Love – it’s a universal emotion that brings us together, yet can also drive us apart in equal measure. It’s the ultimate roller coaster ride of emotions and no two people’s experience is ever quite the same. Documentaries about love are often as diverse as our real-life experiences, exploring its many facets with empathy and insight. With so much to see, it can be hard to know where to start. To help you out, we’ve compiled a list of the best documentaries about love that will make you laugh, cry and ultimately leave you inspired. From tales of long-distance relationships to those of first-time romances, these movies will provide an in-depth look into love from a variety of angles.
1. Love (Human Psychology)
Love has an immense power – it can bring joy and sorrow, elation and despair. This documentary takes the viewer through a journey of remarkable stories that exemplify these age-old themes: first love, love at first sight, and true versus false love. Through creative filmmaking techniques and captivating imagery each story is slowly revealed to the audience, until they discover its true ending.
2. Looking for love
The Faroe Islands have become a haven for Filipino women looking for a better life. For many of these immigrants, the tiny archipelago is full of promise and opportunity. The islands are home to approximately 50 thousand people, but it’s a community that has been facing a serious gender imbalance due to their men staying behind while the women go abroad to study.
3. Love, Life & Death In A Day
This is a story of one single day – 24 hours in an English city, and the lives being touched by Births, Deaths and Marriages. Sue Bourne and her team were determined to demonstrate what happens behind closed doors every day; moments of joy or sorrow as life’s cycle goes on.
4. Lin and Ralph: A Love Story
A powerful testament to the human capacity for unconditional love, this documentary is the story of Lin and Ralph. They are a couple that has defied all odds and forged a life of commitment to each other in spite of their physical ailments. Despite being blind and having cerebral palsy, 54-year-old Lin has been able to receive full time care from her 70-year-old husband Ralph, who is suffering from Parkinson’s disease. Over the course of 17 years, their remarkable story was captured by friend and award winning filmmaker Marilyn Gaunt. This heartwarming documentary chronicles the couple’s triumph over adversity and celebrates their unwavering bond that has withstood many trials and tribulations along the way.
5. Napoleon & Josephine: France’s Tragic Love Story
Joséphine, the one-and-only Empress of France, has an incredible love story that made her a renowned figure in her time. From escaping the guillotine during the French Revolution to marrying Napoleon Bonaparte and becoming one of Paris’s most prominent women, her journey was remarkable. Becoming part of Napoleon’s meteoric rise to Imperial throne, Joséphine was a woman of strength and conviction who won the heart of her great love. Her story remains one of France’s most beloved tales, demonstrating how true love and passion can overcome any obstacle. This is best captured in the many documentaries that have been made about Joséphine’s epic journey from revolutionary to Empress.
6. Jewish And Looking For Love
Three 20-somethings from Jewish backgrounds have set out on a mission to find true love. Jason and Richard, 23 and 27 respectively, have searched the far corners of the web using JDate with no avail. They don’t want to miss any opportunity so they put themselves through excruciating speed dating sessions in Camden; hoping something will turn up. But just when the situation seems hopeless, Jason decides to try his luck at a Jewish Camp America in Malibu and Richard unexpectedly finds himself falling for Laura, a gentile girl who his parents may not approve of. With hearts full of hope and love, these three young individuals will discover if their efforts have paid off. Will they be able to find true love?
7. Babies | Love
Love is an emotion that has been the source of many unspoken stories, but now can be explored in greater detail through documentary filmmaking. This docuseries reveals how infants learn and develop during their first year of life by exploring nature versus nurture. It delves into the groundbreaking scientific discoveries that are helping us better understand parenting styles, social-emotional development.
8. The Love Story of Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton
The 1960’s was a time of passionate love stories, and none was more legendary than the one between Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton. This couple graced screens across the world with some of the most iconic films of their era, but they also left an impression on hearts around the globe. Their marriage and subsequent divorces – twice! – were some of the most talked about events of the decade. Now, their story is immortalized for all time in a stunning documentary that will capture viewers’ imaginations and pull at their heartstrings. From their initial meeting to their explosive relationship, this is a story of love, passion, and ultimately second chances. It’s an experience you won’t forget!
9. Prince William and Kate: A Love Story
Kate Middleton’s love story is one that dreams are made of. From student to royal girlfriend and then to modern day princess, the journey has been remarkable. A decade ago she was just a regular girl with an ordinary background, but now her life looks nothing like it used to be – she found her prince charming and is soon to become Queen of England.
