The Hollywood Reporter ranks 25 documentaries it considers the greatest of all time, arguing that the strongest films are often personal, subjective and shaped by distinctive directorial perspectives.

– The selection spans historical events, artists, musicians, athletes and lesser-known communities.
– It includes films by recurring documentary filmmakers such as Frederick Wiseman, D.A. Pennebaker and the Maysles brothers.
– Three French-made films on the list examine the Second World War.
– Honorable mentions include All the Beauty and the Bloodshed, Burden of Dreams and 4 Little Girls.
– Errol Morris’s The Fog of War is highlighted for Robert McNamara’s reflections on war and foreign-policy failures.