The BEST episodes of HBO Documentary Film Series season 2016

#1 - Jim: The James Foley Story

Season 2016 - Episode 1 - Aired 2/6/2016

On Thanksgiving Day 2012, American photojournalist James “Jim” Foley was kidnapped in Syria and went missing for two years before the infamous video of his public execution sent shockwaves and introduced much of the world to ISIS. Jim: The James Foley Story, by close childhood friend Brian Oakes, tells the story of his life through intimate interviews with his family, friends and fellow journalists – while fellow hostages reveal never-before-heard details of his captivity with a chilling immediacy that builds suspense. Made with unparalleled access, Jim: The James Foley Story is a harrowing chronicle of bravery, compassion and pain at the dawn of America’s war with ISIS. “I made this film to carry on the stories that Jim needed us to know,” says director Brian Oakes. “It’s important that we understand the significant role of today’s conflict journalists and why they risk their lives to tell the world how bad it can be.” The film will include the original song “The Empty Chair,” by Academy Award-nominated artists J. Ralph and Sting. Directed by Brian Oakes, the film is produced by Eva Lipman, George Kunhardt and Teddy Kunhardt and executive produced by Peter Kunhardt.

#2 - Homegrown: The Counter Terror Dilemma

Season 2016 - Episode 2 - Aired 2/8/2016

HOMEGROWN: THE COUNTER-TERROR DILEMMA explores the real and perceived threat of homegrown Islamic extremism in America today through first-hand accounts from those on the front lines of this battle – family members of convicted terrorists, those trying to persuade young people from embracing extremism, Muslim Americans facing fear and suspicion in their communities, victims of terrorist attacks, and insights from experts and prosecutors who worked homegrown terrorist cases. Among the questions the film raises: Why are American citizens signing up for ISIS? How big is the threat, and how effective have the efforts of US counter-terrorism agencies been in combatting homegrown terrorism? What are the unintended consequences of such efforts? And, what freedoms and values do we sacrifice in our efforts to track down established and nascent extremists in our midst? The documentary includes insights from high-level counter-terrorist experts like Andrew Liepman - former Deputy Director of the National Counterterrorism Center - who recalls attending weekly “Terrorist Tuesday” meetings at the White House, as well as Philip Mudd – former Deputy Director of the FBI's National Security Branch - who admits “You need to be corrupted” to carry out “predator strikes” on terrorists, and is clearly haunted by some of the decisions he’s had to make. Liepman has decidedly mixed feelings about the efficacy and high cost of counter-terrorist efforts in the US, noting “You could argue there are a lot more dangerous things than terrorism: cancer, obesity, gun violence. But that doesn’t capture America’s imagination as much as the threat from ISIS.” HOMEGROWN was directed by Greg Barker; produced by John Battsek, Julie Goldman, Greg Barker; produced by Diane Becker. Executive Producer, Peter Bergen, based on the book ‘United States of Jihad: Investigating America’s Homegrown Terrorists’ by Peter Bergen. For HBO: senior producer, Nancy Abraham; executive

#3 - Becoming Mike Nichols

Season 2016 - Episode 3 - Aired 2/22/2016

The renowned director opens up to his close friend and colleague, Jack O'Brien, in his historic, final filmed appearance.

#4 - Ebola: the Doctors' Story

Season 2016 - Episode 6 - Aired 3/14/2016

Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) has treated hundreds of people with the disease and helped to contain numerous life-threatening epidemics. MSF responded in the worst affected countries – Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone - through setting up Ebola Management Centers and providing services such as psychological support, health promotion, surveillance and contact tracing. At its peak, MSF employed nearly 4,000 national staff and over 325 international staff to combat the epidemic across the three countries.

#5 - Body Team 12

Season 2016 - Episode 8 - Aired 3/14/2016

This Oscar-nominated documentary highlights the heroic and heartbreaking work of Garmai Sumo, a female Liberian Red Cross worker tasked with collecting Ebola victims from homes and villages, and removing bodies to halt transmission of the disease.

#6 - Orphans of Ebola

Season 2016 - Episode 7 - Aired 3/14/2016

#7 - Everything is Copy

Season 2016 - Episode 9 - Aired 3/21/2016

A look at the life and work of writer/filmmaker Nora Ephron.

#8 - A Girl in the River: The Price of Forgiveness

Season 2016 - Episode 5 - Aired 3/7/2016

A Girl in the River: The Price of Forgiveness is a 2015 documentary film directed by Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy about honor killings in Pakistan.

#9 - Only the Dead See the End of War

Season 2016 - Episode 10 - Aired 3/28/2016

Journalist Michael Ware and Oscar-winning director Bill Guttentag examine the moral consequences of war through Ware’s searing account of his own experiences reporting in Iraq.

#10 - Heart of a Dog

Season 2016 - Episode 13 - Aired 4/25/2016

Artist Laurie Anderson's 2015 "Heart of a Dog" documentary, about love and loss after the death of her rat terrier Lolabelle, is slated to air on HBO April 25, the network announced last week. Anderson, who grew up in Glen Ellyn, last week performed a concert for dogs in New York City to honor Sept. 11 first-responder dogs. Lolabelle died in 2011.

#11 - Risky Drinking

Season 2016 - Episode 16 - Aired 12/19/2016

Are you a risky drinker? Nearly 70% of American adults drink alcohol and nearly 1/3 of them engage in problem drinking at some point in their lives. Produced with The National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), Risky Drinking is a no-holds-barred look at a national epidemic through the intimate stories of four people whose drinking dramatically affects their relationships.

#12 - Pearl Harbor: The Accused

Season 2016 - Episode 15 - Aired 11/24/2016

As well as marking the 75th anniversary of Pearl Harbour, this documentary will reveal the untold story behind the failure to stop the Japanese attack.

#13 - Mavis

Season 2016 - Episode 4 - Aired 2/29/2016

Mavis! chronicles the ascension of gospel and soul music legend and civil rights icon Mavis Staples and her family group, The Staple Singers. An intimate look at a tight-knit family, the film reveals their struggles and successes, featuring dynamic live performances and rarely-seen archival footage, as well as modern-day interviews with Bob Dylan, Prince, Bonnie Raitt, Jeff Tweedy and Chuck D

#14 - Three Days of Terror: The Charlie Hebdo Attacks

Season 2016 - Episode 14 - Aired 9/26/2016

#15 - Mapplethrope: Look At The Pictures

Season 2016 - Episode 11 - Aired 4/4/2016

#16 - Nothing Left Unsaid: Gloria Vanderbilt & Anderson Cooper

Season 2016 - Episode 12 - Aired 4/9/2016