As confirmed on its website, Netflix is now making a selection of documentary films and series available on its U.S. YouTube Channel.
The last few years have seen the streaming giant routinely allow teachers to show documentary films and programs in schools.
But with the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, educational institutions across the country have closed for an indefinite period of time. However, that has not stopped some teachers from sending requests to Netflix for access to its documentaries.
Netflix has responded by presenting a generous selection that features some of its most acclaimed and popular documentary offerings including Our Planet, Chasing Coral, and Explained, to name a few.
Additional educational resources
Netflix is not only showing freely accessible documentary content through its YouTube channel, but also offering something extra for curious young minds.
Each documentary feature or series comes with additional educational resources. This should prove useful not only for teachers who want to facilitate more enriched learning, but also for students who want to know more about the documentary film’s or episode’s subject.
On top of that, Netflix is also planning to conduct Q&As with some of the filmmakers behind the docs it is showing, so that interested students can gain more insights directly from the creators themselves.
Which documentaries are being shown?
Netflix is offering a balanced mix of documentary films and series tackling a wide range of subjects. It also bears noting that all documentary content are available in English dub (with Netflix adding subtitles in over a dozen languages in the days to come).
Documentary films:
- 13th. Ava DuVernay’s documentary tackles the history of racial inequality in America, while diving into how prisons in the country today are more likely to be filled with African-American inmates than any other racial group. Educational resources here.
- Chasing Coral. Bleaching events are ravaging coral reefs around the world, and the crew behind this award-winning documentary are willing to do everything to get indisputable evidence that the phenomenon is indeed happening. Educational resources here.
- Knock Down the House. Four seemingly ordinary women do something extraordinary as they start a movement to elect insurgent candidates who will challenge those currently sitting in the U.S. Congress. Educational resources here.
- Period. End of Sentence. This 25-minute documentary pays tribute to the brave women of a village outside Delhi, India who fight against the stigma of menstruation to manufacture their own sanitary pads. Educational resources here.
- The White Helmets. Oscar-nominee director Orlando von Einsiedel teams up with Netflix to deliver a short documentary film about a trio of volunteer rescuers working to save civilians amid the conflict in Aleppo, Syria and Turkey. Educational resources here.
- Zion. This short documentary film from Floyd Russ explores the life of Zion Clark, a wrestler born with no legs. Educational resources here.
Documentary series:
- Abstract (Complete Season 1). Dive into the minds of the greatest visionary designers across the globe, and learn about how their work has inspired and molded contemporary culture. Educational resources here.
- Babies (Select Episodes). This series celebrates the miracle of babyhood, especially the first full year of newborns. It also offers eye-opening insights from scientists and parents alike. Educational resources here.
- Explained (Select Episodes). This series tackles a wide range of topics revolving around current events and cultural trends, with interviews from foremost experts from around the world. Netflix will include educational resources soon.
- Our Planet (8 Parts). From the producers behind the critically acclaimed Planet Earth, this series makes full use of breathtaking cinematography, cutting-edge technology, and the voice of Sir David Attenborough in taking audiences to some of the most beautiful sights and ecosystems in the world. Educational resources here.
With more families staying home due to the COVID-19 pandemic, streaming platforms like Netflix have seen increased usage in recent weeks. To help parents make sure their children are watching age-appropriate content, the streaming giant recently made an effort to promote parental control and profile security.
As for YouTube, it has joined Netflix in reducing the resolution of its videos in order to prevent internet bandwidth overload.
Image courtesy of Netflix, freestocks/Unsplash
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