Trazee In-Depth: Best Documentaries to Keep up With the News You’re Not Hearing

Even in our digital age of streaming news, entertainment and news for entertainment, the old saying, “if it bleeds, it leads” still holds true today. The more dramatic, appealing to human interest, heart-wrenching and fear-inducing the story is, the more likely you are to hear about it.

For those who are in the know and keep up with current events, most still only consume news that applies to them based on internet searches and digital personality. You can watch cable news or seek out current events online or in print, but it’s a big world out there, some of which we know nothing about — especially if it isn’t the leading story or the easy one to cover.

For years, nearly half of Americans receive news, current events and information from late-night TV shows. In 2016, during an election year, the Pew Research Center reported nearly 60 percent of Americans watched late-night television for current events — that’s 60 percent of the 80 percent claiming to watch TV as a whole for news.

With so many people watching essentially the same thing, chances are some stories slip through the cracks. As many streaming services as there are available and with more diverse content than ever, there has to be a way to keep up.

One way to educate yourself, or at least broaden your horizons and understand something from another perspective, is documentaries. Documentaries are not what they used to be — in a good way. The work, storytelling, cinematography and craftsmanship going into documentaries today can rival some of the best films at the Academy Awards.

Step away from the political circus for a minute and educate yourself on some of the most interesting stories you haven’t heard about.

Syria has been in the news a lot lately, but the documentary City of Ghosts tells another story. From the perspective of journalists in both safe locales and those reporting from ISIS-occupied territories, City of Ghosts is a raw, real and devastating story of real-life villains and the brave journalists fighting to tell the story. Watch the currently streaming film on Amazon Prime or rent on iTunes.

We heard about the police brutality over the last few years that sparked the Black Lives Matter movement, but go a bit deeper with The Force. This film follows the Oakland Police Department and its struggle to improve force conduct under federal oversight. Between the struggles of urban crime and systematic issues in law and government, The Force is a real depiction of a world we don’t often see as cameras follow officers on ride-alongs, through protests and to community meetings.

A new documentary on Netflix for true-crime fans, Strong Island follows Yance Ford’s, the filmmaker, journey in examining the death of his brother, William Ford Jr. when he was just 24 years old.

An Oscar nominee you’ve probably already heard a lot about, I Am Not Your Negro received rave reviews for story telling and master filmmaking. See what all the fuss is about in the 2017 film following the unfinished novel by James Baldwin — friend of Malcolm X, Medger Evers and Martin Luther King Jr. Watch it on Amazon Prime before the Oscars or rent on iTunes when available.

For something timely and a little abstract, tune into Lo and Behold: Reveries of the Connected World by Werner Herzog. This film showcases the internet-obsessed, possibly even addicted, culture we live in today and how unengaged our society has become. You can watch this documentary on Netflix and Herzog’s other films including Lessons of Darkness, Into the Abyss and Encounters at the End of the World.

The Look of Silence is the follow-up film to the critically acclaimed The Act of Killing, but stands alone. Check out both for the full story and follow the aftermath of the Indonesian genocide from the perspective of a victim’s family members.

For something empowering and humbling, check out Solar Mamas. The film follows Rafea, a mother from Jordan, and her fight for solar power in her community. She is an uneducated woman who gets the chance to attend the Barefoot College, bringing women like Rafea together to learn about electricity, power and solar energy — all while being illiterate, marginalized and caring for her children.

The wide range of documentaries, subject matter and level of execution goes on and on. Dip your toe in and watch a quick, easy and incredibly interesting documentary like Going Clear. The HBO documentary delves into Scientology with the help of experts and citizens post religion, telling their story in great and shocking detail. Learn all about how the organization started, became a religion and the impact it has had on so many lives.