All the Documentaries You Need to See in June 2022

Welcome to Documental, a monthly column keeping fans of nonfiction films and docuseries up to date on all the documentary content coming to theaters and your favorite streaming services. Here’s a guide to all the essential documentary titles to watch in June 2022.

The month of June is traditionally when kids are out of school, whether it’s at the start of the month or the end. Fortunately, for those who love to keep learning and experiencing new things, documentary programming goes on year-round. And this month brings a lot of great classics and new releases to the big and small screens. Broaden your historical knowledge and your empirical empathy as you watch films and series tackling heavy issues and telling important stories. But be sure to leave some room for some comedy storytelling as well.

Here are some of the highlights from the month followed by a calendar marking all the notable documentaries and other nonfiction programs to watch in June 2022:

Pride Month Programming

June is LGBTQ+ Pride Month, and many of the major streaming services are supporting the occasion. Among the classics you’ll find scattered about this month are The Celluloid Closet on Amazon Freevee, Paris is Burning on HBO Max, After Stonewall on Pluto TV, The Salt Mines on The Criterion Channel, and Portrait of Jason on OVID. Also, as part of the Netflix is a Joke Festival, you’ll find the special Stand Out: An LGBTQ+ Celebration, and on Discovery+ there’s a new reality series called Generation Drag. Outside of the streaming services, check out the uncut version of George Michael: Freedom in theaters and the drag queen superstar doc Being BeBe on VOD and Fuse.

The Janes

This documentary received decent buzz when it premiered at the Sundance Film Festival back in January, but it’s, sadly, become a very hot film with an unfortunately very timely subject. The Janes spotlights the titular network offering safe and affordable abortions when they were illegal, before Roe v. Wade. Directed by Tia Lessin (Trouble the Water) and Emma Pildes (producer of Jane Fonda in Five Acts), it’s sure to be an inspiring work in this time of uncertainty regarding a woman’s right to choose in America. If only it was merely a historical showcase. Find it on HBO Max on June 8.

Bernstein’s Wall

Everyone’s talking about Leonard Bernstein lately. Between Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story remake and Bradley Cooper’s upcoming Bernstein biopic, Maestro, there’s good reason to be celebrating the legendary conductor and composer. Before you feast on Cooper’s transformational performance in his own study of Bernstein’s life, though, the doc option is finally releasing after a highly acclaimed festival run that started exactly a year ago. Bernstein’s Wall is directed by Douglas Tirola, who previously had us laughing through history with Drunk Stoned Brilliant Dead. This one is heading to theaters beginning on June 10.

Humphrey Jennings Documentaries

Finally, get a good helping of documentary film history with OVID’s Humphrey Jennings retrospective. Beginning with the 1939 World War II GPO Unit short The First Days, co-directed by Harry Watt and Pat Jackson, the series also includes the Oscar-nominated London Can Take It!, co-directed by Watt, plus The Silent Village, A Diary for Timothy, the hybrid docudrama Fires Were Started, and the Oscar-nominated propaganda film Listen to Britain. Most of these docs are streaming exclusives at OVID, and they drop on the service on June 14.

Documentary Release Calendar for June 2022