New Programs
The man who revived Germany
This is the portrait of a man without whom Germany wouldn’t be what it is today.
When Gerhard Schröder came to power, his country was depicted as the "sickman of Europe". His actions -which often turned the back to his social-democrat roots- still explain today the division inside the society, the increasing divergence between east and west, rich and poor, politics and society. It cost him his reelection, a risk he was fully aware of taking. But the radical changes he imposed definitely helped Germany to regain its status and succesfully face the various crises of the subsequent years.
Through hard work and discipline, Gerhard Schröder worked his way up from a humble origin to one of the most powerful political positions in Germany. Today his political savvy and expertise are sought after in a world increasingly dominated by populist leaders and autocratic states.
SURVIVING 9/11 [52’]
Trapped in the Towers
On the morning of September 11, 2001, Colin, John, and Bruno return to their offices in the North Tower while Brian does the same in the South Tower. Jay has just finished his night shift and leaves his fire station 5 minutes away from the World Trade Center.
Suddenly, the twin towers become the target of a ghastly attack.
For the first time, the tragedy of September 11 is told through 5 survivors, 5 heroes, trapped on different floors in the hell that has become the World Trade Center towers.
This is the story of their struggle for life.
THE IMMORTALS [52’]
Living beings with superpowers
Living beings have a very variable lifespan; it can be centuries, years or just a few days but all eventually face extinction. Yet there are animals that defy both death and time. They are called tardigrade, lobster, naked rat-taupe and possess real superpowers that enable them to fight disease and aging.
In trying to unravel their mystery a question arises: do they have the secret of eternal life?
LEGENDS OF EUROPE [12x52’]
Mystical and fantasy tales
This series take a new, almost magical, look at European heritage driven by a newfound interest for the fantastic dimension of its age-old legends. Whether frightening or surprising, these stories, inspired by natural splendours, are, at once, mystical and obscure enigmas to decipher.
Pirates, satanic beasts, enchanted forests, petrified shepherds, bewitched lakes, amphibian monsters or captive princesses are the heroes of this saga which, from North to South and from East to West, takes a new look at Europe.
HAITI, LIFE AT ALL COSTS [52’]
The Kangaroo method
On January 12, 2010, a brutal earthquake killed more than 200,000 people in Haiti. Eight years later, the situation in the country is still chaotic, particularly in maternity wards. The one at the public hospital in Port au Prince is still a makeshift, an unsuitable premise without running water. Premature babies, the most fragile, have very little chance of survival.
A few kilometres away, however, the Saint Damien maternity ward is saving most of these little lives. Subsidized by an Italian NGO, equipped with state-of-the-art neonatal equipment, it relies on a program that has proven its worth in other poor countries: the Kangaroo method.
THE OTHER GOERING [52’]
A divided brotherhood
You're not always responsible for your family members. Especially when you're the brother of one of the greatest war criminals, Reichsmarschall Hermann Goering.
It's hard to present oneself as a champion of individual freedoms when, in 1945, the death camps are being discovered, that the war has claimed millions of lives and every average German declares himself to be anti-Nazi.
And yet Hermann's brother, Albert Goering, calls himself a protector of the weak and oppressed. True or false? We find out that the devil had an archangel brother.
INSTANT BADASS [52’]
From the street to the cage
Away from the postcard image of Bangkok exists a world of violence and social antagonism.
Jakkrapong created the first Street Fight club in Bangkok, providing a space for anyone to come and experience fighting. Operating on the fringe of society, and considered by most to be thugs, these young men meet to fight. Not for money. Not for glory. Just to feel alive.
This is not a story about fighting but about the men who fight and ultimately rebuild, in their own way, a social bond within a hostile society.
BORNEO DEATH BLOW [52’]
A blowpipe-hunter tribe uncertain future
The Borneo island is home to the Penan, a blowpipe-hunter tribe. They use deadly poison darts to catch their preys and are experts at building rainproof shelters in under an hour. Their survival skills, nomadic culture and traditional knowledge enable them to be the last tribe remaining in one of the oldest and most diverse rainforests on Earth.
However, with around 90% of the forest cut down, the Penan are facing a dire future.
AL PACINO, THE RELUCTANT STAR [52’]
The many faces of an icon
Al Pacino made it onto the big stages, from Broadway to Hollywood, but, being extremely shy, is still somehow a mystery.
At the beginning of the 70’s, he got his first international success as Michael Corleone in "The Godfather" which was followed by legendary screen heroes such as drug lord Tony Montana, New York cop Serpico, bank robber Sonny Wortzig or blind colonel Frank Slade.
At nearly 80 years of age, Al Pacino continues to show his versatility by appearing both on stage and in front of the camera. He is a man with many faces. A gifted actor and a reluctant star.
CAPE TOWN, THE QUEEN BEAUTY OF AFRICA [52’]
The Mother City of South Africa
Nestled in a stunning bay overlooked by the world famous Table Mountain, Cape Town is known as the Mother City in South Africa.
This metropolis of 4 million people has been blessed with tremendous development after the end of apartheid and stands now as the most remarkable city in Africa. At once cosmopolitan and tolerant, dynamic and creative it is a fascinating place to visit.
ARKTIC A 62 DAY SOLITARY JOURNEY [52’]
On and under the ice pack
In some parts of the world, climate change is more obvious than elsewhere.
French explorer Alban Michon, a specialist in ice diving, achieved a world first by crossing the Arctic "Northwest Passage" alone. Carrying over 180 kilos of equipment, Alban travelled nearly 500 kilometres, braving temperatures as low as -53°C.
This film is the story of this extraordinary adventure on and under the ice pack.
BECOMING DE GAULLE [52’]
A visionary even from a very young age
General Charles de Gaulle is a multi-faceted man. There is the savior, a leading figure in French history during WWII. There is the intimate man, the one who cuddled his trisomic daughter, loved the simplicity of family life and always in need of Yvonne, the woman of his life.
And then there is the lesser known side of the man, a visionary even from a very young age.
This film tells the story of young Charles becoming General de Gaulle, the many challenges he imposed on himself. The story begins on November 22, 1890, and ends on June 18, 1940, in London.