The BFI have just surveyed a bunch of "critics, programmers and filmmakers" to find out their favourite documentaries. The results are presented rather oddly on the BFI website, but the critics' Top 50 is here, the directors' Top 30 is here and there's some kind of representation of the whole vote here.
As a snapshot, the critics' Top 10 is:
1. Man With A Movie Camera (Dziga Vertov, USSR, 1929)
2. Shoah (Claude Lanzmann, France, 1985)
3. Sans Soleil (Chris Marker, France, 1982)
4. Night & Fog (Alain Resnais, France, 1955)
5. The Thin Blue Line (Errol Morris, USA, 1989)
6. Chronicle Of A Summer (Jean Rouch & Edgar Morin, France, 1961)
7. Nanook Of The North (Robert Flaherty, USA, 1922)
8. The Gleaners & I (Agnes Varda, France, 2000)
9.= Don't Look Back (DA Pennebaker, USA, 1967)
9.= Grey Gardens (Albert & David Maysles, Ellen Hovde & Muffie Meyer, USA, 1975)
As a snapshot, the critics' Top 10 is:
1. Man With A Movie Camera (Dziga Vertov, USSR, 1929)
2. Shoah (Claude Lanzmann, France, 1985)
3. Sans Soleil (Chris Marker, France, 1982)
4. Night & Fog (Alain Resnais, France, 1955)
5. The Thin Blue Line (Errol Morris, USA, 1989)
6. Chronicle Of A Summer (Jean Rouch & Edgar Morin, France, 1961)
7. Nanook Of The North (Robert Flaherty, USA, 1922)
8. The Gleaners & I (Agnes Varda, France, 2000)
9.= Don't Look Back (DA Pennebaker, USA, 1967)
9.= Grey Gardens (Albert & David Maysles, Ellen Hovde & Muffie Meyer, USA, 1975)