Yours

Documentary from the world's archives

721–768 of 6,306 films, free to watch, from the world's open archives.

Where these films come from, and who sees what

Every film here plays from the archive that keeps it: the Internet Archive, Wikimedia Commons, the NASA Image and Video Library, the Library of Congress and Open Images (the Netherlands Institute for Sound and Vision). Nothing is copied to this site. Each film's page names its archive, links to its page there, and states its licence or status as the archive does.

Archive films carry no age ratings, so each is placed from the collections it sits in and the subjects the archive gives it, cautiously. Sexual content and nudity are left out altogether.

Little OnesFilms for young children by name: nursery rhymes, lullabies, preschool.
KidsCartoons and animation, children's and family films, and educational films, unless they deal with war, propaganda, crime, horror or drugs, or carry racial caricature.
TweensDocumentaries, science, nature and space, classic comedies, newsreels, commercials and lectures.
TeensEverything else, including anything we cannot tell about; war, crime, horror and westerns go no lower.
AdultSexual themes (such as the old "sex hygiene" films), gore, surgery, slaughter, atrocity footage.
Internet Archive NUWAX-81 DOCUMENTARY NUCLEAR WEAPON ACCIDENT EXERCISE 1982 · Educational Department of Defense PIN 503121 NUWAX-81 DOCUMENTARY NUCLEAR WEAPON ACCIDENT EXERCISE DOCUMENTS THE DNA DIRECTED, MULTI-SERVICE, DOE, FEMA, AND STATE OF… Internet Archive “ THE THREAD OF LIFE " 1960 HUMAN & PLANT GENETICS, CHROMOSOMES & DNA DOCUMENTARY PART 2 91974 Documentary “The Thread of Life” dates to 1960 and was part of the Bell Science Series of films. The film is about heredity, genetics, DNA and how it works. The… Internet Archive The Short Films of David Lynch 2002 · Documentary The Short Films of David Lynch is a collection of visionary director David Lynch's short films from the first 29 years of his career is accompanied by a… Internet Archive TRADE AND TRANSPORTATION 1958 DOCUMENTARY FILM 89344 Documentary Presented by United World Films and distributed by United Education and Visual Arts, this 1958 black-and-white film, “The Way We Live,” takes a look at… Internet Archive XD11844SEGREGATION IN THE SCHOOLS 1954 CIVIL RIGHTS TV DOCUMENTARY NATCHITOCHES, LOUISIANA Documentary This black & white educational film is about the May 17, 1954 Supreme Court decision where it was ruled that racial segregation of schools was… Internet Archive U.S. NAVY AIR POWER AT SEA F-14 TOMCAT TOP GUN DOCUMENTARY 81214 Documentary Made in the 1980s, AIR POWER AT SEA may have been the movie that inspired "Top Gun". Narrated by Cliff Robertson and featuring the aircraft carrier USS… Internet Archive 1942 U.S. GOVERNMENT DOCUMENTARY "THE WORLD AT WAR" EVENTS LEADING UP TO PEARL HARBOR 23980 Documentary "The World At War" is a 1942 documentary used to inform the American public of why the U.S. entered World War II and to rally support for the war effort. The… Internet Archive “THE REMNANT” 1967 HISTORY OF JUDAISM, STATE OF ISRAEL, ZIONIST MOVEMENT DOCUMENTARY 56344 Documentary This film "The Remnant" was produced in 1967, and depicts the Jewish culture in Europe highlighting the early history of the Jews as well as prominent and… Internet Archive CHINA'S VILLAGES IN CHANGE 1967 DOCUMENTARY FILM PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA RURAL LIFE XD12204 Documentary This color educational film is about the state of China's villages. It dates to 1967 and was made by EB Films. Commentary by Richard Baker. Opening titles:… Internet Archive Elissa: A Tall Ship For Texas (1986 documentary) 2023 · TV Filmed on location in Greece, here is the PBS documentary about the Elissa, a square-rigged ship that was rediscovered and restored and sits today in… Internet Archive 1938 PRE-WWII FRENCH NAVY DOCUMENTARY FILM " TOULON HEAVY SQUADRON CRUISE " PART 2 49924 Documentary This 1938 film is entitled "Croisière D'escadre" / "Squadron Cruise". This is Part 2 of the film. Part One can be viewed here: https://youtu.be/NHb11WlDRkM… Internet Archive THE BIOGRAPHY OF CHARLES LINDBERGH 1960s DOCUMENTARY SPIRIT OF ST. LOUIS 19784 Documentary This is a 1960’s era, black and white episode of the TV show "Biography" highlighting the many achievements and travails of Charles Augustus Lindbergh. Most… Internet Archive Moon Machines ★ Space Hardware Mini-Series 2008 · Talk Moon Machines ★ Space Hardware Mini-Series From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia: Moon Machines is a Science Channel HD documentary miniseries consisting of… Internet Archive "HERITAGE OF THE NEGRO" 1965 DOCUMENTARY FILM w/ OSSIE DAVIS AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY XD4880 Documentary Hosted by Ossie Davis, this 1965 educational film "Heritage of the Negro" was made by the National Educational Television and Radio Center. The film is part… Internet Archive The Story of Menstruation 1946 · Feature Title: The Story of Menstruation Summary: A basic explanation of the purpose and process of menstruation, told largely with diagrams (and completely avoiding… Internet Archive " THREE TWO ONE ZERO " (PART 1) 1950s BIRTH OF ATOMIC BOMB & ATOMIC ENERGY DOCUMENTARY 10014 Documentary Written by Henry Salomon in the mid-1950s and airing on NBC, this award-winning black and white documentary film production begins with a dramatic shot of an… Internet Archive 1942 U.S. GOVERNMENT DOCUMENTARY "THE WORLD AT WAR" EVENTS LEADING UP TO PEARL HARBOR 48904 Documentary "The World At War" is a 1942 documentary used to inform the American public of why the U.S. entered World War II and to rally support for the war effort. The… Internet Archive Return of the Ewok and Other Little Films 1983 · Documentary Return of the Ewok and Other Little Films. This classic 24-minute film stars Warwick Davis as he tries to become a star - shot on the sets of Return of the… Internet Archive “ THE THREAD OF LIFE " 1960 HUMAN & PLANT GENETICS, CHROMOSOMES & DNA DOCUMENTARY PART 1 91954 Documentary “The Thread of Life” dates to 1960 and was part of the Bell Science Series of films. The film is about heredity, genetics, DNA and how it works. The… Internet Archive Your Children's Meals 1947 · Documentary · 12 min 1947 British instructional film intended for parents. Produced by the Realist Film Unit for the Central Office of Information. Strangely enough I rather… Internet Archive Compass (ABC) - Missionaries: Stony Ground (incomplete - 17/11/1991) 1991 · TV Incomplete recording of ABC program Compass. Part of a six-part documentary series on missionaries TV guide: https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/page/13012940… Internet Archive "THE HIGHEST TRADITION" AFRICAN AMERICANS IN U.S. NAVY IN WWII 1946 DOCUMENTARY 22514 Documentary Presented by the Associated Producers of Negro Motion Pictures, produced and directed by African American filmmaker William D. Alexander and narrated by… Internet Archive "MEN WITH GREEN FACES" 1969 U.S. NAVY SEALS DOCUMENTARY VIETNAM WAR 40224 Documentary Men With Green Faces (MN 10585) is a Vietnam-era U.S. Navy documentary from 1969 that explains the intense mental and physical challenges endured by those who… Internet Archive 1950s AMERICAN COWBOY DOCUMENTARY PRESENTED BY FORD MOTOR CO. 87234 Documentary AMERICAN COWBOY is a documentary about Gus Roberson, an American cowboy who has a ranch at Gunnison, Colorado. The film is part of the Ford Motor Co.'s… Internet Archive "ISLE OF MANY WATERS" 1939 TASMANIA AUSTRALIA TRAVELOGUE FRANK HURLEY DOCUMENTARY FILM 15484 Documentary Created by filmmaker, photographer and explorer Frank Hurley, and narrated by him, "Isle of Many Waters" is a documentary travelogue of the island of… Internet Archive The Last Narco – Filmic Walk | Brooklyn Sunset Park in a Summer Downpour 2026 · Documentary Brooklyn, New York — July 18, 2026 This continuous filmic walk documents Sunset Park, Brooklyn during an intense summer downpour. Heavy rain transforms the… Internet Archive Sacred Weeds ★ a BBC Channel 4 Documentary Series 1998 · Talk Sacred Weeds ★ Complete Series https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sacred_Weeds Sacred Weeds (Excerpt from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:) Sacred Weeds Genre… Internet Archive DOCUMENTARY OF XXIV CORPS 1971 · Educational National Archives and Records Administration DOCUMENTARY OF XXIV CORPS ARC Identifier 33997 / Local Identifier 111-LC-56246 1971 Department of Defense.… Internet Archive " THE BATTLE OF SAN PIETRO " 1945 U.S. ARMY DOCUMENTARY JOHN HUSTON WWII ITALIAN CAMPAIGN 80824 Documentary "The Battle of San Pietro" is a 1945, black and white, documentary film directed and narrated by famed Hollywood director John Huston ("The Maltese Falcon")… Internet Archive “TASK FORCE FRIGID” U.S. ARMY 1947 COLD WAR MILITARY EXERCISE IN ALASKA DOCUMENTARY 15894 Documentary This U.S. Army film documents the mission and challenges faced by “Task Force Frigid” in 1947. Task Force Frigid was conducted around the Tanana River near… Internet Archive Hindendurg Short · 7 min The launch and eventual tragedy of the fabulous airship. Internet Archive Britain Welcomes The President Of India 1963 · Documentary · 14 min A 1963 documentary about the visit of Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan to Britain. Produced by British Pathe for the Central Office of Information. Internet Archive U.S. COAST GUARD LIGHTHOUSES 1960s DOCUMENTARY FILM WHITE SHOAL LIGHT MONTAUK POINT REYES 10404 Documentary This color educational film is about the Lighthouses in the USA. This was made in 1960. This film was an entry in the Edinburgh International Film Festival in… Internet Archive " THIS IS INDIA " THE TAJ MAHAL 1960s TRAVELOGUE / DOCUMENTARY AGRA 93374 Documentary Romantic Travel films Presents: in association with Franklin Sahu Film Productions, “This is India Series”. “The Taj Mahal”. No. 2 “Around the World in Color… Internet Archive " REFRESHMENT THROUGH THE YEARS " 1939 HISTORY OF COCA COLA DOCUMENTARY 1939 WORLD'S FAIR 72162 Documentary Support Our Channel : https://www.patreon.com/PeriscopeFilm Created in 1939, "Refreshment Through the Years" is a corporate history of the Coca-Cola Company… Internet Archive " THE BIG PICTURE: D-DAY INVASION " JUNE 6, 1944 INVASION OF NORMANDY DOCUMENTARY XD86785 Documentary Here is an episode of the U.S. Army TV program "The Big Picture" about June 6, 1944 and D-Day, wen Allied forces landed on the beaches of Normandy in Occupied… Internet Archive Africa ★ BBC Wildlife Series with Subtitles, Extras, and MKV 2013 · Talk Africa ★ BBC Wildlife Series with Subtitles, Extras, and MKV . _ . I found the original DVD source materials here: https://archive.org/details/green-planet-iso… Internet Archive America's Greatest Otaku - The Complete TV Series (Restored) 2011 · Documentary All 8 episodes of TOKYOPOP's short-lived reality TV series, America's Greatest Otaku. A kitschy relic of late 00's/early 10's nerd culture as it was breaking… Internet Archive EARLY JACQUES COUSTEAU FILM "SILENT LANDSCAPES" 1947 AQUA-LUNG DOCUMENTARY 61824 Documentary Made in 1947, SILENT LANDSCAPES / PAYSAGES DU SILENCE is one of the earliest films made by Jacques Cousteau. The film was shot at a depth of up to 60 meters… Internet Archive SIR EDMUND HILLARY DOCUMENTARY FILM "I ALWAYS COME BACK TO THE HIMALAYAS" TIBET 47154 Documentary Produced in 1965 with backing by Sears Roebuck (which apparently hoped to sell camping equipment) and the co-operation of Sir Edmund Hillary and his first… Internet Archive Un mariage chez les tartares de Bathé-Khan à Mezo-kovesd - Hongrie (1912) Short " A marriage at the Tartars of Bathé-Khan in Mezo-kovesd – Hungary" is a short documentary ("Scène de plein air"), distributed by Pathé Frères (No. 4991,… Internet Archive The Amazing Human Body ★ A PBS series About … YOU - with Subtitles and MKV 2018 · Talk The Amazing Human Body ★ A PBS series About … YOU - with Subtitles and MKV . _ . I found the original DVD source materials here:… Internet Archive Filmic Walk - Empire In The Glass | Williamsburg Heat Wave, Brooklyn NYC Walk 2026 · Documentary Williamsburg, Brooklyn, New York - July 2, 2026 This continuous filmic walk moves through Williamsburg, Brooklyn during an extreme summer heat wave. The… Internet Archive " DESERT VICTORY " WWII BRITISH DOCUMENTARY BATTLE FOR NORTH AFRICA VS. AFRIKA KORPS PART 1 34034 Documentary Produced by the Army Film and Photographic Unit and the Royal Air Force Film Production Unit, this black-and-white film is Part 1 of “Desert Victory,”… Internet Archive 1975 DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION/US COAST GUARD DOCUMENTARY “JOURNEY TO PRUHOE” 88104 Documentary This film takes a look at the marine journey to Prudhoe Bay from Seattle and Tacoma Washington in order to develop an Alaskan oil reserve which was to be… Internet Archive "I SEARCH FOR ADVENTURE" ADMIRAL RICHARD BYRD ANTARCTIC EXPEDITION OF 1932-33 DOCUMENTARY XD5190 Documentary This episode of the b&w tv show "I Search for Adventure", hosted by Jack Douglas, presents the story of Commander George Noville and Admiral Byrd's expedition… Internet Archive "THE MARCH OF MEDICINE" MEDICAL EFFECTS 10 YEARS AFTER HIROSHIMA ATOMIC BOMB DOCUMENTARY 93904 Documentary This black & white television show "The March of Medicine" dates to 1955. This episode is about the effects of radiation on those who survived the Hiroshima… Internet Archive "THE FAR SOUND" 1973 BELL LABORATORIES HISTORY OF LONG DISTANCE TELEPHONE SERVICE DOCUMENTARY 44084 Documentary Made in 1973, "The Far Sound" examines how technologies invented at Bell Laboratories and developed by the Bell System and AT&T contributed to making…