Documentaries are engaging and provide a glimpse into real-life stories. They can also be a great way for you to learn more about current social issues. The documentary genre is huge. There are so many options that it can be overwhelming to know where to begin. It's here that streaming services such as Netflix can come in handy. Netflix has a large selection of documentaries that will teach you something new and in an engaging way.These 10 documentaries will help you get a better understanding of the world. These films cover a range of important and timely topics, such as climate change's impact on coral reefs, racism in the prison industrial complex, transgender representations in film and television.If you are looking for something new, here are 10 documentaries that Netflix has to offer:Credit: Steven Bognar/netflixAmerican Factory simultaneously addresses two topics that have been covered in stump speeches, news podcasts and daily briefings over three years: the American middle-class and relations between the U.S.A and China. The movie centers on the closure of General Motors' plant, which left many people jobless. This is an event that is all too familiar.Chinese business owners reopen the plant and bring back many former workers. Both American and Chinese workers have to be aware of their different manufacturing methods and practices. American Factory shows globalization in a localized setting, giving voice to people who are affected by large-scale problems. Julia Reichert, Steven Bogner and Michelle Obama released the documentary on Netflix.Credit: netflixKirby Dick's The Bleeding Edge describes how commercial and consumer culture infiltrates the medical field and causes unproven and untested products to harm the lives and health of many people. Profitable sectors of the healthcare sector push patients to have their products prescribed to them or implanted to help them heal, much like the opioid crisis.You're likely to have seen ads seeking people who have suffered the adverse effects of medical devices. Bleeding Edge will cover the topic of malpractice in America's healthcare system.Reversing Roe refers to Former Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy's retirement, but was released weeks prior to the fateful Kavanaugh Hearings. It examines how abortion became a highly politicized, emotionally charged topic in the years following Roe v. Wade.Annie Sundberg and Ricki Stern, the film's producers, interviewed both pro- and anti-abortion advocates to get a balanced approach to this hot topic.Credit: netflixAva DuVernay's 13th was before Brian Banks, Free Meek and even True Justice. It educated people across the country about mass incarceration, as well as the widespread wrongful imprisonment, of Black Americans.The documentary is titled the 13th Amendment, which abolished slavery. It not only raises the voices and exposes those who made this system possible, like the proponents for Jim Crow-era statutes, and many former presidents and political figures that supported the Republican Party's war against drugs (which also enlisted Bill Clinton). 13th reveals how the majority of black Americans are unfairly sentenced to time in prison. It was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award as Outstanding Documentary.Credit: NetflixThe Great Barrier Reef is where Marlin and Dory set out on their epic quest to find Nemo. It exists in our minds as a multicolored, animated wildlife masterpiece. The coral bleaching process is actually causing the Great Barrier Reef to lose its coral. This bleaching is caused by climate change, Chasing Coral explains.We are fortunate to be at this pivotal moment. It is possible to reverse the damage caused by the heat wave in the world that has been ravaging coral. Jeff Orlowski (the film's director) and Exposure Lab, who are committed to fighting climate change, have created an action guide. It explains how viewers can make an impact by switching to 100% renewable energy and putting an end to overfishing and dredging. Chasing Coral is an environmental appeal to action. The film's breathtaking ocean panoramas are unbeatable.Credit to NetflixBryan Fogel (Race to Witch Mountain) gives Icarus a close look at Russia through his lens of illegal doping during the Olympics. According to the film, doping affects the credibility and cultural identity of many countries.Fogel originally intended to center Icarus around his experience injecting himself with performance-enhancing drugs, also captured on film. Fogel discovered how Russia has built an Olympic legacy of excellence through its long-standing system of cheating, as he interviewed Dr. Grigory Rochenov, the head of Russia's anti-doping programme. Icarus, described as a geopolitical thriller, revealed truths about a taboo topic and won the Academy Award in Best Documentary Feature.Credit: netflixIn 2007, Amanda Knox was in the news for allegedly killing Meredith Kercher, her roommate in Perugia. Knox was also accused of murdering her former boyfriend Raffele Sollecito. They were both held in Italy from 2007 to 2011.Amanda Knox, like Casey Anthony was synonymous with the image a unsuspecting white woman capable of doing the impossible. Or was she? Knox was finally acquitted after years of her private life, choices and diary being displayed. Knox, in her documentary film titled "Self-titled" directed by Rod Blackhurst & Brian McGinn dispels the myths and stories that dominated Meredith Kercher’s murder case and Knox's life for over a decade.Credit: netflixRoger Stone is more than just another key player in the ongoing lawsuits against Donald Trump. He also played a major role in defining the current form of opposition research in political campaigns. Stone was involved in the campaigns of Nixon and Reagan, as well as Bob Dole and Jack Kemp. Stone has earned a reputation for being a political fixer and an advocate of dirty politics. He was known for his ability to play dirty, including ultra combative lobbying and recent associations with Wikileaks.Get Me Roger Stone was created by Daniel DiMauro. It understands that Stone’s ruthless, unique logic is worth understanding, since it has had a significant impact on recent political history. Roger Stone is someone you will soon know if you don't know. Oh, and that Nixon tattoo?Credit: netflixCrip Camp tells the story about the generation of disability activists that learned how to organize at Camp Jened, which is now closed. Camp Jened was a summer camp for teens and children with a wide variety of disabilities. The documentary uses archive footage from the 1960s to show how the camp's progressive and accessible space impacted its campers.Many of the same people who were shown in camp footage later became leaders in life-changing demonstrations that improved people with disabilities' social status in the United States. Crip Camps greatest strength is its ability to show how early access to inclusive spaces allows marginalized communities to dream and create a better future. * Alexis Nedd Senior Entertainment ReporterCredit: Ava benjamin shorr/netflixAccording to Disclosure's executive producer Laverne cox, Orange Is the New Black star and Disclosure's executive producer, we are currently experiencing unprecedented trans visibility. She also points out that 80 percent of Americans don't know anyone who is transgender, so onscreen portrayals are the only way to experience it. Cox says that for a long time, trans people have been depicted onscreen in ways that suggest that they are not real. They have suggested that we are mentally ill and that we don’t exist. Yet, here I am. We are here. We've been there since the beginning.Disclosure examines the history of representations of transgender people on television. It goes back much further than you might imagine. This disheartening analysis is followed by a discussion about the offscreen effects of that representation. Transgender people are often portrayed as a joke, someone to fear, or someone who experiences violence. Nick Adams, GLAAD's director of communications, says that Hollywood has taught people for decades how to respond to transgender people. This is fear. We have made great strides with such films as Orange Is The New Black, Transparent and Pose. There is still hope. Jen Richards, the documentary's writer, says that it gives an overview of the history of trans representation so trans people can "find themselves in it." * - Shannon Connellan, UK EditorAnasterisks (*), signify that the entry was previously on Mashable's list.This story was first published in November 2019, and it was updated in July 2021.
