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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.
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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.
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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.
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THE CONDOR MAN FROM ARGENTINA
Patagonia, a land of eternal winds and unspoilt nature, is home to the world's largest bird - the Andean Condor, with its average wingspan of 3 meters. In many places, the species has already become extinct. Ornithologist Lorenzo Sympson has been studying the birds for 25 years now. Lately, he has been focusing increasingly on the young animals. This year, he even wants to attach small webcams to the birds' nests that will provide a unique insight into the breeding and rearing behaviors of the rare Andean Condor.
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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.
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CORAL SEA DREAMING
Coral Sea Dreaming enters into the very heart of life – and death – on a coral reef. It is a story that spans 500 million years and stars some of the most exotic and wonderous marine creatures on earth. Coral is the planet’s greatest natu- ral architect, and coral reefs boast the highest biodiversity of any ecosystem.
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SPITSBERGEN
ICY ISLAND. 360° GEO - Report attended German supplier Rupert Krapp, on his tours through the rough landscape and picturesque fjords of Spitsbergen.The Arctic autumn is short. As early as the end of September the inhabitants of Spitsbergen prepare themselves for the long dark winter. Those who can leave the island. But a small group of people stays, mostly comprised of students, scientists and logisticians: among them is Rupert Krapp.Since late 1999, he has been living in Longyearbyen, the largest settlement on the main island. From here, he delivers goods to all those requiring supplies at their solitary stations and on their scientific research vessels.
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HISTORIC FOOTBALL MATCH IN FLORENCE
Florence, the cradle of the Renaissance, is today a so-called "museum-city". The small city center is invaded by thousands of tourists every day. But there is one sport tourists usually don't know : the calcio florentino, a violent game with no rules, exclusively for Florentine people. Struggling with the consequences of gentrification, the city is losing its identity and its citizens. But there is still one way in which Florence and the "Fiorentini" can express their own identity - the "Calcio Storico Fiorentino" (Historical Florentine soccer), a game that has been played in Florence for 800 years but only 3 days a year in the month of June! This primitive, tough and dangerous mix of football and boxing is played in one of the world's most famous squares, the Piazza Santa Croce. The players can hit the ball with their hands or feet, and they can stop their adversaries in any way possible. These two rules make the game one of the roughest sports ever played.
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DIVING WITH CROCODILES
In Africa’s waterways, one predator reigns supreme – the Nile crocodile. One of the biggest and most deadly reptiles on Earth, it commands a fearsome reputation and strikes terror those who share its domain. Countless attacks in which victims are ruthlessly taken from riverbanks or attacked in their canoes leave no doubt that the Nile crocodile may views humans as natural prey. In fact, the animal was recently reclassified as the number one killer of humans in Africa, overtaking the previous record holder, the hippo. In ‘Diving with Crocodiles’ cameraman and crocodile expert Brad Bestelink undertakes the unthinkable and dives into the waters of the Okavango Delta. Without a cage or any other protection, he gets up close and personal with these fearsome creatures in this groundbreaking film. Such a feat has never been recorded before. But Brad is well prepared – his decision to take the plunge is the result of many years spent studying crocodile behavior in his native Botswana. His window of opportunity to dive is small and dependent on the seasonal ebb and flow of the Okavango. There are only a couple of months each year when visibility in the delta allows for perfect filming conditions. This extraordinary film provides all the high drama associated with modern-day exploration, coupled with the exhilaration of interacting with wild animals. The underwater secrets of the Nile crocodile are revealed with unique and compelling footage in the pristine underwater environment of the Okavango delta.
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QUIRKY SCIENCE
The invention of paper seems straightforward. Although writing has been around for a long time, paper hasn't. In fact, putting thoughts down in written form wasn't always easy or practical. Early people discovered that they could make simple drawings on the walls of caves, which was a great place for recording thoughts, but not very portable. Earlier forms were bamboo, made by the Chinese and we have all heard of Papyrus, which actually was not the first type of paper. True paper - made from various fibers much like today, is credited to Han Dynasty official Cai Lun in 105 AD, though there's evidence of use 100-200 years' earlier. Paper used to be extremely expensive - it was all hand made and used only by kings' advisers. In the 14th century man started making paper from cloth, as the Black Death left so many clothes behind. That made paper cheap. But another question arose, how do we put things on paper? The pen has made some revolutionary changes. Often – because those having the luxury of being able to write - ended up annoyed with the ink stains it left behind. The feather pen wasn’t ‘all that’! The humble ballpoint pen was invented when someone thought of placing a ball inside a tube filled with ink. Nowadays, paper brings us another issue: it is one of the largest contributor to greenhouse gasses and other pollutants - about 10% of all greenhouse gasses – which is three times more than the aviation industry! So now we have E-paper. The one and only non-paper... paper.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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
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COLONIES UNDER THE SEA
The film follows four unique divers as they explore shipwrecks in the heart of the Bahamas archipelago in order to discover the unexpected life they harbor.
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THE PLOUSHARE TORTOISE OF MADAGASCAR
The angonoka tortoise, as the local Madagascans call the ploughshare tortoise, is an especially elegant tortoise with a high-domed golden shell. Reaching an age of well over 100 years, they are found in the wild only on Madagascar, off the south-eastern coast of Africa. Reptile collectors from around the world are frantic to obtain living specimens. However, the interest of Asians is limited to the shell, which is ground into a powder and is considered by many to be an aphrodisiac. Baly Bay National Park in Madagascar is the last natural refuge for the ploughshare tortoise.
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QUIRKY SCIENCE
Mankind has been flying for over a century. As early as the 1500s Leonardo da Vinci tried to build a flying machine. Drawing inspiration from birds he gave it wings. Unfortunately, his ‘Ornithopter’ didn’t work, and indeed, the airplanes of today do not have flapping wings! We also tried it with balloons. Huge 245-metre long airships that needed the guts of between 80,000 to 200,000 cows! But, it was the kite that became the forerunner of the flying machine. A kite made by the now famous Wright brothers. The two brothers were bicycle repairmen, which convinced them that a flying machine could be highly unstable and yet controllable, such as with bicycles. They built their kites as strong as their bicycle frames and used bicycle parts to test their workings. The early Wright planes could manage no more than 65 km/h. Nowadays, a commercial plane can top 800 km/h. What is it that make our current planes fly 12 times faster? Well, one British Royal Air pilot, Frank Whittle, remembered his school experiments with the ‘Aeolipile’, a piece of ancient Greek engineering. This pilot argued that we could fly faster – if we’d fly higher - because there is less air resistance at high altitudes. The future of aviation has lead to Airbus’s A380, the largest passenger plane in the world as well as the scramjet built by NASA. So what will be the next quirky discovery for flight?
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QUIRKY SCIENCE
Cooling is more than a luxury. Nowadays it is a necessity. Without refrigerated shipping and stocking, fresh food wouldn’t reach our supermarket so easily. Can you imagine living without it? Before the invention of the refrigerator, icehouses were used to provide cool storage for most of the year. To cool our food and beverages, blocks of ice were simply cut out of frozen lakes and shipped to far and beyond. The so-called ‘ice-industry’ came to its end when, in the late 1900s, our waters became too polluted to serve as a cool preserving agent. Air-conditioning, on the other hand, was actually invented to control the humidity that was ruining the paper of printing offices, rather than the technology being used to cool you off. The quirky part is, you can’t create cold; you can only ‘move’ temperature form one place to another. The first one to find a technology that cooled the inside of a box - the forefather of the refrigerator - was a medical doctor. In fact, he thought he was building a machine to cure malaria. And yet it took over a century after that, before people started using refrigerators, because refrigerators were thought to be dangerous. And they had a point! For a few decades, the refrigerator was something of a killer machine (literally) as they omitted toxic gases that poisoned people… Even Einstein got worried and developed a cooling-machine. And when refrigerators stopped killing people, scientists discovered that refrigerants were harming the environment. All sorts of chemicals have passed through our refrigerator coils, to be discarded… but perhaps we have a new solution: cooling with the vibrations of sound. That does sound cool.
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MEDITERRANEAN, IN THE CETACEAN FOOTSTEPS
This documentary explores the paths of knowledge of Mediterranean Cetaceans. With scientists, veterinarians, representatives of associations, amateur or professional fishermen, we discover these mammals as well as major issues looming over their presence in this particular area of the globe. Through their very survival in the Mediterranean Sea we have a natural barometer of the "health level" of the local ecosystem. We focus on follow various peoples during their missions on a daily basis. All with a clear stated desire in mind, that being to look through the prism of this human mosaic working on the species survival... and thus contributing on sustainable development. This assembly has the potential to increase by tenfold the general public interest towards these sea creatures.
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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.
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THE MONKEY WHISPERER AND HIS DREAM
360° GEO - Report accompanies David van Gennep a committed animal rights activist and his team of volunteers during on a distinctly moving mission. There is great excitement in the back of the monkey transporter - after a 20-minute drive, 8 chimpanzees impatient to get out of the van, suddenly go silent. For here, there is suddenly no cold concrete floor, and no cage awaiting them, but a vast, natural expanse of trees, grass and blue skies. After years of imprisonment, maltreatment and isolation, they will now have to learn to liaise with conspecifics, build up families and live outdoors. "Monkey whisperer" David van Gennep wipes the tears from his eyes. His lifelong dream to found a paradise for maltreated monkeys in Alicante in Spain, is finally coming true.
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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.
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THE TECH EFFECT
EP. 03. In this episode we examine advances in aviation that include flying cars being developed by Slovakian and Japanese companies. Ride share companies are also considering aerial options, with Uber among those working on autonomous urban aircraft that will fly over congested roads to landing points in the centre of cities. As the skies of the future will be teeming with flying vehicles, suitable air traffic management is essential. We look at new systems to connect autonomous aircraft with each other and an overarching traffic control. Finally, we explore a concept airliner of the future. Sustainable and flexible, it incorporates holograms and neural networks to provide a more engaging and relaxing flight.
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THE TECH EFFECT
EP. 04. In this episode we travel on a space tourist test flight that flies high above the Earth. It’s just one of the options available for wealthy thrill-seekers looking to defy gravity on a trip above our atmosphere. We also look at the latest spacesuits designed by NASA for extra-vehicular activity, or floating in space. Finally, we get an update on the Artemis project, the plan to send men and women to the moon this decade. Artemis requires cooperation between all the major space agencies to build a huge new space station called Gateway, that will also be the launch pad for a crewed mission to Mars this century.
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THE BEST SHEEPDOGS FROM WALES
The film follows Nigel and his dogs throughout the summer. Nigel Watkins is a farmer and vice-world champion sheepdog handler. Together with his partner, Janet, he runs his little farm Llanddeusant in the Brecon Beacons National Park in the south of Wales. Farming takes up a fair amount of his time, but his hobbies take up much more of it: he trains Border Collies, a breed of sheepdog.
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NEW ZEALAND'S RACE OF EXCESSES
A plunge into New Zealand's Ultramarathon preparations, a tradition that comes from a Maori legend. 55 year-old Lilac Fley is an athlete and many times winner of the extreme race. A Maori legend dictates the course of the Ultramarathon. It tells the story of a boy who once lived with his tribe on the New Zealand coast. One day his mother asked him to search for some kumaras, or sweet potatoes, for a meal. Instead of digging for them, he decided to steal some from the neighboring tribe. Till this day, runners follow in his footsteps along the coastline - during New Zealand's most famous marathon.
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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.
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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.
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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?
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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.
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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.
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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
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MINDWORKS
ALTERED VIEWS. 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.
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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.
