For me some of the best films of 2004 were documentaries:

1. Touching the Void: it would be a disgrace if this didn't win the Oscar

2. Bus 174: incredible TV footage brilliantly edited and a very sympathetic depiction of a terrorist

3. The Corporation: Stick it to The Man

4. Farenheit 9/11: Propaganda and manipulative, but entertaining

5. Super Size Me: Disgusting and hilarious

I'd add "Riding Giants" and "Control Room" (both which have threads here in documentaries), and also "The Story of the Weeping Camel", a Mongolian film nominated for Best Documentary, but it's really more of a dramatic film. It's beautiful and moving.

EDIT- Unfortunately, "Touching the Void" can't win the Oscar because it wasn't nominated.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: mark f,

As touching as "The weeping camel" is, I don't think it can be considered a documentary.

It is a structured story, manipulated into a documentary style.

Still a highly relevant film, but to call it a doco, would be confusing the issue.