Best movies like Urge to Build

A unique, carefully handpicked, selection of the best movies like Urge to Build . If you liked Urge to Build then you may also like: A Way Out of the Wilderness, What's Cookin' Doc?, The Wolf Men, The Naked Eye, Niagara - Miracles Myths and Magic and many more popular movies featured on this list. You can further filter the list even more or get a random selection from the list of similar movies, to make your selection even easier.

Urge to Build is a 1981 American short documentary film directed by Roland Hallé about individuals building their own homes. They share the experience and the different phases of construction, providing a background for more human issues: stress, confidence, and control of one's own life. It was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Documentary Short.

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A Way Out of the Wilderness

A Way Out of the Wilderness is a 1968 American short documentary film produced by Dan E. Weisburd. It describes and illustrates steps being taken by the Plymouth State Home and Training School, Northville, Michigan, to bring mentally impaired children out of the wilderness into the mainstream of life. It was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Documentary Short.

What's Cookin' Doc?

At the Academy Awards ceremony, Bugs Bunny tries to convince the audience that he deserves the Oscar. Opens with live action scenes of Hollywood.

The Wolf Men

The Wolf Men [also known as Wolves and the Wolf Men) is a 1969 documentary film produced by Irwin Rosten. It was produced for the GE Monogram documentary series on NBC. The film follows naturalists as they fight to save rapidly vanishing species of wolves. It was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature.

The Naked Eye

The Naked Eye is a 1956 American documentary film about the history of photography directed by Louis Clyde Stoumen. It was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature.

Niagara - Miracles Myths and Magic

Niagara: Miracles, Myths and Magic is one of the most spectacular large-format (IMAX) adventures of all. From the comfort of your seat, you'll thrill to the larger-than-life vista of raging waters as you take a heart-pounding ride over the Falls and experience other death-defying stunts performed there. Meet the daredevils who challenged the fury of the Falls: The Great Blondin, who completed a death-defying tightrope walk over the river in 1860; and Annie Taylor, a 63 year-old teacher who was the first person to go over in a barrel and live to tell the story. Created by Academy Award winner Kieth Merrill, the film takes you back to before the first Europeans discovered the Falls and gives you a glimpse of their 12,000 year history. No trip to the Falls is complete until you've seen Niagara: Miracles, Myths and Magic.

The Numbers Start with the River

The Numbers Start with the River is a 1971 American short documentary film about small-town life in Iowa. Produced by Donald Wrye for the United States Information Agency, it was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Documentary Short.

Operation Vittles

Operation Vittles is a 1948 American short documentary film about the Berlin Airlift, from the initial closure of the city in 1948 through 1949. It explains how, what, and why that supported the city. It was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Documentary Short.

Overture

Overture is a 1958 Canadian short documentary film directed by Gian Luigi Polidoro. It was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Documentary Short. The film depicts the peacekeeping efforts of the United Nations, set against the music of Beethoven's Egmont Overture, performed by the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra.

The Queen of Versailles

With the epic dimensions of a Shakespearean tragedy, The Queen of Versailles follows billionaires Jackie and David’s rags-to-riches story to uncover the innate virtues and flaws of their American dream. We open on the triumphant construction of the biggest house in America, a sprawling, 90,000-square-foot mansion inspired by Versailles. Since a booming time-share business built on the real-estate bubble is financing it, the economic crisis brings progress to a halt and seals the fate of its owners. We witness the impact of this turn of fortune over the next two years in a riveting film fraught with delusion, denial, and self-effacing humor.

Rebel in Paradise

Rebel in Paradise is a 1960 American documentary film on the artist Paul Gauguin produced by Robert D. Fraser, a San Francisco real estate developer. It was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature.

Remember Me

Remember Me is a 1979 American short documentary film produced by Dick Young, that was filmed in the US, the Middle East and Asia. The film depicts the youthful exuberance of children from many nations in contrasted with the squalor, hardship, and unfulfilled potential of their lives. It was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Documentary Short.

Rhapsody in Rivets

A construction foreman conducts his workers like a symphony orchestra as they build a skyscraper to Franz Liszt's "Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2."

The Rising Tide

This film shows the growth of cooperatives in the Maritime provinces and how they brought new life and hope to poverty-stricken fishermen. The Rising Tide is a 1949 Canadian short documentary film directed by Jean Palardy. It was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Documentary Short.

Ryan

Centres on Canadian animator Ryan Larkin, who in later years lived on skid row in Montreal following a history of drug and alcohol abuse.

Jenny is a Good Thing

Jenny is a Good Thing is a 1969 American short documentary film about children and poverty, directed by Joan Horvath. Produced by Project Head Start, it shows the importance of good nutrition for underprivileged nursery school children. The film was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Documentary Short.

Jet Carrier

Jet Carrier is a 1954 American short documentary film produced by Otto Lang as a CinemaScope Special. It was nominated for two Academy Awards - one for Best Documentary Short, and the other for Best Two-Reel Short. It was filmed aboard the aircraft carrier USS Yorktown.

Keats and His Nightingale: A Blind Date

Keats and His Nightingale: A Blind Date is a 1985 American short documentary film directed by Jim Wolpaw. It was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Documentary Short.

Kenji Comes Home

Kenji Comes Home is a 1949 documentary film produced by Paul F. Heard. Written and directed by Charles F. Schwep, it was filmed on location in Japan and employed native actors. The film is the story of Kenji, a repatriated prisoner of war in Japan, and his difficulties in settling down. He is torn between the glowing promises of communism and ideals of his girlfriend Aki's Christian religion. The film was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature.

A King's Story

A King's Story is a 1965 British documentary film directed by Harry Booth about the life of King Edward VIII, from his birth until abdication in 1936. It was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature.

Cobain: Montage of Heck

Hailed as one of the most innovative and intimate documentaries of all time, experience Kurt Cobain like never before in the only ever fully authorized portrait of the famed music icon. Academy Award nominated filmmaker Brett Morgen expertly blends Cobain's personal archive of art, music, never seen before movies, animation and revelatory interviews from his family and closest friends.

Baptism of Fire

Baptism of Fire is a 1943 American documentary, meant to be an Army training film starring Elisha Cook Jr. It was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature.

Being Evel

In the history of sports, few names are more recognizable than that of Evel Knievel. Long after the man hung up his famous white leather jumpsuit and rode his Harley into the sunset, his name is still synonymous with the death-defying lifestyle he led. Notoriously brash, bold, and daring, Knievel stared death in the face from the seat of his motorcycle, but few know the larger-than-life story of the boy from Butte, Montana.

Cowboy

Cowboy is a 1966 American short documentary film directed by Michael Ahnemann and produced by Ahnemann and Gary Schlosser. At a ranch in Tehachapi, California, a husband and father lives the life of a modern cowboy. The film was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Documentary Short.

The End of the Road

The End of the Road (also known as Alaska: The End of the Road) is a 1976 British short documentary film directed by John Armstrong. The film is about British Petroleum's Alaska operations, including the construction of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System. It was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Documentary Short.

Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House

An advertising executive dreams of getting out of the city and building a perfect home in the country, only to find the transition fraught with problems.

You've Been Trumped

In this David and Goliath story for the 21st century, a group of proud Scottish homeowners take on celebrity tycoon Donald Trump as he buys up one of Scotland's last wilderness areas to build a golf resort.

High Schools

High Schools is a 1984 American documentary film produced and directed by Charles Guggenheim. It is based on Ernest L. Boyer's book, High School, and was filmed on location in seven American high schools. The film was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature.

Human Nature

The biggest tech revolution of the 21st century isn’t digital, it’s biological. A breakthrough called CRISPR gives us unprecedented control over the basic building blocks of life. It opens the door to curing disease, reshaping the biosphere, and designing our own children. This documentary is a provocative exploration of CRISPR’s far-reaching implications, through the eyes of the scientists who discovered it, the families it’s affecting, and the genetic engineers who are testing its limits.

Little Man

Little man is the story of how a micro-preemie brought a family to its knees. Throughout his struggle for life, so struggle filmmaker, Nicole Conn and political activist Gwen Baba to keep their family from disintegrating under the unrelenting stress and chaos of hospitals, emergency medical crisis and a crushing blow to trust.

Peace on Earth

Two baby squirrels ask grandpa to explain what "men" are when he comes in singing "peace on earth, goodwill to men". Grandpa tells the story of man's last war. This classic animation short was an Academy Award Best Short Subject, Cartoons nominee.

Point of View

Point of View is a 1965 American short documentary film. The film is about cigarette smoking and health, designed to give young people a wholly new way of looking at cigarette smoking and its health hazards. It was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Documentary Short.

The Sparrows Nesting

From very different backgrounds, the two women bond over their shared love for their families. As the women grow closer, Maria reveals her concern for her precocious, but lonely daughter Bella, who she fears is being bullied at school. At Anna's urging, her teenage daughter Emily takes Bella under her wings. Maria's husband, Hector, loses his job, and his ability to provide for his family. He falls into despair as he's unable to find work, and turns back to drinking. When he finds Maria at the Sparrow's house, he assumes she is cleaning houses. His pride overcomes him and demands she leave with him. Anna agrees to watch Bella as Maria leaves with Hector, hoping to reason with him, make him understand how much she loves him, and that she knows he is always there for his family. As they weigh the impact on young Bella, Anna and Mike face one of the most important decisions of their lives.

Parkland: Inside Building 12

Acclaimed director Charlie Minn brings attention to the victims of the infamous massacre that occurred on February 14th, 2018 at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. A normal day at school became a true nightmare for Parkland, Florida citizens as they experienced something they had never thought would happen in their small suburb. In just six minutes, 17 students and staff were fatally shot and 17 more were wounded, while innumerable lives were changed forever. The true heroes of that day have come together to tell their stories and to bring words to those who are no longer here to offer them. This documentary reveals testimony and the raw emotions of those involved, highlighting the actions taken by individuals to save the lives of others through selfless and brave acts.

Young Americans

A 1967 documentary film chronicling the travel experiences of The Young Americans choir. It was given an Academy Award in 1969, though it was revoked because it was released in 1967 and was thus ineligible, the only film in history to have done so.

Somewhere Between

Questions of race, identity and heritage are explored through the lives of young American women growing up as adoptees from China. These four distinct individuals reflect on their experiences as members of transracial families.

The Architect

When a couple sets out to build their dream house, they enlist the services of an uncompromising modernist architect, who proceeds to build HIS dream house instead of theirs.

Brooklyn Bridge

Today it's a symbol of strength and vitality. 135 years ago, it was a source of controversy. This documentary examines the great problems and ingenious solutions that marked the construction of the Brooklyn Bridge. From conception to construction, it traces the bridge's transformation from a spectacular feat of heroic engineering to an honored symbol in American culture.

Backstreet Dreams

Backstreet Dreams is the story of a man, who has a disturbed child. He and his wife take their son to a clinic, where he is diagnosed by a talented psychologist (Stevie), as being autistic. After catching his unfaithful wife with another man, Dean tells Lucy to leave, and is faced with the task of raising Shane on his own. Stevie believes that she can improve Shane's condition, going back to Dean's apartment and later convincing him that he can provide a better world for his son. Angelo, who lives in the same apartment building and is like a father to Dean, urges on the relationship, sensing that Stevie is luring Dean away from backstreet dealings, and giving him courage to face life in a positive way. Together, they build a foundation for a better life outside of the violence and danger of the backstreets where they live.

The Monster Project

When aspiring horror filmmakers post an online casting call looking for "real life" monsters to interview for their upcoming documentary called, The Monster Project, they find three individuals claiming to be a skin-walker, a vampire, and a demon. Meeting these monsters at a remote mansion in the woods on the night of a total lunar eclipse, the filmmakers invite the three subjects to share their haunting, personal experiences. Working on the crew is a recovering drug addict who suffers withdrawal and paranoia. As a person of faith, he fears his friends underestimate the dark powers they are summoning. When the interviews turn deadly, he must battle the demons, inside and out, to escape the house and defeat the rise of evil incarnate.

Mama's Boy

Traveling back to the places where he grew up, Dustin Lance Black explores his childhood roots, gay identity and close relationship with his mother, who overcame childhood polio, abusive marriages and Mormon dogma, while becoming Black’s emotional rock and, ultimately, the inspiration for his activism. With a wealth of personal photographs and candid memories from Black’s family, colleagues, and friends, this documentary embraces the personal to tell a universally hopeful tale of resilience and reconciliation through the power of love and shared stories.

The Nature of Romance

A busy travel writer goes glamping at a state park with her best friend and finds herself falling in love with one of the park rangers.

Best Actress

A Hollywood writer becomes embroiled while investigating into the lives of five fictitious actresses all nominated for the Academy Award for best actress.

Lee Miller: A Life on the Frontline

A documentary celebrating Lee Miller, a model turned photographer turned war reporter who defied anyone who tried to pin her down, put her on a pedestal or pigeonhole her in any way. The film's director, Teresa Griffiths, and editor, Clare Guillon, won the 2021 British Academy Television Craft Awards for Factual programs.

Dream House

TV movie 1981 Vacationing Georgia construction worker (John Schneider) meets and falls for Manhattan's comely Director of Urban Renewal (Marilu Henner) and despite her initial rejection of him, sets out to build a dream house for both of them.

How to Build a Human

Gemma Chan, the star of Humans, explores Artificial Intelligence, and builds an AI version of herself. Are AI humans just around the corner, and can Robot Gemma convince anyone she's the real Gemma?

Depression: Out of the Shadows

This PBS documentary explores depression, a debilitating disease that affects millions of Americans. Touching the lives of people from diverse backgrounds, depression still carries a stigma that causes some sufferers to go without treatment. Real people with depression talk about their experiences, and scientists offer commentary to shed light on the disease, including its diagnosis, treatment and current research.

Kids and Guns

The controversial right to bear arms is at the heart of American culture. It is so deeply ingrained that parents often pass down their love of guns to their children, and gun companies now market real rifles to kids as young as four - with blue ones for boys and pink for girls. This documentary sheds light on the world of young shooters, illuminating the beliefs, ambitions, and paranoia that motivate adults to put guns in the hands of children. Teaching kids to shoot is seen as a fun family experience and yet over 3000 children are injured or killed every year in accidental shootings. This documentary follows the stories of three American families tackling the difficult issues behind the American relationship with firearms and the compelling stories behind the horrifying statistics.

Strip Down, Rise Up

The feature documentary follows women of all walks of life, all ages and ethnic backgrounds, as they shed trauma, body image shame, sexual abuse and other issues locked in their bodies, and embark on a journey to reclaim themselves. The film also gives a rare window into the world of Pole artistry and expression.

Girls State

What would American democracy look like in the hands of teenage girls? A political coming-of-age story and a stirring reimagination of what it means to govern, this documentary follows young female leaders — from wildly different backgrounds across Missouri — as they navigate an immersive experiment to build a government from the ground up.

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