
Netflix picks up an Oscar nomination for “The Square”, a documentary - 0cool
http://thenextweb.com/media/2014/01/16/netflix-picks-oscar-nomination-square-documentary-egyptian-revolution/
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smackfu
Documentaries are a smart direction for Netflix. They can actually afford to
license the best ones for streaming. Of the five Oscar nominated documetaries
that were announced today, three are already streaming on Netflix and the one
Netflix produced comes out tomorrow.

Given that the actual movie studio distribution of these movies must be
minuscule, it makes a lot of sense for Netflix to just buy them directly.

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hkmurakami
I've seen a trend lately of my friends increasingly referring to "this
documentary XYZ that I saw on Netflix". It seems to be a great way to build
mindshare in a segment that isn't as interested in mainstream TV shows
(somewhat akin to their approach of producing critically acclaimed TV Dramas)

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prawks
It's neat because the barrier to entry to Netflix is so minimal. Previously,
when someone said "I saw this documentary XYZ", you basically had to say "Oh
that's neat, wish I could watch it..."

Even outside Netflix really, documentary and lower-budget films are much, much
more accessible, which is a great thing.

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brenschluss
To be clear - The Square wasn't created by Netflix. The Square is an
independent documentary started a few years ago, boosted with a successful
Kickstarter ([http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/noujaimfilms/the-
square-...](http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/noujaimfilms/the-square-a-
film-about-the-egyptian-revolution)) last year, and finally picked up by
Netflix. That said, much credit goes to Netflix for recognizing and promoting
independent documentaries.

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kyro
Rightly deserved. It's an incredible documentary and I suggest everyone watch
it when it's released.

I hope Netflix continues in this direction. It seems to be a great platform
for documentaries to reach mass consumption, like we saw with Blackfish.

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supersystem
This might actually hinder 'mass consumption' in Europe if Netflix decides it
doesn't want to license broadcasting rights to public broadcasting, which
often have their own online services. I think we should be at least somewhat
skeptical of the rights-holder also controlling distribution channels.

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netrus
Fun fact: If you have a private German TV broadcast license, you are required
to give a certain amount of airtime to independent companies. And you are
required to air news-segments - the quality may vary :)

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puravida
I've always found Netflix to be a great source of documentaries. Especially
now The History channel and discovery channels play mostly reality shows now.
Its also great to see their own productions are decent to watch. They may have
a chance to become an HBO type provider.

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altrego99
Here's the link to the Netflix documentary -

[http://movies.netflix.com/WiMovie/The_Square/70268449](http://movies.netflix.com/WiMovie/The_Square/70268449)

It's not yet available to public but you can watch the trailer and save it to
your list.

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socrates1998
Why can't I get this documentary on my Netflix?

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bredman
It came out in theaters first, they acquired the rights to it after it had
been released there. The best I can find about availability on Netflix is
"early this year".

