Hundred thirty years ago in 1889 as Paris was hosting the World’s Fair, the iron lady became instantly the city's iconic monument embodying the modernity and the engineering feat of this Era. The engineer Gustave Eiffel fought for years to erect in the heart of Paris the tallest tower ever built, seen by many as ugly and out of place at the time. Against all odds, he took the helm of a gigantic building site and revolutionized the construction technique. Revisit this historic saga and engineering challenge in this detailed account and high end docu-drama !

Director: Mathieu SCHWARTZ

In Australia, the majestic Fraser Island is the largest sand island in the world and one of the most stunningly beautiful places on the planet. But lurking beneath the surface are some of its more sinister inhabitants, such as sharks, snakes and wild dogs, making it a dangerous paradise. Directed by Victoire Mabille, Fraser Island is a must-see for any nature lover brave enough to explore its 15 kilometers of coastline. Director: Victoire Mabille

Former FBI agent Joe Pistone, who infiltrated the Mafia for six years as Donnie Brasco, reveals how his undercover work led to more than 100 convictions - and resulted in the death of underworld figure Dominick `Sonny Black' Napolitano.

Today, insects are no longer giant except in our nightmares… But 320 million years ago, dragonflies measuring up to a meter (Meganeura) or centipedes the size of a human (Arthropleura) dominated the land and air.
Over the course of time, these fascinating giants became smaller and smaller… before disappearing altogether. But who was responsible for their extinction? Scientists long believed that the decrease in oxygen after the Carboniferous period explained their disappearance. Insects are devoid of lungs and bloodstream and rely on microscopic holes on their bodies to oxygenate: the current composition of the air would suffocate their organs and paralyze their limbs. But this theory was put into question in 2009 when large fossils of Meganeuras that survived the oxygen depletion were discovered in the South of France… In 2012 others animals were suspected as being the source of the giant insects’ downfall. An American study points to prehistoric birds who were fierce predators and could have exercised pressure on insects and contributed to reducing their size… At the same time, a small Pterosaur was discovered in Germany, proving that these flying reptiles could also be aerial acrobats specialized in insect hunting. By combining state of the art scientific experiment, reconstitutions using CGI and interviews with paleontologists, stones will speak and explain why giant insects became extinct. Here is the true story of the conquest of the air.
Directors: Emma Baus and Bertrand Loyer

Sanaa, in Yemen: this city is cut off from the world. In the last years, a terrible war has rendered it isolated. Millions of inhabitants are living under an embargo, in one of the most inaccessible places on the planet.

Directors: Nicolas Jaillard & Guillaume Dasquié

The giant cities that dominate the global economy have their roots in the glorious and turbulent histories of Amsterdam, London and New York. They each embodied a new urban concept that gave rise to radical and ambitious new city designs and technologies. This series recaps 400 years of ruthless competition that created myriad great minds and the amazing vibe that these great cities embody today.

0:00 Episode 1 - A Golden Century (1585-1656)
Starting in 1585 as the small city of Amsterdam, gradually became the first world city in human history. Watch the story of Amsterdam's ascension and growing dominance on world trade, and the spectacular innovations that made it possible. Across the Channel, London wasn't the challenger that it will soon become - but the City is growing and finds its destiny: commerce and finance.

53:03 Episode 2 - Clashes (1650-1800)
As Amsterdam is at its peak and becomes the third largest city in Europe, London gradually takes the lead, and a third player enters world history: New Amsterdam, once a Dutch city, is eventually conquered by England and becomes New York.

1:45:03 Episode 3 - Metropolis (1800-1880)
Watch how New York, just two decades after the war of independence, makes its way through and becomes the great challenger of London. During the 19th century, both cities will experience industrial revolution, modernity and the enormous challenge of migrations and mass poverty.

2:37:26 Episode 4 - Global Cities (1880-2017)
London and New York turn to gigantism and open the way to the city of tomorrow. New York invents the skyscraper and the skyline, new concepts that will revolutionize urbanism and shape the cities around the world. London, the heart of the British Empire and the wealthiest city on earth, faces pollution, with its deadly consequences, and cannot overcome its huge poverty problem.

After years of fighting in Europe, the war in the Pacific was far from over. The Japanese leadership, influenced by their cultural values, refused to surrender, even as the tide of the war turned against them. President Truman faced a difficult decision: continue the costly land campaign in Japan, or pursue a faster end to the war. Ultimately, he authorized the use of atomic bombs on the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, resulting in massive destruction and loss of life.

Brave New World (July - September 1945) - Countdown to Victory: World War II

Hitler's "Desert Fox", Rommel pushed forward at El Alamein, but with the arrival of the maverick British General, Bernard Montgomery, to take charge of the Eighth Army in North Africa, the wind of change was about to blow. Meanwhile on the Russian Front Hitler's troops advanced their Stalingrad campaign, with the Führer boasting that this key city would soon be his.

They're bankers, traders, investment funds executives. They forgot all about morality to make money. The entire world had to suffer the consequences of their actions. They impoverished countries, drove millions of workers into unemployment, and contributed to the rise in extremism. So who are they? And, after the 2008 crisis, were the real culprits condemned? Could there be another?

Director: Benoît Bringer

The Aztecs, or Mexicas (from their capital city’s name, Mexico-Tenochtitlan) settled around the beginning of the 14th century.

Built between the 1st and 7th centuries, Teotihuacan is characterized by the massive dimensions of its monuments, the most famous of which are the temple of Quetzalcoatl and the Pyramids of the Sun and the Moon.

The name of the site, which means “place inhabited by the gods,” was given by the Aztecs, who considered this city a sacred place, even if it had been abandoned for several centuries when their civilization began to develop it.

Teotihuacan, one of the most powerful centers of Meso-American culture, imposed their cultural and artistic elan over the entire region, and even beyond its borders.

In the 16th century, the Aztec Empire had a flourishing economy, represented by the wealth of its capital city, Tenochtitlan, the current Mexico-city.

Human sacrifice was a common and essential ritual. It held multiple political and religious functions. Human sacrifice was considered necessary to the well-being and balance of the cosmos.

On the 18th of February 1519, the conquistador Hernan Cortez lands on the Yucatan coasts. At first considered a superhuman by the Aztecs, he is given priceless gifts.

Historians speak of solid gold bracelets, a crocodile’s head made of solid gold, and bird sculptures made of feathers and precious stones.

After this first peaceful meeting, the Spanish triggers hostilities. Grouping rival tribes, he planned out the invasion. The death of their sovereign in June 1520 and massacres fired up Aztec upheaval.

In spite of one defeat during the “noche triste”, the invaders definitively crushed this civilisation on the 13th of August 1521, leaving their capital city in ruins.

Director: Jacques Vichet

The DRC is one of the poorest countries on the planet with one of the highest proportions of millionaires. While 70% of the population lives on less than a dollar a day, 6% are millionaires. Businessmen, artists, former rebel leaders or evangelists, many have made fortunes in chaos. In the capital, Kinshasa, these new rich live in the heart of secure and luxurious enclaves, while elsewhere, children work several hours a day tens of meters underground extracting coltan.
Director: Guillaume Dumant

Land of history, Jordan is full of archaeological treasures. The most beautiful is the site of Petra.

Director: Jacques Vichet

Description

Description