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LOOKING FOR SULTAN
Despite efforts to protect tigers for the past 4 decades, tigers continue to be hunted down - poached, poisoned and squeezed into small pockets of protected forests.Tigers play a pivotal role in maintaining the health of the forest ecosystem and there is an urgent need to protect the tiger and its habitat.In India and across the world, Tigers have captured our imagination for centuries. We have feared them, respected them and even worshipped them. But during the colonial times tigers were hunted in thousands.At the turn of the century over a 100,000 tigers existed on the planet. Almost 40,000 of these were in India. But today only 3800 tigers survive across the world and 70% of these are in India.Today each and every tiger is important and that’s why we need to find Sultan.This film follows the story of Sultan, the up and coming dominant tiger of Ranthambore Tiger Reserve who vanished suddenly.Father and son wildlife filmmakers, Mike and Gautam, had been following and filming him since he was a cub and are now trying to put the pieces together to solve this mystery.More than 12 tigers have gone missing in Ranthambhore between 2012 and 2017. Young tigers who go missing are usually thought to have been poached or just lost forever. But the story is much more complicated.Tigers are born in parks and forests - a safe, secure place protected by their mother. But once these tigers mature they must find new homes but the question is where will they go? Trackers on ground have proved that tigers leave the protected territory of national parks to walk great distances in search for new territory. Tigers know no borders and young sub adult tigers must walk hundreds of kilometres to find a new home, prey and a new mate. Once they walk out of the protected area of the forest they are in direct contact with human habitation. People and tigers now share a complicated relationship - one of constant fear of the other.This is the story all across the country. Isolated populations of tigers in small fragmented forests surrounded by human beings and villages. The film looks at broader issues of conservation of tigers and their relationship with the people who share their habitat and the different efforts being made towards conservation in India through the story of Sultan.
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.
CHINA UNCOVERED
A CITY TRANSFORMED. From the skyscrapers of Shanghai to the mountainous peaks of "The Last Shangri-La", explore the breathtaking landscape of this incredible country and connect with the people that infuse China's everyday life with flavor, passion and prosperity. Through the eyes of a cultural academic, a laborer, an architect, an urban planner, and a photographer, the grand evolution of a little fishing village is illustrated and documented to reveal one of the fastest growing megacities in the world. And while the physical landscape gracefully moves towards the future, beliefs, behaviors, and practices are put into test. The changes brought by the Thirty Year Miracle are indeed immense, and it has left no stone, no life, unturned.
DAY WHEN, THE…
They are the men who are making History. In a time of crisis or war, any personal decision by any national leader can change everything. Like a 24h thriller, through archives and historical reconstitutions, live the day when great individual choices provoked great twists in the course of the conflict.
QUIRKY SCIENCE
The Internet was invented during the cold war and launched in 1969. Yet it wasn’t made for the public. In fact, it was developed for the army to communicate quickly and secretly so that no spies could intercept and no bombs could disrupt the sharing of information! It was nothing like we know today. The Internet involved computers exchanging text, on a black field with green letters, and e-mail was only invented 2 years later because the developers needed a reliable tool to communicate. So only in 1972 was this application; electronic mail, introduced. The Internet we know now was actually a second, separate invention, launched over a decade and a half after the Internet was first launched, and was called the ‘World Wide Web’. Nobody was paying attention to Tim Berners-Lee and his pet idea, even though he had a radical new way for scientists to share data by linking documents to one another over the Internet! His proposal came back with the words "vague but exciting" written across the cover, so Berners-Lee took his invention to the people: with a website, bringing us the Internet we know today. Yet the Internet is only just out of its baby shoes, and is now being used to drive radical change in music and films, politics and business, changing the very way we see and interact with one another! From the computer screen to mass protests in the street, So what will the future bring us, how will the Web 3.0 change us? A web that can understand human needs?
EUROPEAN ISLANDS EP
03: TENERIFE. 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.
GALLA WALLAH: THE SEARCH FOR THE BEST
The valleys of Nepal, around the Himalayan Mountains - the highest in the world - are the home of a special group of people callled the Ghurkhas. Because of the discipline and endurance they exhibit in their daily fight for survival, they are employed in the elite battalion of the British Army. For more than 200 years, the Ghurkhas have served the crown. Every year, more than 25,000 people apply for a position as a Ghurkhas, with only a few lucky ones chosen. For the chosen ones, it feels as though they have hit the jackpot. For the others, it is considered to be the worst defeat of their life.
GREAT WHITE CODE RED
The Great White shark is a highly complex predator with advanced sensory weaponry. Two shark specialists, Dr Craig O’Connell and Dr Geremy Cliff look beneath the skin of the Great White to reveal the true source of its extraordinary predatory abilities and discover the secrets of one the world’s most feared predators.
THE LAST ORANGUTANS OF SUMATRA
Today there are only 6000 Orang-Utans living in Sumatra. According to pessimistic evaluations the chances of this threatened species to survive seem rather limited. The main reason for their extinction is that their natural habitat is being destroyed for the more profitable cultivation of palm oil plantations. By today already 70 % of the Sumatran Island is already covered by palm oil trees. In addition most of the local population sees them more as an object of entertainment rather than a national heritage which is worth being protected. Since that common attitude in society is even changing it could still come too late for those anthropoid apes. Ian Singleton who moved here from England is dedicating his life to the care of these apes. Since 20 years, he is working to facilitate a refuge for the last ones of their kind so they could live again untroubled in Nature and maybe even decrease their population
THE NEW MAN OF AZERBAIJAN
Still today, there are no phones, no Internet and no newspapers in the remote areas of Azerbaijan. The newsman or "Ashig" has always played an important role in this Eastern culture over the centuries. Without them, the inhabitants would be radically cut off from the rest of the world and all its news. Certain distinguished representatives of their guild still travel the country's mountains to the remotest areas, to spread news, stories and the latest gossip. One of these representatives is Nemet, the old and honorable Aschug from Baku, who has been practicing this skill for a very long time. Like all Aschugs, he transmits his information through song!
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.
SAINT PIERRE AND MIQUELON
ARCHIPELAGO IN ISOLATION. 360° GEO - Report shows the people from St. Pierre and Miquelon, a French overseas collectivity, in their struggle between self-preservation and responsibility against nature.Saint Pierre and Miquelon - directly in front of Newfoundland's coast lays a French archipelago forgotten from the far motherland. For centuries, the codfish brought prosperity to the group of islands, until a French-Canadian agreement prohibited catching it due to overfishing.Today, even the rough beauty of the island nature is threatened - because environmentalists are powerless against the frustration and indifference of the island's inhabitants. The environmental activist and passionate naturalist Roger Etcheberry lives on St. Pierre and Miquelon since childhood.Together with a Parisian botanist he explores the few pristine places on the archipelago and fights for their conservation.
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.
THE TRUE COLORS OF US UNIVERSITIES
This documentary reveals the dazzling and obscure system of American University campuses: a world of money, influence, but also stress, decadence, excess, where alcohol freely flows and where drugs circulate. Follow the students every day; in their steps, their hopes, their secret rituals, and their wildest sprees!
SURROUNDED BY WAVES
The international scientific community is called on to take sides and provide solid answers. "Surrounded by Waves" explores the methods and motivations behind the most prominent research in the field and clarifies what we currently know, all with a mind to the social context behind the issue. Through an elegant blend of interviews, archives, experiments and 3D animation, the film clearly assesses the estimated risk linked to cell phones while offering a subtle observation of society's growing distrust of its industries and the unprecedented role of science in the debate.
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.
THE SEAWOMEN OF JAPAN
For centuries, in Japan, mollusc fishing has been a women business. 360° Geo - Report takes a plunge into the closed world of a group of "Ama".For centuries, diving for seafood in Japan has been 'ladies work' and is done by "Ama", or "women of the sea". They carry on collecting the precious seafood from the sea bottom until well into old age, braving the depths by the sheer virtue of their breath. Their skin is tanned by the elements, their voice roughened, deep and loud.For centuries, 9 women from the Japanese peninsula of Shima have shared their fate on a boat and grown together to become a close-knit sea-faring family. Kazu Yamamoto, at nearly 80 years of age, is the oldest in the group, a 5th-generation 'Ama'. She has by no means thought about giving up her work yet: "In the sea I can feel and move my body better than a shore. Once in the water all pain disappears, also suddenly my back doesn't hurt anymore", Kazu Yamamoto explains.
INDIA THE LARGEST SCHOOL MEAL IN THE WORLD
The Indian NGO Akshaya Patra runs 17 industrial kitchens in eight Indian states, and feeds 120 million students. These are children whose parents cannot afford a warm meal for their offspring. In the city of Hubli-Dharwad alone, 180,000 children are catered for every day : chefs and assistants prepare 250.000 naans, 4 tons of rice and 6 tons of vegetables within only a few hours with a multitude of pots simmering all night long. A myriad of drivers then shuttle the food to the schools - an extraordinary logistic and organizational achievement.
NATURE'S FORCE
EP. 05. Snow is a fascinating world of crystals that animals, plants, and humans have had to adapt to, in order to benefit from its best and survive its worst attributes. Some communities live with Tornadoes by building homes with survival features and rather than get out of their paths, they rely on warning systems and classifications. And behind all great weather events is Wind, find out how and why it can change from a gentle breeze into a devastating gale force and where does it go? Nature’s force can be mystical and puzzling and the Sunshower has been the subject of myths and legends and superstitions, but it does have a scientific explanation.
NATURE'S FORCE
EP. 06. What is La Nina and how is it being monitored? Find out the effects and the reach that this system is influencing. How did Indian Summer get its name and what is the science behind the phenomenon? Winter is the season that has the biggest effect on the planet, animal behaviour and often brings out the worst that nature can bring. Nature’s Halo is a magical sight with a scientific explanation. The story of and lessons from Hurricane Katrina give us a great understanding of the ferocity and speed that nature can unleash
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.
CROC LABYRINTH
Herpetologist Vince Shacks and underwater cameraman Brad Bestelink go on a unique crocodile diving adventure to find out more about these cave systems, and how the reptiles use them. They enter a dark underworld of mystery and danger, and they find themselves doing things that no one has ever attempted before. Apart from swimming with huge crocodiles, they’re the first to noose a wild Nile crocodile underwater, and they’re the first to attach a remote camera to it, to see where it goes.
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.
NEW YORK
THE WORLD'S SMALLEST OPERA HOUSE. "If you can make it there, you can make it anywhere". That's the vision people from all over the world have of New York. This report takes a look behind the scenes of the world's smallest opera house, in the heart of New York. Tony Amato, the son of an Italian butcher, thought when he came to New York in the 40s that he could make it too by realizing his dream of owning an opera house. The house is 3 stories high and three windows wide. The hall feels no bigger than a living room, however its 107 seats are always sold out. Tony Amato continues to be the center and linchpin of this miniature opera. Tony is barely 5 foot tall, with his sneakers and the small, wiry man seems to be held up by his pant-suspenders. His voice is persuasive, his eyes bright. He conducts, sings, jumps, laughs and grumbles all at once. At 88 years of age, Maestro Tony Amato is in the middle of the season's last production.
TROUBLE IN LEMUR LAND
High up in the mountains of north-eastern Madagascar lives one of the world’s most critically endangered primates. There are less than a thousand Silky Sifakas alive today and this area of remote rainforest, known as Marojejy–Anjanaharibe-Sud, is their only home.In the past, the rugged terrain here kept the Silkies relatively safe but things are now changing at an alarming pace. This magical place is under serious threat from illegal logging operations as international demand for highly sought-after rosewood and ebony increases. Unscrupulous logging gangs are encroaching on the Silkies’ last remaining habitat.‘Trouble in Lemur Land’ follows two men, an American primatologist and a Malagasy conservationist, on their quest to protect this rare species, at the same time providing a rare glimpse into the life of this extraordinarily beautiful and graceful animal.The film centres around the arrival of two babies in the group – a glimmer of hope in an otherwise desperate situation. Lemur reproduction rates are slow and Silkies only mate one day in the year, so it is a very special moment when primatologist Erik Patel sees the newborns for the first time. He has a permanent camp on the outskirts of their last remaining territory and we are given a rare glimpse into this intimate, close-knit group as the babies develop in the sanctuary of the forest canopy.Meanwhile, taking advantage of long-term political instability, the loggers are steadily extracting Madagascar’s rosewood for export to China. Although they are well armed and highly motivated, conservationist Desire Rabary is not afraid to confront them, regardless of the risks. He heads up a network of local people who play a vital role in the survival of the forest and its lemurs. Over the past five years, he has worked hard to actively expose the loggers’ illegal trail of destruction but, as this film reveals, the heart of the problem starts on his own doorstep.This 50-minute HD film brings the forest to life, with stunning images of many of its other species, including the striking helmet vanga bird, white-fronted brown lemur, red-bellied lemur, green tree frogs, panther chameleons and the elusive fossa. This treasure trove of endemic Madagascan wildlife is a timely reminder of what we stand to lose if the environmental issues so critical to their survival are not urgently addressed.
JOURNEYS IN INDIA
AMRITSAR, SHIMLA AND MANALI: THE FAR NORTH. The Golden Temple is the centerpiece of the city of Amritsar, and probably the second most photographed building in India, but few know about the building or the people who built it. The most significant building to people of the Sikh faith, it is open to people of all faiths. We witness the celebration of the changing of the guard before heading into the mountains for a visit to the British influenced town of Shimla. Journeys then heads further north for look at the resort area of Manali.
JOURNEYS IN INDIA
AGRA AND ITS ENVIRONS. Agra is home to India’s most recognizable monument—the Taj Mahal. First, we tour the Agra Fort and learn its role in the incredible history behind the Taj Mahal’s construction. Bill takes us to a factory where we learn how the craft of stone inlay that adorns the Taj Mahal, is still made today. We continue on to Fatehpur Sikri, a former Mughal capital, which was created of red sandstone and displays the influence of its Hindu and Mughal roots. Finally, we meet with a man that is giving the wildlife of India a voice and sanctuary.
AFRICA'S DEADLIEST
EP. 03. Hippos are terrifying animals in their own right, but they also have enough meat on them to be tempting prey. A pride of 16 lions surround one, but its jaws can crush a skull with one bite – who will triumph?
WATER: H2O STORIES
THE BLUE PLANET. Water: H2O Stories is a 3x52 series revisiting the story of water on planet Earth and its disrupted course over time which has led to the 21st century biggest challenge.
NEW FRONTIER
EXO PLANETS. As scientists and astronomers peer closer at nearby stars with ever more fidelity they are discovering planets; exo planets, worlds outside our own solar system. With technological advances and improved techniques scientists are discovering more and more worlds every day. With confidence scientists now calculated there could be as many as 40 billion Earth like planets in our Milky Way galaxy alone.
NEW FRONTIER
EDGE OF THE UNIVERSE. The night sky is a time machine. The further we look out into the universe the further back in time we reach. What we see in the night sky is only a small percentage of the contents of the Universe, most is dark matter and dark energy we know it exists; however its nature eludes us for the moment.
EUROPEAN IDENTITIES
What is European Identity? Is it cultural or political? Thibault Bourdon travels 8500 Km on his bicycle crossing multitude of dialects & landscapes, majestic mountains, stunning cliffs across the continent exploring this political & economic cohesion of 750 million people. In the end, the project of the European Union is a beautiful idea but, for Europeans.
SAVE THE BUCARDO
During many years, scientists and institutions fought to avoid the extinction of the Bucardo, a rare Pyrenean mountain goat. In 2003, Spanish and French scientists managed to clone the last bucardo. It was the first time in history that an extinct animal came back to life. They took a historic step in science, the first de-extinction in the world, the first real “Jurassic Park” and a new door was opened to hope.
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.
SEED HUNTER
Our planet is heating up and one of the first casualties will be the crops that supply our food. Scientists are working overtime to find solutions including going back to the ancestral origins of our staple foods. SEED HUNTER will take you on a remarkable journey from the drought ravaged farms of Australia, to the heart of the Middle East, to the mountains of Tajikistan where charismatic Australian scientist Dr Ken Street – a real life version of Indiana Jones – and his team of ‘gene detectives’ hunt for plant genes that will help our food withstand the impact of 21st century global warming. Along the way we meet farmers around the world who are struggling to grow crops in a climate that’s gone haywire, as well as scientists working at the front line of gene technology to save tomorrow’s food. At journey’s end, deep in the Arctic Circle, Ken deposits his bounty of seed in the newly constructed seed bank known as the ‘doomsday vault.’
HIDDEN TRACES
The First World War: soldiers from at least 20 countries were plunged in the hell of trenches and caught under a deluge of bombs. A century later, archaeologists help bring to light the daily life of the soldiers fighting on the French Eastern Front and reveal unexpected aspects of life on the front.
ALEXANDER THE GREAT, THE MACEDONIAN
A close look at Alexander the Great - from Macedonia to India. Alexander the Great has always enjoyed a unique status in history. To the Greeks and Romans, he was a hero, to the Arabs, he was a prophet, to Westerners, he is a myth. Alexander the Great spread Greek civilisation single-handedly throughout the ancient world, as far as the borders of India, by relentlessly pursuing his sworn enemy Darius the Great, King of Persia. But what remains today of the "real" Alexander? Of his life and environment? Through the many depictions of the hero and the archaeological traces of his triumphant conquest, this film portrays the legendary figure, who has always been, and continues to be, a great source of inspiration, even for artists of today.