Documentary lovers are in for a treat this week, with two fresh, critically acclaimed films making waves on streaming platforms across Australia, New Zealand, and Canada. Both Secret Mall Apartment and Lilith Fair: Building a Mystery have captured the imaginations of audiences and critics alike, offering unique perspectives on art, rebellion, and the power of community. Alongside these releases, DocPlay, the niche streaming service dedicated to documentaries, continues to expand its reach and content library, solidifying its place as the go-to destination for non-fiction storytelling in the region.
Jeremy Workman’s Secret Mall Apartment is one of those stories that sounds almost too wild to be true. According to reporting published on September 15, 2025, the film follows the exploits of eight daring artists who, for four years, secretly constructed and lived in a hidden apartment inside a shopping mall. The documentary is packed with grainy early-2000s footage, candid interviews, and a thoughtful exploration of what it means to carve out a space for creativity in the most unlikely of places. As viewers watch these artists navigate the risks and rewards of their clandestine urban adventure, they’re invited to reflect on the boundaries between public and private space, and the lengths to which people will go to make art—and perhaps, to make a point.
Workman’s film is more than just a quirky caper; it’s a meditation on rebellion and the transformative potential of art in urban environments. The hidden apartment becomes a symbol of resistance against the commercial monotony of the mall, a place where the artists could express themselves freely, away from the prying eyes of security cameras and mall management. The documentary draws viewers into the artists’ world, where every creak of the floorboards and every knock on the door could mean discovery and eviction. Through candid interviews, the artists reflect on their motivations and the meaning they found in their secret home. As one participant puts it, the project was about "finding a space to be ourselves and to challenge what a city can be for its people."
Meanwhile, for those seeking a different kind of cultural reckoning, Lilith Fair: Building a Mystery offers an overdue celebration—and reappraisal—of the groundbreaking all-women touring festival that shook up the music industry in the late 1990s. Directed by Ally Pankiw and co-produced by Dan Levy, the film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in September 2025 and is now streaming on CBC Gem. The documentary revisits the festival’s legacy, highlighting its commercial success, its impact on the careers of countless women artists, and its philanthropic achievements. As reported by the Winnipeg Free Press on September 15, 2025, Lilith Fair ran from 1997 to 1999, drawing massive crowds, raising over $10 million for women’s charities, and challenging the pervasive sexism of the era.
Pankiw’s motivation for making the film was deeply personal. "The reason I wanted to make the doc is actually to almost be corrective in what I was taught that Lilith was," she told Winnipeg Free Press. Growing up, she was a fan of the artists who headlined the festival—Sarah McLachlan, Jewel, Sheryl Crow, Erykah Badu, Liz Phair, Paula Cole, among others—but as she got older, she realized how the festival’s significance had been trivialized or even mocked. "People don’t know about it because we often hide, undermine and trivialize women’s progress and women’s contributions," Pankiw said.
The film features interviews with both the original stars and younger musicians, like Olivia Rodrigo and Brandi Carlile, who have inherited the festival’s legacy. Pankiw described the interview process as transformative: "It was just incredible to hear their range. They were so vulnerable and emotional and joyful, but they also had such an acerbic sense of humour about having to have come up in that industry at that time. They all had a lot of anger, rightfully so. They were the best conversations, because everyone was just so open." The documentary also shines a spotlight on the festival’s charitable work, which Pankiw called "just wild to me at that time that they were able to pull that off." More than $10 million was donated to women’s health organizations and shelters, a feat made possible by McLachlan’s vision and the collective spirit of the artists involved.
At the heart of Lilith Fair: Building a Mystery is a call to recognize and honor women’s achievements in music and beyond. Pankiw sees the festival’s legacy as "sending the elevator down"—helping the next generation rise rather than gatekeeping success. Modern stars like Rodrigo and Carlile, she notes, "carry forward the legacy in a way that feels authentic." Rodrigo, for example, has donated millions from her world tour to causes supporting girls’ education and reproductive rights. As Pankiw puts it, "To me, it really is about that saying: send the elevator back down once you’ve reached a certain level of success. Don’t gatekeep. And I think Sarah was incredible for that."
For those eager to dive into these and other documentaries, DocPlay remains a key player in the streaming landscape of Australia and New Zealand. According to a September 16, 2025 report, DocPlay is part of the Madman Entertainment family and supported by Screen Australia. The service boasts over 2,000 titles, including cult favorites, Academy Award winners, and indie productions across genres like art, culture, music, science, nature, and sports. It’s a niche platform, but for documentary enthusiasts, the $9.99 monthly (or $99.99 annual) subscription offers solid value—especially with a 14-day free trial for newcomers. DocPlay supports HD streaming up to 1080p, streaming on two devices, and is available on a wide array of platforms, from Apple TV to Xbox.
DocPlay’s content library is ever-growing, with new titles added weekly. Standouts include Searching for Sugar Man, Holy Hell, Tickled, Hillsong Church: God Goes Viral, and classics like Bowling for Columbine and Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown. There are also DocPlay exclusives and a strong focus on Australian and New Zealand stories. The service is contract-free and easy to cancel, though users should note there are no pro-rated refunds for annual plans.
As audiences increasingly turn to documentaries for stories that challenge, inspire, and provoke, platforms like DocPlay and films like Secret Mall Apartment and Lilith Fair: Building a Mystery are leading the charge. Whether it’s a hidden apartment in a shopping mall or a festival that changed music history, these stories remind us that sometimes the most remarkable acts of creativity and courage happen just out of sight—until someone decides to share them with the world.
