8.2/10 on IMDB and a 97% on the Tomatometer.
The Last Out (2020) is a documentary following three young Cuban baseball players risking their lives to play for the Major Leagues. The film received an 8.5/10 on IMDB and a 100% on the Tomatometer.
For Sama (2019) is a documentary about a mother raising a daughter as the war in Syria erupts around her. The Oscar nominee received 71 awards, 51 other nominations, an 8.5/10 on IMDB, and a 98% on the Tomatometer.
These are just two shortlists from the many documentaries made over the years. It’s about time this genre gets its due. Whether it’s box office glory or social impact, these films are making a difference.
Justin Yun
This article was created by the iGEMS team. To subscribe to our iGEMSpro Weekly Report with industry updates and resources, click here. To receive our iGEMStv Guide with newly curated picks to stream, click here.