22 documentaries about inspiring figures that you can watch right now

Watch now: Hulu, iTunes, FandangoNow, Redbox

The power and beauty of Aretha Franklin's singing voice is on full display here. This concert documentary was done at the New Temple Missionary Baptist Church in 1972 and directed by the late Sydney Pollack.

The raw footage has been in a vault for decades and finally finished by producer Alan Elliott in 2007. Thankfully this is out in the world now, as it showcases Franklin at her glorious prime.

Watch now: iTunes, FandangoNow, Redbox, Amazon (not Prime)

This powerful documentary by Asif Kapadia ("Senna") showcases the meteoric rise of Amy Winehouse and her troubling struggle with substance abuse.

Thanks to home video footage and songs that the public has never seen or heard, Kapadia delivers an intimate portrait of the real Winehouse, not the one we saw on TV.

Watch now: HBO Max, iTunes, FandangoNow

From the director of "The Last Dance," Jason Hehir, we are given a fantastic look at the life and career of Andre the Giant.

We follow the professional wrestler as he becomes the first global star in the sport. But we also get a glimpse of the good and bad of literally being a larger than life figure. However, despite it all, he was an inspiration for many.

Watch now: iTunes, FandangoNow, Amazon (not Prime)

This fascinating documentary on Hollywood icon Hedy Lamarr features never-before-heard audio recordings of Lamarr looking back on her incredible life.

Along with being one of the biggest sex symbols in the early days of Hollywood, she was also married six times and was also an inventor. She devised a communication system that helped defeat the Nazis in World War II.

Watch now: iTunes, FandangoNow, Redbox, IMDbTV

After years of making movies about how the US monitors its citizens, director Laura Poitras received an encrypted email from someone named "Citizenfour" who offered information on how the NSA and other agencies illegally wiretap.

It all leads to this powerful documentary of Poitras meeting the person behind the "Citizenfour" name: Edward Snowden.

Watch now: Redbox, Amazon (not Prime)

This inspiring doc from Zachary Heinzerling looks at the relationship between artists Noriko and Ushio Shinohara. Over 40 years they have juggled their passions as artists with their relationship, raising their son, and their own egos.

In this documentary, we look at their impressive careers and challenges in life that all culminates in their first-ever joint art opening.

Watch now: Netflix, FangandoNow

From directors Noah Baumbach and Jake Paltrow, we are given a rare glimpse into the complex mind of director Brian De Palma.

The visionary director who gave us "Scarface," "The Untouchables," and "Blow Out" looks back on a career few can match.

Watch now: iTunes, FandangoNow, Amazon (not Prime)

This great documentary looks at the complex life of the hugely talented musician Daniel Johnston, whose bipolar disorder led to his drive to become one of the greatest folk singers before it all took a drastic turn off the rails.

But the music that came out of him during his drive to become famous has inspired many.

Watch now: HBO Max

Like Asif Kapadia did in "Amy," the director uses a rich collection of archival footage to tell the life of one of soccer's most talented and controversial figures: Maradona.

We watch his rags-to-riches rise to becoming a god-like figure in the sport. The temptations he faced are also on display, and it delivers a cautionary tale for those who are inspired by him.

Watch now: Disney Plus, iTunes, FandangoNow, Redbox

This Oscar-winning documentary follows the quest by rock climber Alex Honnold to free solo climb — that is, without ropes or any assistance — El Capitan.

Honnold juggles doing the death-defying climbing with building a relationship with his girlfriend. Directors Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin give us exhilarating visuals of his climbs.

Watch now: Netflix

Audiences get a glimpse inside the life and career of Lady Gaga, who has taken her individuality to catapult herself into superstardom.

We watch her as she prepares for her "Joanne" album and her halftime performance during Super Bowl LI.

Watch now: Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime, iTunes, FandangoNow, Redbox,

Based on James Baldwin's unpublished manuscript, "Remember This House," this doc narrated by Samuel L. Jackson looks at our country through the lens of Baldwin's writing and his memories of civil rights leaders like Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X.

This one is as powerful as it is inspirational.

Watch now: iTunes, FandangoNow

Filmmaker Brett Morgen examines the life of anthropologist Jane Goodall as we follow her career in the male-dominated science field.

Watch now: Amazon Prime

This epic look at the Grateful Dead from director Amir Bar-Lev is a must-watch for the most dedicated Dead fanatic and newbies who are just curious about the band that has a huge cult following.

The doc chronicles the band's creation as well as its inspiring longevity for decades.

Watch now: iTunes, FandangoNow, Redbox

James Marsh's Oscar-winning documentary chronicles the incredible feat by Philippe Petit in 1974 when he snuck to the top of the Twin Towers in New York City and did a high-wire walk across them. The move brought wonder and amazement to New Yorkers for a single day.

The movie doesn't just suck you in because of its heist film quality, but also the engaging personality of Petit telling his tale.

Watch Now: Amazon Prime, iTunes

Rapper Nas is front-and-center in this look inside his life and the moments in his youth that shaped him to make his now legendary 1994 debut album, "Illmatic," which has inspired countless artists since.

Watch now: iTunes, FandangoNow, Redbox

David Gelb profiles 85-year-old sushi master Jiro Ono. We look at his incredible rise and his relationship with his son, Yoshikazu, who is to be his successor.

Watch now: Hulu, iTunes

In this Oscar-nominated doc, we are treated with the full life story of US Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and how she went from the second-ever female Justice to decades later becoming a pop icon.

Watch now: HBO Max, Hulu, iTunes, Amazon (not Prime)

This hugely entertaining documentary takes on the incredible career of Robin Williams from stand-up king, to huge TV star with "Mork and Mindy," to Oscar-winning actor with "Good Will Hunting."

But the doc also delves into the sad side of his genius, which led to his death by suicide in 2014.

Watch now: Netflix

Liz Garbus' Oscar-nominated doc looks at the life of singer Nina Simone, who was an outspoken civil rights activist in the 1960s. The movie highlights her incredible life with unreleased footage.

Watch now: iTunes, FandangoNow, Redbox, Amazon (not Prime)

Some movies you just can't believe are true, and this is one of them.

Director Crystal Moselle looks at the lives of the seven children in the Angulo family who have been confined to their Lower East Side apartment for the first 14 years of their lives because their father feared them going out into the world.

Homeschooled, they only know of the outside world from the movies they reenact at home. This story follows the brothers as they finally leave the nest.

Watch now: Peacock, iTunes, FandangoNow, Redbox

Director Morgan Neville takes a deep dive into "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood" to profile the life and legacy of Fred Rogers, who inspired so many for decades.