Solaride: Courage to Do the Impossible

MotoGP 2019 Review(en)

The Official Review of the 2019 MotoGP™ World Championship 2019 saw Marc Márquez take a record 420 points as he secured his eighth World title overall and his fourth consecutive MotoGP™ World Championship. It was also the year fans got to salute Jorge Lorenzo as the three-time World Champion called an end to his stellar MotoGP™ career. As one hero exited the pitlane, it looked as if another was entering. France’s Fabio Quartararo, aged just 20, took seven podium finishes and six pole positions in his first year of the premier class, securing fifth place in the World Championship overall. Andrea Dovizioso continued to impress on the Ducati and Maverick Viñales and Álex Rins led the charge for Yamaha and Suzuki respectively, so the season ended with four different manufacturers in the top four spots. MotoGP™ can always be relied on to deliver excitement and drama in spadefuls throughout the season and 2019 is certainly no exception.

Extinction: The Facts(en)

With a million species at risk of extinction, Sir David Attenborough explores how this crisis of biodiversity has consequences for us all, threatening food and water security, undermining our ability to control our climate and even putting us at greater risk of pandemic diseases.

Unrivaled: Earnhardt vs. Gordon(en)

Dale Earnhardt and Jeff Gordon were heated competitors on the racetrack and were polar opposites outside of their race cars. The clash of their personalities and driving styles led to a fierce rivalry, which greatly impacted NASCAR.

Microcosmos(fr)

A documentary of insect life in meadows and ponds, using incredible close-ups, slow motion, and time-lapse photography. It includes bees collecting nectar, ladybugs eating mites, snails mating, spiders wrapping their catch, a scarab beetle relentlessly pushing its ball of dung uphill, endless lines of caterpillars, an underwater spider creating an air bubble to live in, and a mosquito hatching.

Engineering The Impossible(en)

Just how far can engineering go? This program explores the feasibility of constructing several extraordinary projects such as a Europe to Africa Bridge or a tunnel across the Straights of Gibraltar. Could engineers really construct a mile high skyscraper or floating ocean cities? State of the art computer graphics and real world scientists help to explain these technological dreams. Current engineering advances, like revolutionary new vacuum, make these engineering marvel's a distinct possibility!

Gadgets Galore(en)

This Warner Bros. short reviews in an often humorous way the impact of the automobile on the United States. By 1900, the horseless carriage was beginning to have an impact. Early adopters were often the object of attention by large curious crowds. There were many car manufacturers and the quality of their product varied considerably. Traffic jams, pollution and automobile racing were only a few of the outcomes.

WEED(en)

This 1971 color anti-drug use and abuse film was produced by Concept Films and directed by Brian Kellman for Encyclopedia Britannica. “Weed: The Story of Marijuana” combines time-lapse, montage, illustrations, animation (by Paul Fierlinger and emigre Pavel Vošický) and dramatized, documentary-style interviews to survey the evolving role of cannabis in U.S. society, with emphasis on the legal risks faced by young people. A unique score of experimental synthesizer music is provided by Tony Luisi on an EMS VCS 3 “Putney”

Kings of the Turf(en)

Kings of the Turf is a 1941 American short documentary film about horse racing, directed by Del Frazier. This entry in The Sports Parade series shows us how Mortimer, a Standardbred horse, is trained for harness racing. It was nominated for an Academy Award at the 14th Academy Awards for Best Short Subject.

Stockcar!(en)

A look at NASCAR Grand National stock car racing circa 1976-7. The stars include Richard Petty, David Pearson, Cale Yarborough, Bobby Allison, and Buddy Baker, and includes upstart female racer Janet Guthrie. The sport in the mid-1970s was undergoing a surge of national popularity after Petty and Pearson crashed fighting for the win within sight of the checkered flag of the 1976 Daytona 500, telecast live on ABC Sports, and the surging interest triggered renewed media interest in the sport.

Before I'm Gone(en)

After being diagnosed with Stage 4 Cancer, racecar driver Dave Smith gets back behind the wheel. At 70 years old, he sets out to win his home town’s race, the infamous Canada 200.

A Little Love(en)

Through interspersed conversation and prose, this experimental documentary follows a poet and a neuroscientist as they explore the definition of love, what it means, and why it matters.

Mit Vollgas in den Tod(de)

The Ability Exchange(en)

A documentary about an innovative Disability Studies class at NYU Tandon School of Engineering where engineering students and adults with cerebral palsy learn to communicate, connect, and cultivate their abilities by making movies.

Perseverance, une année sur Mars(fr)

Mechanical Marvels: Clockwork Dreams(en)

Documentary presented by Professor Simon Schaffer which charts the amazing and untold story of automata - extraordinary clockwork machines designed hundreds of years ago to mimic and recreate life. The film brings the past to life in vivid detail as we see how and why these masterpieces were built. Travelling around Europe, Simon uncovers the history of these machines and shows us some of the most spectacular examples, from an entire working automaton city to a small boy who can be programmed to write and even a device that can play chess. All the machines Simon visits show a level of technical sophistication and ambition that still amazes today.

Reengineering SAM(en)

Sam Schmidt lived out his boyhood dream as an IndyCar racer, winning races and earning the title of IndyCar "Rookie of the Year" along the way. That dream came to an abrupt end when Sam crashed into a wall at 200 miles per hour, leaving him a quadriplegic. Reengineering SAM pulls the curtain back and shows up close the serious implications of a life of paralysis on Sam and everyone around him. Sam's accident rendered him physically helpless, never being able to brush his teeth, much less drive again, until a dedicated group of some of the brightest minds today stepped up to build him a car that he could drive, using only his head. Through groundbreaking adaptive technologies, Reengineering SAM chronicles Sam Schmidt's inspirational road back to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and shows the promise of freedom and mobility for almost anyone confined to a wheelchair.

Dernier tour de piste(fr)

The Autodrome in St-Eustache is one of Quebec's cultural landmarks and it is a huge asset to the city's economy. In 2019, the autodrome, the most popular racetrack in Canada, will have to close its doors following a decision that was made by the city council, leaving Quebec’s racing enthusiasts without a racing circuit.

Couch Man(en)

In Asheville, NC, five individuals find their place in longboard world. This is an action documentary crafted with a broad audience in mind, appealing to more than just the downhill community.

Super Speedway(en)

We follow the Newman-Haas (Andretti) racing team through the process of building, testing, and racing for a season. This includes extensive race speed on-track footage, including some pre-race footage with a full squad of cars. From time to time, we check in with a small shop building/restoring one of the first roadsters Mario Andretti raced; the finale includes him taking it for a spin.

A Symphonic Odyssey with Professor Brian Cox(en)

Explore the secrets of the universe with Professor Brian Cox in this special event that combines ground-breaking science with the power of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra.