Short Docs
Miss learning something new from browsing the Non-Fiction section? We're here to help! Pick from 5 weekly documentaries selected from the internet, ranging from different topics between 5-30 minutes to suit your busy day. Email us at info@kinglibrary.ca for subjects you would like to see.
Click on the title of the documentary to go to the video!
Week 11
How Fan Films Shaped The Lego Movie (2017 - 8 min.)
Enthusiasts have been making home movies with their Lego sets since the early 1970s, calling them Brickfilms. Find out how the Lego Movie animators learned from these movies to make The Lego Movie.
The Rise and Fall of Victoria’s Secret (2019 - 11 min.)
Victoria’s Secret revolutionized the retail of women’s undergarments. 30 years later, the brand is falling behind the times as consumer priorities shift and younger brands adapt.
Napster Documentary: Culture of Free (2014 - 12 min.)
A major cultural shift came underway in 1999, as a file sharing program created in a Boston dorm room impacted the music industry.
The Dark Reality of NFL Cheerleading (2018 - 12 min.)
Former cheerleaders share their stories of verbal abuse, discrimination, and exploitation at the hands of the NFL.
The Pilgrimage (2020 - 13 min.)
The Pilgrimage is a two-day women-only mindful motorcycle quest on Vancouver Island, inspired by the notable pilgrimage in Spain, Camino de Santiago.
Week 10
These Photos Ended Child Labor in the US (2019 - 7 min.)
It wasn’t until photographer Lewis Wickes Hine showed the public what child labor was like that the widely used practice ended.
The Legendary Dosa Man of NYC (2019 - 8 min.)
Thiru, AKA the Dosa Man, has been running NY Dosas, a food cart since 2001. After immigrating to the US in the 90s, he made it his life’s work to sell affordable, fresh and vegan Dosas to NYU students and passerbys.
The Truth About Where Hair Extensions Come From (2018 - 12 min.)
Have you ever questioned where hair is sourced for wigs and extensions?
Astronaut Chris Hadfield Debunks Space Myths (2019 - 12 min.)
Retired Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield helps debunk and confirm some common myths about space.
I Was in The Black Eyed Peas and Then I Quit (2019 - 14 min.)
Kim Hill found herself at a crossroads in 2000, deciding to quit the musical group The Black Eyed Peas to find her own voice, only to look on as the group reached global stardom with a new member replacing her.
Week 9
Martin Scorsese on Framing (2016 - 5 min.)
An unheard conversation with director Martin Scorsese is animated to show how he frames his movies and how his life influences his craft.
The White Lie We’ve Been Told About Roman Statues (2019 - 6 min.)
When you think of Ancient Rome, do you see white statutes? What if you were told they were colourful? Using art and science, find out what they actually looked like.
What Facemasks Actually Do Against Coronavirus (2020 - 8 min.)
The guidelines on whether you should wear a face mask as part of the fight against coronavirus differs from place to face. What exactly does a face mask do?
How Paranoid Schizophrenia Impacts My Life - A Day in the Life (2019 - 13 min.)
Allie Burke lives with paranoid schizophrenia, having shown symptoms when she was three years old but wasn’t formally diagnosed until her mid-twenties.
You Know Their Voices, Now See Their Faces (2019 - 14 min.)
Come face to face with the voice talent of some iconic characters and their history.
Week 8
Hollie’ Dress (2020 - 24 min.)
Making a dress symbolizes adulthood, and is a rite of passage for young Mennonite girls. Hollie has to make a big decision: choosing to be a wife and mother, remaining in the community, or forge her own path.
Red Button (2017 - 7 min.)
Rabbit, a homeless 23-year old Toronto youth addicted to opioids and fentalyn, is given a camera phone to capture a day in his life.
A Rare Look at the Secret LIfe of Orangutans (2018 - 17 min.)
Unravel the unique cultural behaviour of wild orangutans in the vanishing rainforests of Borneo.
Eating, Playing, and Dancing with Fire (2020 - 10 min.)
Discover our connection to fire from around the world, from walking on it, dancing with it, fighting with it… to cutting hair with it!
How the Sound Effects in “A Quiet Place” Were Made (2018 - 6 min.)
Find out how foley artists bring movies to life with sound effects.
Week 7
Hockey Night in Canada: The Many Sides of Evgeni Malkin (2017 - 6 min.)
Evgeni Malkin talks about adapting to life in the US from Russia after being drafted and jokes about being left off the NHL Top 100 players list.
Polybius: Behind the Urban Legend (2018 - 7 min.)
The secret CIA program MKUltra leaked to the public in 1976, and one of the most bizarre gaming urban legend began to brew when a video game appeared in an arcade in Portland, Oregan.
Year of Return: The African Americans Moving to Ghana (2019 - 9 min.)
Ghana declared 2019 as the Year of Return, encouraging African Americans to visit Africa to mark 400 years since the first documented arrival of enslaved Africans. But some African Americans have decided to return for good.
The Champion (2017 - 18 min.)
Estaifan Shilaita is a Chicago cab driver, who from 1968 to 1976 was a national boxing champion of Iraq before being forced to flee because of his Christian faith.
Walk Run Cha-Cha (2020 - 20 min.)
Paul and Millie Cao reunited in California after the Vietnam war, and 40 years later, are rediscovering themselves on the dance floor.
Week 6
How Obsessive Artists Colorize Old Photos (2017 - 7 min.)
Colorizing photos isn’t just coloring within the lines. Find out the complex strategy and technology used by colorists to bring these photos to life.
The Right Way to Play Monopoly (2020 - 7 min.)
Brian Valentine, the US representative to the 2015 World Monopoly championship, tells you the right way to play - with tips and tricks to help you win!
The Secret Path: Freedom to Speak (2017 - 8 min.)
A group of inmates at Toronto South Detention Centre read Gord Downie’s Secret Path and discover how they can relate to the tragic story of Chanie Wenjack.
Ai-Yi (2020 - 17 min.)
An elderly Chinese woman forms a strong bond with her much younger housemates, despite no shared language.
Portrait of Pockets (2020 - 12 min.)
Pocket Warhol, a capuchin monkey, paints abstract pieces soon bringing much needed attention to the sanctuary facing financial challenges.
Week 5
Frankenstein Is More Horrific Than You Think (2020 - 7 min.)
Mary Shelley's Frankenstein was revolutionary in pioneering the sci-fi genre. The sympathetic description of the Creature is more relevant today with advances in technology.$2 Burgers in Harlem (2019 - 9 min.)
Mo's Burgers is a staple in Harlem, having served the community for over 30 years outside the barbershop he owns.
How Technicolor Changed Movies (2017 - 11 min.)
Explore the history of Technicolor, and how the corporation's control over the technology changed movies forever.
Why NASA Quarantined the Apollo 11 (2020 - 15 min.)
Find out about the extraordinary lengths NASA went to isolate Apollo astronauts, quarantining them for weeks in a lab to analyze moon samples and the men who went there.
Dima’s Game (2020 - 24 min.)
Now a refugee in Hamilton, Dima, a competitive para-athlete from Syria, realizes her dream to compete in the 2020 Paralympic Games.
Week 4
How Does an Editor Think and Feel? (2016 - 10 min.)
Find out how editors decide to make the perfect cut in a movie without making you notice.
How Smooth Jazz Took Over the '90s (2018 - 13 min.)
The rise of smooth jazz in the 1990s is looked into by tracing the history of jazz, with a surprising look into its downfall thanks to new technology meant to measure listener figures.
Meet the Accidental Genius (2016 - 14 min.)
After a vicious beating, Jason Padgett's sight was altered by a condition called acquired savant syndrome. This documentary looks into the hidden power of the mind and one man's inspiring tale of courage and triumph
Fish Story (2020 - 15 min.)
Caspar Salmon looks into the secret gathering his grandmother was invited to on the Welsh island of Angelsely- attended exclusively by people with fish surnames.
Broken appliances: Why you may need repairs more often (2020 - 21 min.)
CBC Marketplace investigates why pricey appliances break down faster and more frequently.
Week 3.
How the World’s Largest Cruise Ship Makes 30,000 Meals Every Day (2020 - 8 min.)
Remember cruise ships? Find out how food makes it to the plate to serve thousands of passengers- starting from a compact kitchen run 24/7 in the moving ship.
How the BBC Makes Planet Earth II Look Like a Hollywood Movie (2017 - 9 min.)
Explore the evolution of technology in film as it is used to make nature as cinematic as Hollywood blockbusters.
Why Sitcoms Stopped using Laugh Tracks (2020 - 9 min.)
Laugh tracks were used for most sitcoms but slowly started declining in popularity as single-cam comedies became more popular.
Bananas As We Know Them are Doomed (2020 - 15 min.)
The Cavendish banana accounts for 95% of banana exports, but the Panama Disease fungus is rapidly infecting the world’s crop.
The Last Key (2017 - 23 min.)
The Citroen 2CV, brought to Canada by a young immigrant from France, serves as a marker of identity and link between two cultures, as it is prepared for an upcoming antique-car show.
Week 2
One Man's Mission to Save the Last Redwood Forests (2016 - 11 min.)
Discover David Milarch's personal quest to save the redwood of Northern California from the effects of climate change.
When Penguins Went From the Sky to the Sea (2020 - 12 min.)
How did the penguin evolve from its giant flying ancestors to the small, waddling birds we know of today?
The Rise and Fall of the American Fallout Shelter (2017 - 13 min.)
Bomb shelters were popular in the mid-20th century in response to cold war culture in America. So what happened to them?
The Lie That Helped Build Nintendo (2019 - 20 min.)
Dig into the history of the gaming industry with the story of a man, a lie, a video game handheld, and a business empire.
Lucien's Happiness (2019 - 23 min.)
Musician and "philosopher of the everyday" Lucien Comeau offers insight into the meaning of life and success.
Week 1
The Time it Rained for Two Million Years (2018 - 8 min.)
The world began as a supercontinent and was hot, flat, and dry until 234 million years ago, the climate changed- where it rained for two millions years.
Why you can't buy Dasani in Britain (2020 - 10 min.)
An interesting look into why Dasani, a popular bottled water brand, was a massive failure in Britain.
Ice Breakers (2019 - 15 min.)
The buried history of a pioneering Black hockey league in Atlantic Canada is told as Josh Crooks, a promising teen hockey star, discovers that his unshakable passion is tied to a rich and remarkable heritage.
Finding Fukue (2018 - 20 min.)
After receiving her last letter from her pen pal 30 years ago, Jessica Stuart returns to Japan to solve the mystery of her long lost friend, Fukue.
Laughing Matters (2019 - 29 min.)
Comedians are brought together for an honest look and conversation about comedy and mental health.