Yours

Documentary from the world's archives

817–864 of 6,614 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 Pride of Place: Building the American Dream- Ep. 6 (The Places Within, 1986) 2024 · TV This episode of the PBS series on American architecture takes a look at the interiors and exteriors of some of the finest buildings in the U.S., including… Internet Archive "RESCUE FROM SHANGRI-LA" 1945 C-47 PLANE CRASH SURVIVOR DOCUMENTARY 70564 Documentary This 1945 short film details the rescue of C-47 plane crash survivors in remote New Guinea. In 2011 a book about the incident by Mitchell Zuckoff was… Internet Archive My Shadow Bridge - Filmic Walk on the Williamsburg Bridge to Brooklyn (Year-2025) 2025 · Documentary Williamsburg Bridge, New York — November 7, 2025 This filmic walk records the nighttime crossing of the Williamsburg Bridge on November 7, 2025, moving toward… Internet Archive "BETWEEN THE ATOM AND THE STAR" 1966 NASA BIOSATELLITE DOCUMENTARY FILM BIOSCIENCE 17084 Documentary Between The Atom And The Star is a short 1966 NASA documentary film showing what the people behind NASA’s biosatellite program (satellites built by General… Internet Archive The Love Goddesses 1965 · Feature This insightful documentary features some of the major and most beautiful actresses to grace the silver screen. It shows how the movie industry changed its… Internet Archive C.E.M.A. 1942 · Documentary · 16 min A 1942 British documentary about efforts to bring the arts to people during wartime. Produced by the Strand Film Company for the Ministry of Information.… Internet Archive " 50 YEARS BEFORE YOUR EYES " PART 1 1900-1950 DOCUMENTARY FILM 6673 Documentary This film is the first half of the 1950 Warner Brothers film, which documents the major American and international events during the first half of the… Internet Archive "LIFE AROUND US: WHALING" 1960s WHALE & KILLER WHALE DOCUMENTARY WHALING INDUSTRY 63904 Documentary This late 1960s/early 1970s color educational film provides graphic depictions of whaling. It was produced by L. Richard Ellison. The film opens with a blood… Internet Archive "THE LAST TEN FEET" 1950s OIL AND GAS INDUSTRY / OIL EXPLORATION DOCUMENTARY BY ESSO 51864 Documentary “The Last Ten Feet” is a circa 1940 black-and-white presentation by oil and gas manufacturer Esso and the Oil Industry Information Committee. “All that the… Internet Archive Looking At Britain - Industrial Town 1962 · Documentary · 10 min A 1962 short documentary about Huddersfield in West Yorkshire. This short was mostly intended for international distribution. Produced by Impact Productions… Internet Archive THE COASTAL COMMAND -- AMERICAN VERSION of BRITISH WWII DOCUMENTARY 1 Of 2 81522 Documentary Coastal Command is a 1942 film originally made by the Crown Film Unit for the Ministry of Information. Two versions of the film are known to exist -- the… Internet Archive America's Century (1989)- Blowing The Fortune (Ep. 5) 2023 · TV This installment of the PBS series explains why foreign aid, trade policies, and government spending have caused the U.S. to become a nation of debtors, and… Internet Archive Not Your Average Russian: The Pozner File (1987) 2024 · TV Journalist Vladimir Pozner talks about the Soviets from his first visit to the US since the outbreak of the Cold War, including appearances on Nightline and… Internet Archive TV NEWS "BEHIND THE SCENES" 1970s ACTION NEWS DOCUMENTARY w/ GERALDO RIVERA & ROGER GRIMSBY 61604 Documentary The World Of Work’s “TV News: Behind The Scenes” is a 1973 episode from Encyclopaedia Britannica Films that shows viewers the day’s operations required to… Internet Archive APOLLO 17 LUNAR MISSION 1972 " ON THE SHOULDERS OF GIANTS " NASA DOCUMENTARY 17694 Documentary Want to support this channel and help us preserve old films? Visit https://www.patreon.com/PeriscopeFilm Browse our products on Amazon:… Internet Archive " MEN IN CRISIS: MCCARTHY VS. WELCH ” 1954 ARMY-MCCARTHY HEARINGS & MCCARTHY ERA DOCUMENTARY XD3715 Documentary "McCarthy vs. Welch" is a 1964 documentary produced by David L. Wolper, as part of the series entitled “Men in Crisis.” It examines the Army-McCarthy hearings… Internet Archive Moslems in Britain - Cardiff 1961 · Documentary · 18 min A 1961 Arabic-language short documentary filmed in Cardiff, Wales. Produced by United Motion Pictures for the Central Office of Information. Note:IMDb and the… Internet Archive WORLD WAR I "THE WAR YEARS" DOCUMENTARY THE GREAT WAR WWI 49034 Documentary This short film gives viewers a brief recap of World War I in the pretext of an elderly man recounting the history of the Great War to a teenage boy. The film… Internet Archive Official Saban Moon Pilot Episode (1994) Toon Makers Sailor Moon 2022 · Documentary The full pilot episode of Saban Moon/Toon Makers Sailor Moon (1994) is now available separate from the documentary! If you'd like to see the documented… Internet Archive Plants Behaving Badly ★ BBC Botany Mini-series with Subtitles and MKV 2017 · Talk Plants Behaving Badly ★ BBC Botany Mini-series - with Subtitles and MKV I found the original DVD here https://archive.org/details/plants_behaving_badly_iso… Internet Archive " ANARCHY USA " 1966 ANTI-CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT / COMMUNIST CONSPIRACY DOCUMENTARY PART 2 XD73244 Documentary A John Birch Society film made shortly after the Watts Riots, this film is the second half of an American right-wing propaganda film that argues the riots of… Internet Archive Secrets of Making Money 1996 · Documentary · Subtitles Discusses the manufacture and counterfeiting of paper money in the United States, with particular attention paid to anti-counterfeiting measures and the new… Internet Archive WWII in CHINA & BURMA 1945 DOCUMENTARY "STILWELL ROAD" w/ RONALD REAGAN COMPLETE 30454 Documentary The Stilwell Road was a propaganda film produced by the American Office of War Information and the British and Indian film units in 1945 detailing the… Internet Archive WILBUR SHAW RACE CAR DRIVER DOCUMENTARY INDIANAPOLIS 500 47124 Documentary One of the episodes of the short-lived, pioneering TV documentary series "The Greatest Drama" from 1953, "Speedway Star" tells the story of Wilbur Shaw, one… Internet Archive " DESERT VICTORY " WWII BRITISH DOCUMENTARY BATTLE FOR NORTH AFRICA VS. AFRIKA KORPS PART 1 8828 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 Breakthrough - The Ideas That Changed the World ★ Complete PBS Series with MKV and Subtitles 2019 · Talk Breakthrough - The Ideas That Changed the World ★ Complete PBS Series with MKV and Subtitles Breakthrough: The Ideas That Changed the World - hosted by… Internet Archive ”PERTAINING TO CHICAGO 1957” HOMAGE TO ARCHITECTURE OF SULLIVAN, WRIGHT, AND VAN DER ROHE 96094 Documentary This amateur documentary-style film titled “Pertaining to Chicago 1957” by Jim Davis and Leo J. Merker and dedicated to the Graham Foundation is an homage to… Internet Archive " THE OLD ORDER AMISH " 1959 LIFE OF PENNSYLVANIA DUTCH / AMISH DOCUMENTARY FILM XD7339 Documentary “The Old Order Amish” is a color documentary film that offers an intimate portrait of the daily lives of the Amish community in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. It… Internet Archive The Africans: A Triple Heritage ★ Full BBC and PBS Series with MKV and Subtitles and Book 1986 · Talk The Africans: A Triple Heritage ★ Full BBC and PBS Series with MKV and Subtitles and Book . _ . Ian Parker requested this Series … I found the original DVD… Internet Archive " LIBERATION OF UKRAINE FROM THE GERMAN FASCIST INVADERS " WWII SOVIET DOCUMENTARY FILM XD5981 Documentary “Liberation of Ukraine from the German Fascist Invaders” is a black-and-white Russian-language documentary film comprised of various archival footage… Internet Archive The Human Animal ★ A study of the species Homo Sapiens - with Book, and MKV 1994 · Talk The Human Animal ★ A special BBC study of the species "Homo Sapiens" - with MKV and the Companion Book. ( Warning! Because of medically explicit information… Internet Archive A State Visit to Turkey by Queen Elizabeth II 1971 · Documentary · 22 min A 1971 British documentary short film. Along with footage of Queen Elizabeth II this is also a travelogue of Turkey. Produced by Movietone for the Central… Internet Archive "THE ABODE OF PEACE" 1950s BRUNEI, BORNEO DOCUMENTARY FILM 54764 Documentary This early 1950s black and white travelogue film is about Brunei, known as the Abode of Peace, which is a country located on the northern coasts of Borneo in… Internet Archive "THE SEARCH" 1950s DOCUMENTARY TV SHOW JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY HEARING AND SPEECH CENTER 66554 Documentary "The Search" was a CBS non-fiction TV program that aired in the early 1950s. In this episode, narrated by Charles Romine, a mother visits the Johns Hopkins… Internet Archive U.S. ARMY BATTLE OF THE BULGE DOCUMENTARY "TIGERS ON THE LOOSE" PART 2 80814 Documentary Part two of the Big Picture about the Battle of the Bulge, TIGERS ON THE LOOSE was produced by the Army Pictorial Center and is narrated by Lorne Green. It… Internet Archive Japanorama Season 3 (All 6 Episodes) 2007 · Documentary This is the final season of BBC Choice (now BBC 3) Japanorama. (from Wikipedia) Japanorama is a series of documentaries presented by Jonathan Ross , exploring… Internet Archive Terror in Space 1998 · Documentary · Subtitles Exposes the dangers and near disasters aboard the Russian space station Mir in 1997. Includes interviews with U.S. astronauts Jerry Linenger and Michael… Internet Archive I Was Here — Filmic Walk Through Philadelphia at Night 2026 · Documentary Philadelphia, Pennsylvania — July 22, 2026 This continuous filmic walk documents Philadelphia deep into the night on July 22, 2026, moving through the city at… Internet Archive THE KNUTE ROCKNE STORY 1920s NOTRE DAME UNIVERSITY FOOTBALL DOCUMENTARY 54114 Documentary The film begins with views of the University of Notre Dame (:06-:24). Knute’s life is explored, beginning with helmeted young boys in Chicago who huddle… Internet Archive Kolyma - The Uncut Documentary 1993 · TV · Subtitles An ultra-rare Russian-language documentary about the most notorious of the Gulag death camps in frigid north-eastern Siberia. If sent to Kolyma, you had about… Internet Archive MSNBC Weekend Magazine With Stone Phillips -October 9, 1999 (partial) 2024 · TV Taken from two episodes which aired on the same day, the first story featured, "The Lost Years", described how a British man discusses his struggles about… Internet Archive 1959 DOCUMENTARY “TRIBUTE TO FANGIO” FORMULA ONE AUTO RACING JUAN MANUEL FANGIO MONACO GP XD4804 Documentary Created by British Petroleum, and RHR Productions / Ronald H. Riley, this film "Tribute to...Fangio!" is a love letter to Juan Manuel Fangio (1911 – 1995), an… Internet Archive " THE ROAD BACK " 1960s U.S. FEDERAL PRISONS DOCUMENTARY ATLANTA, GEORGIA JAIL 17894 Documentary Made by the U.S. Department of Justice, this 1960s documentary features the U.S. federal penitentiary in Atlanta, GA and discusses the treatment of the… Internet Archive 1950s U.S. NAVY ICEBREAKER DOCUMENTARY FILM 76934 Documentary This 1952 U.S. Navy film entitled "Icebreaker" shows a U.S. Navy ship the USS Burton Island traveling from San Diego to Kodiak, Alaska, St. Lawrence and King… Internet Archive Long Night — Filmic Walk Through Philadelphia at 3AM | July 22, 2026 2026 · Documentary Philadelphia, Pennsylvania — July 22, 2026 This continuous filmic walk documents Philadelphia in the deepest hours of the night on July 22, 2026,… Internet Archive " GRAND PRIX D'EUROPE " 1958 BELGIUM GRAND PRIX FORMULA ONE RACING DOCUMENTARY XD8679 Documentary Presented by Castrol, this 1958 documentary "Grand Prix D'Europe 1958" covers that year's Belgian Grand Prix which was a Formula 1 race held at the Circuit de… Internet Archive "SILENTS PLEASE" MACK SENNETT'S SILENT FILM STUDIO AKA THE FUN FACTORY 1961 DOCUMENTARY ST1004 Documentary This 1961 episode from the Series “Silents Please” looks at the work of Mack Sennett’s “Fun Factory”, an iconic slapstick comedy production studio that… Internet Archive 1619 - Up from Slavery ★ 14 Part Series with MKV and Subtitles 2020 · Talk 1619 - Up from Slavery ★ 14 Part Series with MKV and Subtitles I know, I know: Black History Month was in February. But this Set of DVDs just showed up the…