With the 2020 presidential election approaching fast, the next few weeks are going to be key for President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden. The first presidential debate is scheduled for Sept. 29, where Trump and Biden will face off and discuss major issues facing the country, such as the coronavirus pandemic, restarting the economy and filling Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s seat on the Supreme Court.
Voting rights, election fraud, reproductive rights, and foreign policy are several other topics that will surely be fiercely debated between the presidential candidates and their running mates, Vice President Mike Pence and Sen. Kamala Harris.
As election day on Nov. 3 approaches, many people will start educating themselves on what topics are important to them. There are several documentaries that highlight issues in our current political climate, like “All In: The Fight for Democracy” and “Knock Down the House.”
Here are some of the best politically relevant documentaries to help make sure you’re up to speed on the historical background of some of the most important issues ahead of the election.
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13th (2016)
Ava DuVernay’s powerful Oscar-nominated documentary explores how the 13th amendment may have abolished slavery, but also led to the disproportionate incarceration of Black Americans. Angela Davis, Henry Louis Gates and Charles Rangel are among those interviewed about how the events that transpired after the Civil War had a direct effect on the policies of Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan 100 years later.
Available on Netflix.
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Knock Down the House (2019)
Image Credit: Courtesy of Sundance Film Festival Four women without the benefit of corporate support challenged powerful incumbents in the 2018 Congressional midterm elections, and against all odds, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Amy Vilela, Cori Bush and Paula Jean Swearengin pulled off a legendary upset. Their energy continues to reverberate across the country, as women are entering politics in unprecedented numbers.
Available on Netflix.
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Boys State (2020)
Image Credit: Courtesy of Sundance Institute At the annual Boys State event, a thousand teenagers from around the country come together to build their own government and elect a governor. It’s an educational exercise, rather than a real election, but the boys of varying political backgrounds and the issues they confront during the event give a very real idea of how politicians are shaped as well as the difficulty of finding consensus as a country.
Available on Apple Plus.
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Weiner (2016)
Image Credit: Courtesy of IFC Films The disintegration of Anthony Weiner’s political career is a painful thing to watch, but it’s also a riveting real-time portrait of a man whose promising future and New York mayoral bid evaporates after his explicit sexts come to light. The documentary also portrays the fraying marriage between the charismatic Democrat and political staffer Huma Abedin, which Weiner later said he had not expected to be included in the footage.
Available to rent on Amazon and other platforms.
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Immigration Nation (2020)
Image Credit: Courtesy of NETFLIX In this six-part docuseries, filmmakers Shaul Schwarz and Christina Clusiau take a deep look at the state of U.S. immigration. The series captures the daily workings of everyone involved, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, activists, lawmakers, attorneys and undocumented immigrants, both newcomers and longtime residents.
Available on Netflix.
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The Fight (2020)
Image Credit: Magnolia Pictures At a defining moment in American history, ACLU lawyers continue their legal battles for LGBTQIA rights, immigration laws, abortion rights and more. The Sundance stunner, produced by Kerry Washington and directed by Eli Despres, Josh Kriegman and Elyse Steinberg, follow their rigorous cases during the Trump administration.
Available to stream on Hulu and to rent on Amazon.
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Primary (1960)
Filmed with mobile cameras and lighter sound equipment, “Primary” provides an intimate look at presidential candidates John F. Kennedy and Hubert H. Humphrey during the 1960 Wisconsin primary. The critically-acclaimed film was selected for preservation in the U.S. National Film Registry by the Library of Congress in 1990 and preserved by the Academy Film Archive in 1998.
Available to stream on HBO Max.
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Last Men in Aleppo (2017)
Image Credit: Grasshopper Films The White Helmets, a volunteer group that rescues civilians during the Syrian Civil War, grapple with the dilemma to flee their country or continue their work in Syria. The film, written and directed by Feras Fayyad, follows the organization’s founders, Khaled Omar Harrah, Subhi Alhussen and Mahmoud, and captures the lives of survivors in Aleppo.
Available to rent on Amazon Prime Video.
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Reversing Roe (2018)
Documentarians Ricki Stern and Anne Sundberg interview politicians, abortion rights experts and activists about the state of abortion politics in the United States. The Emmy-nominated film uncovers the decades-long movement to overturn Roe v. Wade that protects a pregnant person’s liberty to have an abortion without government restriction.
Available to stream on Netflix.
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Journeys With George (2002)
Filmmakers Alexandra Pelosi and Aaron Lubarsky follow George W. Bush on his campaign trail in the 2000 presidential election. The Emmy-winning film unpacks the relationship between the press and presidential candidates and documents the lives of traveling journalists.
Available to stream on Hulu and HBO Max.
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The Swamp (2020)
Image Credit: HBO Republican congressmen Matt Gaetz, Thomas Massie and Ken Buck unpack the inner workings of the House in the Trump administration. The film presents a revealing look at how Congress handled breaking news events, including the Robert Mueller hearing and presidential impeachment proceedings.
Available to stream on HBO Max.
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The War Room (1993)
In this behind-closed-doors account of Bill Clinton’s 1992 presidential election, filmmakers Chris Hegedus and D. A. Pennebaker capture his campaign team in action. The doc follows political consultants James Carville and George Stephanopoulos from the New Hampshire Primary to the Clinton Campaign Headquarters in Little Rock, Ark.
Available to stream on HBO Max and to rent on Amazon.
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All In: The Fight for Democracy (2020)
Image Credit: Courtesy of Amazon Studios By sharing her personal history with voting rights, Stacey Abrams makes a call to action to drive the American audience to the polls. The film, from directors Liz Garbus and Lisa Cortés, follows a throughline of voter suppression throughout history and discusses its ties to today’s Black Lives Matter movement.
Available on Amazon Prime Video.
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Suppressed 2020: The Fight to Vote (2020)
Narrated by voters of color in the state of Georgia, the short film discusses how the vote by mail restrictions of the 2020 election challenge the constitutional right to vote. Produced by Brave New Films, “Suppressed 2020” discusses how the coronavirus pandemic disproportionately affects the wellbeing and rights of underrepresented communities.
Available on YouTube.
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Nobody Speak: Trials of the Free Press (2017)
In “Nobody Speak,” creator Brian Knappenberger examines how privacy rights can be pitted against the freedom of the press. The film focuses on two incidents — Peter Thiel financing wrestler Hulk Hogan’s lawsuit against Gawker Media and casino owner Sheldon Adelson’s purchase of the Las Vegas Review-Journal — to discuss how big money has silenced the media.
Available to stream on Netflix.
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Four More Years (1972)
“Four More Years,” titled after Richard Nixon’s presidential campaign slogan, examines the 1972 Republican National Convention through informal, spontaneous interviews by Skip Blumberg and Maureen Orth. Defying traditional convention coverage, the film also follows the experiences of journalists, audience members and protesters at the event.
Available to rent on Amazon Prime Video.