'Obsessed with Light' explores the history and legacy of the trail-blazing the American performer Loïe Fuller who took Europe by storm in the 1890s with her Serpentine Dance. Filmmakers Sabine Krayenbühl and Zeva Oelbaum evoke Fuller’s work through archival footage and interviews with contemporary artists she influenced.

'Space Cowboy' profiles the sky diving cinematographer Joe Jennings as he attempts to pull off the most difficult stunt of his career. It's among over 200 films playing this week at the DOC NYC festival in Manhattan theaters and online.

'Maya and the Wave' profiles Brazilian surfer Maya Gabeira as she strives to set a world record on the monster waves in the Portugese town of Nazaré. Filmmaker Stephanie Johnes follows Gabeira for ten years as she battles sexism along with the forces of nature.

'Look Into My Eyes' takes a non-judgemental approach to watching New York psychics at work. Filmmaker Lana Wilson ('Miss Americana') captures a vibe of city dwellers in isolation looking for connections.

'Happy Campers' profiles the residents of a trailer park on the waterfront of Virginia in its final year, before the property is sold to developers. Filmmaker Amy Nicholson crafts a loving portrait from inside the community.

'Mountain Queen: The Summits of Lhakpa Sherpa' profiles an immigrant from Nepal who works at a Connecticut Whole Foods, but has another life as a record-breaking climber. Oscar-nominated director Lucy Walker follows the climber as she tries to make a better life for her daughters by climbing Mount Everest for the tenth time.

'Skywalkers: A Love Story' tells the story of a couple, Angela Nikolau and Vanya Beerkus, who share a passion for illegally climbing to the tops of skyscrapers. The film follows them as they attempt their most daring stunt by climbing the world's second tallest building.

'Sorry / Not Sorry' examines the case of Louis C.K.'s sexual misconduct - from years of rumors to the New York Times' exposure to his subsequent comeback as a Grammy-winning comedian. Filmmakers Caroline Suh and Cara Mones capture multiple perspectives including that of his accusers whose careers suffered for speaking truths.

'The Grab' follows reporter Nathan Halverson as he investigates how wealthy countries seek to control land outside their borders for access to food and water. The film plays like a journalistic thriller when Halverson is leaked over 10,000 emails from a business central to this story.

'Copa 71' tells the story of an international women's soccer tournament in 1971 that took place in Mexico and was erased from history. Filmmakers James Erskine and Rachel Ramsay interview players from six countries who took part, but never told their stories.

The ESPN series 'The Luckiest Guy in the World' profiles basketball great Bill Walton who passed away last month. Filmmaker Steve James ('Hoop Dreams') examines the hurdles that Walton had to overcome - including injuries and a speech impediment - on his way to winning championships and acclaim as a TV commentator.

Filmmaker Chris Wilcha tells a personal story of reckoning with youthful dreams in middle age as he tries to save an old record store in 'Flipside.' The film weaves together the perspectives of many others including Ira Glass, Judd Apatow and Starlee Kine.

'Soundtrack to a Coup D'Etat' is an eclectic film essay exploring the U.S. influence in Congo in the 1960s that ranged from jazz concerts to political subversion. Filmmaker Johan Grimonprez creates a heady swirl of history that beckons us to look and listen more closely.

'Queen of the Deuce' profiles Chelly Wilson, a Greek Jewish immigrant grandmother who ran multiple adult film theaters around New York City's 42nd Street. Filmmaker Valerie Kontakos evokes the 1970s era when adult film was on an upswing with Wilson at the center.

'A Time to Stir' is a 10-part oral history film focusing on the Columbia University student strike of 1968. Filmmaker Paul Cronin interviewed hundreds of participants to bring multiple fresh perspectives that still resonate today. Hear the director interviewed on Pure Nonfiction.

'The Contestant' explores the early days of reality TV in Japan when a man named Nasubi spent over a year naked in isolation living off prizes from magazine sweepstakes while 30 million viewers tuned in to watch. Filmmaker Clair Titley interviews all the main players in the story and explores what happened to Nasubi after he became famous.

'Uncropped' profiles the the photographer James Hamilton who has an eclectic career spanning street scenes, celebrity portraits, war coverage and more. Filmmaker D.W. Young crafts the documentary as a love letter to a bygone era of New York journalism.

'Photographic Justice: The Corky Lee Story' profiles the New York photographer who dedicated himself to covering the Asian American community for five decades. Filmmaker Jennifer Takaki chronicles the emergence of Asian American activism through the lens of Lee.

Filmmakers Ashley Sabin and David Redmon explore the mystery of what happened to the famous collection of VHS tapes and DVDs from New York's beloved rental store Kim's Video that closed in 2008. The documentary is made with the same outlaw spirit as the original store known for its bootleg editions.

'In Restless Dreams: The Music of Paul Simon' explores six decades of the musician's career while following him in the studio for the making of his recent album, 'Seven Psalms.' Filmmaker Alex Gibney delivers a wealth of insight into a monumental career.

'Carol Doda Topless at the Condor' profiles the San Francisco dancer who broke taboos with nude performances starting in 1964. In this documentary from filmmakers Marlo McKenzie and Jonathan Parker, feminist scholars unpack questions of empowerment and exploitation.

'Frida' profiles the Mexican painter Frida Kahlo by drawing upon her own words from diaries, letters and interviews. Filmmaker Carla Gutierrez taps into a rich archive of visuals and collaborates with Mexican animators to bring movement to Kahlo's autobiographical paintings.

'A Revolution on Canvas' explores the complicated history of Iranian artists Nicky Nodjoumi and Nahid Hagigat who are exiled in the United States. Their daughter Sara Nodjoumi and her co-director Till Schauder revisit hard choices made over art, revolution and family.

'No Other Land' is directed by a collective of two Palestinians and two Israelis to document a village in the occupied West Bank. Documentary of the Week host Thom Powers spoke to two of the directors, Basel Adra and Yuval Abraham.

The HBO series 'God Save Texas' presents three films bringing fresh perspectives on the state, inspired by the book by Pulitzer Prize winner Lawrence Wright. In the episode 'La Frontera,' filmmaker Iliana Sosa reflects on her hometown of El Paso.

'Breaking the News' follows the start-up of The 19th*, a non-profit journalism outlet focused on people marginalized by gender and race. The film, streaming from PBS' Independent Lens, captures the organization's successes and internal struggles.

In 'Island in Between,' filmmaker S. Leo Chiang reflects on geopolitical tensions between Taiwan and China. He takes a personal journey to the Kinmen islands that are on the front lines of conflict between the two countries.

'Bobi Wine: The People's President' follows a Ugandan pop star who enters politics to oppose the authoritarian regime that's held power for over three decades. The Oscar-nominated film covers several tumultuous years as Bobi Wine and his wife Barbie stand up to violence and intimidation.

'The ABCs of Book Banning' gives a platform to grade school students and others to reflect on what it means when titles are pulled off their library shelves. Filmmaker Sheila Nevins, a longtime executive at HBO and MTV, makes her directorial debut with this film that's nominated for an Oscar in the category of Short Documentary.

'20 Days in Mariupol' follows Associated Press cameraman Mstyslav Chernov in the Ukrainian city that was on the front lines of Russia's invasion. When most of the press corps pulled out of the city, Chernov stayed behind to capture footage. He won the Pulitzer Prize for his coverage.

The short documentary 'Deciding Vote' looks back to 1970 when legalizing abortion in New York State hinged upon one assemblyman, George Michaels. Filmmakers Jeremy Workman and Rob Lyons explore what it took for Michaels to cast a vote that he'd knew would end his political career.

'The Disappearance of Shere Hite' explores the rise and fall of the sex researcher who emerged in the 1970s with best-selling books then faded into obscurity. Filmmaker Nicole Newnham draws upon a vast archive of footage and enlists Dakota Johnson to read from Hite's writing.

'Liv Ullmann: A Road Less Travelled' profiles the actress-director-writer who will appear in person for the film's U.S. premiere at the DOC NYC festival on November 12. The film explores her journey as a storyteller and an activist for refugees.

'Another Body' explores the rising cases of non-consensual deepfake technology used in pornography, whereby an unsuspecting woman's face is digitally edited into explicit content. The film follows a college student who investigates her own victimization when she can't find justice from police.

In 'Black Box Diaries,' Japanese journalist Shiori Ito goes public accusing a high profile figure of rape and starting a national conversation. She faces pushback from police and resorts to secretly taping their conversations to break the silence.

Filmmaker Errol Morris profiles the renowned spy novelist David Cornwell - better known as John le Carré - in the documentary 'The Pigeon Tunnel,' based on the author's memoir. Cornwell describes this interview as 'definitive.' It would the final one he gave before his death in 2020 at age 89.

'Silver Dollar Road,' based on reporting by ProPublica and The New Yorker, explores the story of the Reels family who fought developers to retain their inherited property in North Carolina. Director Raoul Peck ('I Am Not Your Negro') highlights the strength of the Reels' resistance to intimidation and legal pressure.

'Reality Winner' profiles the whistle-blower who leaked a secret NSA report about Russian attempts to interfere with the U.S. election. Filmmaker Sonia Kennebeck interviews Edward Snowden and other whistleblowers to explore the legal, political and psychological dimensions of the case.

'Joan Baez: I Am a Noise' profiles the folk singer whose career was intertwined with the civil rights and non-violence movements. The film follows her on tour at age 79 as she looks back on the relationships and politics that shaped her.

"Every Body" explores the history, science and politics of people who were born with reproductive anatomy that doesn't easily fit the categories of male or female. Filmmaker Julie Cohen profiles three people who went public with their stories.

"26.2 to Life" follows inmates at California's San Quentin prison as they train and compete for a marathon. Filmmaker Christine Yoo explores how each prisoner strives for their personal best, seeking different forms of redemption.

"The League" is a vibrant history of baseball's Negro leagues that rose up in the Jim Crow era and pushed the game in new directions. Filmmaker Sam Pollard ("MLK/FBI") covers legendary players such as Satchel Paige as well as behind the scenes figures such as Newark's club co-owner Effa Manley.

"Youth v Gov" follows young people suing the United State government to address the climate crisis. The film shows the depth of a larger activist movement that won a victory this past week in Montana's courts.

"Stephen Curry: Underrated" tells the origin story of the NBA All-Star from his college days at Davidson College when he grabbed the attention of fans with a series of March Madness upsets. Filmmaker Peter Nicks weaves that history together with Curry's storybook run at the NBA finals in 2022.

Sundance Film Festival prize winner "Kokomo City" is sexy, sassy and surprising in its portrait of four transgender sex workers. Hip-hop producer turned filmmaker D. Smith brings tremendous vitality to celebrating these lives in language that's mostly too raw for public radio.

'Union' follows the grassroots effort to organize workers at an Amazon warehouse on Staten Island. Filmmakers Stephen Maing and Brett Story observe leader Chris Smalls and others through a contentious battle of labor activism.

"While We Watched" profiles India's TV news anchor Ravish Kumar as he faces death threats and other pressures while trying to practice journalism in an age of rising extremism. The film, directed by Vinay Shukla, has won multiple festival awards. 

"Casa Susanna" reflects on a haven for transgender expression in the Catskills that was kept secret for decades. French filmmaker Sébastien Lifshitz profiles four people whose lives were profoundly intertwined with this history.

"The Stroll" explores the history of transgender sex workers who worked the streets of New York's Meatpacking District before the neighborhood's gentrification. Directors Kristen Lovell and Zackary Drucker document the intense pressures, but also the activism, sisterhood and self-empowerment in the community.

"Victim/Suspect" follows reporter Rae de Leon as she investigates a pattern of cases where women reported sexual assault only to be accused by police of lying. Filmmaker Nancy Schwartzman explores the underlying biases behind this trend.