Some things in the open-source ecosystem are absolutely foundational—they’ve shaped it into what we know today. One of the biggest is the Python programming language. And now, it’s giving its global community something a little different—and pretty exciting. A movie!
Yes, that’s right. A brand-new film, Python: The Documentary, has just been released, tracing the story of the world’s most widely used programming language from its humble beginnings to its global dominance. According to the latest highly respected TIOBE index, Python is the most widely used programming language in the world as of August 2025—end of story.
The 90-minute movie opens in Amsterdam in the early 1990s, where Guido van Rossum started Python as a side project. What began as an experiment soon turned into software that today powers almost everything, including AI, data science, and many of the world’s largest companies.
The documentary features a diverse range of notable voices, including Guido van Rossum, Travis Oliphant, Barry Warsaw, Armin Ronacher, Mariatta Wijaya, and many other prominent individuals who have shaped the language.
The film has that trademark sense of humor that open-source folks are famous for. Python may be the star of the show, but it also offers a great glimpse—though a bit indirectly—at the open-source story and how it has unfolded over the years. It’s a real treat to watch—whether you’re a developer or someone who’s never written a line of Python.
So, without further ado, grab some popcorn, get comfy, and enjoy the film—it’s worth every minute. If you’re a developer, well… you’ve probably already stopped reading, and I don’t blame you. Movies like this don’t come around every day. Props to you for having such good taste.
Last, but definitely not least, this documentary was made possible thanks to the support of Anaconda, Dropbox, Meta, OpenTeams, JetBrains’ PyCharm, and Quansight. So, big thank you, guys! For everyone else—enjoy the movie!
