Social & External
The people behind it
The story of an empire: From its founding in 1922 to its dissolution in 1991, the Soviet Union was shaped by revolutionary idealism, but also by oppression and decay. The USSR evolved from Stalinist terror through the Thaw under Khrushchev to political processes such as glasnost and perestroika under Gorbachev. Finally, in 1991, it collapsed.
During the turbulent 19th century, a number of brilliant French artists developed the Romantic movement in Paris: writers Victor Hugo, Alexandre Dumas, George Sand, Honoré de Balzac and Charles Baudelaire, painter Eugène Delacroix and composer Hector Berlioz, among others, changed the way of looking at art and created enduring works that have inspired the world to this day.
China: The Making of a Nation is the story of the painful transformation of the vast Qing Empire into the Chinese nation after the 1911 revolution. Spanning more than a century up to the Xi Jinping era, the story pits the two pivotal leaders of this transformation against each other: Chiang Kai-shek, leader of the Republic of China for 47 years, and Mao Zedong, who rose from ‘red bandit’ to master of the mainland in 1949. Sworn enemies, they fought a merciless battle: first military, then diplomatic, and finally, beyond their deaths, in the conflicting memories of the Taiwanese and the Chinese of the People's Republic. Beyond their fierce hatred, the two tyrants also had much in common: a certain vision of Chinese territory and the greatness of China, the desire to regain the country's sovereignty and the quest for a Chinese identity in a nation that also includes Tibetans, Uighurs, Mongols... and a certain ability to rewrite history.
China's history of the last 200 years seems like a boomerang, returning to the West what it once unleashed. The series reveals how devastating the struggles for identity and power have been for the population since the fall of the "Middle Kingdom," and how closely these tragedies are intertwined with our own. Great hopes were placed in a wide variety of visions for the future—and each time, bitter disappointment ensued. From the decline of the empire to its resurgence as a superpower, China's history is both a dream and a nightmare, in which human life is of little value.
"The Conspiracy", a documentary series directed by António-Pedro Vasconcelos, is the result of a meticulous investigation that includes exclusive testimonies from protagonists who managed to achieve in less than 24 hours, something that many others had not achieved in 48 years. From the secret meetings to the key characters, we are shown the extraordinary conspiratorial process that began in the summer of 1973 and culminated in the early hours of April 25, 1974, with the overthrow of the Estado Novo and the conquest of freedom. The rest, as they say, is history.
In Ideas of the 20th Century, Dr. Daniel Bonevac examines the major intellectual movements that shaped modern Western thought. Beginning with the Scientific, Agricultural, and Industrial Revolutions, the course explores how traditional beliefs came under pressure, creating tensions between human freedom and scientific determinism and contributing to cultural and political upheavals. Through the ideas of thinkers such as Nietzsche, Marx, Freud, and the existentialists, as well as debates over totalitarianism, liberty, language, truth, and justice, the course traces the search for meaning in the modern world. By connecting philosophy, politics, and culture, it reveals how the central ideas of the 20th century continue to shape contemporary society and the challenges facing Western civilization today.
This three-episode miniseries chronicles the rise and fall of the Habsburg Empire, one of the most powerful European empires in history. The Habsburg Empire lasted throughout the second millennium and had a major influence on European culture.
We have been colonised by the machines we have built. Although we don't realise it, the way we see everything in the world today is through the eyes of the computers.
200 years after the Greek Revolution, this documentary revisits the key moments that led a nation to be reborn and reclaim its Hellenic identity, from the ideological factors that ignited a revolution to the battles that forever scarred it
The Mokhtar Narrative is an Epic/History television series directed by Davood Mirbagheri, based on the life of Al-Mokhtar. Over 140 actors were cast in it. Mokhtar Saqafi was a Shiite Muslim leader who sets up a rebellion movement in 686 A.D in the town of Kufa to avenge the martyrdom of Hussain (grandson of Islamic Prophet Muhammad).
The remarkable story of the Irish War of Independence (1919-1922) which resulted in the formation of the Irish Free State and became the model for other British colonies to gain their independence.
Documentary on the 7 signatories of the 1916 Easter Proclamation.
Set in the city of Beiping during the 22 days before the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949 is a story about the drastic changes in the lives of three brothers Jin Hai, Tie Lin, and Xu Tian as well as a romance between Xu Tian and Tian Dan. In investigating the murder that claimed the life of his fiancee, policeman Xu Tian starts on a trail that will eventually lead to his involvement in the liberation of Beiping. Jin Hai, Tie Lin, and Xu Tian are three friends who are as close as brothers. In the face of historic changes and conflicting beliefs, they make choices that take them on diverging paths. Xu Tian and communist member Tian Dan meet during their lowest moments and find a common goal that brings them together.
Young Tatsumi travels to the capital of the Empire in order to earn money for his starving people and encounters a world of unimaginable depravity, dominated by the ruthless Prime Minister who controls the child Emperor. Tatsumi is recruited by Night Raid, a group of assassins dedicated to eliminating corruption by mercilessly killing officials and privileged nobles.
After ten years of knowledge and choice, after the victory of the War of Resistance Against Japan, Lin Nansheng has grown into a true Communist Party member. And at the critical moment of the War of Liberation, he made outstanding contributions to the party and the country.
The drama highlights the 100-year history of the Communist Party of China, unfolding across eight key segments, each connected by a classic song.
For the first time, the drama "Decisive Victory" presents a panoramic view of the three major battles of Liaoshen, Huaihai and Pingjin in the form of a TV series, presenting a dramatic battle of China's destiny. It presents the three battles in three dimensions by telling the stories of strategy, tactics and battles and presents a vivid individual in the grand war through colorful characters.
In 1948, amid political turmoil, the Chinese Communist Party invited democratic leaders and even Nationalist defectors to collaborate on building a new China. Led by Mao Zedong, their vision of unity, democracy, and peace inspired figures across political divides to establish an independent and united nation.
Come one, come all to The Circus. This real-time documentary series pulls back the curtain on the current political stories, revealing the intense, inspiring and infuriating stories behind the headlines. Key characters and events are presented in real time, as they are happening.
Infographics and archival footage deliver bite-size history lessons on scientific breakthroughs, social movements and world-changing discoveries.
Motoring programme featuring reviews of and reports about cars of all types.
TV's most-watched history series brings to life the compelling stories from our past that inform our understanding of the world today.
MegaStructures is a documentary television series appearing on the National Geographic Channel in the United States and the United Kingdom, Channel 5 in the United Kingdom, France 5 in France, and 7mate in Australia. Each episode is an educational look of varying depth into the construction, operation, and staffing of various structures or construction projects, but not ordinary construction products. Generally containing interviews with designers and project managers, it presents the problems of construction and the methodology or techniques used to overcome obstacles. In some cases this involved the development of new materials or products that are now in general use within the construction industry. MegaStructures focuses on constructions that are extreme; in the sense that they are the biggest, tallest, longest, or deepest in the world. Alternatively, a project may appear if it had an element of novelty or are a world first. This type of project is known as a Megaproject.
Don Wildman unearths relics from the world's greatest institutions to reveal secrets from the past. He examines each artifact to illuminate history's most incredible triumphs, sensational crimes and bizarre encounters.
Featuring rare footage and interviews with CIA insiders, this edge-of-your-seat documentary series traces the epic hunt for Osama bin Laden.
An insider's look at the engineering and scientific miracles behind the things that form the modern world.
In this true-crime documentary, a cult expert and filmmaker infiltrate a polygamist sect to expose a self-proclaimed prophet and bring him to justice.
Doctor Who Confidential is a documentary to complement the revival of the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. Each episode was broadcast on BBC Three on Saturdays, immediately after the broadcast of the weekly television episode on BBC One. The running time of the first two series was 30 minutes, being extended to 45 minutes in the third. BBC Three also broadcast a cut-down edition of the programme, lasting 15 minutes, shown after the repeats on Sundays and Fridays and after the weekday evening repeats of earlier seasons.
Transcending the music documentary genre by creating a new lane that merges music, socio-cultural commentary and and intimate family portrait of the Wu-Tang Clan.
Explores WWII from Germany's invasion of Poland through the atomic age, examining pivotal battles, wartime leaders like Churchill and Roosevelt, and the human cost of total war.
This compelling series investigates the motives and m.o. of female murderers. While males are often driven by anger, impulse and destruction, women usually have more complex, long-term reasons to kill.
American Masters is a PBS television series which produces biographies on enduring writers, musicians, visual and performing artists, dramatists, filmmakers, and others who have left an indelible impression on the cultural landscape of the United States.
This trophy-packed, insider-fuelled documentary charts José Mourinho's iconic rise as one of the world's top footballing managers of the most elite clubs.
Told from the perspective of the rebel leaders, the series chronicles a wave of rebellions against absolute power by those the Roman Empire called “barbarians” – tribes they viewed as beyond the fringe of civilization that lived a brutish and violent existence. But these also were men and women who launched epic struggles that shaped the world to come with a centuries-long fight to defeat the sprawling empire.
An in-depth look at the history and pop cultural significance of horror films.
Have you ever wondered how the products you use every day are made? How It's Made leads you through the process of how everyday products, such as apple juice, skateboards, engines, contact lenses, and many more objects are manufactured.
Have you ever wondered what goes on behind the scenes of the most legendary monuments and powerful organizations in the United States? America’s Book of Secrets lifts the veil of mystery, giving you unparalleled access to historical narratives and insider information previously hidden from the public. Through in-depth research and exclusive channels, this series delves into a variety of familiar but enigmatic American institutions, from the FBI and the Pentagon to Fort Knox and Area 51. Go beyond the locked doors and security checkpoints of government agencies, famous landmarks and stealthy societies to glimpse the hidden worlds you were never intended to see.
Award-winning actor and nervous explorer Eugene Levy steps out of his comfort zone for a whirlwind tour of the world's most beautiful and intriguing destinations.
