Top 25 Documentary Movies Highly Recommended Released in 2003

Documentary on the Friedmans, a seemingly typical, upper-middle-class Jewish family whose world is instantly transformed when the father and his youngest son are arrested and charged with shocking and horrible crimes. More about Capturing the Friedmans / IMDB / YouTube

Follows eight teenagers on their quest to win the 1999 National Spelling Bee. Explore Spellbound / IMDB / YouTube

Documentary on the migratory patterns of birds, shot over the course of three years on all seven continents. More about Winged Migration / IMDB / YouTube

Home movies, photographs, and recited poetry illustrate the life of Tupac Shakur, one of the most beloved, revolutionary, and volatile hip-hop M.Cs. of all time. Info on Tupac: Resurrection / IMDB / YouTube

Filmmaker Lars Von Trier challenges Jørgen Leth, the filmmaker behind The Perfect Human (1967), to remake his classic short under circumstances of increasing constraint. More about The Five Obstructions / IMDB / YouTube

On June 12, 2000, a young man with a gun took the passengers aboard Bus 174 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil hostage. This documentary examines the event itself, the resulting media frenzy, the police response, and the perpetrator's background. Look into Bus 174 / IMDB / YouTube

Nick Broomfield's second documentary about serial killer Aileen Wuornos, focusing on her mental state on death row. Details on Aileen: Life and Death of a Serial Killer / IMDB / YouTube

James Cameron and Bill Paxton, director and actor of the 1997 film Titanic, travel to the final undersea resting place of the ill-fated ship of dreams. Look into Ghosts of the Abyss / IMDB / YouTube

A visual montage portrait of our contemporary world dominated by globalized technology and violence. Check out Naqoyqatsi / IMDB / YouTube

After a short study of boxing's history, narrated by newscaster Douglas Edwards, we follow a day in the life of a middleweight Irish boxer named Walter Cartier. Explore Day of the Fight / IMDB / YouTube

The comedic stylings of four sort-of famous funnymen are brought to the big screen courtesy of this 2002 documentary. More about Blue Collar Comedy Tour: The Movie / IMDB / YouTube

Oscar-winning documentary that documents a murder trial in which a 15-year-old African-American is wrongfully accused of a 2000 murder in Jacksonville, Florida. Learn about Murder on a Sunday Morning / IMDB / YouTube

Sixteen American college students drink, flirt, fight and canoodle during their Spring Break vacation in Cancun, Mexico. Details on The Real Cancun / IMDB / YouTube

Documentary on the director's meeting with Castro. Learn about Comandante / IMDB / YouTube

The remarkable story of The Weather Underground, radical activists of the 1970s, and of radical politics at its best and most disastrous. Get info on The Weather Underground / IMDB / YouTube

Director Nathaniel Kahn searches to understand his father, noted architect Louis Kahn, who died bankrupt and alone in 1974. Learn about My Architect / IMDB / YouTube

A double-DVD set which features over five hours of previously unreleased concert and archival performance footage from Led Zeppelin, spanning the years 1969 to 1979. Read about Led Zeppelin / IMDB / YouTube

A look at 1970s Hollywood when it was known as New Hollywood, and the director was the star of the movie. Learn about Easy Riders, Raging Bulls: How the Sex, Drugs and Rock 'N' Roll Generation Saved Hollywood / IMDB / YouTube

Surfers and secret spots from around the world are profiled in this documentary. See more about Step Into Liquid / IMDB / YouTube

A documentary examining the decade of the 1970s as a turning point in American cinema. Some of today's best filmmakers interview the influential directors of that time. Get info on A Decade Under the Influence / IMDB / YouTube

Wheel of Time is Werner Herzog's photographed look at the largest Buddhist ritual in Bodh Gaya, India. Details on Wheel of Time / IMDB / YouTube

In April 2002, an Irish film crew is making a documentary about Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, when a coup from the opposition is made. Check out The Revolution Will Not Be Televised / IMDB / YouTube

A profile of homeless Romanian children who were born victims of the nation's reckless population growth policy during its communist era. Info on Children Underground / IMDB / YouTube

This documentary about the culture of intense cinephilia in New York City reveals the impassioned world of five obsessed movie buffs. The filmmakers expose this delightfully deranged cult by capturing the daily lives of its members. Interviews in movie houses, on the street and in the homes of the subjects tell the story of each individual. Many cannot hold a job, or . See more about Cinemania / IMDB / YouTube

A man caught up in the glamor of being a Hollywood celebrity has no idea that the production he's in is a fake. Read about Windy City Heat / IMDB / YouTube