Afrique : Sur la piste des premiers hommes(2024)

Neanderthal: The Mystery of the Bruniquel Cave(fr)

Discovered in 1990 in the Aveyron Gorges, near the village of Bruniquel, Bruno Kowalczewski discovers a cave which shows evidence of being inhabited by Neanderthals as far back as 47,000 years ago, with stalagmites arranged in circles. What significance do these limestone rings have? From when exactly do they date? For fear of damaging the remains, the excavations were stopped in the late 1990s, leaving these questions unanswered. Beginning in 2014, a new team relaunches research into the cave. Using the current uranium-thorium method, calcite samples are dated to 176,500 years ago, revealing the construction as one of the oldest ever discovered underground. This stone circle is surprisingly complex. How was it built and what was it used for? This is a story of a discovery that brings new elements to the capabilities of the Neanderthals.

Caligula with Mary Beard(en)

What is true and what is false in the hideous stories spread about the controversial figure of the Roman emperor Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus Germanicus (12-41), nicknamed Caligula? Professor Mary Beard explains what is accurate and what is mythical in the historical accounts that portray him as an unbalanced despot. Was he a sadistic tyrant, as Roman historians have told, or perhaps the truth about him was manipulated because of political interests?

Pompeii: Secrets of the Dead(en)

Forensic experts scan Pompeii’s victims to investigate why they didn’t escape the eruption.

Centrales nucléaire : démantèlement impossible(de)

Hochelaga, Land of Souls(fr)

Mohawk archaeologist Baptiste Asigny engages in a search for his ancestors following a tragic terrain slump in the Percival Molson Stadium.

Le Temps de cerveau disponible(en)

Cruelty, psychological and sexual violence, humiliations: reality television seems to have gone mad. His debut in the early 2000s inaugurated a new era in the history of the audio-visual. Fifty years of archives trace the evolution of entertainment: how the staging of intimacy during the 80s opened new territories, how the privatization of the biggest channels has changed the relationship with the spectator. With the contribution of specialists, including philosopher Bernard Stiegler, this documentary demonstrates how emotion has made way for the exacerbation of the most destructive impulses.

Die verschwundene Welt von Honduras(de)

Titanic: The Digital Resurrection(en)

Using cutting-edge scanning technology and state-of-the-art CGI, a team of experts creates the first high-resolution 3D digital twin of the Titanic wreck. Through a groundbreaking immersive investigation, they uncover the ship’s final moments, shedding light on the acts of heroism and cowardice aboard—and revealing the true story behind the sinking of the “unsinkable” ship.

The True Story of Pirates(fr)

Thanks to new excavations in Mauritius and Madagascar, as well as archival and museum research in France, Spain, England and Canada, a group of international scholars paint a new portrait of the world of piracy in the Indian Ocean.

The Ming Dynasty’s Forgotten Capital(de)

The once most magnificent imperial city in China is located in what is now Fengyang. The first city of the Ming dynasty was a model for all those who followed - including Beijing. After around 600 years underground, the ruined city is now being excavated again. Archaeologists, researchers, historians and workers are following in the footsteps of a bygone era and gaining new insights into the fate of a mysterious city every day.

Révélations Monumentales: Pétra, la rose du désert(fr)

Venus: Death of a Planet(en)

Billions of years ago, Venus may have harbored life-giving habitats similar to those on the early Earth. Today, Earth's twin is a planet knocked upside down and turned inside out. Its burned-out surface is a global fossil of volcanic destruction, shrouded in a dense, toxic atmosphere. Scientists are now unveiling daring new strategies to search for clues from a time when the planet was alive.

The Neanderthals’ Dark Secret(en)

49,000 year old Neanderthal bones have been discovered by chance in a remote, mountainous region of Northern Spain. The bones may help solve the biggest Neanderthal puzzle of all – why we are here today and Neanderthals are not. ‘The Neanderthals’ dark Secret’ revolves around ongoing investigations deep inside the forbidding subterranean cave system called El Sidrón. Here, Palaeontologist Antonio Rosas and Archaeologist Marco de la Rasilla are in their 11th year of excavation. Bones from at least 12 people and 400 stone tool fragments have been recovered. We’ll bring these people back from the past. Our haunting, hologram-like Neanderthal characters, will communicate to the scientists of today, as they unlock the secrets of El Sidrón. Many mysteries surround the site, foremost, how the bones and tools came to be here in the first place. The remains aren’t weathered nor do they show signs of scavenging from large animals.

In the Frozen Tomb of Mongolia(fr)

Pompeii: The New Revelations(en)

Archaeologist Raksha Dave and historian Dan Snow return to Pompeii to gain special access to a variety of new excavations, including two never-before-seen discoveries.

Peru - Sacrifices in the Kingdom of Chimor(fr)

In northern Peru, the unprecedented archaeological discovery of the largest known mass child sacrifice in the world opens the doors to the kingdom of Chimor. This international archaeological investigation carried out like a criminal investigation reveals the mysteries of the last civilization of the Andes before the arrival of the Incas.

Global Spyware Scandal: Exposing Pegasus(en)

FRONTLINE and Forbidden Films investigate Pegasus, a powerful spyware sold to governments around the world by the Israeli company NSO Group.

Inside the Mind of a Dog(en)

Embark on a delightful journey into the world of dogs in this documentary that reveals scientific and emotional insights about our lovable BFFs.

His Name Was Jason: 30 Years of Friday the 13th(en)

A retrospective documentary about the groundbreaking horror series, Friday the 13th, featuring interviews with cast and crew from the twelve films spanning 3 decades.

Sapiens ou la naissance de l’art(fr)

We immerse ourselves in a quest for the origins of Art, among the very first modern humans. The prehistoric works, of incredible richness and diversity, tell a story of beauty and the species. Researchers, including archaeologists, but also art historians, philosophers and contemporary artists, enrich our view of prehistoric art with their different, but also complementary, points of view on the subject.