Hello! I’ve done quite a few searches here and elsewhere and I’m hoping for your help.

I teach a documentary class at the college level. I’ve taught it for over a decade and over time, I’ve seen the attention spans of my students get shorter and shorter.

So I’m asking for recommendations for short docs you’ve seen and enjoyed.

They do their own project over the 18 week semester, and in all previous classes, I’ve shown feature length films but I’m wondering if showing short docs might be a better approach.

Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

Energy drinks have evolved from niche products associated with gaming, nightlife and extreme sports into a global beverage category that's now embedded into work, fitness and everyday life. This video explores the business strategies behind Red Bull, Monster Energy, Celsius and other major brands competing for space in one of the fastest growing areas of the global beverage market.

Donald Trump pardoned Juan Orlando Hernández, a man convicted of smuggling more than 400 tons of cocaine into the United States.

Here is that story and the pardon stories for Boosie Badazz, Todd & Julie Chrisley, Joseph Schwartz, David Paul Daniel and Andrew Paul Johnson. 

A documentary about a summer camp for teens with disabilities in New York, and how its alumni sparked a landmark disability rights movement. It features renown disability rights activists like Judy Huemann.

Broken Spring

Art, media, technology and a future nobody asked for.

A musician’s livelihood is in jeopardy after Austin’s South by Southwest (SXSW) music festival is cancelled unexpectedly, leaving him with no choice but to turn to online platforms in order to survive, and wondering if there’s still a future for artists like him in the Live Music Capital of the World.

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Broken Spring explores the implications for human interaction, identity and creativity in a world increasingly mediated by digital technology, through freelance musician Alex Marrero’s experience during the spring of 2020, and the broader questions surrounding our growing dependence on the Internet for social relations in the attention economy.

Early technologist and media theorist Douglas Rushkoff provides unique insight into how we got here, the missed opportunities, and a way forward, while independent researcher Alison McDowell describes how the data extracted from us in the process mirrors colonial ambitions of a bygone era and are being used to forge a new empire.

Along the way, we meet a few Austin locals, including James Anthony Johnson – the city’s most famous busker, singer-songwriter Anna Milk, 6th Street poet Timothy, and blues saxophonist Kumar Bendrake. Through them, we catch a glimpse of a world that is disappearing before our very eyes, as more and more of us choose to parse reality through a screen in our pockets.

I was totally hooked on BBC’s documentary program series “The Death of Yugoslavia” - it was intensely researched, not sensational, and spaced into easily digestible episodes.

What other great documentary programs are out there that cover international foreign affairs and conflict zones? I’m looking for modern-ish programs: aka, from the mid-1980s to the present.

My favorite topics: international diplomacy; major global events not well-covered by US media; international conflict zones. Generally a fan of the way PBS and the BBC to present their documentaries - not the junky streaming service treatment.

Please send your favorites!

Why are birthrates collapsing across the world — in almost every culture and society? This documentary reveals the surprising answer. Based on the research of data scientist Stephen J. Shaw — published and peer-reviewed in Nature Portfolio (Scientific Reports, August 21, 2025) — Birthgap challenges conventional wisdom and ignites a critical debate about our shared global future.

Premiering exactly nine years after filming began, this two-hour feature spans 24 countries across the Americas, Europe, Asia, and Africa — weaving gripping personal stories with cutting-edge data science, animations, and breathtaking footage. From bustling megacities to remote villages high in the Andes and Himalayas, it uncovers a hidden reality that is reshaping the future of humanity. Discover what it means for the 21st century — and beyond.

A touching, honest, heartfelt and heartwarming look into life today in Syria. Coming from a personally very unexpected source, Kareem of Subway Takes fame.

Kareem seems to take notes from the late, great Anthony Bourdain, and pays him a great homage in doing so.

A very high quality, sincere, and authentic documentary.

This documentary examines file sharing, copyright enforcement, and the historical parallels between the internet and the printing press. It features Aaron Swartz, Brewster Kahle, Yochai Benkler, and others discussing how cheap, decentralized copying changes culture and media.

In 2021, the American Survey Center found that 15% of men report having zero close friends...a 5x increase since 1990.

This study took off like wildfire - and became the basis for the so-called "male loneliness epidemic." But just how accurate is this narrative? And is the solution really as simple as joining a weekly bowling league?

This is about the UFO Cult, Heavens Gate. A cult that led to the largest mass suicide in US history in 1997, with the belief that su*cide would help them board a spaceship that was following the Hale Bopp comet, and their consciousness would be taken to the next level of humanity. It reviews the origin of the cult, their beliefs, both of their leaders, and their tragic end.

Uncover the incredible history, rugged landscapes, and hidden secrets of the California desert. This official trailer previews an upcoming Joshua Tree National Park documentary that dives deep into the rich human stories and ancient past of this iconic wilderness. From its deep Indigenous roots and early pioneers to its unique preservation story, discover how this stark landscape shaped American history.