Category Archives: Documentaries

Documentaries, Nature, Television, Travel, Videos, Wildlife

Wildlife: ‘Nature On PBS’ Season 42 Trailer (2023-24)

Leave a comment

Nature on PBS (August 29, 2023) – NATURE returns for its 42nd Season, featuring a brand-new Spy in the Ocean miniseries, alongside documentaries on grizzlies, whales, shorebirds and ancient sea monsters.

THE PLATYPUS GUARDIAN | Wednesday, October 18

Witness the story of an extraordinary man and a mysterious animal living on an island at the end of the world…Tasmania. Pete Walsh is a Tasmanian with no background in natural history, yet he’s become obsessed with one of nature’s least understood creatures, the platypus. Before it is too late, Pete is on a mission to observe and understand these animals and save them from urban development in the capital city of Hobart. Pete befriends one particular female platypus he names Zoom. She lets him into her secretive world and Pete learns more about the life of this enigmatic species, capturing unique footage of their behavior.
 

SPY IN THE OCEAN (4-part special) | Wednesdays, October 25 – November 15

The latest installment of the popular Spy in the Wild series takes place in the ocean, the largest ecosystem on Earth. This four-part Nature miniseries deploys animatronic spy cameras disguised as marine animals to secretly record behavior in the wild. These uncanny robotic look-alikes take us to places where no spy has gone before. They will swim, float, paddle, waddle, drift and fly into every nook and cranny to film rarely seen behavior that reveals how ocean animals possess emotions and behavior similar to humans – including the capacity to love, grieve, deceive and invent.
 

BIG LITTLE JOURNEYS (3-part special) | Premieres Winter/Spring 2024

Small animals, even tiny ones, must sometimes make epic journeys to find a home or a mate. While the distances may not seem monumental to us, to these little creatures the journey is monumental. Grasses appear like skyscrapers, mounds become mountains and raindrops fall as big as cars. Meet six heroic, tiny travelers risking it all to complete big journeys against the odds.
 

GRIZZLY 399 (working title) | Premieres Winter/Spring 2024

The most famous bear in Yellowstone is responsible for 22 descendants. Grizzly 399 has become a symbol of the clash between humans and the wild, as well as a measure of success for her species as it creeps back from the brink of extinction. Now, the stakes are higher than ever as the State of Wyoming petitions the federal government to remove grizzlies from the endangered species list—which would make it legal to hunt bears for recreation. But 399 is far more than just a symbol, she’s the protagonist of a riveting story full of twists and turns, hope and heartbreak.
 

ATTENBOROUGH AND THE JURASSIC SEA MONSTER | Premieres Winter/Spring 2024

Sir David Attenborough unearths a once in a lifetime discovery: the fossil of a giant Pliosaur, the largest Jurassic predator ever known. Follow a team of forensic experts on a perilous expedition to excavate the skull, uncover the predatory secrets lying deep inside the fossil, and unlock clues about the life of this giant sea beast.
 

PATRICK AND THE WHALE | Premieres Winter/Spring 2024

For years, Patrick Dykstra has traveled the globe following and diving with whales, learning how whales see, hear and perceive other creatures in the water. In Dominica, Patrick has a life changing experience – a close encounter with a sperm whale he names “Delores.” Witness Patrick and the whale attempt to communicate with each other in extraordinary footage never before seen.
 

RAPTORS: A FISTFUL OF DAGGERS (two-part series; working title) | Premieres Winter/Spring 2024

The planet’s most successful large predators are a group of birds known as raptors. United by a hooked beak, a taste for flesh and a set of razor-sharp talons, these birds of prey have conquered the globe. Raptors dominate every habitat in which they live. Learn more about eagles, hawks, and falcons as well as the lesser-known hunters like the secretary bird, the caracara, kites and more.
 

UKRAINE ANIMALS (working title) | Premieres Winter/Spring 2024

Ukrainian YouTuber Anton Ptushkin documents the work that Ukrainian citizens have done to rescue and care for the pets and zoo animals abandoned during the war. Before the invasion in February 2022, Ukraine had the second-highest population of pets per capita in the world. In the face of violence, pets and their owners became symbols of resistance, heroes and frontline volunteers. See how a national tragedy transformed into a global story of incredible devotion and love.
 

FLYWAYS (working title) | Premieres Winter/Spring 2024

Shorebirds fly thousands of miles each year along ancient and largely unknown migratory routes called Flyways. Species travel from feeding grounds in the southern hemisphere to breeding grounds in the Arctic regions and back again, flying up to nine days non-stop without food or water. But their populations are crashing. Follow a conservation movement of bird-loving experts and citizen scientists as they mobilize to the challenge of understanding and saving shorebirds.
 

GORILLA (working title) | Premieres Winter/Spring 2024

Gabon’s Loango National Park is home to a group of western lowland gorillas that have become accustomed to biologists who have studied them for almost 20 years. This documentary presents an intimate look at a silverback and his family, and features a newborn baby gorilla, brave researchers, forest elephants, buffalos and the last remaining wild coastline in the African tropics.

Art, Arts & Literature, Documentaries, Museums, Science, Videos

Ancient Art: How Experts Are Uncovering Forgeries

Video Leave a comment

DW Documentary (August 21, 2023) – When a long-lost bronze of Alexander the Great suddenly turns up in Greece, experts are suspicious. This documentary follows archaeologist Stephan Lehmann as he follows the trail of the art forgers.

Stephan Lehmann has uncovered around 50 suspected forged artworks to date – in the marketplace, in private collections and even in museums. Now, a large bronze of Alexander the Great has resurfaced in Greece. It was owned by a British art dealer and was handed back to Greece as previously looted art. But Lehmann and other experts say it’s a fake. Due to his work, archaeologist Stephan Lehmann is not always a popular figure: in the art trade and the museum world, many people prefer to sweep the problem of forgeries under the rug.

But one anonymous Swiss collector decided to confront the issue. He sent Lehmann an allegedly ancient but highly dubious bronze depicting Emperor Augustus, which he had purchased for several hundred thousand dollars in New York. Lehmann examined it and had it X-rayed at Germany’s Fraunhofer Institute, using one of the most powerful CT scanners in the world.

Testing the material an artwork is made of can not only uncover forgeries; it can also shed light on how forgers go about their work. This documentary sets out on the trail of art forgers, uncovering a dark and concealed side of the antiquities trade. It reveals just how good forgeries can be. Fakes have even sometimes turned up among supposedly looted works being returned to states as part of the restitution process.

#documentary #dwdocumentary #fake #forgery #crime

Culture, Documentaries, Historical, Reviews, Traditions, Videos

Documentary: Culture And Diversity In Taiwan

Leave a comment

DW Documentary (August 11, 2023) – Taiwan is a place of incredible variety. The tiny island’s natural beauty is a concentration of some of Asia’s most spectacular features. To the east, there are sheer cliffs with mountain peaks, plateaus and hot springs. To the south, you’ll find sandy beaches, coral reefs and lagoons.

Although the Taiwanese live in a high-tech world, they are still firmly anchored by ancient traditions. During the course of his life, Lin Liang-tai has created many elaborately adorned wooden boats. But they’re not built to last, as they’re destined for Taiwan’s legendary Wang Ye Festival. As part of the temple ceremony to honor the goddess of the sea, a 10-meter boat is blessed, loaded with offerings and pulled through the village down to the beach.

There, it’s set alight, burning any evil spirits that might be lurking about the place. Shrimps are all the rage in Taiwan. In large halls across the entire island, shrimps can be fished out of huge tanks and put straight on the barbecue. Zhan Jia-ming runs one of these popular shrimp halls, and tips bucketloads of fresh shrimps into the tanks every hour. Oysters are a mainstay of Taiwanese cuisine, whether boiled, fried or made into oyster sauce. On the west coast, oyster farms sustain entire village communities.

In Fangyuan, we see one oyster farmer still using traditional methods to harvest his oysters. He drives ox-drawn carts onto the tidal flats, just as it has been done for generations. In the fishing village of Dongshi, several tons of oysters are harvested, opened and processed every day. Taiwan’s relations with the mainland have often been strained since the establishment of the People’s Republic of China in 1949. Beijing regards the island as part of its territory. Tensions have been on the rise in recent times.

Tsai Jin-lu is a committed birdwatcher. For years, he’s documented his rare bird sightings in the Aogu Wetlands Forest Park on the western coast of Taiwan. But these days, his binoculars are frequently trained on something much bigger, up in the skies above. That’s because this is where the Taiwan carries out fighter jet exercises almost every day.

#documentary #dwdocumentary #taiwan

Culture, Documentaries, Homes, Reviews, Travel, Videos

Views: Bamboo Villages Of The Adi In Arunachal Pradech, Northeast India

Video Leave a comment

TRACKS – Travel Documentaries (July 8, 2023) – A journey to the small village of Ponging in the state of Arunachal Pradech, a region in northeast India that is also spread over Bhutan, Burma, and Tibet. The Adi people, called the men of the hills, have learned to both survive and thrive off of bamboo, which is what their homes are made of in beautifully intricate patterns.

Cities, Documentaries, Tours, Travel, Videos, Views

Italy Travel Guide: Napoli, Pompeii And Amalfi Coast

Video Leave a comment

Stef Hoffer Films (June 30, 2023) – Napoli is one of Europe’s most diverse and fascinating cities, and an intriguing place to travel to. Often misunderstood, this Italian city has some of the country’s most beautiful architecture, ancient historic sites, delicious food, interesting traditions, and a friendly, welcoming people.

Located in the Southern Campania region, Napoli (or Naples) has a very different character from most other Italian cities.

In this travel documentary, I’m exploring the streets of Napoli and its surroundings. From the buzzing, narrow alleys of the old city center to the grand churches and cathedrals. From historic palaces and castles to mysterious underground tunnels. And from ancient archaeological sites under the shadow of Mount Vesuvius to one of Italy’s most beautiful stretches of coastline.

Documentaries, News, Reviews, Society, Videos, Views

Documentary: “Waiting To Die” In North Korea (BBC)

Video Leave a comment

BBC News (June 15, 2023) – Three North Koreans want to tell the world about the situation in the country. They expose, for the first time, the disaster unfolding there since the government sealed the borders more than three years ago starvation, brutal crackdowns and no chance to escape.

Under the tyrannical rule of Kim Jong Un, North Koreans are forbidden from making contact with the outside world. A spokesperson for the North Korean government has disputed the claims, which they said were “not entirely factual”.

Climate Change, Documentaries, Reviews, Technology, Videos

Climate Change: A Review Of High-Tech Solutions

Video Leave a comment

DW Documentary (June 13, 2023) – Can high-tech solutions help protect the climate? What would be the side effects of further human intervention in nature?

Attempts are being made to reduce the CO2 in the atmosphere with technical solutions. For example, new carbon capture technology that can extract CO2 from air and water, even if the amount currently captured is minimal and not enough to prevent the climate crisis and its consequences. Still, there is no shortage of ideas. Adding basalt rock dust to agricultural fields not only binds carbon dioxide but keeps the soil fertile.

Biochar, made from organic waste, has a similar effect. Some ideas are bolder: A protective screen of particles in the upper layers of the atmosphere could filter sunlight, as seen with the eruption of the Pinatubo volcano in the Philippines in 1991. The millions of tons of sulfur dioxide spewed into the stratosphere cooled the earth significantly.

Theoretically, aircraft could be used to deliver the particles. But experts warn that the consequences for humans and the weather would be felt worldwide and could never be fully controlled.

#documentary #dwdocumentary #climatechange

Documentaries, Neuroscience, Reviews, Science, Videos

Documentary: ‘Your Brain – Who’s In Control’ (NOVA)

Video Leave a comment

NOVA PBS Official (May 31, 2023) – Are you in control, or is your brain controlling you? Dive into the latest research on the subconscious with neuroscientist Heather Berlin. Sleepwalking, anesthesia, game theory, and more reveal surprising insights in this eye-opening journey to discover what’s really driving the decisions you make.

Chapters: 00:00 Introduction 03:22 Sleepwalking and the Brain 08:36 Anesthesia and the Brain 14:18 Results of Split Brain Surgery 22:23 Emotions and the Brain 30:01 How Does Trauma Affect the Brain? 35:39 How Much Control Do We Have of Our Brain? 45:44 Creativity and the Brain 50:17 Conclusion

Analysis, Documentaries, Military, Reviews, Videos

Analysis: How NATO Will Defend The Baltic States

Video Leave a comment

DW Documentary (May 28, 2023) – NATO members are viewing Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine with grave concern, especially those on the alliance’s eastern flank. They’re joining forces with German troops right on the Russian border.

Germany is the leading or “framework nation” in what is called the NATO Battle Group Lithuania. With its alliance partners, German forces are serving “on the front line” – right on the Russian border. They’re guarding NATO’s northeast flank against any possible incursion and ensuring the Baltic states are supported during times of crisis and, if necessary, conflict.

In the spring of 2023, Germany’s military is in Rukla and Pabrade, among other places, for maneuvers. There it is practicing with NATO partners from Croatia, the Czechia and the Netherlands to handle a Russian attack on the Baltic states. In full agreement with the NATO motto “train as you fight,” practice and training are closely-oriented to a genuine threat.

The leader of the German contingent, Colonel Wolfgang Schmidt, points out the special historic significance and perceived peril in the Baltic. He says, “From historical experience, of course the perception of possible aggression – be it Russian or Belarusian – is far more intense here than in the Federal Republic of Germany.” He adds that not everyone has grasped the defense of “all that we stand for – modernity, freedom of opinion and speech and everything we describe as Western values begins here.” For a year, Schmidt says, the Ukraine has been fighting far more than their Russian attackers – they’re defending “our freedom,” too. This report follows a major exercise called “Griffin Lightning.” A platoon commander with the Dutch Armed Forces emphasizes the importance of maneuvers and cooperation among the multinational forces.

First Lieutenant Bent S. says, “We’re taking part in different exercises. Last week we were with the Norwegians. In a few weeks, the whole Battle Group will come together and we’ll train again with the Norwegians, Germans, Czechs and Croats. Nobody wants war, but if it really comes to it, we’ll be ready.” This documentary provides an exclusive look at NATO maneuvers in Lithuania, which are unfolding closer than ever before to a genuine military threat.

#documentary #dwdocumentary #nato

Culture, Documentaries, Profiles, Reviews, Videos

Sri Lanka Views: The Rise Of Women ‘Tuk-Tuk’ Drivers

Video Leave a comment

DW Documentary (May 25, 2023) – Amidst the traffic chaos of Sri Lanka: the popular auto-rickshaws, or tuk-tuks. They’re traditionally driven by men. But increasingly, you’ll see a woman at the wheel – and this film is about three of them: Anulawathi, Thushari and Jega. Anulawathi, Thushari and Jega all do the same job: they’re auto rickshaw drivers in Sri Lanka, three women in a sector traditionally dominated by men.

Besides being a popular mode of transport, the three-wheeled tuk-tuk also provides these three women with a reliable source of income. All three were left by their husbands and had to find a way to feed themselves and their children. They were forced to challenge societal norms. After all, in Sri Lanka, men are traditioanally seen as the providers. Male tuk-tuk drivers view their female colleagues as rivals. But unsurprisingly, female customers love them. Thushari lives in the capital Colombo. She is a longtime parent and works to support herself and her two daughters.

Anuwalathi works in Kandy. She lived abroad for a few years and saved up enough money to buy her own tuk-tuk. Jega is also a single parent. She lives with her son and niece in the tourist resort of Hikkaduwa. All three women earn a steady income from the tuk-tuk business, which brings them closer to their eventual goal – independence and freedom.