Movies Similar to Heartbeat of a Nation

Khon Boys(2023)

A documentary recording the lives of Khon students in their last years of study. They spent six years under the rules of the military regime after the 2014 coup d’etat. The coup granted the regime power to change many things, especially education which became more focused on the monarchy and royal glorification instead of basic human values. While the world is becoming awakened to human rights, the military regime deems them against their own values. The shooting of the film began at the time of the king’s succession, shortly after which there was a great social awakening in Thailand. Meanwhile, the authorities used state violence and oppression in an effort to eliminate dissidents, even when they were just high school and university students.

Bobi Wine: The People's President(2023)

Uganda has one the youngest populations in the world and one of its most flagrantly anti-democratic governments. These are ingredients for revolution, and Bobi Wine and his wife Barbie Kyagulanyi are stirring the pot. When the charismatic Bobi, a musician and member of parliament, announces his campaign for president, Uganda’s youth are ecstatic, filling parks and streets for every speech, and singing Bobi’s anthems of peace and freedom. But then comes the crackdown, orchestrated by Yoweri Museveni, a brutal dictator who has ruled Uganda for 36 years. Bobi and his crew survive arrests, beatings, torture, riots and raids.

Evanescence: Embracing the Bitter Truth(2021)

Multi-platinum rockers Evanescence chart their journey through the conception and creation of their new album, The Bitter Truth, amidst the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic.

The Rise of K-Pop(2020)

BTS, BLACKPINK, iKon, EXO, VIXX, G-idle, NCT. The Korean wave has arrived. K-pop has officially taken over the world. Now some of the biggest artists in the world are the result of a booming idol culture that has brought incredible songs, unmatched choreography and high concept production to a music revolution.

Your War (I'm One of You): 20 Years of Joan of Arc(2017)

Your War (I'm One Of You) chronicles the life and career of Chicago's Tim Kinsella, frontman of ever-shifting band Joan of Arc and '90's pioneers Cap'n Jazz. With appearances from Tim's friends, family, and admirers, we learn what has made his legacy so unique and enduring for more than 20 years.

Party auf dem Todesstreifen - Soundtrack der Wende(2014)

The Road Forward(2017)

The Road Forward is an electrifying musical documentary that connects a pivotal moment in Canada’s civil rights history—the beginnings of Indian Nationalism in the 1930s—with the powerful momentum of First Nations activism today. Interviews and musical sequences describe how a tiny movement, the Native Brotherhood and Sisterhood, grew to become a successful voice for change across the country. Visually stunning, The Road Forward seamlessly connects past and present through superbly produced story-songs with soaring vocals, blues, rock, and traditional beats.

Through the Repellent Fence: A Land Art Film(2017)

The film follows Postcommodity, an interdisciplinary arts collective comprised of Raven Chacon, Cristóbal Martinez and Kade L. Twist, who put land art in a tribal context. The group bring together a community to construct the Repellent Fence, a two-mile long ephemeral monument “stitching” together the US and Mexico.

The Story of the Weeping Camel(2003)

When a Mongolian nomadic family's newest camel colt is rejected by its mother, a musician is needed for a ritual to change her mind.

Pig Tusks and Paper Money(1999)

In Papua New Guinea, pig tusks and shell money are currencies which can buy most things. Henry Tokubak’s dream is to create the first bank where traditional money counts as legal tender.

State Funeral(2019)

The enigma of the personality cult is revealed in the grand spectacle of Stalin’s funeral. The film is based on unique archive footage, shot in the USSR on March 5 - 9, 1953, when the country mourned and buried Joseph Stalin.

BINI Chapter 2: Here With You(2024)

After the road to success shown in the first chapter, "BINI Chapter 2: Here With You" explores BINI's regional tour and their encounters with Blooms across the Philippines.

[Stray Kids: Festival Docuseries](2024)

Two-part docuseries capturing the group's iconic 2024 performances at I-Days Milano, BST Hyde Park, and Lollapalooza Chicago, highlighting their preparation, energy, and global impact.

Pour Que Ses Jours Fleurissent(1983)

Six o'clock in the morning, the sun rises behind the Djurdjura mountain. With precise gestures, learned since childhood, Ouardia raises the water, crouches down to splash his face with cool water. Soon her baby will be born. Hadjila, the traditional midwife, prepares herself internally to help the mother complete the transition from separation. This film talks about the knowledge surrounding birth that Kabyle women have passed down for centuries; knowledge that European women seek to rediscover in order to reclaim this founding passage of our lives.

Now and Then - The Last Beatles Song(2023)

The story of The Beatles' last song featuring exclusive footage and commentary.

Living Bach(2023)

There are more than 300 Bach choirs and Bach ensembles worldwide, most of which are made up of amateurs. For many, their lives are inextricably linked with the music of Johann Sebastian Bach. What do people seek and find in his music? What connects them across continents? What fascination lies in the music of the famous German composer, which manages to transcend borders, cultures, religions and centuries? The film embarks on a journey through six continents to meet amateur musicians and singers who have made Bach their "centerpiece".

Young At Heart(2008)

Documents the true story of the final weeks of rehearsal for the Young at Heart Chorus in Northampton, MA, and many of whom must overcome health adversities to participate. Their music goes against the stereotype of their age group. Although they have toured Europe and sang for royalty, this account focuses on preparing new songs for a concert in their hometown.

Biggie: The Life of Notorious B.I.G.(2017)

The first authorized biography of Christopher Wallace, allowing Christopher to narrate his own life story. Using archival footage and previously unknown audio to tell the story along with interviews with those that knew him the best.

IJswee(2021)

IJswee is a documentary film about an ice club, a village and the warm winters. In the film we follow Oringers, the inhabitants of Odoorn, through the winter. The Oringers all experience IJswee in their own way. You will also see the Icecounter (Rafael van der Ziel), who builds ice sculptures and drinks frozen milk. You see the Drenthe countryside changing with the weather. You see animations, archive material and you hear the mysterious sounds of IJswee in the music of Wietse de Haan. And there are two trumpet players, who welcome winter with their music and say goodbye to it.

Dixie Chicks: An Evening with the Dixie Chicks(2002)

An Evening with the Dixie Chicks is a 2002 live music documentary featuring the Dixie Chicks and directed by Joel Gallen. It was filmed over two nights at Hollywood’s Kodak Theatre and features songs from the band's albums Home, Fly and Wide Open Spaces.