The following documentaries will really open your mind to the modern world, offering a broad view of the world we live in today.
Sometimes creativity comes from where we least expect to find it. That's why it's always worth absorbing the culture around us: music, art, film, and more.
Today, specifically, we bring you 6 audiovisual pieces that, through different documentary narratives, bring us closer to major figures in the world of creativity.
- Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry
Without a doubt a controversial figure, there's no denying that Ai Weiwei's works are as powerful as they are metaphorical - especially considering the criticism of the Chinese regime that underlies many of them.
Born in Beijing in 1957, his leap to international fame came in 2008, when he took part in the design of the Beijing Olympic stadium.
Shortly after, he distanced himself from the project to focus all his efforts on drawing attention to the terrible Sichuan earthquake, which didn't please the Chinese authorities. From that moment on they began cracking down on him, to the point that in 2011 he was suddenly detained at Beijing International Airport before departing for Hong Kong.
Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry is a documentary written and directed by Alison Klayman that tells the story of this particular artist and his activism. Among many other awards, the film won the Special Jury Award at the Sundance Film Festival.
- Exit Through the Gift Shop
Who doesn't know Banksy?
The popular British street artist is known for his satire dealing with political, cultural, or social issues. His main technique is stenciling, which is sometimes combined with lettering.
His identity, of course, remains completely hidden, though that hasn't stopped him from achieving huge international success (as shown by his exhibitions across different European countries). Perhaps that's why it's so curious that Banksy himself decided, in 2010, to make a film in which he would take part.
Exit Through the Gift Shop is the curious title he chose for his documentary. He picked as the protagonist of the small production Thierry Guetta, a French immigrant living in Los Angeles with an extraordinary interest in street art.
Driven by that interest, he tries to get in touch with the artists he admires most - among them Banksy himself, who, of course, never reveals his true face.
Critics were divided between those who praised it (it was even nominated for an Oscar) and those who questioned the documentary's reliability. Its genuine way of handling the subject undoubtedly makes this work a showcase for everything street art has to offer.
- Abstract: The Art of Design
Netflix is the company behind this documentary based on the life and work of different design professionals across different fields and areas.
Through eight episodes we get to know the following names up close and in depth:
- Graphic designer and Pentagram partner Paula Scher;
- illustrator Christoph Niemann;
- Nike footwear designer;
- Tinker Hatfield;
- Set designer Es Devlin;
- Photographer Platon;
- Interior designer Ilse Crawford;
- Automotive designer Ralph Gilles, and architect Bjarke Ingels.
Netflix is firmly committed to design, with a series of biographical documentaries that let us get closer to some of the brightest minds of recent times.
- Off the Record
Laura Sans is a young designer who in recent years has focused her career more on the audiovisual sector. Off the Record is the result of that focus.
Through it, we're shown the most human side of design - the side we don't usually associate with the prestigious professional names we read about every day: Erik Spiekermann, Jessica Walsh, Bruno Selles, Toormix, Hector Ayuso, Aimee Duchamp, N9ve studio, Brosmind, and Marta Cerdà are just a few of them.
"In this creative field where ego, pressure, and mistreatment between professionals and/or clients are very present," she says. The documentary is filmed as a dialogue around the field of design and visual arts, in which 6 topics are covered with 21 designers.
- Tales by Light
Is there such a thing as the perfect image? With this premise, a group of photographers embarks on a journey that takes them to different parts of the world to try to capture the 'ideal' photograph.
Extraordinary landscapes and unusual cultures blend together in a journey marked by the pursuit of light and other photographic elements you can learn from - and enjoy.
Already with two seasons of 6 episodes, Tales by Light is directed by Abraham Joffe in collaboration with Canon Australia, and aims to bring the world of photography closer to every audience.
- Chef's Table
Although it involves food, the documentary explores the creative process of some of the world's greatest chefs. Beyond showcasing the dishes, this series also presents food in an artistic and sensitive way, drawing our attention to details we don't usually think about while eating!
Design professionals are constantly on the move creatively, so absorbing content that helps you see the world in different ways is important for exercising the mind.
Whenever you have some free time, it's worth checking out the documentaries mentioned above and soaking up all the content your professional field can offer.
