Oh, I second Searching for Sugarman!

Anonymous wrote:Eyes on the Prize

The Manor House (not really a documentary but a re-enactment series of life in a turn of the century house--complete with Lord & Lady all the way down to the scullery maid.)

Not sure if we're talking about the same thing, but there was a PBS show called 1900 House, and later Frontier House. I was really hooked on Frontier House, and wish they'd do another one. OP, worth checking out!

http://www.pbs.org/wnet/frontierhouse/project/series.html

Frontier House is great. I remember there was a scene where one of the men insisted on seeing a doctor because he had lost so much weight. He thought he was ill. The doctor explained that he was now within a normal weight range!

A couple other documentaries I'll recommend, although not education related:

Searching for Sugarman-- this was just wonderful.

Blackfish-- very disturbing but everyone should see this documentary, IMO!

Vote For Me on Netflix. It is a Chinese documentary about third grade class elections at an elementary school. It was interesting to see how involved the parents are, perhaps since they only have one child.

Anonymous wrote:The HBO show Kindergarten is a documentary/reality show about a classroom. It's available on demand. Wonderful.

OP here. I looked it up and it says I have to be an HBO subscriber to watch it. Am I looking in the wrong place? It looks good! I loved the Manor House! I watched it over XMAS so maybe I will try the Pioneer one.

The Fog of War is really really good. Every person should watch this, regardless of political persuasions.
Recently saw that Diana Nyad one and it was pretty awesome. She defines perseverance.

+1 on Hoop Dreams. Over a few years, cameras followed two economically disadvantaged boys who seem to show promise to possibly make it to the NBA.

After you watch it, look it up on Wikipedia and you will find out what they are doing today and what happened to the family members that you watched in the documentary.

There is one on Netflix called "Whores..." something else, Glory maybe, I'm at work so don't want to google it. It is about prostitution all over the world. It is very honest, brutal, and informative. The stories are told by the "girls" and the cameras follow them into the brothels (not sure how they got permission).

OP, or anyone else. Let us know if you watch one of the suggestions. I always love when people do follow up posts.

Anonymous wrote:Nine lives of Marion Barry. Very eye opening.

I was shocked how intelligent and coherent Marion Barry was. Crack really did him in.