Society37 Videos

Murder is always an uncomfortable subject, but crimes driven by hate are even more troubling. Stephen Lawrence, an 18-year-old black British man, was killed by a gang of white teenagers in a racially-motivated unprovoked attack in London, England in 1993. Incompetence, corruption and institutional racism in the police force allowed the youth’s murderers to walk […]

Last Days of Solitary is a harrowing account of the long-lasting effects of solitary confinement on some of the most dangerous inmates in prison and why it is a struggle for them to re-assimilate into society successfully. It gives the most extensive look into the controversial practice by showing the lives of various inmates and […]

Most entertainers strive to be the centre of attention, but for rapper J. Cole’s documentary effort, he decided to focus on an issue he cares about very deeply: the experience of impoverished black Americans in southern cities like Baton Rouge and Atlanta. This deeply personal project covers the increasingly difficult conditions in the American South, […]

One Killer Punch looks at the phenomenon of the one-punch kill, where a single punch results in the death of the victim. Covering three separate cases, the film looks at the often-innocuous circumstances that have led to people being killed by a single hit and the dreadful impact it has had on their loved ones. […]

HyperNormalisation by Adam Curtis argues that in these times of perplexing world events and uncertainty, politicians and people have retreated into an over-simplistic version of reality. Over the past 40 years, those in positions of power, in particular politicians, technological utopians, financiers and various social agents have given up on facing the complexities of the […]

The Jihadis Next Door follows and challenges the behaviour of Islamic extremists preaching their message in Britain. One of the most memorable individuals is Abu Rumaysah, a former bouncy-castle salesman whose journey into the heart of Isis leads him to become one of the world’s most wanted men. Over the course of two years filmmaker […]

The Fear of 13 documents the life of a convicted murderer who spent 21 years on death row in Pennsylvania. Through his own narration, Nick Yarris explains how he tried to convince the court to go ahead and execute him. However, it turned out that he was actually innocent, with DNA evidence proving that in […]

According to a 2014 survey, seven in ten Britons believed themselves to be free of racial prejudice. Considering the elevated number of racially-motivated attacks in recent years, journalist Mona Chalabi investigates whether this self-analysis is accurate or not. Is Britain Racist explores whether people display preferential tendencies toward specific races and exhibit subtle negative prejudices […]

Jihad: A Story of the Others looks at the reasons behind the increasing number of individuals deciding to abandon their lives in pursuit of jihad. Deeyah Khan, director of the film, has had personal experience with threats from extremists in the past and chooses to speak out, investigating how jihadists are able to convert more […]

Requiem for the American Dream is the result of four years’ worth of interviews with political activist and linguist Noam Chomsky. Considered by many to be one of the most important intellectuals alive, he discusses how wealth and power in America have slowly been accumulating in the hands of a few elites. Chomsky provides suggestions […]

Deep Web investigates the events surrounding Silk Road, the online marketplace for selling illegal drugs on the dark web that was eventually shutdown by the FBI. At its peak it had over 900,000 registered users and generated over $1.2bn in sales. This documentary covers the trial of Silk Road owner Ross Ulbricht, who operated the […]

Twin Sisters: A World Apart tells the story of twin sisters from China who were adopted by different families. One set of parents lived in California, while the other hailed from a remote fishing village in Norway. Mia becomes an American girl and experiences a childhood that includes typical activities such as girl scouts and […]