[octothorp]

In recent years, most of the attention that documentary films have gotten have been directed at the political or crusade documentaries. And while I'm not generally a fan of these films, I do like more traditional documentaries. With that in mind, what documentaries would you recommend?

Three of my favorites:
Fast, Cheap, and out of Control - Largely consists of interviews with four individuals who have fascinating jobs: an MIT robot scientist, a lion tamer, a topiary gardener, and a hairless mole-rat specialist. The filmmakers weave together a really interesting portrait of our human condition through the juxtaposition of these men and their lives.
Winged Migration - very minimalist film, just amazing footage of birds in flight with very little narration. Some of the dramatized scenes are cheesy, but the wonderful footage at the heart of this film makes up for it.
Theremin: An electronic odyssey - About the theremin instrument and the strange story of its russian inventor. Great story about music, technology, and the surprisingly long arm of the Soviets (Leon Theremin was abducted by the KGB off the streets of New York in broad daylight).