The top 10 documentary films to see at TIFF 2015

Truth isn't just always stranger than fiction, when it comes to documentaries, it can be just as compelling. The power of docs is once again on display at TIFF for 2015, with no end of great sounding films showing off a variety of subjects.

Here are my picks for the top documentary films to see at TIFF 2015.

A Young Patriot
Following a young Maoist over five years, A Young Patriot tracks one kid's struggle with his country's move away from communism to capitalism, in a movie that should prove an illuminating look at a superpower in transition. Especially in the wake of the recent stock market issues.

Being AP
This doc shines a light on legendary jump jockey AP McCoy, as he looks to become Champion Jockey one more time before he retires, or his body gives out. It's not often we get a sports documentary that isn't about hockey, football, baseball, soccer, or basketball, so will no doubt prove interesting viewing.

He Named Me Malala
Academy Award-winner Davis Guggenheim (An Inconvenient Truth, Waiting for Superman) trains his camera on Afghan teenager, Malala Yousafzai, who survived being shot in the head by the Taliban for campaigning for girls' education. A doc about the youngest ever Nobel Prize laureate, and a remarkable human being, is bound to inspire.

Hitchcock/Truffaut
Fifty years ago, French New Wave director Francois Truffaut sat down to talk to Alfred Hitchcock about his filmmaking. The result was a book that now sits on most cinephile's shelves. This doc looks at the book's legacy, as well as the director's behind it, with interviews with Martin Scorsese, David Fincher and more.

In Jackson Heights
Frederick Wiseman's National Gallery and At Berkleyproviding enthralling access to the inner workings of two major institutions. With In Jackson Heights he applies his deep dive approach to a singular place to a neighborhood - Jackson Heights, Queens - and its dense immigration population.

Je Suis Charlie
The bombing of French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo, provided a wide range of complex reactions. Je Suis Charlie may to likewise as it looks at the events, its victims, and how France - as well as the world - responded to the tragedy.

The Music of Strangers: Yo-Yo Ma and the Silk Road Ensemble
After co-directing one of this year's best movies, Best of Enemies, Oscar-winner Morgan Neville returns to music docs with this look at the Silk Road Ensemble, a musical collective formed by renowned cellist Yo-Yo Ma. You can't go wrong with one of cinema's greatest music documentaries working with one the world's greatest musicians.

The Reflektor Tapes
Beloved Grammy Award-winning Canadian band, Arcade Fire, gets a music doc of its own, with a behind-the-scenes look at the band on tour, their creative process, and the making of their latest album, Reflektor. Always nice to see a home nation star get a little documentary love.

Sherpa
There are no end of stories about foreigners seeking to conquer Mt. Everest. Less common are stories about Sherpas, the local Himalayans who guide them up its peaks. I've long wanted to know more about Sherpas, so I'm eager to see how this film gives their lives the spotlight.

Women He's Undressed
For classic Hollywood lovers, costume designer have long been a source of fascination. Women He's Undressed pays tribute to the work and life of Orry-Kelly, the Australian multi-Oscar winner who dressed the beautiful casts of such classics as An American in Paris and Some Like It Hot.

What documentary films are you most looking forward to at TIFF 2015? Let us know in the comments. Film still from Being AP.

For all the latest on TIFF 15, including snap reviews, you can follow me on Twitter at @alxhuls.

by Alexander Huls via blogTO