Best 21 Documentary Movies Highly Recommended Released in 2002

Filmmaker Michael Moore explores the roots of America's predilection for gun violence. Learn about Bowling for Columbine / IMDB / YouTube

Johnny Knoxville and his band of maniacs perform a variety of stunts and gross-out gags on the big screen for the first time. Check out Jackass: The Movie / IMDB / YouTube

Documentary about the pioneering 1970s Zephyr skating team. Info on Dogtown and Z-Boys / IMDB / YouTube

Terry Gilliam's doomed attempt to get his film, The Man Who Killed Don Quixote (2018), off the ground. Read about Lost in La Mancha / IMDB / YouTube

A real life documentary following the events of September 11 from an insider's view, through the lens of James Hanlon and two French filmmakers who were in Manhattan that one day. See more about 9/11 / IMDB / YouTube

A documentary portrait of a one-room school in rural France, where the students (ranging in age from 4 to 11) are educated by a single dedicated teacher. Explore To Be and to Have / IMDB / YouTube

Documentary about legendary Paramount producer Robert Evans (the film shares the same name as Evans's famous 1994 autobiography). More about The Kid Stays in the Picture / IMDB / YouTube

A look at the work of two stand-up comics, Jerry Seinfeld and a lesser-known newcomer, detailing the effort and frustration behind putting together a successful act and career while living a life on the road. Look into Comedian / IMDB / YouTube

This film surveys the disaster of the Kuwaiti oil fields in flames, with little narration and scarcely any interviews. Hell on Earth is presented in such transcendent visions and music that one can only be fascinated by it. Find out about Lessons of Darkness / IMDB / YouTube

The fourth HBO stand-up special by Robin Williams. Learn about Robin Williams Live on Broadway / IMDB / YouTube

Kevin Smith interacts in Q&A sessions throughout various college stops in the USA. Get info on An Evening with Kevin Smith / IMDB / YouTube

Denise Crosby takes a first look at the huge fans of Star Trek and how the series from around America has affected and shaped their lives. Look into Trekkies / IMDB / YouTube

Documentary on the deaths of Tupac Shakur and Biggie Smalls and the East Coast/West Coast, hip-hop/rap rivalry that culminated in late 1996 and early 1997. Learn about Biggie & Tupac / IMDB / YouTube

Documentary about the Funk Brothers, a group of Detroit musicians who backed up dozens of Motown artists. Info on Standing in the Shadows of Motown / IMDB / YouTube

This series of vignettes offers ruminations on time, fate and other human mysteries. Each of the film's seven directors conjures a scenario that speaks to some facet of universal experience. See more about Ten Minutes Older: The Trumpet / IMDB / YouTube

World-renowned director Martin Scorsese narrates this journey through his favorites in Italian cinema. Learn about My Voyage to Italy / IMDB / YouTube

A collection of visionary director David Lynch's short films from the first 29 years of his career is accompanied by a special introduction to each film by the director himself. Look into The Short Films of David Lynch / IMDB / YouTube

In 1995, director Steve James (of 'Hoop Dreams') returned to rural Southern Illinois to reconnect with Stevie Fielding, a troubled young boy to whom he had been an Advocate Big Brother ten years earlier. Explore Stevie / IMDB / YouTube

Amish teenagers experience and embrace the modern world as a rite-of-passage before deciding which life they will choose. Get info on Devil's Playground / IMDB / YouTube

The best skits from Will Ferrell's days on Saturday Night Live 1995-2002 More about Saturday Night Live: The Best of Will Ferrell / IMDB / YouTube

While Microsoft may be the biggest software company in the world, not every computer user is a fan of their products, or their way of doing business. While Microsoft's Windows became the most widely used operating system for personal computers in the world, many experts took issue with Microsoft's strict policies regarding licensing, ownership, distribution, and alter. Learn about Revolution OS / IMDB / YouTube