Highest-Rated Women-Directed Documentaries

In this documentary, former Indonesian death squad leaders reenact the 1965–66 mass killings through stylized film genres like gangster movies and musicals. As they dramatize their roles in the violence, the boundary between fiction and reality dissolves, revealing the long-lasting psychological and political effects of the purge.

This documentary chronicles the 1973 coal miners’ strike in Harlan County, Kentucky, against the Eastover Mining Company. When workers joined the United Mine Workers of America, the company refused to sign a contract, sparking a year-long, often violent struggle. Barbara Kopple contextualizes the conflict within the broader history of labor and miners' rights.

An immersive documentary capturing the iconic artist's monumental 2018 Coachella performance. The film delves deep into the intricate process of bringing her vision to life, blending live footage with behind-the-scenes moments. Beyoncé shares her personal journey, celebrating Black culture, female empowerment, and the significance of the historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) in her performance.

For five years during the uprising in Aleppo, Syria, Waad al-Kateab documents her life as she falls in love, marries, and gives birth to her daughter Sama. Her footage records the impact of war on daily life, capturing loss, survival, and resilience. She faces the difficult choice of staying in the city or leaving to protect her child.

The 1980s LGBTQIA+ ballroom scene in New York shone a spotlight on impoverished Black and Latinx queer communities. Through activities such as voguing, forming 'houses', and competing in fierce categories, they claimed a space for themselves in a world that excluded them. By fighting for identity and recognition through creativity, the queer community showed how they survived in a hostile heteronormative society.