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Classic Documentaries Before 1990 · page 43

2,921 documentaries · ordered 27 October 2026 · How we order lists

Newest first: the year each film was released, from the open film record (Wikidata), then the order the list has always had. Every film’s page names its source.

1. No. 10511976

   Underground

   by Emile de Antonio · United States · English
2. No. 10521976

   Union Maids

   by Jim Klein · United States · English
3. No. 10531976

   Universe

   by Lester Novros · United States · English
4. No. 105419761 h 40 min

   Volcano: An Inquiry into the Life and Death of Malcolm Lowry

   by Donald Brittain · Canada · English

   Malcolm Lowry
5. No. 10551976

   We've Got Our Own Song

   by Dick Idestam-Almquist · Sweden · Swedish
6. No. 105619761 h 33 min

   Widerstand und Verfolgung in Köln 1933-1945

   by Dietrich Schubert · Germany
7. No. 10571975

   Abicinema

   by Giuseppe Bertolucci · Italy · Italian
8. No. 105819751 h 31 min

   Ahô: The Forest People

   by François Floquet · Canada · French
9. No. 10591975

   American Shoeshine

   by Sparky Greene · United States · English
10. No. 106019753 h 45 min

    Anna

    by Alberto Grifi · Italy · Italian, English
11. No. 1061197545 min

    Applied Magnetics

    Director not on record · Portugal · Portuguese
12. No. 106219751 h 21 min

    As Armas e o Povo

    by Manuel Costa e Silva · Portugal · Portuguese
13. No. 106319751 h 21 min

    Australia After Dark

    by John D. Lamond · Australia · English
14. No. 106419751 h 19 min

    Autour de Jeanne Dielman

    by Sami Frey · Belgium · French

    Jeanne Dielman, 23 quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles
15. No. 106519751 h 50 min

    Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?

    by Philippe Mora · United States · United Kingdom · English

    Great Depression
16. No. 106619751 h 30 min

    Bugs Bunny: Superstar

    by Larry Jackson · United States · English
17. No. 106719751 h 30 min

    Cochengo Miranda

    by Jorge Prelorán · Argentina · Spanish
18. No. 1068197553 min

    Cracked Actor

    by Alan Yentob · United Kingdom · English

    music
19. No. 106919751 h 18 min

    Crystal Voyager

    by David Elfick · Australia · English

    historysport
20. No. 10701975

    De American so hijo... y a ella me debo

    by Santiago Álvarez · Cuba
21. No. 10711975

    Deus, Pátria, Autoridade

    by Rui Simões · Portugal
22. No. 1072197559 min

    Eadweard Muybridge, Zoopraxographer

    by Thom Andersen · United States · English

    zoopraxiscopeEadweard Muybridge
23. No. 107319751 h 12 min

    E il Casanova di Fellini?

    by Liliana Betti · Italy · Italian
24. No. 10741975

    Ett litet land i Skandinavien

    by Maj Wechselmann · Sweden
25. No. 1075197534 min

    Even Today He’d Speak His Mind

    by Volker Koepp · East Germany · German

By decade

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