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What do you want to watch tonight?

Each title says who it's good for, and who it isn't. Tap what you want tonight, or say no to one and why.

Closest to Powaqqatsi first

  1. Lessons of Darkness 1992

    Documentary

    Shortly after the Gulf War, oil fires were raging all through Kuwait. In the week before this sea of fire would be extinguished, Werner Herzog filmed this apocalyptic landscape with its murky skies, scorched earth and capricious flames.

    The sides of Lessons of Darkness

    • Kuwait's oil fields burning after the Gulf War
    • Firefighters capping the wells
    • Werner Herzog filming Earth like another planet

    Good for you if

    • you like burning oil fields filmed like an alien world.
    • you like images carried by Wagner and Verdi.
    • you like Werner Herzog's strange, poetic way of seeing.

    Bad for you if

    • you need momentum. Long shots of burning wells glide by with barely a word.
    • you want things explained. Herzog never lays out the war and narrates it like science fiction.

    About: war · apocalypse · landscape

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  2. Human 2015

    Documentary

    A collection of stories about and images of our world, offering an immersion to the core of what it means to be human. Through these stories full of love and happiness, as well as hatred and violence, it brings us face to face with the Other, making us reflect on our lives. From stories of everyday experiences to accounts of the most unbelievable lives, these poignant encounters share a rare sincerity and underline who we are – our darker side, but also what is most noble in us, and what is universal. Our Earth is shown at its most sublime through never-before-seen aerial images accompanied by soaring music, resulting in an ode to the beauty of the world, providing a moment to draw breath and for introspection. This film is a politically engaged work which allows us to embrace the human condition and to reflect on the meaning of our existence.

    The sides of Human

    • Faces talking straight to the camera
    • Aerial views of the Earth
    • Stories of love, war and poverty

    Good for you if

    • you like aerial images of the Earth that hold you still.
    • you're moved by strangers telling you about love and loss.
    • you like a soaring score between the voices.

    Bad for you if

    • you can't sit through three hours in one evening.
    • you can't take testimonies of war and poverty face to face.
    • you won't read subtitles in dozens of languages.

    About: humanity · love · injustice

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  3. A celebration of the universe, displaying the whole of time, from its start to its final collapse. This film examines all that occurred to prepare the world that stands before us now: science and spirit, birth and death, the grand cosmos and the minute life systems of our planet.

    The sides of Voyage of Time: Life's Journey

    • The birth of the universe
    • Life appearing and evolving on Earth
    • A narrator asking questions to a mother figure

    Good for you if

    • you like feeling small in front of billions of years.
    • you want galaxies, volcanoes and cells as pure images.
    • you like the cosmos from its first moment to its end.

    Bad for you if

    • you need a story that moves, not a long meditation.
    • you roll your eyes at whispered questions to the universe.

    About: creation · the meaning of life · time

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  4. Naqoyqatsi 2002

    Documentary

    A visual montage portrait of our contemporary world dominated by globalized technology and violence.

    The sides of Naqoyqatsi

    • A wordless montage of a digital world
    • A Philip Glass score with Yo-Yo Ma's cello
    • Archive images reworked by computers

    Good for you if

    • you like letting images wash over you for an hour and a half.
    • you like a Philip Glass score carrying a whole film.
    • you like the third Qatsi film's strange computer-made imagery.

    Bad for you if

    • you need a story that moves forward.
    • you want people talking, and nobody speaks here.

    About: technology · violence · modern life

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  5. Heima 2007

    Documentary

    Ethereal post-rock pioneers Sigur Rós play a string of impromptu gigs in their native Iceland after finishing a world tour in 2006. As they travel through the country, the band visits a wide variety of venues, from a large outdoor festival to a coffee shop.

    The sides of Heima

    • Sigur Rós playing free shows across Iceland
    • Gigs in village halls, a coffee shop and outdoors
    • Icelandic landscapes between songs

    Good for you if

    • you love Sigur Rós and slow, soaring music.
    • you want Iceland's landscapes on a big screen.
    • you like a quiet, unhurried film.

    Bad for you if

    • you want talk and story, and this is mostly songs and landscapes.
    • you won't read subtitles. The band talks in Icelandic between songs.

    About: home · community · stillness

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  6. Koyaanisqatsi 1983

    Documentary

    Takes us to locations all around the US and shows us the heavy toll that modern technology is having on humans and the earth. The visual tone poem contains neither dialogue nor a vocalized narration: its tone is set by the juxtaposition of images and the exceptional music by Philip Glass.

    The sides of Koyaanisqatsi

    • Time-lapse cities and empty desert
    • A score by Philip Glass
    • An hour and a half without a word spoken

    Good for you if

    • you can watch landscapes and crowds in time-lapse for an hour and a half.
    • you want Philip Glass carrying the whole film.
    • you like canyons, clouds and deserts filmed from the air.

    Bad for you if

    • you want people talking, and there is no dialogue or narration here.
    • you watch for characters to follow, and this film has none.
    • you need a story going somewhere, and this is images and music only.

    About: nature · technology · cities

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  7. Pina 2011

    Documentary

    Pina is a feature-length dance film in 3D with the ensemble of the Tanztheater Wuppertal Pina Bausch, featuring the unique and inspiring art of the great German choreographer, who died in the summer of 2009.

    The sides of Pina

    • The dancers of Pina Bausch's company
    • Dances staged in the streets and hills of Wuppertal
    • Wim Wenders filming in 3D

    Good for you if

    • you like dancers filmed in factories, parks and on a hanging train.
    • you like a film carried by music and movement.
    • you want to feel what a body can say without words.

    Bad for you if

    • you need words and a story to stay with a film.
    • you need momentum, and long dance pieces lose you.

    About: art · grief · the body

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  8. Baraka 1992

    Documentary

    A paralysingly beautiful documentary with a global vision—an odyssey through landscape and time—that attempts to capture the essence of life.

    The sides of Baraka

    • A monkey sitting in a hot spring
    • Pilgrims bathing in the Ganges
    • Time lapse of crowds and skies

    Good for you if

    • you want ninety minutes of images shot on seventy millimetre film.
    • you want a score to carry you from a temple to a factory.
    • you like feeling small in front of deserts, monks and cities.

    Bad for you if

    • you want people talking and there is not one line in the film.
    • you need momentum and not a held shot of a mountain.

    About: the sacred · work · the planet

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  9. For All Mankind 1989

    Documentary

    A testament to NASA's Apollo program of the 1960s and '70s. Composed of actual NASA footage of the missions and astronaut interviews, the documentary offers the viewpoint of the individuals who braved the remarkable journey to the moon and back.

    The sides of For All Mankind

    • NASA footage of the Apollo missions
    • Astronauts remembering in their own voices
    • A Brian Eno score

    Good for you if

    • you like the trip to the Moon told by the astronauts who made it.
    • you like seeing Earth from the Moon in real footage.
    • you like Brian Eno's ambient music over space images.

    Bad for you if

    • you need more drama than a calm, floating journey.
    • you find 1960s footage dated.

    About: exploration · awe · history

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  10. Acclaimed filmmaker Werner Herzog travels to Antarctica, where he finds a desolate, beautiful landscape, largely untouched by human hands, and a group of truly unique people who risk their lives to study it. Centered at McMurdo Station, the United States' largest Antarctic research center, Herzog explores the minds of the scientists willing to abandon civilization and endure volatile conditions to learn more about the continent's wildlife and awe-inspiring natural wonders.

    The sides of Encounters at the End of the World

    • A research station in Antarctica
    • Divers under the ice
    • A penguin heading inland alone

    Good for you if

    • you like ice caves, volcanoes and seals under the sea ice.
    • you like silent dives beneath the Antarctic ice.
    • you like Werner Herzog's odd questions to odd people.

    Bad for you if

    • you need momentum, and this one wanders at Herzog's pace.
    • you'd rather not hear musings on the end of humanity.

    About: nature · solitude · science · the end of the world

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  11. Winged Migration 2001

    Documentary

    This documentary follows various migratory bird species on their long journeys from their summer homes to the equator and back, covering thousands of miles and navigating by the stars. These arduous treks are crucial for survival, seeking hospitable climates and food sources. Birds face numerous challenges, including crossing oceans and evading predators, illness, and injury. Although migrations are undertaken as a community, birds disperse into family units once they reach their destinations, and every continent is affected by these migrations, hosting migratory bird species at least part of the year.

    The sides of Winged Migration

    • Birds filmed in flight up close
    • Journeys across oceans and the Arctic
    • Storks, pelicans and cranes

    Good for you if

    • you like following migrating birds over every continent.
    • you like flying wing to wing with geese above the clouds.
    • you like images shot so close you can see each feather move in flight.

    Bad for you if

    • you need a story with momentum, not long flights.
    • you'd rather hear only the birds than a sweeping score and songs over them.

    About: migration · survival · the earth

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  12. Humanity finds a mysterious object buried beneath the lunar surface and sets off to find its origins with the help of HAL 9000, the world's most advanced super computer.

    The sides of 2001: A Space Odyssey

    • Apes discovering tools
    • A computer that won't open the doors
    • A journey beyond the infinite

    Good for you if

    • you like spaceships waltzing to the Blue Danube in perfectly composed frames.
    • you like a film that moves like a symphony.
    • you want to feel small before the universe.

    Bad for you if

    • you need characters to warm to. Dave and Frank stay cool and calm, and the computer HAL shows the most feeling.
    • you want something to happen. Long stretches are silent.
    • you want a clear explanation of the ending.

    About: evolution · technology · the unknown

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  13. British progressive rock band Pink Floyd perform at the ancient Roman Amphitheatre in the ruins of Pompeii, Italy in 1971. Although the band perform a typical live set from the era, there is no audience beyond the basic film crew.

    The sides of Pink Floyd: Live at Pompeii

    • Pink Floyd playing in an empty Roman amphitheatre
    • Long psychedelic pieces like Echoes
    • The ruins of Pompeii as a stage

    Good for you if

    • you like long psychedelic jams played live.
    • you like a band filmed among ancient ruins with no audience.
    • you like the look of an early 1970s concert film.

    Bad for you if

    • you need momentum, and twenty minute songs lose you.
    • you want to get to know the people behind the band.

    About: music · the past · solitude

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  14. Into the Inferno 2016

    Documentary

    With stunning views of eruptions and lava flows, Werner Herzog captures the raw power of volcanoes and their ties to indigenous spiritual practices.

    The sides of Into the Inferno

    • Werner Herzog and volcanologist Clive Oppenheimer
    • Lava lakes in Vanuatu and Ethiopia
    • A North Korean volcano treated as sacred

    Good for you if

    • you like standing at the edge of a boiling lava lake.
    • you want eruptions and lava flows filmed up close.
    • you like Herzog drifting from volcanoes to cults and myths.

    Bad for you if

    • you need momentum, not Herzog's long detours.
    • you want eruptions back to back, not interviews between them.

    About: nature · belief · the end of the world

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  15. Human Planet 2011

    Documentary

    A cinematic experience bringing you the most amazing human stories in the world. Humans and wildlife surviving in the most extreme environments on Earth.

    The sides of Human Planet

    • Hunters on the Arctic sea ice
    • Fishermen in jungles and rivers
    • People living in deserts and on mountains

    Good for you if

    • you like people living alongside wild animals and harsh landscapes.
    • you like being amazed at how humans adapt to the extremes of the planet.
    • you like real people finding food where it seems impossible.

    Bad for you if

    • you want one story and the same people to follow across episodes.
    • you need chases and fights, not patient observation.

    About: adaptation · humans and nature · tradition

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  16. This remarkable journey across our planet and universe explores how meteorites, shooting stars, and deep impacts have awoken our wonder about other realms—and make us rethink our destinies.

    The sides of Fireball: Visitors from Darker Worlds

    • Werner Herzog chasing meteorites
    • Craters from Mexico to Australia
    • Scientists and believers who read the sky

    Good for you if

    • you like Herzog in awe before giant craters and the night sky.
    • you like hearing where shooting stars come from.
    • you like the odd people and rituals that gather around meteorites.

    Bad for you if

    • you need momentum, and Herzog takes his time.
    • you want explosions, not crater visits.

    About: the cosmos · belief · curiosity

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  17. A filmed version of David Byrne's Broadway show, a unifying musical celebration that inspires audiences to connect to each other and to the global community.

    The sides of David Byrne's American Utopia

    • David Byrne's Broadway show
    • Barefoot musicians moving with no cables
    • Talking Heads songs and new ones

    Good for you if

    • you love Talking Heads songs played live.
    • you like a stage show filmed up close by Spike Lee.
    • you like a concert that asks you to connect with other people.

    Bad for you if

    • you want a story with characters, not a concert.
    • you'd rather a concert didn't pause for talk about voting and immigration.

    About: connection · hope · democracy

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  18. My Octopus Teacher 2020

    Documentary

    After years of swimming every day in the freezing ocean at the tip of Africa, Craig Foster meets an unlikely teacher: a young octopus who displays remarkable curiosity. Visiting her den and tracking her movements for months on end he eventually wins the animal’s trust and they develop a never-before-seen bond between human and wild animal.

    The sides of My Octopus Teacher

    • A diver in a kelp forest off South Africa
    • A year following one octopus
    • A shark hunting her in the shallows

    Good for you if

    • you like cold water, kelp and the life hidden in it.
    • you like seeing how clever an animal can be up close.
    • you can be moved to tears by a bond with an octopus.

    Bad for you if

    • a man's voice-over about his feelings for an animal makes you roll your eyes.
    • you need a story that moves. This is slow dives, day after day.

    About: connection · healing · the life cycle

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  19. 20,000 Days on Earth 2014

    Documentary

    A semi-fictionalized documentary about a day in the life of Australian musician Nick Cave's persona.

    The sides of 20,000 Days on Earth

    • Nick Cave's staged day in Brighton
    • Talks with old friends in his car
    • The Bad Seeds recording an album

    Good for you if

    • you love Nick Cave and want to watch his songs being made.
    • you like a music film shot with the care of a feature.
    • you like long talks about memory, fear and writing.

    Bad for you if

    • you need a film that moves forward, not a quiet day of thinking aloud.
    • you want to know what is real and what is staged.

    About: memory · creation · identity

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  20. German musician Alexander Hacke explores Istanbul's rich music culture and attempts to create a portrait of Turkey through music genres. On this journey, he encounters a mosaic that covers countless genres from rock to arabesque, electronic to hip-hop.

    The sides of Crossing the Bridge: The Sound of Istanbul

    • A German musician with a microphone in Istanbul
    • Street musicians, rock bands and arabesque singers
    • A portrait of Turkey through its music

    Good for you if

    • you love discovering music you've never heard, from rock to arabesque.
    • you like meeting real musicians in their studios and on the streets.
    • you want a relaxed evening wandering Istanbul from rock clubs to street corners.

    Bad for you if

    • you won't read subtitles for Turkish interviews.
    • you need a story with characters, not a musical tour.

    About: music · the city · identity

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