Welcome to the first ever volume of The Watchlist from Docs to Watch.
Every Friday I’ll be keeping it pretty simple. Some documentary suggestions, along with some new releases online or in the cinemas, and a little update of what’s going on across Docs to Watch.
Sometimes there will be themes, other weeks will just be things I’ve watched that I really loved. Starting out this week with three of my all-time-favourites documentaries. Click the pictures for the trailers and the full film (if available).
01 THE PICKS
Directed by Tamara Kotevska & Ljubomir Stefanov · 2019
Honeyland
I re-watched this on Tuesday and had forgotten just how good it is. In the Macedonian mountains a woman tends to her bees, living a simple life, until new neighbours arrive.
The cinematography, the story, the characters are all so great. It just sucks me in every time I watch it.
Available to rent on YouTube / Google Play / Amazon Prime.
Directed by Owen Reiser· 2025
Listers: A Guide To Extreme Birdwatching
If you haven’t watched this yet, stop whatever you’re doing and put it on. The biggest surprise of last year was how good a documentary about birdwatching could be. A much needed breath of fresh air in the documentary world.
Directed by Jeff Malmberg · 2010
Marwencol
I probably recommend this documentary more than any other. Mark Hogencamp was left brain damaged after an attack, and now creates these amazing set pieces using barbies and action men. A really great character study doc.
Available to rent on YouTube / Google Play / Amazon Prime
02 OUT THIS WEEK
Some great documentaries out in the cinema at the moment, but quite a lot coming to the end of their runs. So try see them before it’s too late.
In the UK: On Monday I saw Wham: 10 Days in China. It’s got unbelievable archive footage of their chaotic tour as the first Western band to play in China as the country opened up. Birds of War is a gorgeous love story set during the Syrian war, but coming to the end of its cinema run. Talking Heads fans: On Wednesday 5th August there’s one-off screenings of David Byrne’s Utopia, directed by Spike Lee, it’s coming back restored in 4k for one night only.
In the US: In 2023 a Eurasian owl named Flaco escaped from Central Park Zoo and went off on an adventure around Manhattan, Wild Inside tells the story of how it bought New Yorkers together. I’ve also heard good things about Cookie Queens, from the same producers as The Truffle Hunters. Often docs are about pretty heavy subjects, but both of these sound like great palette cleansers.
03 THIS WEEK ON DOCS TO WATCH
On Instagram I mainly got torn apart in the comments section after writing US Army instead of US Marines when posting about Combat Obscura. Turns out a lot of people take that distinction very seriously. My bad…
Don’t forget you all have a 20% discount to use on Docs to Watch for rentals. Use the code MAILER at checkout. It can be applied to any of the 6 films I’ve got from Oscilloscope. Personal favourites at the moment are The Python Hunt and I Like Killing Flies.
Thanks for reading!
That’s it for the first ever volume of The Watchlist. If you made it this far, thank you! Please forward it to a fellow documentary lovers. And if you really want to support, feel free to rent a doc or two (don’t forget you’ve got 20% off with code MAILER).
I’ll see you next Friday. Cheers, Patrick.