For centuries, the Dutch have tamed the sea with dykes and criss-crossed their country with canals and waterways. Lately, climate change is whipping up storms and raising the sea level and the Netherlands is now seeking a new pact with water in order to protect the low-lying country. They’re making use of state-of-the-art technologies and the power of nature and are systematically making space for the water elsewhere.
In the dry region of southern Spain, water is a scarce commodity known as “liquid silver”. Farmers, scientists, and conservationists are working with the local population to combine ancient knowledge gained over centuries with state of the art technologies to protect this unique natural landscape.
The United Nations celebrates its 70th anniversary in the fall of 2015. Among other innovations, members of the UN devised the novel concept of “soldiers for peace.” But can peace be enforced militarily? The original mission of the United Nations was to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war by maintaining peace and security between states. Now that terrorists and internal conflicts strike far more frequently than traditional inter-state wars, what does international security mean?
A survey of World War II and the pivotal role propaganda played in it.
From acclaimed director, Amir Bar-Lev (The Tillman Story, My Kid Could Paint That), A&E IndieFilms, Asylum Entertainment and producer John Battsek comes the story of the paedophile scandal that rocked America. The town of State College, home of Penn State University, lies at the heart of an area long known as Happy Valley. Its iconic figure for more than 40 years was Joe Paterno, head coach of the school’s famous football team, known affectionately as “Saint Joe.”
Venezuela with its spectacular landscapes is the grand finale of our journey. The majestic Table Mountains (Tepuis) in the south of the country build the backdrop for the adventurous flights in La Gran Sabana. In this episode the renowned Director Werner Herzog joins us in search of inspiration for new unusual visuals. For a long time he has been an admirer of the austere beauty of the Tepuis - now he not only ventures to experience the eerie ambience on their top.
Eight teams from all over the planet meet in Ulaanbaator seeking to explore the wild land of the Mongolians with their hot-air balloons. As they race across giant sand dunes, spectacular mountain and steppe sceneries, picturesque villages and ancient monasteries the balloon enthusiasts experience the wild nature and fascinating culture of Mongolia in a very special way.
African adventure: zebra, wildebeest and elephant cross the savannah of the Maasai Mara in huge herds, flamingos fly in their thousands over the enormous lake Elementaita and the red African sun sets over the green hills of the Great Rift Valley – in Kenya, every hot-air balloon ride is a unique experience. Kenya is also the home of Alan Root, one of the world’s most renowned wildlife filmmakers.
Our balloon trip to Sri Lanka takes us on a journey through a beautiful country in the Indian Ocean. Rich cultures, ancient temples, exotic landscapes, old steam locomotives and tea plantations are part of the adventures. It is awe-inspiring, when the balloons rise above the canopy in the early morning mists and float over the treetops and past brilliant white temples on gigantic rocks. Landing however is difficult in a country, which seems to consists only of jungle, lakes and rice-paddies.
The Alps in winter have always appealed to hot-air balloonists. Ascending high above the snowy peaks and enjoying the majestic alpine panorama in all its glory is only possible in a hot-air balloon. But ballooning in the Alps is no picnic. Craggy peaks, mountain lakes, forests, power lines and villages divide the landscape below into a fragmented puzzle. Landing places are rare and emergency landings almost inevitable.
ISIS or IS, the so-called Islamic State - DAECH in Arabic - controls today a large territory that stretches over Syria and Iraq. ISIS is not just a terrorist movement, it has become something of an out-law state attracting militants and combatants from around the globe. The jihadist start-up born in Iraq under American occupation became a global corporation of terror which succeeded in making Al Qaeda look outdated.
A wonderful journey in the heart of a legendary civilization that owns the world longevity record in good health. The archipelago of Okinawa, located in the Pacific Ocean at the very south of Japan sees its population with almost no diseases. What are the secrets of Okinawa’s inhabitants ? How can we live longer, happy and in good health ?
The mining town of Norilsk sits in the heart of the Siberian Arctic, bathed in the billowing smoke and sulphur of its mills and factories. Built by Gulag prisoners under Stalin, Norilsk remains a mysterious place, haunted by its past suffering. While miners ponder lost comradeship and teenagers dream of escape, artists and descendants of the Gulag prisoners seek to shed light on Norilsk’s dark past, long since buried under the Siberian ice.
A woman travels around the world to talk to 15 women from 15 different countries, and they tell her their opinion about topics of general interest such as love, religion, pride of belonging to their country and the situation of women in the place where they live.
The Jordan River is the most important source of water for Jordanians, Israelis, and Palestinians. Intensive farming is robbing the sacred river of its water. Since Israel and Jordan signed a peace treaty in 1994, campaigners from an environmental organization have been working across all borders to rescue both the Jordan River and the Dead Sea for the protection of nature and for peace in the region.
A feature-length documentary that follows a community in Australia who came together to explore and demonstrate a simpler way to live in response to global crises. Throughout the year the group build tiny houses, plant veggie gardens, practice simple living, and discover the challenges of living in community.
There have always been those who said "No" to meat due to different reasons. Whether it be ethical choice, health care or responsible consumption. The film will tell who and why has been giving up eating meat in Russia, and how it's connected to Leo Tolstoy, to Soviet soy developments and to nonviolence.
Mars is our nearest planetary neighbour and its environment resembles own more closely than any other member of our planetary family. Robotic probes have revealed that water once flowed on the surface. This episode follows the quest to find traces of life on Mars.
Hardly a drop of water makes it to the estuary of the Colorado River. Once it reaches Mexico, after its journey through the Rocky Mountains, the Grand Canyon, and Nevada, the river is dry – and has been for decades. The demand for water in its catchment area is simply too great. Now, conservationists are working to make the estuary green again. They’re persuading people along the Colorado to give some of its water back to the river.
Why are Europeans, children of immigrants like Coulibaly or the Kouachis brothers, attacking their countries of birth? What leads them to reject the values of the nation in which they grew up, to be reborn as extremists of Al Qaeda and the Islamic State. What role does religion play and which religion? What propaganda and mental mechanisms are being used to convince this generation of killers that they must turn vigilante on behalf of their victimised Muslim world?
Crowdfunding is perhaps the most significant social development of the past decades. It democratizes culture, innovation, and the way we do business. With insights from renowned crowdfunding experts – like designer Scott Thomas (Design Director Pres. Obama) and best selling author Seth Godin (The Icarus Deception) – CAPITAL C is the first documentary on the crowdfunding revolution. The film follows the endeavours of three independent artists, who reach out to the crowd.
The documentary tells the story of the slow transformation of a man. Once democratic and pro-European, he is now a reactionary head of state with autocratic aims. From the abrupt cessation of Turkey's EU accession talks in 2010 to the colossal purges destabilizing the country today, we are studying the implementation of a ruthless strategy aimed at making the Turkish president the new Sultan of the Middle East.
How has the extremist group Boko Haram, which began as a small Islamic sect, managed to make Nigeria, the richest country in Africa, and all its neighbours, tremble with fear? Who are they and how did they become so powerful? Xavier Muntz spent a month in Northern Nigeria, in the heart of the red zone, to answer these very questions. He met with many people, all directly affected by this religious uprising. Victims, soldiers and even Jihadi sympathisers.
In this episode, we look at literature and film in the cultural nation of China. Stories and interviews with authors who struggle with censorship and self-censorship, and about the thriving film industry, which seeks to top Hollywood.
Antelope moon, golden dates, desert flowers. There are hundreds of words which convey the beauty of African women. Copious amounts of time have been dedicated to this subject, in particular the amazing hair creations. Works of art, based on ancient knowledge, adorn the heads of women from the busy Malian metropolis of Bamako on the river Niger to the Sahara, the world's largest desert, on which the Tuareg nomads roam.
A survey of World War II and the pivotal role propaganda played in it.
A survey of World War II and the pivotal role propaganda played in it.
