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CREATIVE KILLERS
EP. 03. Peppered across Africa are a few iconic locations that are renowned for killing action. Arenas bathed in a history of blood, places where Africa’s icons have hunted successfully for generations. Predators here develop unique and clever ways to hunt. But the circumstances aren’t the driving factor in this story. Sometimes these predators look for the perfect patch of ground to kill, a small area of long grass, or a single path that leads to the perfect ambush. How do they amplify their age-old skills by using the lie of the land? The fastest mammal on the planet, Cheetah’s don’t only use speed to kill. They use look out points to scan for weak prey and a baby fawn as lure to get its mother to come closer. Africa’s heavy weight the Lion is twice the weight and half the speed of the Cheetah. They need cover to hunt down their prey, so they stake out ambush points in Gullies, Marshland and Forest, lying in wait for their prey the wildebeest. We follow three characters through the Ndutu rainy season, starting with the arrival of the annual wildebeest migration, through to the wildebeest calves growing up and continuing their journey to the north-west. The film looks at how our characters use the environment and features of the landscape to their advantage. Reflecting on how they have learnt this from previous generations and will pass onto the next.
CHINA UNCOVERED
THE QUEST FOR WEALTH. Two brothers from rural China train in the art of Kung Fu in the hopes of elevating their lives however minimally. Meanwhile, rich kids in the city attend private English schools to improve their chances to study abroad. But China’s favorite philanthropist Chen Guang Biao shares his rags-to-riches story proving that odds can indeed be beaten. Rural children in China may still dream small, but as for the young elite partying away in rooftop bars, life is sweet.
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.
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.
SOKOTRA, ENDANGERED TREASURE ISLAND
Sokotra, an island off the Horn of Africa, has been a Unesco world heritage site since 2008, but the strict rules that once enabled the Beduoins to protect their biodiversity are now being relaxed. 360° GEO follows in the footsteps of a Yemeni goatherd on the island. Many rare species are being threatened by the increase in extensive grazing, which is even affecting the goatherds' very existence. 55-year old Abdullah Ablihin finds it hard to make ends meet with just his herd of goats.Sokotra, an island off the Horn of Africa, has been a Unesco world heritage site since 2008, but the strict rules that once enabled the Beduoins to protect their biodiversity are now being relaxed. 360° GEO follows in the footsteps of a Yemeni goatherd on the island. Many rare species are being threatened by the increase in extensive grazing, which is even affecting the goatherds' very existence. 55-year old Abdullah Ablihin finds it hard to make ends meet with just his herd of goats.
ST. HELENA, FORGOTTEN ISLAND OF THE ATLANTIC
360°GEO - Report sets foot on the isolated island of St Helena and documents what life is like in the midst of the South Atlantic.Standing solitarily far out in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean is the British Overseas Territory of St. Helena. Island do not get much more remote than this. It is situated 2,000 kilometers from the African coast and 3,000 kilometers from the South American Coast. You can see why it was chosen as a place of exile for the French emperor Napoleon.It is all but impossible to escape from St. Helena. Even today, the only connection to the outside world is by ship, given that the island has no airport. About 4,000 people or "Saints" as they refer to themselves, brave the solitude and live on the island.
JOURNEYS IN AFRICA
MIKUMI NATIONAL PARK. If there ever was a lost wildlife gem, it would be Mikumi. Here many of the Big Twelve live their lives against the backdrop of one of the most scenic parks in Africa. Bill takes a break from the wildlife safari to investigate the huge salt works at the edge of the park and how it may impact future conservation.
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.
THE MYSTERY OF THE DISAPPEARING BEES
An investigation into a worldwide ecological disaster that could endanger the whole of humanity. The future of our food resources depends on one small insect - the western honey bee, or Apis mellifera. Indeed, it is the most important agricultural pollinator on our planet given that one third of our food supply depends directly on pollination from bees. This documentary tells the story of a worldwide ecological disaster that has been waiting to happen for several generations. It was filmed over an 18-month period in France, Germany, the U.S., Canada and Scotland and retraces the various leads carried out by research scientists in order to try and understand and to stop the declining numbers of domestic and wild bees. Scientists are not the only professionals to figure at the centre of this drama. Beekeepers are in the front line, and striking contrasts exist among beekeepers' experiences in different countries, in various economic situations. The documentary seeks to understand how the long-enjoyed harmonious relationship between man and bee has now undergone such a radical change. It seeks to find a solution that goes beyond science. A solution that cannot be found without thoroughly re-examining our agricultural practice and our model of society. Can we rise to the challenge? Awards : 2011 : Star of the SCAM (France). 2012 : Jade Kunlun Awards
ARCTIC: THE ROUTE OF THE NUCLEAR-POWERED ICEBREAKERS
This report accompanies a polar cargo ship through the Arctic Sea and provides a rare insight into the interior of the Russian nuclear-powered icebreaker float. Along the north coast of Russia, a land of climatic extremes, lies one of the most difficult to navigate straits in the world. The Northern Sea route is a 6,000 kilometer shipping lane through the Polar Sea.
FRAGRANCE & EMOTIONS
Unique documentary that takes you to discover the secret of some of the most luxurious perfumes and emblematic fragrances in the world. Visit the famous city of Grasse to meet the creators, the beautiful flower fields and all the incredible emotional powers of the Perfume.
THE NEW NOMADIC PEOPLE OF KYRGYZSTAN
360° GEO - Report accompanies the Kyrgyzstani nomad family and their 600 animals as they trek through gorges and rapid mountain springs. 40-year-old Kyrgyzstani Bachit makes his living by pasture farming. He is an astute shepherd and realized long ago that major changes were taking place in his homeland, the Tien Chan Mountains, on the Chinese border: the high mountain peaks - some of them at an altitude of 7,000 metres - are thawing rapidly. This is an effect of global warming, with as yet unknown global consequences. Bachit has adapted to the new situation: fince several years now, he has been leading his huge flock anually from the village to a 3,000-meter altitude summer pasture - a risky adventure.
CHANEL NO. 5, THE LEGENDARY PERFUME
A revolutionary fragrance needs a visionary woman to create it! Gabrielle Chanel, the woman liberated others from corsage made the delightful perfume Chanel N°5 which remains the symbol of elegance around the world. This documentary will take you to Grasse to Paris & tell you the story of the legendary perfume.
CRANBERRY SEASON AT CAPE COD
360° GEO - Report visited the Manns family farm and witnessed first hand the great efforts put into little berries.With its endless coastline and multi-coloured forests, the Cape Cod peninsula on the US east coast: a favourite holiday destination, especially during Indian summers. The peninsula is also a playground for the beautiful and the rich, who own summer residences there.But for the locals, cranberries are the main sector of activity. These small red berries are gaining favour all over the world, although their cultivation remains difficult.
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?
JOHANA: MAKE UP AND MOTOR OIL
Colombia is the third largest exporter of coffee in the world. The main status symbol of its flourishing regions is the Willys Jeep. We met Johana, the only Willys female driver, who is entering this year's Willys contest. This is the jeep "that won the Second World War", the model that created the later legendary "Jeep". About 600,000 Willys Jeeps were manufactured by the US-Army during World War II. After 1945, many discarded Jeeps were delivered to Colombia, considered as "mula con motor","donkeys with engines". Mostly men can be found behind the wheel. But Johana is an exception.
BHUTAN IN THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS
Nestled in the heart of the Himalayas, the small kingdom of Bhutan has decided to do away with the dictatorship of Gross Domestic Product and economic growth at all costs. A new wealth indicator has now become the country’s gold standard: Gross National Happiness. Launched by the country’s fourth King, the “new paradigm” is based on four pillars: protection of the environment; conservation and promotion of Bhutanese culture; good governance; and responsible and sustainable economic development.
MY DUBAI EP. (1)
Family - Atlantis the Palm resort with its dolphins, seals and water park, desert experiences such as dune bashing, falcon flying and camel riding, indoor skiing, the world’s largest shopping mall, and Kidzania.
MY DUBAI EP. (2)
Culture - Features a recreated Bedouin camp with a Bedouin elder giving insight into their rich culture, the Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding, the gold and spice souks, art of caligraphy and the Emirati style of dressing.
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.
THE AUTHENTIC BAHAMAS
The Bahamas - an archipelago in the western Atlantic that has long been the subject of legends. Over 700 islands and 2,000 coral reefs form this island paradise. Cat Island is one of the few continuously populated islands. In 2011, it was devastated by Hurricane Irene - the population is still coping with the aftermath. Untouched by tourism and tax havens, many people live on the poverty line. There is barely enough money to survive. Unemployment and hopelessness plunge them into lethargy. A few highly motivated women are now collecting ideas to inject hope and economic success into this island.
BERBER, A QUEST FOR WATER
In the remote valleys of the Atlas range in Morocco, lies a village Tizi Anoucheg, where water is a rare resource. Berbers are the only people to be found in this harsh environment. They convert the red and dried valleys into a lush green using ancestral irrigation methods. With climate change threatening their very existence one man rises to the occasion & tries to solve the severe water problem.
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…
THE RESCUE DOGS OF LAKE GARDA
17 year old Ester and her dog Mia have big plans: saving lives at Lake Garda. In the north of Italy swimming rescue dogs are on duty at several lakes and the Mediterranean Sea. After traffic accidents, drowning is worldwide the second most common cause of death by accident. But a rescue is always difficult as the rescuer itself can be in danger. Like Mia, the Italian rescue dogs are mostly Newfoundland's- dogs who love the water and with a weight of at least 66 pounds (30 Kilo?), are able to pull people out of the water. For 3 years the dog- owners and their animals are trained to save lives. But the biggest challenge for Ester waits at the end: a jump out of a helicopter.
BRITTANY
The region is wild and rough, ruled by tempestuous winds and seas. Its population proud and willful. Many of them still speak their indigenous language today. The Celts named Brittany “Armorica”, "the place by the sea". The Atlantic dominates life here, where tides soar, stone houses lie low against the storms, and where America beckons from the western tip. Brittany enjoys a special status among the French regions. Coarse and rugged, scarred by centuries-long disputes between English or French domination, it still boasts breathtaking beauty and authenticity. What does being from Brittany mean today?
THE POLAR SCHOOL OF NOMAD CHILDREN
360° GEO- Report visits the Nenets, the last true nomads on earth, on their remote Russian peninsula. Every August, on the Russian polar peninsula of Yamal, children of reindeer shepherds await a helicopter that will bring them back to school after the summer holidays. For the main part of the year, 600 nomad children from the indigenous people of the Nenet live and learn separated from their parents. Up until now, their home Yamal was an of Russia that was far from any semblance of civilization- until an enormous gas pool was discovered beneath the tundra. Now, destroyed nature and gigantic industrial plants are a common sight along the nomad's track - but this industrial development is also offering new opportunities to their children.
SPAIN'S LAST LYNXES
10 years ago, Europe almost witnessed the first dying out of a predatory cat since the sabre-toothed tiger when only about a hundred Iberian Lynxes remained in existance. Still today, the Iberian Lynx is one of the most threatened species of predatory cat in the world. The documentary accompanies animal rights activists in their struggle to preserve and resettle the world's last lynxes. The current plan is to move the cats to safety.
ANDALUSIA: THE MOORISH ARCHITECTURE
Andalusia, the Spanish territory has a confluence of cultures which is represented in its architecture! Visigothic, Roman, Byzantine and Arab - the structures in the region display all these influences. Between 8th & 15th century, several dynasties from Arab to Berber conquered Andalusia impacting the way of life of people. The film tells this story through beautiful edifices of Andalusia.
ANATOLIA LAND OF THE APRICOTS
Millions of golden yellow fruits dry out in the sun. They are called 'Gold of Mesopotamia', the juicy apricots of Anatolia. On the plantations at the shore of the Euphrates grow 95 % of all apricots processed worldwide. But the idyllic atmosphere is deceiving: behind this picturesque façade, seething conflicts erupt among the old patriarchs about more self-determination and, above all, the concerns over climate change and its effects on the harvest are hovering.
FINE COCOA FROM ESMERALDA
Cacao Nacional from Ecuador is also known as "Theobroma Cacao" or "food of the gods". The pods grow in the remotest regions of the country, including in small villages along the Rio Santiago and the Rio Napo. Theobroma's distinctive flavor is valued by chocolatiers around the world. The high demand helps cocoa farmers like Lilian and Cleofe develop a new, long-term and more reliable means of subsistence. Cocoa plantations also immensely benefit the environment: cocoa trees grow in mixed species plantations and thereby protect the rainforest. They represent an alternative to palm tree plantations that are highly destructive to the local environment.
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.
ON THE YETI TRAIL
Does the Yeti really exist? For the first time in over a century, the sometimes far-fetched Yeti legends and personal accounts have become the subject of state-of-the-art scientific studies. Several teams throughout the world, in Denmark, England, the US and Russia are carrying out a merciless competition to be the first to publish the revolutionary results – proof that another hominid, with very ancient roots, shares our existence. Our film sets out to meet the teams involved in this strange race across the world, and features laboratories, hair analysis, footprints and DNA as well as the search for samples in Indonesia and in Canadian nature reserves. A fascinating and thorough film, featuring, amongst others, French Collége de France paleoanthropologist Pascal Picq.
UNDER THE LIGHTS: PELE
Pelé was a prodigy that played with "ginga". As a child he played insistently in the favelas as of Sao Paolo, he developed perfect balance, unique vision, and an unimaginable control of the ball that left everyone breathless. The King Pelé, as he was referred to by all Brazilians after winning the country's first World Cup in 1958, is the OLDEST LIVING LEGEND in all of sports. He is a global icon, and idol to so many, not only for the exceptional athlete was but for the human being he is. A true role model for so many around the world. Sabbatical's latest production is highlighted by remastered in game footage of Pelé's most legendary goals for Brazil throughout his indelible career.
WILD AUSTRALIA WITH RAY MEARS
EP. 03. In Victoria just south west of Melbourne in the You Yangs National Park Ray Mears meets up with researcher Janine Duffy in a dry eucalyptus forest. They go in search of koalas and find a young male who nervously tries to establish his own territory.Ray moves down to the open grasslands and tracks a mob of Eastern Grey kangaroos. He visits the Mount Rothwell Conservation Reserve and meets an unusual marsupial – a predator – that is almost extinct on the mainland of Australia – a Tiger Quoll – smaller relative of the Tasmanian Devil. Finally Ray journeys through a Wet Eucalyptus forest to Lake Elizabeth and canoeing across the quiet waters finds himself surrounded by rare and unique duck billed platypuses
VERSAILLES FURNITURE
Via six masterpieces, the film reveals the beauty of the spirit of Versailles of the 17th and 18th centuries. A unique homage to the people that crafted it, the furniture reveals the personal tastes of its commissioners, and portrays something that has ceased to exist! These unique items of furniture that once belonged to Louis 14th, Louis 15th, Marie-Antoinette and Louis 16th have fascinating stories to tell: the tortoise-shell chest-of-drawers with inlays of brass; an astronomical clock - a veritable miracle of science; the most emblematic example of French furniture art in the world - the King’s Desk; and the exquisite items made for Marie-Antoinette - the queen’s jewellery case and the wheat-sheaf furniture.
AUTISTS, A PLACE AMONG THE OTHERS?
Autism remains a mystery. People with autism will live with this disorder all their life and our societies are all facing the same question: how to take care of them? France lags behind on this subject. Comparing the experiences of other countries, Italy, Sweden, Germany, and Quebec, we will clarify the French situation and demonstrate that practices exist and allow to improve significantly the autist’s life. Every time it comes to real societal choices that reveal our various ways to approach difference. But there are in any case, no simple answers to this complex problem.