Narrative Nonfiction
Film
Narrative Nonfiction in film can include documentaries, biopics and movies that are based on true stories (many of which might also be called creative nonfiction). Though many biopics in particular may be more fictionalized than books or documentaries on the same topic, they can still be a great way to introduce new people, places and time periods. Here are a few of our favorite narrative and creative nonfiction films.
Flee (2021)
Amin arrived as an unaccompanied minor in Denmark from Afghanistan. Today, at 36, he is a successful academic and is getting married to his long-time boyfriend. A secret he has been hiding for over 20 years threatens to ruin the life he has built for himself. For the first time he is sharing his story with his close friend.
My Old School (2022)
In 1993, 16-year-old Brandon Lee enrolled at Bearsden Academy, a secondary school in a well-to-do suburb of Glasgow, Scotland. What followed over the next two years would become the stuff of legend.
The Rescue (2021)
Follow the rescue of a Thai soccer team trapped in a cave for 16 days from.
Selma (2014)
“Selma,” as in Alabama, is the place where segregation in the South was at its worst, leading to a march that ended in violence, which forced a famous statement by President Lyndon B. Johnson that ultimately led to the signing of the Voting Rights Act.
My Octopus Teacher (2020)
After years of swimming every day in the freezing ocean at the tip of Africa, Craig Foster meets an unlikely teacher: a young octopus who displays remarkable curiosity. Visiting her den and tracking her movements for months on end he eventually wins the animal’s trust and they develop a never-before-seen bond between human and wild animal.
The Wind Rises (2013)
A lifelong love of flight inspires Japanese aviation engineer Jiro Horikoshi, whose storied career includes the creation of the A-6M World War II fighter plane.
Just Mercy (2019)
The powerful true story of Harvard-educated lawyer Bryan Stevenson, who goes to Alabama to defend the disenfranchised and wrongly condemned — including Walter McMillian, a man sentenced to death despite evidence proving his innocence. Bryan fights tirelessly for Walter with the system stacked against them.
Free Solo (2018)
Follow Alex Honnold as he attempts to become the first person to ever free solo climb Yosemite’s 3,000 foot high El Capitan wall. With no ropes or safety gear, this would arguably be the greatest feat in rock climbing history.
Belfast (2021)
Buddy is a young boy on the cusp of adolescence, whose life is filled with familial love, childhood hijinks, and a blossoming romance. Yet, with his beloved hometown caught up in increasing turmoil, his family faces a momentous choice: hope the conflict will pass or leave everything they know behind for a new life.
Catch Me if you Can (2002)
A true story about Frank Abagnale Jr. who, before his 19th birthday, successfully conned millions of dollars' worth of checks as a Pan Am pilot, doctor, and legal prosecutor. An FBI agent makes it his mission to put him behind bars. But Frank not only eludes capture, he revels in the pursuit.
Hidden Figures (2018)
The untold story of Katherine G. Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan and Mary Jackson – brilliant African-American women working at NASA and serving as the brains behind one of the greatest operations in history – the launch of astronaut John Glenn into orbit. The visionary trio crossed all gender and race lines to inspire generations to dream big.
Blackfish (2013)
Notorious killer whale Tilikum is responsible for the deaths of three individuals, including a top killer whale trainer. Blackfish shows the sometimes devastating consequences of keeping such intelligent and sentient creatures in captivity.
*Watch for free on Kanopy with your prox card
Man on Wire (2008)
On August 7th 1974, French tightrope walker Philippe Petit stepped out on a high wire, illegally rigged between New York’s World Trade Center twin towers, then the world’s tallest buildings. After nearly an hour of performing on the wire, 1,350 feet above the sidewalks of Manhattan, he was arrested. This fun and spellbinding documentary chronicles Philippe Petit’s “highest” achievement.
*Watch for free on Kanopy with your prox card
Kedi (2016)
A CAT MEOWING AT YOUR FEET, LOOKING UP AT YOU, IS LIFE SMILING AT YOU…
A profile of Istanbul and its unique people, seen through the eyes of the most mysterious and beloved animal humans have ever known, the Cat.
*Watch for free on Kanopy with your prox card
Three Identical Strangers (2018)
New York, 1980. Three complete strangers accidentally discover that they’re identical triplets, separated at birth. The 19-year-olds’ joyous reunion catapults them to international fame, but also unlocks an extraordinary and disturbing secret that goes beyond their own lives – and could transform our understanding of human nature forever.
**Watch for free on Kanopy with a Champaign or Urbana public library card
Music
While narrative nonfiction music may be far less common than narrative nonfiction in other mediums, educational albums and musicals based on true stories provide us with a handful of albums that we think are not only bops that you'll want to listen to, but will also help you pick up a few fun facts here and there.
Here Comes Science by They Might Be Giants
You might think I am crazy for recommending an album from the They Might Be Giants "For Kids" label, but I unironically love this album, and there's even a few songs on here that made it onto their "Best of" albums outside of the kids label, so its safe to say that if you like fun facts and alternative music, then this album is worth the listen. (I am personally obsessed with the Roy G. Biv song).
Assassins by Stephen Sondheim
Assassins is a musical that takes listeners through an eerie carnival in which the carnival game contestants are various historical figures who have attempted to assassinate US Presidents. Learn about both failed and successful assassination attempts and what could bring someone to make such an attempt. Like most biopics, musicals based on true stories often contain a high degree of fictionalization, which you can see in the carnival setting in Assassins, but they can nevertheless be a fun jumping off point to learn about historical figures and various points in history.
SIX by Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss
SIX is a British musical comedy, a modern retelling of the lives (and deaths) of King Henry VIII's six ex-wives. Each of said wives has a chance to tell their story through song, creating an epic, historical, pop concert that doubles as a competition to see which of these women suffered most due to her relationship with the king.
Podcasts
Nonfiction podcasts have grown hugely popular from true crime, various newsfeeds and casual diary style podcasts to science and educational podcasts. The following is just a brief snippet of what's available, hopefully giving you all a taste of the various topics available in the world of narrative nonfiction podcasts.
Serial by Sarah Koenig
Arguably the most famous title on this list, Serial is an investigative journalism podcast, that rose to fame because of Koenig's expert reporting on the 1999 murder of Hae Min Lee, an 18-year-old student in Baltimore. If, like me, you missed the Serial craze when it was first released in 2014, this is your chance to go back and see what makes this widely considered one of the best true crime podcasts of all time.
Sawbones by Justin and Sydnee McElroy
Comedian Justin McElroy joins his wife Dr. Sydnee McElroy in this charmingly funny podcast about the history of medicine and all the weird, gross, and sometimes downright dangerous ways we used to try to solve our medical woes through the ages.
All My Relations by Matika Wilbur and Adrienne Keene
All My Relations is a podcast hosted by Matika Wilbur (Swinomish and Tulalip) and Adrienne Keene (Cherokee Nation) to explore our relationships— relationships to land, to our creatural relatives, and to one another. Each week, these hosts bring on new guests to discuss various topics that affect these relationships like Indigenous feminism, food sovereignty, and the intersections between Indigeneity and queerness.