The BEST episodes of HBO Documentary Film Series season 2013

#1 - Manhunt: The Search for Bin Laden

Season 2013 - Episode 10 - Aired 5/3/2013

An espionage tale from inside the CIA's long conflict against Al Qaeda, as revealed by the remarkable women and men whose secret war against Osama bin Laden started nearly a decade before most of us even knew his name.

#2 - Gideon's Army

Season 2013 - Episode 16 - Aired 7/1/2013

An official selection of the 2013 Sundance Film Festival, this documentary follows idealistic young defenders in the deep south who face particularly difficult challenges due to high bonds, mandatory minimum sentencing and a culture that is traditionally “tough on crime.” Despite low pay, long hours and staggering caseloads, these young professionals, with the help of the Southern Public Defender Training Center (SPDTC), take on the job in the name of public service.

#3 - American Winter

Season 2013 - Episode 5 - Aired 3/20/2013

Produced and directed by Emmy award-winning filmmakers, Joe and Harry Gantz, American Winter is a documentary feature film that follows the personal stories of families struggling in the aftermath of the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression. Years after the recession began, millions of families are struggling to meet their basic needs, and many formerly middle class families are finding themselves in financial crisis, and needing assistance for the first time in their lives. Meanwhile, the social safety net that was created to help people in difficult times has been weakened by massive budget cuts, creating a perfect storm of greater need and fewer resources to help families in trouble. Filmed over the course of one winter in Portland, Oregon, American Winter presents an intimate and emotionally evocative snapshot of the state of our economy as it is playing out in many American families. Working together with the nonprofit organization 211info in Portland, the filmmakers were given full access to monitor and record calls from distressed families who were calling 211’s emergency hotline in search of help. They then began following the stories of some of these callers in more depth over several months. The film follows multiple families in their daily struggle to keep their heads above water, while facing overwhelming challenges and dwindling resources available to help them, creating a powerful firsthand view of Americans caught in today’s financial undertow. The experiences of the families in American Winter are a vivid illustration of what has been happening to families across America, including working families losing their homes, people who remain jobless or underemployed, children going hungry, families getting their heat shut off in the dead of winter, and people with health issues overwhelmed by medical costs. Framed through the personal stories of eight families, American Winter puts a face on the country's economic

#4 - Mondays At Racine

Season 2013 - Episode 26 - Aired 10/14/2013

Mondays At Racine-- visits a Long Island beauty salon that welcomes women with cancer.

#5 - Beyonce: Life Is But A Dream

Season 2013 - Episode 3 - Aired 2/18/2013

#6 - Open Heart

Season 2013 - Episode 28 - Aired 10/14/2013

Open Heart tells the story of am an Italian doctor who tries to save patients from Rwanda for heart surgery.

#7 - Inside Out: The People’s Arts Project

Season 2013 - Episode 11 - Aired 5/22/2013

Known for billboard-sized photographic portraits of everyday people in urban settings, French street artist JR has a simple call to action: “Tell me what you stand for, and together we’ll turn the world inside out.” To transform his idea into reality, he created the Inside Out Project, the world’s largest participatory art project and a remarkable testament to the power of the image and the role art can play in transforming lives.

#8 - Crisis Hotline: Dial One for Vets

Season 2013 - Episode 32 - Aired 11/11/2013

Since 2001, more veterans have died by their own hand than in combat in Iraq and Afghanistan. According to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, one veteran dies by suicide in America every 80 minutes. While only 1% of Americans has served in the military, former service members account for 20% of all suicides in the U.S. Based in Canandaigua, NY and open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, the Veterans Crisis Line receives more than 22,000 calls each month from veterans of all conflicts who are struggling or contemplating suicide due to the psychological wounds of war and the challenges of returning to civilian life. After serving their country overseas, many military veterans struggle with post-traumatic stress, depression and addiction. Since 2007, the Veterans Crisis Line has answered about 900,000 calls. Crisis HOTLINE: VETERANS PRESS 1 highlights how its dedicated responders react to a variety of complex calls and handle the emotional aftermath of what can be life-and-death conversations. The film captures these extremely private moments, where the professionals, many of whom are themselves veterans or veterans' spouses, can often interrupt the thoughts and plans of suicidal callers to steer them out of crisis. Hotline workers sometimes intervene successfully by seizing on the caller's ambivalence and illuminating his or her reasons for living.

#9 - Life According to Sam

Season 2013 - Episode 29 - Aired 10/21/2013

LIFE ACCORDING TO SAM explores the remarkable world of Sam Berns and his family. Now a high-school junior about to turn 17, Sam embraces his circumstances with admirable courage, showing wisdom beyond his years. “I didn’t put myself in front of you to have you feel bad for me,” he says at the beginning of the film. “I put myself in front of you to let you know you don’t need to feel bad for me. I want you to know me. This is my life, and progeria is part of it. It’s not a major part of it, but it is part of it.”

#10 - Six By Sondheim

Season 2013 - Episode 36 - Aired 12/9/2013

#11 - The Battle Of Amfarr

Season 2013 - Episode 35 - Aired 12/2/2013

#12 - Whoopi Goldberg Presents Moms Mabley

Season 2013 - Episode 33 - Aired 11/18/2013

Tribute to the legendary Jackie “Moms” Mabley, the pioneering African-American comedienne.

#13 - Tales From The Organ Trade

Season 2013 - Episode 31 - Aired 11/4/2013

#14 - Seduced And Abandoned

Season 2013 - Episode 30 - Aired 10/28/2013

#15 - Valentine Road

Season 2013 - Episode 25 - Aired 10/7/2013

In 2008, eighth-grader Brandon McInerney shot classmate Larry King at point blank range. Unraveling this tragedy from point of impact, the film reveals the heartbreaking circumstances that led to the shocking crime as well as its startling aftermath.

#16 - Fall To Grace

Season 2013 - Episode 6 - Aired 3/29/2013

Alexandra Pelosi's documentary includes interviews with former New Jersey Gov. Jim McGreevey about his resignation, his attempt to become an Episcopal minister, and his volunteer work with female inmates.

#17 - Bobby Mcferrin – A Youngarts Masterclass

Season 2013 - Episode 2 - Aired 2/11/2013

#18 - Mea Maxima Culpa: Silence In The House Of God.

Season 2013 - Episode 1 - Aired 2/4/2013

#19 - First Cousin Once Removed

Season 2013 - Episode 24 - Aired 9/23/2013

#20 - Redemption

Season 2013 - Episode 27 - Aired 10/14/2013

A documentary about the men and women struggling at the edge of our society. who survive by redeeming bottles and cans they collect from New York's curbs, garbage cans, and apartment complexes.

#21 - Toxic Hot Seat

Season 2013 - Episode 34 - Aired 11/25/2013

Toxic Hot Seat is a stark reminder of the dangerous chemical flame retardants embedded in polyurethane foam-based home furnishings (not to mention baby strollers and car seats) that do a better job at causing birth defects and cancers than protecting us from fires. Although the documentary might not cover much new ground for those who’ve been following this matter closely, it’s a handy summary of the issues that humanizes the story via on-camera interviews with key players. And it will certainly make you rethink your next big furniture purchase.

#22 - Love, Marilyn

Season 2013 - Episode 13 - Aired 6/17/2013

This documentary, coinciding with the 50th anniversary of Marilyn Monroe’s death, presents footage and audiotapes along with her recently discovered handwritten letters, diaries, notes, poems, journals and notebooks, which set the icon’s private life against the backdrop of her very public life and loves. The film includes readings and appearances by an all-star cast, including F. Murray Abraham, Elizabeth Banks, Adrien Brody, Ellen Burstyn, Glenn Close, Hope Davis, Viola Davis, Jennifer Ehle, Ben Foster, Paul Giamatti, Jack Huston, Stephen Lang, Lindsey Lohan, Janet McTeer, Jeremy Piven, Oliver Platt, David Strathairn, Lili Taylor, Uma Thurman, Marisa Tomei and Evan Rachel Wood. Interviews and rare archival footage feature Arthur Miller, Joe DiMaggio, Amy Greene, Molly Haskell, Truman Capote, Norman Mailer and Elia Kazan, among others.

#23 - Glickman

Season 2013 - Episode 23 - Aired 8/28/2013

#24 - King’s Point

Season 2013 - Episode 4 - Aired 3/11/2013

#25 - First Comes Love

Season 2013 - Episode 20 - Aired 7/29/2013

This documentary follows director Nina Davenport’s quest to have a baby on her own, ranging from hormone injections to post-natal chaos while highlighting her conventional family’s reaction to her unconventional decision. Unsparingly honest, occasionally hilarious and ultimately moving, the documentary offers a fresh take on parenthood.