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RWANDA
LAND OF WOMEN. Report met the powerful women of Rwanda who played a major role in the political stability and economical developments of the country.15 years ago, Rwanda was the backdrop for one of the most horrifying crimes in the history of humanity. The country's majority ethnic group, the Hutus, pursued the minority ethnic group, the Tutsi. More than a million people were murdered during the genocide. But today, Rwanda is an example for whole Africa.No other country on the continent has a comparable success story and changed so dramatically over the past few years - and this despite such bad circumstances. Rwanda no longer is the poorest country in Africa, and has achieved political stability. These developments are attributed to the women of Rwanda.
THE BOY FROM THE WILD
Growing up on a Game Reserve meant to help wildlife get out of captivity, it shares how it began & how Peter Meyer survived some incredible moments in the wild.
ON THE CITIES’ ROOFTOPS
PARIS. How is life on the city’s roofs? This series scales new heights, exploring apartment buildings, towers and monuments to discover a world full of unsuspected treasures : our rooftops. By day and night, the population changes on these heights. There are people who work here, people who live here, and others who come here to relax. The world’s rooftops are a continual hive of activity…
SHATTERED GROUND
Hydraulic Fracturing or “Fracking” is a new technology that has opened up immense resources of natural gas buried in deep shale beds. Some see it as the answer to the energy crisis and a chance at energy independence. But fracking has become an incredibly divisive issue ripping apart communities and even families. The backlash is unprecedented, with states and countries adopting fracking bans. Shattered Ground is a one hour documentary that looks past the rhetoric and emotional arguments to find the real issues involved in hydraulic fracturing, the opportunity, and the potential health and environmental issues that will affect us all.
FALKLAND ISLANDS PENGUINS ADVANCING FORWARD
360° GEO - Report captures the rough beauty of the Falkland Islands on camera, and plunges into the life of the penguin colonies at the far end of the world. The Falkland Islands is an archipelago in the South Atlantic, not far from the South American continent. In the 1980's, England and Argentina fought a cruel war for sovereignty. Altogether on both sides, about 1,000 people lost their lives before the Argentinians surrendered. Today, the roughly 700 islands of the British Overseas Territory are once again a natural paradise: thousands of penguins crowd the coast, while the almost 3,000 inhabitants lead a "British way of life" and try to do their best given their economic and territorial isolation, at 12,600 km from London.
SARAH SHARK
EP. 01. Sarah travels to one of the top 10 dive destinations in Australia (Julian Rocks, Byron Bay, NSW) to dive with three species of Wobbegong Sharks within the Cape Byron Marine Park. She also conducts a street poll with members of the public to find out what they think about sharks.
PAST HUNTERS
S1 EP 06: DRAKELOW TUNNELS. The Drakelow Tunnels are a former underground military complexused mainly for storage. However, during the construction and running of this facility, 6 people are thought to have died. It is believed most of the hauntings that occur here are from the very people that died here.
STOLEN TREASURES
EP. 4. It’s the biggest museum in the world…the museum of artworks stolen over the centuries and never rediscovered. These works haunt the nightmares of their owners, and occupy the days of hundreds of police officers across the world, as well as those of a handful of private agencies; no country or museum of importance can claim to have been spared. According to Interpol, art theft is the fourth largest criminal trade, after the drug trade, the weapons trade and money laundering. How could it be otherwise, when the soaring price of art propels the value of some paintings into the tens of millions of Euros? This world appears to be full of mysteries. Crime syndicates rub shoulders with petty criminals and the police care more about recovering the items than they do about arresting the perpetrators.
RACE OF LIFE
EP. 10. Some have powerful strides and flashing teeth, some employ poisons and trickery, so we know for sure that predators are well equipped for survival. But this episode reveals the unique ways in which animals protect themselves. Obviously, being able to flee a predator is the choice of many prey animals but there are also very interesting methods of defense which involve deception and chemistry. These include using toxic chemicals, camouflage, and mimicry. Insects that look like leaves, snakes that play dead, fish that fly, and toads with poisonous skin, these animals are among the many creatures that defend themselves in fascinating ways. Almost every animal is hunted as food by some other kind of animal and has developed ways to defend itself against predators. The relationship between predator and prey is a bit like an evolutionary arms race. As soon as one develops a weapon or defense mechanism, the other is working on an adaptation that allows them to circumvent that mechanism. Common defense mechanisms include claws, teeth, camouflage, poison, mimicry, and adaptations like echolocation. Some animals will spray toxic or foul smelling liquids at predators. Many animals have developed sophisticated defense mechanisms to help them avoid predation. Similar kinds of defenses have evolved in different species with slight variations. From the vice-like jaws of the hyena to the gunshot speed of the frog, from the strong-as-steel silk of the spider to the hypnotic patterns of the zebra, and the awesome antlers of the deer. A strong defence is key to winning the race of life.
A DOG'S LIFE
A Dog’s Life explores the widely assumed facts that may actually be based on faulty and out-dated research. Ingenious experiments and meticulous observation reveal that the problems dogs solve best are those that involve interacting with humans. A fascinating and fun documentary that gives us ‘a dog’s eye view’ on the world.
YVES SAINT LAURENT
FIRESTARTER. A documentary of a true pioneer of fashion. Sabbatical Entertainment celebrates one of the most influential designers ever as we explore the designer's unparalleled professional acclaim, as well as his fascinating and tumultuous personal life. Yves Saint Laurent can be credited with both spurring the couture's rise in the 1960s as well as the tuxedo suit for women. He was able to adapt his style to accommodate the changes in fashion during his entire career. Sabbatical Entertainment’s original documentary shows viewers how YSL approached fashion with a different narrative by wanting women to look comfortable yet elegant at the same time.
EUROPEAN ISLANDS EP
07: LA GOMERA. The European islands are renowned primarily for their hotel resorts. However, we will show you a completely different face of theirs: forests, beaches, coves, mountains, valleys and rivers. Perhaps you will find places that will take your breath away. Why just lie on the beach when there is so much to see? Put on some good hiking shoes, pull your shoelaces tight, and get to know the entire island like the back of your hand.
OUT OF TOWN ADVENTURES
S1 EP 11: TEMECULA. Outta Town Adventures travels both near and far to discover the best advenures the destinations have to offer. Season 1 visits attractions from California to Rwanda, Switzerland, Iceland, Utah, Zambia, Mexico, The Grand Canyon, Georgia (the Eastern European one) Louisiana, Hawaii, Mauritius and Seychelles. This TV series is dedicated to presenting history, culture and geography in a fun and pisitive way. It encourages people to explore this beautiful world - something that starts with simply getting out of town!
OUT OF TOWN ADVENTURES
S1 EP 12: LAKE CHARLES. Outta Town Adventures travels both near and far to discover the best advenures the destinations have to offer. Season 1 visits attractions from California to Rwanda, Switzerland, Iceland, Utah, Zambia, Mexico, The Grand Canyon, Georgia (the Eastern European one) Louisiana, Hawaii, Mauritius and Seychelles. This TV series is dedicated to presenting history, culture and geography in a fun and pisitive way. It encourages people to explore this beautiful world - something that starts with simply getting out of town!
TRAVEL THRU HISTORY
AUSTIN. The live music capital of the US has an interesting past. Take an in depth look at one of Austin’s oldest hotels, The Driskill. Then we’ll learn about Texan independence in the Bob Bullock History museum. Finally, we’ll end up at one of Austin’s most historic buildings, the Texas state capitol.
TRAVEL THRU HISTORY
MINNEAPOLIS. We’ll find out why they called Minneapolis the “Mill City” when we visit the Mill City Museum. Then we march over to the Union’s Fort Snelling, the first permanent structure in Minnesota, and then head underground and learn about St. Paul’s organized crime hide outs.
TAIPAN, THE MOST DANGEROUS SNAKE IN THE WORLD
360 - GEO Report joins Professor Brian Grieg Fry as he carries out his thrilling job : catching the most dangerous snake in the world for his research. About 7 of the world's 10 most venomous snakes live in Australia: one of them is the taipan, said to be the most venomous in the world. Its venom can kill a horse in just seven seconds. Yet if someone actually dares to catch this extremely dangerous animal, its venom can be used as a medicine and can save lives. Professor Brian Grieg Fry is one of the very few, who takes up this life-threatening challenge. For the sake of his research institute, he travels regularly through the country catching taipans, as well as brown snakes, sea snakes and skinks.
CORNWALL'S NARCISSUS ISLAND
360°GEO - Report spends the days in the run up to Easter on a flower farm. We also dive with playful grey seals in the Atlantic Ocean and reveal more than just the secrets of flower-growing.At the tip of the world - Landsend in Cornwall - are the Isles of Scilly. About 2,000 people live on these islands located at the entrance to the English Channel. Some of the locals are fishermen but their main activity is flower farming.The nearby Gulf Stream provides the islands with a year-round mild climate and as a result, millions of flowers are grown along the Atlantic Coast. Churchtown Farm specializes in Narcissi, and so it the pressure is on in the run up to Easter.
EVERYDAY ELEMENTS
CARBON, GOLD, NEON, ZIRCONIUM, ANTIMONY. A series that puts chemistry in our everyday experience by showing the living connection we have with the chemicals and elements that make up our world. The matter that built skies and seas, the atoms that make up you and me, the chemistry around us that forms the things we touch, smell and see. This series shows us what the objects in our universe and in our homes are made from and why the particles around us behave as they do. Everything around us is built from Everyday Elements.
EVERYDAY ELEMENTS
SILVER, HYDROGEN, PHOSPHORUS, GERMANIUM, SULPHUR. A series that puts chemistry in our everyday experience by showing the living connection we have with the chemicals and elements that make up our world. The matter that built skies and seas, the atoms that make up you and me, the chemistry around us that forms the things we touch, smell and see. This series shows us what the objects in our universe and in our homes are made from and why the particles around us behave as they do. Everything around us is built from Everyday Elements.
ORGANIC PANIC
COSMETICS. What are the health costs of beauty? In this episode, we examine products like lipstick, foundation, eyeliner and mascara. Aspiring actress Gracie Robbin is concerned about the health risks she takes in order to be beautiful. She visits with celebrated broadcaster, journalist and author Gill Deacon. Gill believes that years of using conventional makeup may have led to her breast cancer. She describes the toxic effects of the chemicals found in conventional makeup and offers organic alternatives. Scientist, academic and “fraud buster” Dr. Joe Schwarcz explains the science behind the ingredients and insists that conventional beauty products are perfectly safe for Gracie to use. Gracie tells us about a health scare in her own family and draws her own conclusions about what’s best for her.
OH DIOR!
Sabbatical Entertainment’s exclusive original documentary admires Christian Dior, the famous French fashion designer whose post–World War II creations were wildly popular and whose legacy continues to influence the fashion industry.
JOURNEYS IN AFRICA
GREAT CITIES OF TANZANIA: COUNTDOWN TO HISTORY. To this day sisal, a rope making fiber plant, is a mainstay of the economy. Journeys tours the capital city of Tanzania and its diverse religious institutions before heading into sisal country. We’ll learn about the German influences and the seldom heard story of Livingstone’s final trip across Africa.
JOURNEYS IN AFRICA
SAADANI NATIONAL PARK. This is one of the few national parks in Africa where the bush meets the ocean. The big game of Africa face off with the creatures of the deep. Our host goes a little rogue for supper and tries his hand at surf netting prawns after spending a day looking for the elusive elephants of Saadani.
ROLL ON CINEMA
This film endeavours to show how the invention of cinema was in no way inevitable, and how it may well have been a mere accident. To pinpoint the start, it all began in the heart of Paris, in the depths of darkened room, on 28 March 1798, when Etienne-Gaspard Robertson gave one of his first screenings of his "Fantasmagoria" - making ghosts and spectres dance. But how did we move from perfecting the magic lantern to the cinematography of the Lumiére brothers? The invention was born throughout the 19th century, out of the unpredictable crossing of two parallel research paths - that of philosophical toys and the photography of movement. Originally-named optical devices - such as the kinesigraph, the zoetrope, the praxinoscope and the phenakistoscope, without forgetting the photographic revolver or gun - associated the realm of toys with the realm of thought, reflecting both a fascination for the magical effects produced by animation and speed, and a desire to understand human anatomy, and analyse the phenomenon of vision. All these pre-cinema optical devices literally stemmed from a desire for spectacle and the will to acquire knowledge. Robertson, Reynaud, Plateau, Muybridge and Marey spearheaded the adventure. Thanks to these brilliant inventors, we travel across the 19th century, ending in Paris in 1895 in the Salon Indien du Grand Café, where the first public movie screening took place.
PARAGUAY'S NEW HOUSES
In Paraguay, the loofah plant is used to make vegetable sponges but nowadays, it can also used to build houses. 360°GEO - Report follows Elsa Zaldivar on her quest to free Paraguay from its housing shortage.Until recently, the loofah plant in Paraguay had fallen into oblivion. But over the past few years, it has experienced a successful comeback - as bath sponge. Today, loofah sponges are sold throughout the world.According to Elsa Zaldivar, loofah is now also being used in the construction of houses. The once densely wooded countryside has today been largely chopped down. Many people do not have access to affordable building materials. The idea of the loofah-cooperative is to compound loofah remains with plastic waste in order to create a a solid building material for house walls.
CORAL SEA DREAMING
Coral Sea Dreaming enters into the very heart of life – and death – on a coral reef. It is a story that spans 500 million years and stars some of the most exotic and wonderous marine creatures on earth. Coral is the planet’s greatest natu- ral architect, and coral reefs boast the highest biodiversity of any ecosystem.
BOLIVIA HIGHWAY OF DEATH
Bolivia is a country of contrasts: the Andes with peaks of 5,800 meters in the West and the Amazon basin in the East. In between: the Yungas region and the most dangerous roads in the world - the workplace of trucker Julio Gustavo and his old Volvo. Julio is in his early 40s and is a truck driver in Bolivia. Driving trucks is his passion, but he cannot get used to the traffic on the new freeways. He still prefers the famous dirt road, barely 3 meters large. Because of the elevated accident and death rate, it is still known today as the "Carretera de la Muerte" or "Highway of Death".
MINDWORKS
VISUAL PERCEPTION. Understanding how we think and see by playing games with our brains. This factual entertainment series explores the way we see and interpret the world around us with engaging tests, activities, demonstrations and explanations. In each episode we experience visual and audio illusions, sensory puzzles and brain tricks from the worlds of art, science, nature and psychology and learn why they baffle our senses.
MINDWORKS
VISUAL DECEPTIONS. Understanding how we think and see by playing games with our brains. This factual entertainment series explores the way we see and interpret the world around us with engaging tests, activities, demonstrations and explanations. In each episode we experience visual and audio illusions, sensory puzzles and brain tricks from the worlds of art, science, nature and psychology and learn why they baffle our senses.
IN THE SEA
About 71% of our planet’s surface is covered by water, and about 97% of it is in the oceans. The sea also produces most of the oxygen we breathe. Thus, stimulating conservation and learning about also produces most of the oxygen we breathe. Thus, stimulating conservation and learning about the marine environment is fundamental to our very existence. This series follows scientists who work in five projects in the Petrobras Socio-environmental Program.
THE SOLOMON TREASURES
The discovery in Jerusalem in 2007 of a tomb said to belong to the family of Jesus of Nazareth is just the latest in a long line of extraordinary finds which have recently come to light in the Holy Land. But not all these finds are quite what they seem. Both a stone tablet said to come from the Temple of Solomon, and an ossuary apparently belonging to the brother of Jesus, have been declared fakes. The official investigation then uncovered dozens of other fakes, and attention eventually focussed on one of the most revered objects in Israel: the ivory pomegranate. This artefact has been in the Israel Museum for nearly twenty years. Like the stone tablet, it too was linked to the Temple of Solomon – and astonishingly it too, investigators concluded, was fake. As forensic scientists now turn their attention to the ossuaries from the ‘Jesus family tomb’, Israeli archaeologists are left fearing that history and science is being repeatedly distorted, and they face a challenge to separate fact from fiction.
TRAVEL BY DART
URUGUAY. This episode is probably the most random travel show you will ever see but - at the same time - one of the most complete when it comes to Uruguay's traditions and customs. Sorin falls in love with this country, as it is one of the most developed nations in South America. A pleasant surprise is up for grabs. From learning about local wines to visiting the most extensive pencil collection in the Guinness Book of Records, Sorin gets to dive into the local dances and traditions - such as the Murga. Face painting and weird-looking behavior - here are some perfect ingredients for this episode's success. This is a must-see show, as the host takes you not only through Montevideo but the spectacular towns of Colonia and Punta del Este - the best-kept secrets of Uruguay. Click play.
TRAVEL BY DART
CUBA - PART 1. During his trip to Uruguay, Sorin Mihailovici threw a new dart at the world map and hit Cuba in a dreamy setup. This episode represents a refreshing way of looking at things in the beautiful country, which endured too much over the last decades. Sorin starts in Havana and introduces the viewer to the famous classic cars, explaining why they are so many and what's so special about them. He then takes a trip to Vinales, the world's most-renown area when it comes to producing cigars. You get to see how the high-sought Cuban cigars are made, from start to finish, as Sorin receives unprecedented access to a tobacco plantation and discovers the process of making the cigars, from seeds to consumption. The episode also features a visit to Ernest Hemingway's favorite spot in Havana, La Bodeguita del Medio, where the famous American author got inspired to write most of his pieces.
IN THE DARKNESS
An immersion in the heart of the biggest West-African prison: Abidjan. Located out of sight at the border of the Banco forest, this prison host 5,000 inmates but has capacity for 1,500. With the inmates’ help, life inside is organized, and a degree of stability exists.
THE DIVIDE
The Divide tells the story of 7 individuals striving for a better life in themodern day US and UK-where the top 0.1% owns as much wealth as the bottom 90%. By plotting these tales together, we uncover how virtually every aspec tof our lives is controlled by one factor: the size of the gap between rich and poor.
A YEAR IN THE WILD
EP.2. A resident baboon on one of the ranches requires some human help to extract a snare. The splinters pack run into a coalition of cheetahs. Jess visits the new-born Splinters pups. Pungwe are on the hunt for big game as they take on formidable buffalo. The Splinters once again demonstrate their extraordinary hunting tactics.
ISLANDS IN A DESERT SEA
Baja California - a 1000 mile long desert peninsula. The Sea of Cortez, separating it from the Mexican mainland, is studded with islands, large and small.It’s a sea teeming with lifeThe islands may be barren but oceanic upwellings draw in massive schools of fishAnd this richness attracts the inevitable predators. Biologically speaking, this is the richest body of water on our entire planet. The calm waters among the islands are perfect breeding grounds, creatures migrating thousands of miles to spawn their next generation here. Primeval forces draw giants here on an annual migration from frozen northern seas. Other creatures also travel thousands of miles to nest here on tiny dots in the ocean. The sea of Cortez has been relentlessly exploited by man, driving some species to the brink of extinction. Yet this almost land-locked sea also provides evidence of the remarkable resilience of the ocean. And it also shows us how we humans can sometimes make a difference...
FLYING OVER THE EARTH
AMERICA. A young French couple, Clémentine Bacri and Adrien Normier set off on a one year long journey around the planet on board a light aircraft dedicated to science and education. Their goal: offer aerial support to public research laboratories, an unique opportunity to discover scientific activities and use them to teach science at school. In research areas, the crew has implemented observation and modeling techniques that are key elements for research.
THE GLASS EYE
For the first time in medical history a patient with Alzheimer's disease managed to communicate his thoughts and feelings from the inside of the disease. William Utermohlen painted the slow and methodical destruction of his brain. With poetry and tenderness, this documentary shows us the painter and his work near-at-hand the creative process.
NEW CALEDONIA, THE SEAWEED PROMISE
With its three nickel factories, New Caledonia is on the way to becoming one of the leading emitters of CO2 in the world. But some inhabitants are trying to make a change. May seaweed be the solution?
PAST HUNTERS
S1 EP 07: RAZOR RUOCK'S HOME. We visit the home of Soccer legend Neil "Razor" Ruddock which seems to be haunted. Is it his home specifically? Or are these ghosts attached to him?
YVES SAINT LAURENT
FIRESTARTER. A documentary of a true pioneer of fashion. Sabbatical Entertainment celebrates one of the most influential designers ever as we explore the designer's unparalleled professional acclaim, as well as his fascinating and tumultuous personal life. Yves Saint Laurent can be credited with both spurring the couture's rise in the 1960s as well as the tuxedo suit for women. He was able to adapt his style to accommodate the changes in fashion during his entire career. Sabbatical Entertainment’s original documentary shows viewers how YSL approached fashion with a different narrative by wanting women to look comfortable yet elegant at the same time.
LIFE IN THE BLUE
This films reveals the extraordinary variety of life found in the vast blue expanses of te open ocean. Here, all the action takes place in a 10 metre deep band of water, just under the surface. Many species use this section of water to migrate and hunt while others use ingenious ways to stay hidden where there appears to be no shelter. From the surface, the huge blue expanses of the open ocean appear to be devoid of all life. Popular belief is that most sea life congregates around mainline coasts, islands or rocky outcrops. But that perception is far from the truth. This 4K film,shot in the Atlantic, reveals the extraordinary diversity of species who call the open ocean their home and the tactics they use to survive in the watery wilderness. Most of the life here congregates in a nutrient-rich band of water, around 10 metres from the surface. But it is brutal life out in the open ocean. There is little shelter, big predators abound and food is hard to find. Only those who adapt to the conditions have a hope of surviving in the blue void. Barracuda are a common species in the open water and they travel in large spiraling groups close the surface as a defense mechanism against bigger predators. This space is also their own feeding ground and they can attack smaller fish en masse. And where there are barracuda, Blue sharks are never far away. These supreme open ocean predators are among the most graceful of sharks but when the need arises, they can transform instantly into ferocious and efficient killers. They regularly cross the Atlantic, coast to coast, in a journey of 4,000 kilometres. Other species profiled which also undertake huge journeys include turtles, pilot whales and whale sharks, and we reveal how the notorious Portuguese man o’ war provides shelter for small fish within its lethal tentacles. Other small fish of prey instinctively group together when they are threatened - as lone individuals they are far more likely to be eaten than large groups. But in dramatic close up action, a banquet is served as dolphins sprint in from the blue to harvest this massive source of protein. The film also reveals the amazing variety of life and colour found in shipwrecks. Like oases in the desert,these steel skeletons are colonized by soft and hard corals, attracting huge armies of small fish. They hide in the structures while larger fish and sharks roam the periphery.
THE LAST CAMEL CARAVANS OF THE SAHARA
360° GEO - Report takes part in an exhausting journey exhausting journey through desert heat and drought. In the times of the pharaohs, people trekked through the desert between what is today Sudan and Egypt. They travelled in camel-caravans, loaded with ivory, salt, ostrich feathers and other precious cargoes. Even today, the Bedouin tribes follow these ancient trade routes, but today, it is the camels themselves that are sold to Egypt. Approximately 3 million camels exist in Sudan alone and about 200,000 animals per year are sold to Egypt. One of the most important yet dangerous paths leads from Kordufan via Darfur to South Egypt. It is called the Darb al- Arba'in - " 40-Day road". Only experienced caravan leaders dare to undertake the laborious journey.
TUNING 2 YOU: INDIA'S LOST MUSICIANS
VARANASI. In the world’s oldest city of Varanasi, Soumik explores a neighbourhood that has produced five generations of Indian classical masters. He meets widowed women singers who have committed their lives to the Hindu God, Shiva, and a young drummer with the talent to make it big. Dedication to fading classical arts is formidable in this timeless city of religion, tradition and rising commercial interests.