Documentaries are a great way of looking at the world and the various incidents that shape it. The element of reality in it makes each documentary a tangible source of introspection. Here are a few amazing documentaries streaming on Disney Plus that you can watch:
The Boys: The Sherman Brothers Story
Did you love the songs in the Disney films like Mary Poppins that made them iconic? Then you must watch this documentary about the makers behind all that amazing music, the Sherman brothers. This film captures the life and creative struggles of Robert and Richard Sherman. It documents their strained relationship, their artistic collaboration, and their eventual split up. This is a film that has music, life, and relationships under the scanner, and you will be amazed to see how it has been made so poignantly.
The Imagineering Story
This is a lovely documentary film on how the Walt Disney themed parks were created around the world. It focuses on the history, conceptualization, and the final execution of the parks. It also takes us through how the minutest details like the color of each ride, the selection of park icons, and so on were arrived upon by the team. If you are a lover of Disney characters and the whole Disney atmosphere, this one is for you.
Frank and Ollie
Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnston were the two most important animators in the Disney team They were the creative hands behind some of Disney’s most loved hand-drawn animations like the Jungle Book. In this documentary, they discuss at length about their creative process, their conflicts, and how they decided upon the look and feel of some of the most iconic Disney characters. Watch this film for a deep delve into two of the most creative minds of the world.
Waking Sleeping Beauty
This is the inside story of how Disney revived itself with reinterpretations of fairy tales like The Little Mermaid and Sleeping Beauty. It documents the renaissance period of Disney by showcasing the inside meetings between creators and animators as they ideate on how to revive Disney and make their stories more relevant for the changing world of storytelling. If you like seeing the creative process behind films and listening to artists’ moot ideas, this is for you.
One Day at Disney
This is a fun tour of the many departments of Walt Disney. The documentary captures a typical workday which includes creative discussions, designing, executing, and everything that happens at the Disney studio in a day. The visuals are a joy ride into the world’s pioneer storytellers who have shaped the imagination of several generations of animated movie lovers. This is a must-watch documentary for every Disney fan.
Jane Goodall: The Hope
This is an extensive, intimate look into the life and work of one of the most renowned primatologists, Jane Goodall. She studied animals extensively and has been very vocal about their rights and needs. Her work in Zanzibar is especially focused in the documentary where she built an auditorium outside the forest to encourage young people of the community to gather and work together for the betterment of their own fellow beings as well as the animals native to their place. Watch this to know an extraordinary woman up close.
Empire of Dreams: The Story of the Star Wars Trilogy
This is a documentary every Star Wars fan will not want to miss. It takes us deep into the world of Star Wars. Exclusive interviews featuring the makers and actors showcase how the Star Wars universe was conceptualized, made, and executed. It is a fun and exciting film that documents the making and creative process behind one of the most successful franchises of world cinema.
Marvel 75 years, From Pulp to Pop
This is again a must-watch for fans of the Marvel universe. It documents the thoughts and process of the makers of the cinematic installments of the Marvel comics. You can also listen in on how the creators converse about the relevance of these stories in the present world. Captain America is discussed at length and so are many other Marvel heroes with respect to their creation and impact on moviegoers.
The Plausible Impossible
In this movie, Walt Disney himself takes the viewers through how animation is conceptualized and made tangible. He dwells on the scope of human imagination, and its crossover with technology to bring alive anything that can be imagined. It is a film that opens up the immense possibilities of animation to visualize whatever it is that a person imagines. It shows us how animation has changed our visual culture and taken us to a world that until now only existed in our minds.
Apollo: Missions to the Moon
This is the documentation of how NASA put 12 men on the moon between 1969 – 1972. It was released to mark the 50th anniversary of Neil Armstrong’s moon landing. Considered one of humanity’s biggest scientific achievements, this series documents the obstacles, grit, and determination of space scientists to open for humanity a vast arena of data and wonder. It is a story that has been filmed many times, but it never gets old. It is a proud achievement that was arrived at with much effort and it deserves to be told many more times over.
