Documentary Reviews and Features | Little White Lies

Genre Documentary

Young child in red jacket looking thoughtfully at camera, with cacti in background.
Review

The Reason I Jump

by Matthew Mulcahy

This documentary adaptation of Naoki Higashida’s memoir is an immersive sensory exploration of non-verbal autism.

3
Anticipation
4
Enjoyment
4
In Retrospect
Black and white image of a pig's snout and eye, with grass in the background.
Review

Gunda

by Matt Turner

Victor Kossakovsky’s documentary captures the daily rhythms of its porcine star’s life on the farm.

4
Anticipation
3
Enjoyment
2
In Retrospect
Three young women at an outdoor event, smiling and embracing one another.
Review

Ahead of the Curve

by Laura Venning

This engaging documentary celebrates the work of an iconic lesbian publication and its fearsome creator.

3
Anticipation
4
Enjoyment
4
In Retrospect
Large crowd of soldiers in military uniforms marching, with a red vehicle in the foreground.
Review

State Funeral

by Ed Gibbs

This captivating time capsule of the Soviet Union circa 1953 is a staggering feat of archive documentary.

3
Anticipation
4
Enjoyment
4
In Retrospect
Three men in formal attire, one wearing a keffiyeh, shaking hands and smiling.
Review

The Human Factor

by Adam Woodward

The inside story of America’s futile attempts to broker peace in the Middle East makes for fascinating viewing.

3
Anticipation
4
Enjoyment
3
In Retrospect
A person floating on a teal-coloured inflatable mattress in clear blue-green ocean water.
Review

Some Kind of Heaven

by Aimee Knight

This poignant documentary throws open the pearly gates of Florida’s largest retirement village.

4
Anticipation
5
Enjoyment
4
In Retrospect
Four men, one in an orange puppet costume, laughing together on a stage.
Review

Street Gang: How We Got to Sesame Street

by Zosha Millman

Fuzzy feels abound in this entertaining if slight documentary about the creation of the iconic kids’ TV show.

4
Anticipation
3
Enjoyment
3
In Retrospect
A person in a black outfit crouching beside an old-fashioned reel-to-reel tape player, with a soccer ball on the floor next to them.
Review

Sisters with Transistors

by Caitlin Quinlan

This illuminating documentary profiles extraordinary women musicians who shaped electronic sound.

3
Anticipation
4
Enjoyment
3
In Retrospect
Elderly man writing at a cluttered desk, surrounded by books, ornaments and other items in a cosy home interior.
Review

Henry Glassie: Field Work

by David Jenkins

An ASMR-powered documentary portrait of the famed and eloquent ethnographer and folklorist.

3
Anticipation
4
Enjoyment
4
In Retrospect
A scruffy, golden-haired dog sitting in a cluttered, dimly lit room.
Review

Stray

by Josh Slater-Williams

Istanbul’s semi-feral dog population is the focus of this thought-provoking ethnographic documentary.

3
Anticipation
4
Enjoyment
4
In Retrospect