HBO Documentary Films

In a candid, first-time interview with Rachel Lee, the so-called teenage mastermind behind a string of high-profile celebrity robberies in 2008 and 2009, the film examines the motivations of Lee and a group of her friends who broke into celebrity homes in Hollywood to ransack and steal, exploring the possible reasons behind her actions including mental health issues and addictions, as well as the climate of celebrity excess that fueled the teens, recontextualizing the events behind the sensational headlines.

In the aftermath of the deadly "Unite the Right" rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, a civil lawsuit was filed against white nationalist leaders and organizations on behalf of plaintiffs who suffered injuries while peacefully counterprotesting. This documentary chronicles this seminal civil rights trial, exposing a broad network of conspirators and detailing the challenges of holding those leaders and organizations liable for their actions.

A remarkably intimate portrait of an artist on tour navigating identity, family, expectations, and acceptance, all while reflecting on his place within the legacy of Black, queer performers.

Following a series of great white shark attacks that dominated the headlines, one Cape Cod community renegotiates its relationship with the marine environment. Local residents, fishermen, and environmentalists are forced to confront dramatic changes to their way of life. How far can we push nature before it bites back?

This timely exploration of Hollywood and LGBTQ+ identity examines the life of legendary actor Rock Hudson, from his public "ladies' man" persona to his private life as a gay man.

Explores the remarkable life and career of Donyale Luna, one of the first Black supermodels who graced the covers of both Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar in Europe.

This riotous concert film documents New York theater legend Taylor Mac's joyous, challenging, and ostentatiously queer 24-hour musical performance. Featuring virtuoso musicians, innovative costumes, and the American myth as told by sailor's ditties, disco, and sugary pop alike, Mac's cathartic celebration is not to be missed.

After a nationally televised high school football game between top-ranked IMG Academy and unknown Bishop Sycamore ended with an IMG blowout win, it's discovered that Bishop Sycamore isn't at all what it seems.

W. Kamau Bell tackles the joys and challenges of growing up mixed-race through conversations with kids and families in the San Francisco Bay Area, including his own.

​An exploration of the personal and creative struggles behind the music of four-time Grammy-winning singer-songwriter Jason Isbell.

With unprecedented access to the Mary Tyler Moore Estate, friends, family, and colleagues, Being Mary Tyler Moore constructs an intimate mosaic of Mary's sixty-year career in show business.

A photojournalist turns her lens on the decades of sexual abuse her family and community experienced at the hands of her grandfather in this unflinching portrait of intergenerational trauma, family secrets, and redemption.

As the clock counted down to the the 21st century, the world faced a potential technological disaster: a bug that could cause computers to misinterpret the year 2000 as 1900. Crafted entirely from archival footage and featuring first-hand accounts from computer experts, survivalists, scholars, militia groups, conservative Christians, and pop icons, Time Bomb Y2K is a prescient and often humorous tale about the power and vulnerabilities of technology.

The extraordinary story of disco queen Donna Summer through a rich archive of unpublished film excerpts, home video, photographs, artwork, writings, personal audio and other recordings that span the life of one of the most iconic performers ever to shake a room to its timbers. From her early career with Giorgio Moroder in Germany, to later years more focused on spirituality and family life as a shelter from troubles associated with both notoriety and intimate wounds, her story is all the more special for being told in the first person – both singular and plural.

The history of New York’s Meatpacking District, told from the perspective of transgender sex workers who lived and worked there. Filmmaker Kristen Lovell, who walked “The Stroll” for a decade, reunites her community to recount the violence, policing, homelessness, and gentrification they overcame to build a movement for transgender rights.

Documentarian Alexandra Pelosi offers a candid, behind-the-scenes chronicle of the life of her mother and Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, through her career milestones leading up to the inauguration of President Joseph Biden in January 2021.

In 2020, the Covid-19 pandemic crushed Camilo’s dreams of performing live in front of his growing number of fans, which he affectionately calls “La Tribu.” In 2021, Camilo launched his first world tour, opening in Spain, featuring special appearances by artists like Fito y Los Fitipaldis, Dani Martín, Mau y Ricky, Pablo Alborán, and Nicky Nicole. This concert special and documentary follows the behind-the-scenes moments of those magical shows, and offers a window into the artist’s intimate life, sharing special moments with his partner and fellow artist and director Evaluna Montaner.

On October 27th, 2018, a gunman opened fire inside a Pittsburgh synagogue, killing eleven people as they prayed, in what would become the deadliest antisemitic attack in American history. This documentary is a deeply personal portrait of the survivors, victims and family members, who share their harrowing first-hand accounts of the impact of the shooting on the community.

Bookended by Inauguration Day 2021 and the State of the Union speech of March 2022, this documentary is a front-seat account of the Biden administration’s tense first year, marked by security threats both at home and abroad. Assuming office only two weeks after the January 6th attack on the Capitol, Biden’s presidency entered the maelstrom of an ongoing global pandemic, renewed conflicts with Russia and China, and America’s international standing in decline.

A deep dive into the lives of high school students in three radically disparate communities as they navigate the pressures around college while staging a musical, until seismic events upend their dreams and expectations.