Rounding out this list of the best documentaries of 2013 are 4 titles that I have not had the pleasure of viewing at the time of this publication. Their distribution has been spotty, and my opportunity to see the ones that played at TIFF this year were limited. So I have yet to see At Berkeley, Frederick Wiseman’s direct cinema epic on America’s post-secondary education system; After Tiller, a look at the four remaining late-term abortion providing physicians in the United States; The Square, an inside look at the Egyptian Revolution of 2011 (this one, at least, is going to be available on Netflix in January); and Tim’s Vermeer, a fascinating (sounding) portrait of a strange inventor—and friend of Penn and Teller, the latter of whom directed the film—who sets out to prove a hypothesis about the role of technology in 17th century art.
These are just a few of this year’s non-fiction offerings that I have yet to see, and am expecting big things from. But just the size of this list, and the number of other documentaries that have affected people this year to the point of inclusion in year-end discussions, is quite impressive. While non-fiction filmmaking is far from being a mainstream pursuit, with the documentary blockbuster continuing to be an oxymoron, the availability of independent filmmaking and the fact that so many popular things today live in niche markets certainly contributes to the quantity and quality of current documentary work.
Are there any other films you consider to be the best documentaries of 2013? List your favorites in the comments section below!
