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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.
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.
INDIANS IN CANADA
The six remaining Indian tribes of the Tsilqhot’in in Canada are trying to combat the commercialization and exploitation of their land. The Xeni Gwet'in First Nation has been litigating to finally secure rights to their own land against the British Crown in a huge court case going back over 20 years. Representing all Indian tribes, Chief Roger William is the chief plaintiff in the most significant case in the history of indigenous case law. The Supreme Court of Canada in Ottawa has handed down its verdict.
THE TREE-CLIMBERS FROM CALIFORNIA
Rick Dirks is one of the best tree climbers in California. He is able to climb 100-meter tall (328-foot) redwood trees with skill and courage and do so at breathtaking speed. He even ties himself to the crown of these giant trees in a sleeping bag for the night. In addition to trimming the trees and installing measuring tools, Rick collects the tree’s cones and seeds at dizzying heights – because the redwoods can only continue to survive if they are cultivated. In California, these giant trees are still cut down for timber.
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.
TRAVEL THRU HISTORY
TORONTO. TTH heads to the great white North…kind of. We visit the world class city of Toronto. There we'll head straight up the Western Hemisphere's tallest structure, the CN Tower. Next we score a look at the Hockey Hall of Fame and see a North American castle at Casa Loma. Finally we see how the British defended their city against the newly formed United States at Fort York.
TRAVEL THRU HISTORY
LOS ANGELES. Go for launch! We visit Space Shuttle Endeavor at the California Science Center. Then, we check out the glitch and glamour at the Hollywood Museum. We'll learn about the Holocaust at the Holocaust Museum and Japanese Internment during WWII at the Japanese/American National Museum. After that, we dig for bones at the famous La Brea Tar Pits.
RIVER KING
Some parts of Africa have not been explored by even the most adventurous anglers. Wars, upheavals and uncertainties have made large areas of the Nile Basin in particular too challenging and dangerous to visit. Wim Seffelaar is a teacher in daily life, but a keen angler whenever he has the chance. Over the decades he has explored some of the remotest rivers of Africa. Now he is on a quest to catch one of the most iconic and elusive of all African river fish – the legendary Nile perch. They grow to enormous proportions on a stretch of river bordering South Sudan – an area normally off limits to tourists, but with the help of local friends, Wim manages to secure the permits to allow him into this troubled area. As he follows the river searching for likely locations, he immerses himself in the tribal life along the waterways. Everyone seems to be fishing here, albeit each with their own methods. Not only the many kingfishers, pelicans and crocodiles, but also the people, young and old. What may be sport to the angler is the livelihood of many here. If you don’t catch something, you and your family go hungry. Child hunters convince him to follow them to their inland lake and show off their skill at catching a variety of fish, but the most remarkable local fishing tactics take place on dry soil. During the dry season, fish survive by burrowing themselves in the mud and staying dormant until the rains form new rivers. The locations of these buried fish or ‘mudfish’ can be given away by subtle movements of the ground. A man whose feet can detect that faint movement above ground can spear the fish through the soil, dig it out and slowly hook it free from the earth. As he continues his way upstream, enormous bush fires stand in his way, the temperature rises to unbearable heights and the water level drops. The turning point in his expedition comes when he gets help from a former rebel who has fought in the area and knows the river like the back of his hand. With the help of his new friend he moves further afield, onwards to deeper water, indicated by the presence of large crocodiles. Here lies the promise of the giant. After landing a few huge tigerfish, Wim eventually hooks into a goliath that turns out to be no less than 113 kg, one of the largest Nile perches ever caught on a rod and fishing line.
UNBREATHABLE CITIES ON THE VERGE OF ASPHYXIATION
With an epidemic of cancers among adults, and widespread asthma among children, China and India are on a constant health alert. Nor is the rest of the world free from harm as the pollutants are travelling.
THE FLYING FIREFIGHTERS OF VALENCIA
In recent years, the number of forest fires has consistently increased, especially in Catalonia. The loss of forest land is endangering the cultural and natural habitat of the Northwestern Mediterranean. This report accompanies Chimo and his colleagues through last years' fire season. The "Avialsa" Flying Firefighters squadron operates in the woodland areas around the western part of the Mediterranean Sea. Flying close above the flames ensures the greatest chance of success for the firefighters: the closer they can get their water cargo to the fire source, the quicker they can get the flames under control. Joaquim Miniana, "Chimo" for short, and the pilots of the "Avialsa" firefighting plane squadron in the Spanish province of Valencia are fighting against increasingly long, hot summers.
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.
DAY WHEN, THE…
On 16 June 1940 in Bordeaux, an almost stranger Under-Secretary of State for War decides to secede and to rebel openly against the policy adopted by the French legal government, which is preparing to ask for an armistice.
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
FLYING OVER THE EARTH
CAP AU NORD. 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.
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.
IN THE STARLIGHT
In the Starlight is an intimate portrayal about the life of nature photographer Paul Zizka and his quest to capture the night skies.
ISETENKHEB'S EGYPTIAN COFFIN
Follow from the amazing restoration process of one of the most cherished and mysterious pieces of History: an Egyptian sarcophagus covered with hieroglyphics (painted wood). With exclusive interviews of experts, art curators and restorators, discover everything about the story of the Isetenkheb coffin of Ancient Egypt dated from around 664-500 BC !
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.
CATHEDRAL BUILDERS
The epic history, in 3D, of Strasbourg Cathedral and its outstanding builders. A fascinating docudrama, from start to finish. Strasbourg Cathedral, a gothic jewel and the highest monument in the West until the 19th century, was both an excessive dream and an architectural feat. How, in the Middle Ages, was such a wonder made possible? Behind its elegant, pink sandstone façade and its famous rose window, which is set ablaze at sunset, three centuries of visionary and inspired master-builders followed on from one another – Erwin de Steinbach, Ulrich d’Ensingen and Jean Hültz – as did craftsmen with a savoir-faire that was envied all over Europe. They return here in fiction form. An epic blending mystery, doubt, revelations, intrigue and tragedies. Best 3 D Documentary Film Award - Festival Dimension 3 (Saint-Denis - France).
MINDWORKS
THE BRIAN-EYE PROCESS. 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
OUR AMAZING BRAIN. 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.
THE CHILD POLICE FROM INDIA
According to an Indian law, on the death of a policeman his title is transmitted to his eldest son. He is officially considered a police officer, even if he is still a minor. Thus it happens that 4-year-old children work in khaki uniforms, doing simple tasks such as preparing coffee and filing files. Thus a salary is guaranteed to families who have lost their head of household. The children earn the same salary as their father. At 18 they do not need to pass a competition to be admitted to the police, but can be integrated into the service immediately. Under conditions that they have finished school and are at least 1.68 meters tall.
TRAVEL QUEST
BRAZIL. Bill Ball breaks the rules and stereo types of travel shows as he ventures beyond the highlights. What do you do after you’ve lead groups to over 140 countries and all 7 continents? Welcome to Bill’s bucket list on steroids... Travel Quest. This new, fast-paced series chases Bill around the globe as he seeks out anything but the mundane and ordinary—coming face-to-face with the largest crocodiles in the world, snorkeling with thousands of jellyfish, walking on the rim of an exploding volcano, feeding a group of sharks without a cage, bicycling across the Serengeti... this is not your typical travel show!
TRAVEL QUEST
ANTARCTICA. Bill Ball breaks the rules and stereo types of travel shows as he ventures beyond the highlights. What do you do after you’ve lead groups to over 140 countries and all 7 continents? Welcome to Bill’s bucket list on steroids... Travel Quest. This new, fast-paced series chases Bill around the globe as he seeks out anything but the mundane and ordinary—coming face-to-face with the largest crocodiles in the world, snorkeling with thousands of jellyfish, walking on the rim of an exploding volcano, feeding a group of sharks without a cage, bicycling across the Serengeti... this is not your typical travel show!
FLOODS
PART 1. “Floods” is a film dedicated to the memory of those victims of the great floods like those of New York, Bangkok and Xynthia. This film takes us from New York to Tokyo and Bangkok, visiting Shanghai, the Netherlands and Germany on the way. Throughout the world, oceanographers, coastal engineers, geologists, economists, architects and insurance companies cooperate to understand, anticipate and create a strategy of sustainable protection systems. The relationship between man, his cities and its environment is entirely being redefined. A global and multidisciplinary approach is needed to push boundaries and convince political authorities to act now, to save entire regions from flood threat.
WILD AUSTRALIA WITH RAY MEARS
EP. 01. Ray Mears explores the Great Barrier Reef starting on the Queensland mainland taking a boat out to Hervey Bay with whale expert Wally Franklin. They witness a mother hump back whale teaching her three month old calf the whale moves needed to survive the long migration to Antarctica.He flies out to Lady Elliot Island at the southernmost tip of the Great Barrier Reef where he goes scuba diving on the coral reef and discovers giant turtles and manta rays and shoals of big eyed trevelly fish.Back on the island Ray helps marine biologist Maggie O’Neal plant a Pisonia tree and finds out how the Pisonia trees kill the Black Noddy bird’s that nest in them in order to use their corpses as a fertile compost given the unforgiving ground of a coral island.
WILD AUSTRALIA WITH RAY MEARS
EP. 02. Ray Mears journeys into the remote wilderness region of Arnhem land to the Cooper Creek Billabong. He’s there during the dry season and all the wild life is concentrated into a narrow stretch of water. He comes face to face with the dominant saltwater crocodile and watches as the croc manoeuvres a dead pig down river to a secret hiding place. When Ray gets too close warns him off.Ray travels into Stone Country above the Billabong where he finds a gallery of ancient Aboriginal art and joins locals Connie Nayinggul and her grandson Moses on a fishing expedition. They catch a barramundi and cook the fish in a traditional ground oven using paper bark.Finally Ray travels with land manager Greg Towns across the dried up mudflats through giant flocks of Magpie Geese. Ray helps Greg to burn away large meadows of alien and destructive grass that is killing the birds. In a dramatic scene Ray witnesses the spectacle of farming with fire.
SHOW ME WHERE YOU LIVE
JAPAN. Show me where you live is a documentary series that aims to answer the following question: How can human beings claim ownership to a space so that they can live safely within it, function as a society, and above all be in harmony with the environment around them? As we discover cultures and emblematic populations, we follow Philippe Simay who is at the heart of Inhabiting the World and represents its identity and originality. Philippe takes us on an epic adventure around the Human Habitat and sets the tone for the journey. As a humanist and philosopher, Philippe is a tireless surveyor of the city, and an explorer of living spaces. Determined to travel around the world, Philippe unveils how the populations that he encounters claim the space they occupy, shapes it and adjust to it. In this series of 20 films, of 26 minutes each, the habitat will be a major showcase revealing our capacity to adapt ourselves at a time where we need to find solutions in order to address immense changes.
SHOW ME WHERE YOU LIVE
NETHERLANDS: THE FLOATING HOUSES OF IJBURG. Show me where you live is a documentary series that aims to answer the following question: How can human beings claim ownership to a space so that they can live safely within it, function as a society, and above all be in harmony with the environment around them? As we discover cultures and emblematic populations, we follow Philippe Simay who is at the heart of Inhabiting the World and represents its identity and originality. Philippe takes us on an epic adventure around the Human Habitat and sets the tone for the journey. As a humanist and philosopher, Philippe is a tireless surveyor of the city, and an explorer of living spaces. Determined to travel around the world, Philippe unveils how the populations that he encounters claim the space they occupy, shapes it and adjust to it. In this series of 20 films, of 26 minutes each, the habitat will be a major showcase revealing our capacity to adapt ourselves at a time where we need to find solutions in order to address immense changes.
NEW FRONTIER
THE ICE GIANTS. Beyond the asteroid belt lay the ice giants, some can be seen with the naked eye, others only glimpsed once by a passing probe. We are again sending cameras to the edge of the solar system giving us new insights into the evolution of our worlds.
NEW FRONTIER
THE MOONS OF OLYMPUS. These are the the Moon's of the gas giants. Each a unique and mysterious world of its own. Some have oceans of water, geysers of Sulphur or atmospheres of plastic. Some are just now being seen at the outer rim of our solar system, all are worthy of much more scrutiny.
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.
CREATIVE KILLERS
EP. 01. 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? Savuti is big cat country. But only the most resourceful cats make it to the top.The Marsh Pride, Savuti’s resident lions, is faced with their toughest challenge this winter: Buffalo. The complicated mix of boggy marsh, open plains and dense woodland provide extra obstacles in their path to a meal. Over centuries these heavyweights have adapted their hunting strategy to Savuti’s every challenge and the buffalos’ every move. And their secret: The nighttime hunt. When the sun sets, the tables begin to turn and Savuti is at the pride’s mercy. But there’s no shortage of challenges: Saba, the pride matriarch and most experienced hunter, has got to provide for her pride and keep them, and her territory, safe from two young male lions that are trespassing on Marsh Pride territory. It all seems doable until she gets injured after a run-in with hyenas… A lone female leopard is Savuti’s ultimate innovator. Her environment has forced her to change her hunting strategy and her prey, and she’s thriving!We follow three characters through Savuti’s winter, starting with the disappearance of the small game and the arrival of the buffalo. The film looks at how our characters use the environment and features of the landscape to their advantage. We focus on the numerous challenges of Savuti – the things that make it such a hostile place for predators, and also highlight the inter-predatory battles between the Marsh Pride and the Nomads. We look at the challenges the young leopard is faced with while hunting under the lions’ radar and trying to survive in her non-leopard-friendly environment.
JAPANESE HEIGHTS
There is more to Japan's natural landscape than just Mount Fuji! Discover the country's numerous mountains and the ethos of the people who live there. From mountains with eight peaks, mountain gods who keep locals in their awe to building snow monsters & embracing modern activities like skiing - this documentary shows the unseen side to Japan!
STOLEN TREASURES
EP. 1. 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.
STOLEN TREASURES
EP. 2. 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.
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.
TRAVEL THRU HISTORY
ST. PETERSBURG. Up, up and away! We discover St. Petersburg Florida's aviation roots at the St.Pete History Museum. Then, comb your mustache, we visit the Dali Museum to look at Salvador Dali's amazing masterworks. We'll dredge the deep looking for sponges, and defend the bay at Fort Desoto.
TRAVEL THRU HISTORY
ODDS AND ENDS. This show features some segments that didn't fit in their respective episodes. We play around at the Pinball Museum in Las Vegas. Then, we salute the Commander in Chief at the Presidential Hall of Fame in Clermont, FL. Also, we'll swim with real mermaids at Weeki Wachee Springs in Central Florida, and cheer on Teddy Ballgame at the Ted Williams Hitters Hall of Fame.
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.
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…
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.