Under 15 Minutes

Watch short documentaries under 15 minutes on Docsville, featuring fascinating stories, real-world topics, culture, nature, and inspiring ideas

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  • Google and the World Brain

    In 2002, Google began scanning all books to build a universal library and a "World Brain." But most books were copyrighted, leading to a global author revolt and a landmark 2011 court battle. A story of the internet's grand dreams and perilous dilemmas.

  • Bitcoin: Digital Gold

    Trust your money? This documentary will challenge that. Award-winning filmmaker Torsten Hoffmann traces money's journey from ancient barter to Wall Street, exposing how central banks and dubious financiers create money from thin air via debt, driving inflation. It questions our entire financial s...

  • Split: A Divided America

    "Split: A Divided America" is a vital documentary journey into the U.S. political divide. With raw street interviews and insights from figures like Chomsky and Carlson, it offers a panoramic, non-partisan look at polarization. Called "sobering" by The New York Times and "a vital conversation-star...

  • Programming the Nation

    "Programming the Nation" explores subliminal messaging in American media since the 1950s. Director Jeff Warrick investigates its use in film, advertising, music, and even modern military tactics. The documentary examines the history, science, and societal impact of this subconscious influence.

  • 91%: A Film About Guns in America

    91% of gun violence victims share stories of loss. With 33,000 annual deaths and 347 million guns, easy access to untraceable firearms fuels this public health crisis. Highlighting unregulated sales, “91%” seeks solutions beyond our stalled debate. We agree more than we know.

  • The Age of AI: Brave New World

    AI now drives our cars, weapons, and world. Will it lead to dystopia or amplify humanity to superhuman levels? This film explores AI’s profound impact on society, economy, and our very future.

  • Laura's Choice - A Joyous End of Life

    Laura Henkel, 90, is terminally feisty. Without a terminal illness, she chooses a controlled, dignified death in Switzerland. She asks her filmmaker daughter and granddaughter to document her journey. "Laura's Choice" follows three generations navigating this radical, deeply personal decision.

  • The God Cells: The Fetal Stem Cell Journey

    Seeking "miraculous" fetal stem cell cures abroad, patients face hurdles at home. Our investigation explores the religious ethics and stringent regulations blocking U.S. market approval for these controversial therapies.

  • Pax Americana: The Weaponization of Space

    The dream of Wernher von Braun—space-based rule—is now reality. With space weaponization possible, a booming industry, and global competition, PAX AMERICANA investigates: Are weapons already orbiting? Can treaties prevent war? Must the world accept a single space super-cop? Featuring generals, an...

  • Unpaved: Respite from the World

    Tucked in Oregon's misty peaks, a quiet community lives in Bigfoot's shadow. On a hauntingly beautiful farm, ex-cons, dreamers, drummers, and hunters find solace in nature and each other, facing life's struggles together.

  • Facing the Fat

    Healthy & athletic Kenny Saylors became severely overweight. With medical supervision, he undertook a 55-day water-only fast. Facing the Fat documents his journey, breaking addiction to junk food, detoxing his body, and exploring over-eating's global impact.

  • Magic Medicine

    Can magic mushrooms cure depression? This documentary tracks a groundbreaking medical trial of psilocybin to treat volunteers with clinical depression over two years.

  • Sugar Sisters

    "Sugar Sisters": Hannah, a queer filmmaker, explores sugar-dating with her sisters. This lucrative world challenges her feminist ideals and morals, testing her personal relationships as she satisfies wealthy Sugar Daddies.

  • 91% A film about Guns in America Trailer

    91% of gun violence victims share stories of loss. With 33,000 annual deaths and 347 million guns, easy access to untraceable firearms fuels this public health crisis. Highlighting unregulated sales, “91%” seeks solutions beyond our stalled debate. We agree more than we know.

  • Disaster Capitalism

    The documentary Disaster Capitalism exposes the dark side of Western aid. Over six years, journalist Antony Loewenstein and filmmaker Thor Neureiter investigate the multi-billion dollar industry in Afghanistan, Haiti, and Papua New Guinea. They reveal how aid money fuels a web of corporate and po...

  • Love in the Time of Fentanyl

    As overdose deaths hit a record high in Vancouver, the Overdose Prevention Society opens in the “ground zero” Downtown Eastside. This renegade safe consumption site, staffed by active and former users, saves lives and demands radical action. Love in the Time of Fentanyl moves past stigma to revea...

  • Life With Murder

    After their son is accused of killing his sister, parents face an agonizing choice: turn their backs or welcome him home. With astonishing footage shot over a decade, this film captures their painful, evolving bonds.

  • Timelines

    Three online stars. 3 tragic deaths before 21. Millions followed their stories, but who knew the truth? "Timelines" intimately explores life, death, and digital-age grief.

  • Step By Step

    Movie

    After the war in Ukraine derailed their lives, a young married couple, a former environmental officer and a displaced family join others on a new path to become professional deminers. Experience their gripping two-year journey as they undergo intense training amidst the uncertainty of the Russian...

  • Step by Step

    Ukraine war upends lives. A young couple and a displaced family join others on a grueling two-year journey to become professional deminers. Witness their intense training, resilience, and spirit in the face of invasion. An inspiring documentary of human grit.

  • Discover China ep14 - Empire in the Underworld

    Deep beneath China lies the monumental mausoleum of the first Qin Emperor. Taking 38 years to build, this elaborate tomb houses a vast collection of life-size terra cotta statues, guarding the ruler in the afterlife.

  • Discover China ep38 - The Old Town of Lijiang

    In this small town beneath snow-capped peaks, an ancient culture endures. With their own religion and a fully preserved written language, the people of Lijiang carry on traditions shaped over centuries.

  • Discover China ep17 - Chengde Mountain Retreat

    Come visit the Chengde Mountain Resort—once a hunting ground to sharpen the faltering Qing army’s skills, and a serene sanctuary for the Emperor himself.

  • After The Dance Trailer

    Award-winning filmmaker Daisy Asquith unlocks a long-buried family secret in Ireland. With her mother, she investigates her grandmother’s hidden pregnancy, a forced adoption by nuns, and a mysterious father. Their raw, emotional journey confronts centuries of Catholic shame, culminating in a powe...