Documentary from the world's archives

2,257–2,304 of 6,832 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. Nothing is left out for being sexual: sexual content and nudity are for adults, placed by what the archive files a film as, never by a word of its title alone (The Naked City is a police film). A film filed as pornography is listed for adults without its picture and plays nowhere yet, as the law where it would play asks for a proof of age this site does not have. A sexual depiction of a child, drawn ones too, is listed nowhere.

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 content, pornography, nudity and nudism, striptease, sexual themes (such as the old "sex hygiene" films), gore, surgery, slaughter, beheadings, atrocity footage.
Internet Archive World Of Ideas with Bill Moyers (Patricia Smith Churchland) Documentary World of Ideas with Bill Moyers, guest Patricia Smith Churchland: "Patricia Churchland brings together philosophy and neuroscience to deepen our understanding… Internet Archive All the Beauty and the Bloodshed - Official Trailer (2022) Nan Goldin 2022 · Commercial Directed by Academy Award-winning filmmaker Laura Poitras, All the Beauty and the Bloodshed is an epic, emotional and interconnected story about… Internet Archive Hitchcock/Truffaut 2015 · Commercial Filmmakers discuss the legacy of Alfred Hitchcock and the book “Hitchcock/Truffaut” (“Le cinéma selon Hitchcock”), written by François Truffaut and published… Internet Archive The Last Waltz Film Promo Clip PBS/WNET 13 1986-03-05 1986 · Documentary This clip appears to be a promotion or advertisement for the airing of 'The Last Waltz,' a film that documents the final concert of The Band. The images… Internet Archive PBS Sunday Lineup Promo Clip PBS/WNET 13 1986-03-05 1986 · Documentary The clip is a promotion for a Sunday lineup on PBS, featuring 'Irving Berlin's America' at 6:30 PM, a documentary on the saguaro cactus on 'Nature', and a… Internet Archive Astronomia: Giove: la Missione Galileo 1997 · Documentary 35th Episode of the Astronomia series by Fabbri Video. OCR Analysis: astronomia-giove-la-missione-galileo_cover_back.png: GIOVE: LA MISSIONE GALILEO Giove ed… Internet Archive Astronomia: La riscoperta di Nettuno 1997 · Documentary 25th episode of the Astronomia series by Fabbri Video. OCR Analysis: astronomia-la-riscoperta-di-nettuno_cover_back.png: LEO AL AO LEAP AIA LOPE Rp SOE AAE,… Internet Archive Killer Twisters 1985 · Commercial A nature documentary focused on tornadoes, covering the destructive power and behavior of killer twisters. The program features footage of funnel clouds and… Internet Archive Star Trek Essential Guide To Star Trek First Contact Documentary Video documentary of the making of star trek first contact copied of VHS Internet Archive The American Dream and Other Fairy Tales - Official Trailer (2022) Abigail E. Disney 2022 · Commercial Abigail Disney looks at America's dysfunctional and unequal economy and asks why the American Dream has worked for the wealthy, yet is a nightmare for people… Internet Archive Jesse Owens - American Experience (VHS Recording) Documentary Taken from a VHS Recording (Small glitch at 11:53) Internet Archive Smithsonian World - Elephant On The Hill [VHS home recording, approx. 1987] 1987 · Documentary A VHS home recording of PBS (maybe?) from approx. 1987. Internet Archive Ship Of Miracles - Documentary 2024 · Documentary The inspiring documentary about the journey to learn about the amazing rescue of 14000 men, women, and children by of a handful of American merchant seamen on… Internet Archive Touring Civil War Battlefields 1988 · Commercial A guided tour of American Civil War battlefields, featuring historical paintings and artwork depicting Union and Confederate forces in combat. The program… Internet Archive [Vintage VHS] Gunfighters Of The Old West (Volume 2) Documentary Transferred from tape using the RF method. Videos processed with vhs-decode and hifi-decode. See: https://github.com/oyvindln/vhs-decode File types included… Internet Archive [Vintage VHS] The Happy Bottom Riding Club: The Legacy of Pancho Barnes Documentary Transferred from tape using the RF method. Videos processed with vhs-decode and hifi-decode. See: https://github.com/oyvindln/vhs-decode File types included… Internet Archive VHS Tape: Bob Dylan - A&E Biography(2000) Documentary VHS Recording of A&E Biography of Bob Dylan Internet Archive The RAF Story Pt 2 From Lancaster To Tornado VHS Documentary Pt 2 of 2 VHS tapes going through the history of the Royal Air Force from its humble beginnings as the RFC in the First World War to the the Modern Age From… Internet Archive [Vintage VHS] Ancient Mysteries: Enigma of the Dead Sea Scrolls Documentary Transferred from tape using the RF method. Videos processed with vhs-decode and hifi-decode. See: https://github.com/oyvindln/vhs-decode File types included… Internet Archive Lucy and Desi - Official 'Lucy and Ethel' Clip (2022) Lucille Ball, Desi Arnaz, Amy Poehler 2022 · Commercial In this Lucy and Desi clip, Journey Gunderson talks us through Lucy and Ethel's antics and why their comedy was so different at the time. Lucy and Desi,… Internet Archive Astronomia: Alla Ricerca di Stelle Nascenti. Polvere di Stelle. 1997 · Documentary 28th episode of the Astronomia series by Fabbri Video. OCR Analysis: astronomia-alla-ricerca-di-stelle-nascenti.-polvere-di-stelle._cover_back.png: ALLA… Internet Archive Astronomia: Esplode una Supernova 1997 · Documentary 6th Episode of the Astronomia series by Fabbri Video. OCR Analysis: astronomia-esplode-una-supernova_cover_back.png: ne ESPLODE UNA SUPERNOVA Da dove e come… Internet Archive [Vintage VHS] Cute & Cuddly Critters: Tinker the Otter Documentary Transferred from tape using the RF method. Videos processed with vhs-decode and hifi-decode. See: https://github.com/oyvindln/vhs-decode File types included… Internet Archive ABC Moments - Arthur Boyd (1993) 1993 · Documentary A short documentary on Australian painter, Arthur Boyd, reported by Sally Begbie. Original source, "The 7:30 Report " in 1993. Later rebroadcast in a segment… Internet Archive America's Historic Trails: The River Road & The Natchez Trace 1997 · Commercial A documentary exploration of two of America's most storied historic routes: the River Road along the Mississippi and the Natchez Trace. The program covers the… Internet Archive Astronomia: La Struttura dell'Universo 1997 · Documentary 13th Episode of the Astronomia series by Fabbri Video. OCR Analysis: astronomia-la-struttura-dell'universo_cover_back.png: LA STRUTTURA DELL'UNIVERSO… Internet Archive Richard Petty 1991 · Documentary A digitized version of the VHS movie "Richard Petty The Ride of A Lifetime" ESPN Home Video documentary on NASCAR legend Richard Petty, sponsored by STP.… Internet Archive [Vintage VHS] Nascar Video The Collector's Series, Insiders: The Unsung Heroes of Nascar Documentary Transferred from tape using the RF method. Videos processed with vhs-decode and hifi-decode. See: https://github.com/oyvindln/vhs-decode File types included… Internet Archive [Vintage VHS] The Holocaust and "Yad VaShem" (Tape 1) Documentary Transferred from tape using the RF method. Videos processed with vhs-decode and hifi-decode. See: https://github.com/oyvindln/vhs-decode File types included… Internet Archive [Vintage VHS] Sixties Headlines Documentary Transferred from tape using the RF method. Videos processed with vhs-decode and hifi-decode. See: https://github.com/oyvindln/vhs-decode File types included… Internet Archive Iranian - Iranien (Documentary, 2014) 720p trailer Commercial Title: Iranian | Iranien (Documentary, 2014) Directed by: Mehran Tamadon Date of birth: 1972, Teheran, Iran Writing credits: Mehran Tamadon Year: 2014… Internet Archive World War II: Frank Capra's The Battle of Russia 1986 · Commercial Frank Capra's 'The Battle of Russia' is part of the acclaimed 'Why We Fight' series of U.S. Army propaganda documentaries produced during World War II. The… Internet Archive Q.E.D. - Queen's Park Rangers Football Club - MP4 Documentary Q.E.D. - Queen's Park Rangers Football Club - MP4 Video Size: 846x480 Q.E.D. (quod erat demonstrandum, Latin for "that which was to be demonstrated") was the… Internet Archive [Vintage TV] Entrepreneurs: An American Adventure (WGN) Documentary Transferred from tape using the RF method. Videos processed with vhs-decode and hifi-decode. See: https://github.com/oyvindln/vhs-decode File types included… Internet Archive A Year and a Half in the Life of Metallica 1992 · Commercial Behind-the-scenes documentary following Metallica during the recording and touring cycle surrounding their 1991 self-titled 'Black Album.' The film captures… Internet Archive Astronomia: Marte: Alla Ricerca della Vita 1997 · Documentary 34th episode of the Astronomia series from Fabbri Video OCR Analysis: astronomia-marte-alla-ricerca-della-vita_cover_back.png: Marte, con la sua atmosfera, le… Internet Archive [Vintage VHS] The Unexplained: Extreme Sacrifice Documentary Transferred from tape using the RF method. Videos processed with vhs-decode and hifi-decode. See: https://github.com/oyvindln/vhs-decode File types included… Internet Archive Unforgivable Blackness 2005 · Commercial Unforgivable Blackness: The Rise and Fall of Jack Johnson is a documentary by filmmaker Ken Burns based on the nonfiction book of the same name by Geoffrey C.… Internet Archive CBC Hype And Hope Documentary 2000/Attacking Anxiety Infomercial 1990s (partial) Documentary · Subtitles Overflow programming after the 2000 Summer Olympics Internet Archive 世界の車窓から From The Window Of The World Vol 7054 Documentary Long running NHK Program 世界の車窓から VHS Rip Internet Archive La Cordillera de los Suenos (2019) SUBBED DEU Trailer 2019 · Commercial trailer for the movie The Cordillera of Dreams (2019) (La cordillera de los sueños) with burned-in German subtitles Internet Archive Hitchcock/Truffaut 2015 · Commercial Filmmakers discuss the legacy of Alfred Hitchcock and the book “Hitchcock/Truffaut” (“Le cinéma selon Hitchcock”), written by François Truffaut and published… Internet Archive The Early Guns: American Rifleman Video Collection 2001 · Commercial A documentary on the history of early firearms produced by the NRA's American Rifleman magazine. The program covers the development and use of early guns,… Internet Archive The Story Of Steam Didcot 20 A Celebration (1988 UK VHS) Documentary This is the Full VHS Tape of The Story of Steam Didcot 20 A Celebration as it was Released in 1988! Enjoy! Internet Archive Y2K 1999 · Commercial A documentary about the Y2K computer crisis, hosted or narrated by Leonard Nimoy. The program examines the potential consequences of the millennium bug as the… Internet Archive [Vintage VHS] Rich Kern's Nature Series: Penguin Summer in the Falklands Documentary Transferred from tape using the RF method. Videos processed with vhs-decode and hifi-decode. See: https://github.com/oyvindln/vhs-decode File types included… Internet Archive Flying Coffins The First World War In The Air VHS Documentary VHS tape that goes over the development of the aircraft over the course of World War 1, along with the tactics and technology used at the time. Featuring… Internet Archive [Vintage VHS] Headline Stories of the Century: 4, A Newsreel Library Of World War II Newsreel Transferred from tape using the RF method. Videos processed with vhs-decode and hifi-decode. See: https://github.com/oyvindln/vhs-decode File types included…