Documentaries become especially valuable when the heroes speak to the audience themselves. Indeed, it’s one thing when a group of people share their memories about an iconic person, and something completely different when the celebrity themselves opens up their inner world. We’ve selected 3 documentaries that are truly emotional and deeply intimate.
Pokerography: The Story of Phil Hellmuth
The 2016 movie offers an in-depth look at one of poker’s living legends, Phil “The Poker Brat” Hellmuth. It is a portrait of Hellmuth, charting his transformation into one of the most confident and decorated champions in poker. Hellmuth became famous when he won the 1989 World Series of Poker Main Event, and since then, he’s collected a record 17 WSOP gold bracelets. His achievements, unparalleled career are the reason why many consider Phil Hellmuth as the GOAT of poker.
What makes this documentary especially engaging is Hellmuth’s own candid participation. Instead of mythologizing the “Poker Brat” persona known for tantrums and bravado, the film lets Hellmuth tell his story in his own words.
In the photo – Phil Hellmuth. Image: Here, Under Creative Commons.
Viewers hear directly from Phil, as well as from those who know him best – his family, friends, rivals, and poker analysts – painting a full picture of the man behind the legend. We learn about the insecurities and setbacks he overcame on his road to success, including youthful struggles with confidence and a drive to earn his father’s approval.
Yet we also see the mindset that fueled his rise. The filmmakers balance exciting footage of high-stakes tournaments with reflective interviews, giving the biography a personal, relatable touch. It’s a great watch for both poker fans and newcomers — a story of determination and confidence playing out at the poker table. It’s told with unexpected emotion and honesty, and it might even change how you see the usually bold and outspoken champion.
Senna
This award-winning documentary by Asif Kapadia tells the story of Ayrton Senna, a legendary Brazilian Formula One driver and three-time world champion. The whole film is made from real footage and home videos, with no regular interviews or people talking to the camera.
The result is an immersive, first-person style narrative that makes you feel as if you’re living Senna’s journey alongside him. Kapadia and his team sifted through thousands of hours of tapes to “construct a portrait of Senna entirely out of archival footage”, including raw racecar camera feeds, news broadcasts and intimate family moments. What emerges is “a narrative as neatly constructed as any fictional film, with Senna as the noble hero facing off against adversaries on and off the track”.
In 2018, McLaren Automotive presented its unique McLaren Senna, honoring the legendary Formula 1 driver. There were only 500 units of this car in the world, priced at more than $1,000,000. Image: Here, Under Creative Commons.
The film covers Senna’s spectacular career from his humble karting origins to his dominant years in Formula One, highlighting his fierce rivalry with French driver Alain Prost and his unyielding quest for racing glory. But beyond the trophies (41 Grand Prix wins and 3 World Championships), Senna shines a light on the man’s character and soul. Some scenes are pure emotional gold: Senna barely able to stand from exhaustion after finishing a race with a stuck gearbox, or his horror and heartbreak at witnessing a fellow driver’s fatal crash.
These moments are presented without need for explanation; the emotions on Senna’s face speak volumes.
He Named Me Malala
The next documentary (this time, women-centric) shifts from sports to social activism, delivering inspiration on a very personal level. While the world knows Malala as a global icon for girls’ education, this documentary brings us closer to the teenager behind the icon – studying for exams, teasing her little brothers, and grappling with the immense platform fate has given her. Guggenheim’s camera often simply lets Malala and her father, Ziauddin, talk, capturing the warmth, humor, and steadfast conviction that bonds their family.
“Part of the many pleasures” of this “outstanding documentary” is “the light it casts on her relationship with her father” and the context of what shaped her, and those are the words of The Guardian. It was Malala’s father (a teacher and activist himself) who named her after Malalai of Maiwand – a folk heroine who stood up to oppression – and who raised her to speak her mind. In one memorable line, Ziauddin credits Malala’s strength not to what he did as a parent, but to “what I did not do. I did not clip her wings”. That ethos of empowerment is the soul of the film.
In the movie, we witness Malala’s unwavering belief that one book and one pen can change the world, and it’s impossible not to be moved by her resilience.
It’s Not the Personalities that Matter, but Their Stories
All three of these documentaries have such thematic differences that one might think you need to first understand your interests in the fields they cover in order to choose between them. The reality is quite different, though. The main uniqueness of documentary films is that you don’t have to be interested in the lives of poker pros to watch movies about them. No, you also don’t have to be interested in sports to enjoy some of the iconic films and even series about tennis, F1, and so on. It’s the human stories that matter, and good documentaries masterfully tell those stories. That’s what the list of the aforementioned three titles teaches us.
