Every so often a film comes along that changes our view of something or highlights something that we knew very little or nothing about.
Karun
Over the years, we have been treated to a whole host of usually documentary movies that have done this - we really have had some riveting and, at times, hard-hitting films that have hit the big screen.
We take a look at some of those fantastic movies that changed the way that we looked at the world around us.
- Karun (2015)
There are fewer misunderstood countries than Iran right now - a slice of the planet that is looked upon with uncertainty and suspicion.
Filmmakers Tom Allen and Leon McCarron have delivered a film that goes behind the politics and the images of Iran that we see on television, as they travelled through the mountainous south-western region of the country.
This film shows us the beauty and the hospitality of the country and its people and is nothing like what we have come to see on TV and in our newspapers. Karun is a movie that takes us inside a country many of us know very little about, other than what we see and read.
Karun is Iran's longest river and the movie takes us right into the heart of its beautiful and sometimes desolate landscape. Amongst travellers, Iran is already known for its hospitality and that reputation is only supported by this film.
Karun is not only a movie that looks at the beauty of the country and its people, it also takes a closer look at their culture to help viewers understand it a little better.
- Citizenfour (2014)
Edward Snowden is one of the world's most wanted men after leaking classified information from the United States National Security Agency in 2013. The information revealed numerous global surveillance programmes that the U.S. and Europe ran and knew about.
Was this a breach of security? Did Snowden do the right thing in letting the world know? These questions have divided people over the last few years. He is a villain or a hero? In 2013 documentary filmmaker Laura Poitras travelled to Hong Kong to meet Snowden for a series of interviews.
We will never truly know just how much our governments know about us or are watching us - just how much of our privacy and liberty has been lost in recent years? Citizenfour brings into sharp focus the notion of the right to privacy and whether governments can be trusted.
At the same time, the movie delves into the mind of a whistleblower and we do get to know the man Edward Snowden and his motives a little better. It really is a riveting watch from start to finish. Snowden may be a controversial character but that did not stop Citizenfour from scooping the Best Documentary Oscar earlier this year.
- The Act of Killing (2013)
Another recent documentary that whipped up a storm was The Act of Killing, which was a massive critical smash when it was released back in 2013.
The movie marked the return of Joshua Oppenheimer to the director's chair in what was his major breakthrough film. The movie starts to lift the lid on the Indonesian killings of 1965-66 and the individuals who took part.
A million people were killed during this period and many of the crew who helped make the film wished to remain anonymous - still fearing repercussions from the death-squad killers.
The Act of Killing really does bring the atrocities of this period to the forefront and puts a faces to those who were the perpetrators of this horrific crimes. This is a powerful, emotional, and troubling movie that is as shocking as it is totally compelling.
This is one of those documentaries that stays with you long after the credits roll and paints a vivid picture of Anwar Congo, who made quite a name for himself during this time.
Oppenheimer would return to this topic with his new film project The Look of Silence, which focused in on a family that has suffered at the hands of the death-squad.
- Taxi To The Dark Side (2007)
Alex Gibney is one of my favourite documentary directors as he is not afraid to throw himself into controversial subjects... which is exactly what he did in 2007 with Taxi To The Dark Side.
Taxi To The Dark Side focused on the killing of an Afghan taxi driver, who was beaten to death by American soldiers while being held in extrajudicial detention.
This really is an eye-opening documentary that is a powerful look into the darker side of the war on terror. The film gives us a shocking insight into the American military's use of torture to get confessions and the results of that torture.
Given what has gone in the world over the last decade or so, Taxi to the Dark Side is an essential documentary that asks that questions that we really have been afraid to ask and lifts the curtain on America's war on terror.
Taxi To The Dark Side was released to critical acclaim back in 2007 and went on to win the Best Documentary Oscar.
- Food Inc. (2010)
Robert Kenner made his feature film directorial debut back in 2010 when he helmed documentary Food Inc., which was an unflattering looking in the U.S. corporate controlled food industry.
Food Inc. showcases several eye-opening revelations regarding the American food-processing industry. The documentary generated a lot of controversial buzz, as it exposed a lot of secrets CEO's of 'The Big 3' never wanted you to know.
Investigative journalism makes for terrific documentary movies and Food Inc. really is a very disturbing expose on the U.S. food industry - may I suggest that you don't eat while watching.
While Food Inc. does lift the lid on some rather unsavoury goings on, it is a documentary that is incredibly entertaining and is truly a fascinating watch.
The movie went on to be nominated for the Best Documentary Oscar, but lost out to The Cove.
- Fahrenheit 9/11 (2004)
Hard to believe that it was over a decade ago when controversial filmmaker Michael Moore brought Fahrenheit 9/11 to the big screen. While everyone may not be a fan of Moore, he is not afraid to whip up a storm and tackle the topics that need to be talked about.
That is exactly had he did with Fahrenheit 9/11, which explored how the U.S. government us events on September 11th to push for an unjust war in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Fahrenheit 9/11 was one of the most talked about movies of 2004 and delivers a scathing view of the Bush administration and the decisions that were made as they started the war on terror.
However, this is a very one-sided feature and Moore seems reluctant to even recognise that there is another side to this story. Having said that, Fahrenheit 9/11 is an interesting and entertaining watch.
Fahrenheit 9/11 was a huge box office success and is the highest grossing documentary of all time.
Other great movies that changed our view of the world include Five Broken Cameras, The Zeitgeist Trilogy, Shoah, and Nanook of the North.
Karun: Misadventures On Iran's Longest River is digitally available worldwide via http://karunfilm.com/