Movies Like Brush with Life: The Art of Being Edward Biberman

If you liked Brush with Life: The Art of Being Edward Biberman (2007), a documentary and history movie directed by Jeffrey Kaufman, here are 20 movies with a similar feel, based on TMDB's recommendations. Each one links to its cast, trailer and where it's streaming.

1
Mifune: The Last Samurai (2016)
★ 7/10Also documentary and history
An account of the life and work of legendary Japanese actor Toshirō Mifune (1920-97), the most prominent actor of the Golden Age of Japanese cinema.
2
The Eyes of Orson Welles (2018)
★ 6.9/10Also documentary
A poetic journey into the visual world of the legendary filmmaker and actor Orson Welles (1915-85) that reveals a new portrait of a unique genius, both of his life and of his monumental work: through his own eyes…
3
I Am Heath Ledger (2017)
★ 7.4/10Also documentary
The life and career of an actor, artist, and icon. His own journey through his own camera.
4
Finding Vivian Maier (2014)
★ 7.6/10Also documentary
Vivian Maier's photos were seemingly destined for obscurity, lost among the clutter of the countless objects she'd collected throughout her life. Instead these images have shaken the world of street photography and…
5
Frank and Ollie (1995)
★ 7.4/10Also documentary
Before computer graphics, special effects wizardry, and out-of-this world technology, the magic of animation flowed from the pencils of two of the greatest animators The Walt Disney Company ever produced -- Frank…
6
They'll Love Me When I'm Dead (2018)
★ 7.1/10Also documentary
As his life comes to its end, famous Hollywood director Orson Welles puts it all on the line at the chance for renewed success with the film The Other Side of the Wind.
7
Milius (2013)
★ 7.1/10Also documentary
The life story of ‘Zen Anarchist’ filmmaker John Milius, one of the most influential storytellers of his generation.
8
Come See Me in the Good Light (2025)
★ 7.1/10Also documentary
In an intimate and joyful story of love in the face of loss, celebrated poets Andrea Gibson and Megan Falley find strength—and unexpected hilarity—in what might be their final year together.
9
Everybody’s Everything (2019)
★ 8.4/10Also documentary
The story of artist Lil Peep from his birth in Long Island and meteoric rise as a genre blending pop star & style icon, to his death due to an accidental opioid overdose in Arizona at just 21 years of age.
10
Maria by Callas (2017)
★ 7.4/10Also documentary
Told through performances, TV interviews, home movies, family photographs, private letters and unpublished memoirs, the film reveals the essence of an extraordinary woman who rose from humble beginnings in New York…
11
Django & Django: Sergio Corbucci Unchained (2021)
★ 6.9/10Also documentary and history
A tribute to Italian filmmaker Sergio Corbucci (1926-90), presented by American filmmaker Quentin Tarantino.
12
Gilbert (2017)
★ 6.7/10Also documentary
The life and career of one of comedy's most inimitable modern voices, Mr. Gilbert Gottfried.
13
As I Was Moving Ahead Occasionally I Saw Brief Glimpses of Beauty (2000)
★ 7.8/10Also documentary
A compilation of over 30 years of private home movie footage shot by Lithuanian-American avant-garde director Jonas Mekas, assembled by Mekas "purely by chance", without concern for chronological order.
14
Woody Allen: A Documentary (2011)
★ 6.9/10Also documentary
An intense portrait of the iconic filmmaker, writer, actor, comedian and musician Woody Allen: his life, family and friends; his writing and directing habits, and his relationship with performers.
15
Corman's World (2011)
★ 7/10Also documentary
A chronicle of the long career of American filmmaker Roger Corman, the most tenacious and ingenious low-budget producer and director in the US film industry, a pioneer of independent filmmaking and discoverer of new…
16
Cover-Up (2025)
★ 7.2/10Also documentary and history
He's devoted his career to uncovering stories the powerful want buried. From My Lai to Abu Ghraib, dig into the life's work of journalist Seymour Hersh.
17
Cutie and the Boxer (2013)
★ 6.9/10Also documentary
This candid New York love story explores the chaotic 40-year marriage of famed boxing painter Ushio Shinohara and his wife, Noriko. Anxious to shed her role as her overbearing husband's assistant, Noriko finds an…
18
Making Waves: The Art of Cinematic Sound (2019)
★ 6.9/10Also documentary and history
The history of cinematic sound, told by legendary sound designers and visionary filmmakers.
19
Stan Lee (2023)
★ 7.2/10Also documentary
Celebrate the legacy of Stan Lee as the co-creator of such legendary characters as Fantastic Four, Iron Man, the X-Men, The Avengers, and hundreds more.
20
Supersonic (2016)
★ 7.4/10Also documentary and history
Supersonic charts the meteoric rise of Oasis from the council estates of Manchester to some of the biggest concerts of all time in just three short years. This palpable, raw and moving film shines a light on one of the…