Best 1960s Documentary Movies

Looking for the best 1960s Documentary movies? These are the 12 highest-rated 1960s Documentary titles in our catalogue, led by Nelson Cavaquinho, Secret Paris and Ladies and Gentlemen, Mr. Leonard Cohen. The list is ranked by audience score; open any title for its cast, trailer and legal places to watch.

1. Nelson Cavaquinho (1969)

★ 8.8/10

A short film of lovely poetic, observational elements and interviews with the famed samba singer/songwriter Nelson Antônio da Silva, whose adopted last name ‘Cavaquinho’ refers to the small guitar-like instrument that…
2. Secret Paris (1965)

★ 8.0/10

Features gourmets chowing down on bats, voodoo practitioners, a chap who has a fetish for being covered in bees and a gal who has the Eiffel Tower tattooed on her behind so she can sell the skin at a later date. These…
3. Ladies and Gentlemen, Mr. Leonard Cohen (1966)

★ 7.2/10

A 1964 documentary portrait of Cohen in his pre-musician days as a poet and stand-up comedian.
4. The Horse with the Flying Tail (1960)

★ 7.2/10

A palimino cow pony, through a series of owners and adventures becomes a champion mount for one of the US equestrian team.
5. The Epic That Never Was (1969)

★ 6.9/10

The story of the aborted 1937 filming of "I, Claudius", starring Charles Laughton, with all of its surviving footage.
6. The Ballad of Crowfoot (1968)

★ 6.8/10

Released in 1968 and often referred to as Canada’s first music video, The Ballad of Crowfoot was directed by Willie Dunn, a Mi’kmaq/Scottish folk singer and activist who was part of the historic Indian Film Crew, the…
7. The Sun's Gonna Shine (1969)

★ 6.6/10

A lyrical recreation of Lightnin’ Hopkins’ decision at age eight to stop chopping cotton and start singing for a living. Preserved by the Academy Film Archive in 2013.
8. Faces of November (1964)

★ 6.3/10

Robert Drew shows the sights and sounds from the funeral of President John F. Kennedy in November, 1963. Preserved by the Academy Film Archive in 2002.
9. Notes for a Film in India (1968)

★ 6.2/10

A 1968 short documentary film by Pier Paolo Pasolini where he visits India in the search of a king who could give up his body to feed a starving tiger.
10. God Respects Us When We Work, But Loves Us When We Dance (1968)

★ 5.5/10

Les Blank's poetic documentation of 1967's Los Angeles Easter Sunday Love-In. Preserved by the Academy Film Archive in 2002.
11. Boys Beware (1961)

★ 3.5/10

This anti-homosexual social "scare" short film focuses on the dangers of young boys talking to strangers.
12. 9 Days in Summer (1967)

★ 0.0/10

A promotional film for the Ford Company detailing the introduction of the Cosworth engine into Formula 1 in conjunction with Lotus.