The BEST episodes of HBO Documentary Film Series season 2014

#1 - The Education of Mohammad Hussein

Season 2014 - Episode 2 - Aired 1/9/2014

"The Education Of Mohammad Hussein" is an intimate look at how the largest Muslim community in the U.S. responds to the provocations of an antiIslamic preacher. Through the eyes of children, the film examines what it is like to come of age as a Muslim in the United States a decade after the 2001 terrorist attacks.

#2 - Nixon by Nixon: In His Own Words

Season 2014 - Episode 18 - Aired 8/4/2014

#3 - Habla Texas

Season 2014 - Episode 21 - Aired 9/11/2014

#4 - Saving My Tomorrow Part 2

Season 2014 - Episode 31 - Aired 12/15/2014

In this family series produced and directed by Amy Schatz, kids share their thoughts on a range of environmental issues from endangered animals and pollution to climate change. Scenes with scientists from the American Museum of Natural History explore how plants and animals are affected by a changing earth. Through a lyrical mix of science, animation and music, Saving My Tomorrow urges children to take action, providing them with profiles of young activists who are trying to make a difference, while highlighting ways in which kids can do their part.

#5 - Saving My Tomorrow Part 1

Season 2014 - Episode 30 - Aired 12/15/2014

In this family series produced and directed by Amy Schatz, kids share their thoughts on a range of environmental issues from endangered animals and pollution to climate change. Scenes with scientists from the American Museum of Natural History explore how plants and animals are affected by a changing earth. Through a lyrical mix of science, animation and music, Saving My Tomorrow urges children to take action, providing them with profiles of young activists who are trying to make a difference, while highlighting ways in which kids can do their part.

#6 - Regarding Susan Sontag

Season 2014 - Episode 29 - Aired 12/8/2014

REGARDING SUSAN SONTAG is an intimate and nuanced investigation into the life of one of the most influential and provocative thinkers of the 20th century. Passionate and gracefully outspoken throughout her career, Susan Sontag became one of the most important literary, political and feminist icons of her generation. The documentary explores Sontag’s life through archival materials, accounts from friends, family, colleagues, and lovers, as well as her own words, as read by Patricia Clarkson. From her early infatuation with books to her first experience in a gay bar; from her early marriage to her last lover, REGARDING SUSAN SONTAG is a fascinating look at a towering cultural critic and writer whose works on photography, war, illness, and terrorism still resonate today.

#7 - The Case Against 8

Season 2014 - Episode 14 - Aired 6/23/2014

The riveting documentary THE CASE AGAINST 8 takes an in-depth look at the historic federal lawsuit filed in an effort to overturn Prop 8, California’s discriminatory ban on same-sex marriage. Shooting over five years, with exclusive behind-the-scenes footage of the powerhouse legal team of David Boies and Ted Olson and the four plaintiffs in the suit, directors and producers Ben Cotner and Ryan White (“Good Ol’ Freda,” “Pelada”) have created a powerful emotional account of the journey that took the fight for marriage equality all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court.

#8 - Banksy Does New York

Season 2014 - Episode 28 - Aired 11/30/2014

On Oct. 1, 2013, the elusive British street artist known as Banksy launched a self-proclaimed month-long residency in New York City, posting one unique exhibit a day in an unannounced location, sparking a 31-day scavenger hunt both online and on the streets for Banksy’s work. Capturing this month of madness, BANKSY DOES NEW YORK incorporates user-generated content, from YouTube videos to Instagram photos, from New Yorkers and Banksy hunters alike, whose responses became part of the work itself, for an exhilarating, detailed account of the uproar created by the mysterious artist.

#9 - Habla Men '14

Season 2014 - Episode 24 - Aired 10/10/2014

The eleventh installment of HBO Latino’s acclaimed “Habla” series includes interviews with Pulitzer Prize Winning Author Junot Diaz, actor, singer, and songwriter Carlos Ponce, World Heavy Champion Blue Demon, and more. They’ll share their riveting, stories and experiences as Latino men in US

#10 - Atlantic City Hookers: It Ain't E-Z Being a Ho'

Season 2014 - Episode 27 - Aired 10/29/2014

The glitz. The gambling. The girls. The game. One by one, they've made their way to "America's favorite playground," lured by the potential for easy money from high rollers for casual sex. But in the end, the hookers working the Atlantic City "track" wind up staying to support their habits or hang on to a fleeting dream. Produced and directed by Brent Owens (HBO;s Hookers at the Point films), this documentary focuses on purveyors of the world's oldest profession in the neon-soaked gambling mecca, Atlantic City. Hidden cameras and microphones capture all the action of hookers as they proposition, bargain and turn tricks with a collection of new and familiar johns. (TVMA) (AC.GL,N,SC)

#11 - Mr. Dynamite: The Rise of James Brown

Season 2014 - Episode 26 - Aired 10/27/2014

Through never-before-heard personal stories and explosive concert footage, this feature documentary charts the phenomenal rise and lasting influence of soul singer James Brown, a.k.a. “The Godfather of Soul.”

#12 - Private Violence

Season 2014 - Episode 25 - Aired 10/20/2014

Through personal stories and intimate vérité footage, this inspiring documentary sheds light on the issue of domestic violence, highlighting the courage of abuse victims, survivors and advocates, as they fight for justice and change.

#13 - Hunted: The War against Gays in Russia

Season 2014 - Episode 23 - Aired 10/7/2014

In modern-day Russia, where it is estimated that just 1% of the LGBT population lives completely openly, a recent anti-gay amendment to a “propaganda” law has triggered a rising number of assaults on gay men and women by vigilantes who, more often than not, go unpunished for their crimes. Directed by Ben Steele, the startling expose HUNTED: THE WAR AGAINST GAYS IN RUSSIA looks at this climate of hostility. Matt Bomer (Emmy® nominee for HBO’s “The Normal Heart”) narrates. Homosexuality was legalized in Russia 21 years ago, but gay people in the country have yet to win mainstream acceptance. In fact, attitudes in Russia appear to be moving backwards. With jobs and relationships at risk if their sexual orientation is exposed, most gay Russians remain closeted. As one gay man who lost sight in one eye during a recent unprovoked attack says ruefully, “Hunting season is open…and we are the hunted.” HUNTED: THE WAR AGAINST GAYS IN RUSSIA features disturbing insider footage of homophobic Russians who, in the name of morality or religion, beat and torment gay people, posting graphic videos of their encounters online with few or no legal repercussions. These vigilantes see homosexuality as related to pedophilia, stating publicly that their justification for violence is protecting Russia’s children. Since members of the gay community are afraid to live openly in Russia, groups like Occupy Pedophilia – whose members inaccurately claim that sexual abuse of children is most often committed by homosexuals – have been looking to root them out via the Internet. Posing as interested suitors, anti-gay activists “bait” unsuspecting men and women to rendezvous at apartments or public places, then harass, beat and humiliate victims, often urinating on them. Recordings of these encounters, along with forced admissions of homosexuality, are posted on the internet to “out” the victim and make his or her life “a living hell.” Disturbing foot

#14 - Terror at the Mall

Season 2014 - Episode 22 - Aired 9/15/2014

Told from the vantage point of more than 100 security cameras revealing hours of previously unseen mall surveillance video, and drawing on extensive photos taken during the attack and testimony from survivors and rescuers depicted in the footage and photos, TERROR AT THE MALL recalls the horror of the attack, as well as the courage and resilience of ordinary citizens in the face of mass murder.

#15 - A Good Job: Stories of the FDNY

Season 2014 - Episode 20 - Aired 9/8/2014

“‘A good job’ means a really tough fire,” says retired firefighter Alfred Benjamin. Some call it terrifying or seductive, but as Rescue 5’s Joseph Esposito notes, “You should be scared…that’s what keeps you alive.” Directed and produced by Liz Garbus (HBO’s Emmy®-nominated “Bobby Fischer Against the World”) and produced by actor Steve Buscemi (Emmy® nominee for HBO’s “Boardwalk Empire”), A GOOD JOB: STORIES OF THE FDNY explores life in one of the most demanding and innovative fire departments in the world. Featuring first-hand accounts of veteran firefighters and former FDNY member Buscemi, the film reveals what it feels like to fight, and know, fire in New York when it debuts MONDAY, SEPT. 8 (9:00-10:00 p.m. ET/PT), exclusively on HBO. Spotlighting the immense mental and physical toll of firefighting, as well as the community borne out of sharing an incredible responsibility, A GOOD JOB goes inside the New York City Fire Department to illuminate the lives of heroes who put themselves at risk to serve the city.  Through behind-the-scenes footage and interviews conducted by Buscemi, the film tells stories of the men and women of the FDNY while drawing on candid photos and rare video from the last five decades to revisit department milestones, including: the “War Years” of the ‘60s and ‘70s; the 1966 23rd Street fire, in which 12 firefighters died; the Happy Land Social Club fire of 1990 (87 victims); and 9/11 and its lasting impact on the FDNY. Ultimately, A GOOD JOB is about camaraderie and the bonds formed around firehouse kitchen tables, the cumulative effect of trauma, both physical and mental, and the stories – the good, the bad and the exciting.

#16 - Remembering the Artist: Robert De Niro, Sr.

Season 2014 - Episode 3 - Aired 1/7/2014

Robert De Niro, Sr., was a celebrated painter obscured by the pop-art movement. His life and career are chronicled in the artist's own words by his contemporaries and, movingly, by his son, the actor Robert De Niro.

#17 - Captivated: The Trials of Pamela Smart

Season 2014 - Episode 19 - Aired 8/14/2014

A small-town murder in New England became one of the highest-profile cases of the twentieth century. As the first fully televised court case, the Pamela Smart trial rattled the consciousness of America. From gavel to gavel, a nation tuned in, and reality TV was born. Pulsating with sex, drugs, betrayal, and murder, the trial inspired 20 years of television shows, books, plays, and movies, including To Die For, starring Nicole Kidman and directed by Gus Van Sant.

#18 - 112 Weddings

Season 2014 - Episode 15 - Aired 6/30/2014

For two decades, documentarian Doug Block has supplemented his career as a filmmaker by shooting wedding videos. In 112 Weddings, he revisits some of his favorite couples to see how they've fared, and what wisdom they can impart about love and marriage. Block also follows two couples as they prepare for their weddings – first-timers Heather & Sam, and Janice & Alexander, a duo whose partnership ceremony he filmed 13 years ago, and who are now ready for “a different kind of commitment” after two children and a newfound desire to protect the family they have lovingly created.

#19 - Love Child

Season 2014 - Episode 13 - Aired 6/17/2014

A revealing documentary that examines the obsessive culture of online gaming, and the dangers of virtual living, through the case of a South Korean couple charged with neglect after the death of their three-month old child.

#20 - The Newburgh Sting

Season 2014 - Episode 17 - Aired 7/21/2014

Reveals FBI involvement in the homegrown terror case of the “Newburgh Four.” Never before told publicly, the story offers startling insights into the state of surveillance in a post-9/11 world. Four street criminals with no history of violence or political ties, from an impoverished and largely African-American community, were drawn by a Pakistani FBI informant into a carefully orchestrated plot to bomb Jewish synagogues in a wealthy suburb of New York City and fire Stinger missiles at U.S. military supply planes. Their dramatic arrest, complete with armored cars, a SWAT team and FBI aircraft, played out under the gaze of major television outlets, and resulted in 25-year prison sentences. Many political figures lauded the case as a victory in the war on terror, but others have lambasted the sting as entrapment.

#21 - Dangerous Acts Starring the Unstable Elements of Belarus

Season 2014 - Episode 16 - Aired 7/19/2014

Comprised of smuggled footage and uncensored interviews, Dangerous Acts gives audiences a front row seat to a resistance movement as it unfolds both on the stage and in the streets.

#22 - All About Ann: Governor Richards of the Lone Star State

Season 2014 - Episode 10 - Aired 4/1/2014

The life story of Ann Richards, the hilarious straight-talking Governor of Texas who fought special interests for the people and ultimately lost re-election to the first ever pairing of George W Bush and Karl Rove. Celebrities, family members, and personal friends tell the behind-the-scenes battle stories of how a housewife rose to the most powerful position in a good-old-boy state.

#23 - Bruce Springsteen's High Hopes

Season 2014 - Episode 11 - Aired 4/9/2014

Documentary features rare behind-the-scenes studio and rehearsal segments for Springsteen's 18th studio album. It will also include footage from E Street Band tours, interviews with Springsteen and more.

#24 - One Last Hug: Three Days At Grief Camp

Season 2014 - Episode 12 - Aired 4/14/2014

One Last Hug: Three Days at Grief Camp chronicles a three day summer camp for children learning to cope with the death of a loved one. With the guidance of trained professionals, grieving children as young as seven years old learn that their feelings are normal, and that by talking about them they can begin to heal. A testament to the healing power of shared sorrow, One Last Hug shows the often-unseen and particular experience of children's grief.

#25 - The University Of Sing Sing

Season 2014 - Episode 9 - Aired 3/31/2014

Tells the story of inmates seeking education through the Hudson Link college program while incarcerated at New York States Sing Sing prison.