Top 24 Documentary Movies Award-Winning Released in 1982

The Monty Python troupe perform a combination of classic sketches and new material at the Hollywood Bowl. Info on Monty Python Live at the Hollywood Bowl / IMDB / YouTube

A documentary following German auteur Werner Herzog as he deals with difficult actors, bad weather and getting a boat over a mountain, all in an effort to make his film Fitzcarraldo (1982). More about Burden of Dreams / IMDB / YouTube

Disturbing collection of 1940s and 1950s United States government-issued propaganda films designed to reassure Americans that the atomic bomb was not a threat to their safety. Read about The Atomic Cafe / IMDB / YouTube

Richard Pryor performs his stand-up comedy act on the Sunset Strip. Find out about Richard Pryor: Live on the Sunset Strip / IMDB / YouTube

Director Pasolini traverses Italy in 1963 with camera and microphone interviewing people in public places about sex, marriage and gender roles. Read about Love Meetings / IMDB / YouTube

The story of Canada's struggle to gain control and define its own constitution. Info on The Road to Patriation / IMDB / YouTube

The history of the great British rock band. Look into The Compleat Beatles / IMDB / YouTube

Agnes Varda's documentary on murals in Los Angeles. Details on Mur murs / IMDB / YouTube

Popular comedians watch and give comments about the worst and silliest films from Hollywood. Get info on It Came from Hollywood / IMDB / YouTube

The Rolling Stones' shows in Tempe, Arizona and East Rutherford, New Jersey during their 1981 US tour. Get info on Let's Spend the Night Together / IMDB / YouTube

The very popular Moroccan group Nass-El Ghiwane are filmed, in performances, meetings, interviews, and collaborations with other musicians. Find out about Trances / IMDB / YouTube

Explores the complexity of the welfare system, highlighting issues like housing, unemployment, and medical problems. It shows both welfare workers and clients struggling to navigate the laws and regulations that impact their lives. Details on Welfare / IMDB / YouTube

New Orleans spirit shown through traditions: funerals turn celebratory, seafood at local spots, street festivals, Mardi Gras prep rooted in slave history, Wild Tchoupitoulas honor Native Americans, ending with St. Joseph's parade. Info on Always for Pleasure / IMDB / YouTube

Documentary about the pornography industry and the apparent violent anti-woman slant much of it takes. Check out Not a Love Story: A Film About Pornography / IMDB / YouTube

Documentary on Britain's 2 Tone Ska Era from the late seventies to the early eighties. Explore Dance Craze / IMDB / YouTube

Hosted by John Carradine, this tape is a compilation of scenes from and previews for various exploitation films. Get info on The Best of Sex and Violence / IMDB / YouTube

Scenes and trailers from fifty of Universal's greatest horror films. Info on Coming Soon / IMDB / YouTube

FELA KUTIis to African music what Bob Marley is to reggae: its prophet. All contemporary forms of black music, from funk to electronic, owe something to the irresistible groove of the Afrobeat sound that he created. Shot in Lagos at the peak of his career in 1982, this documentary contains interviews with Fela detailing his thoughts on politics, Pan-Africanism, music . Learn about Musique au poing / IMDB / YouTube

A compilation of ten clasic Walter Lantz cartoons: Knock Knock (1940), The Bandmaster (1947), Ski for Two (1944), Hot Noon or 12 O'Clock for Surf (1953), The Legend of Rockabye Point (1955), Wet Blanket Policy (1948), To Catch a Woodpecker (1957), Musical Moments from Chopin (1946), Bats in the Belfry (1960), and Crazy Mixed Up Pup (1955). Also includes the interestin. Find out about Woody Woodpecker and His Friends / IMDB / YouTube

A collection of nude and/or topless scenes from various films featuring actresses who were either famous at the time or who became famous later on. Info on Famous T & A / IMDB / YouTube

The maiden voyage of Columbia, the first space shuttle, is recounted with footage shot on the ground and in space. Find out about Hail Columbia! / IMDB / YouTube

More than 20 contemporary North American poets recite, sing, and perform their work. Several also comment. Early in the film, Charles Bukowski talks about the energy of poets and of a poem. These poets are energetic performers, and their poems are meant to be heard. These poets are the children of Walt Whitman and of Charles Olson, incantatory and oratorical, radical,. Read about Poetry in Motion / IMDB / YouTube

This compassionate documentary offers snapshots of a number of people living productive lives while coping with physical abnormalities. Get info on Being Different / IMDB / YouTube

Ian McKellen, alone on stage, with no props or scenery, performs monologues from Shakespeare and discusses some of his plays. See more about Ian McKellen: Acting Shakespeare / IMDB / YouTube