Journey Along the Silk Road

Mysterious China: Marco Polo's Silk Road(en)

Part two of the Mysterious China series chronicles Marco Polo's adventures and discoveries along the Silk Road as he heads toward the Mongol Empire in China. This documentary reveals the pivotal trade route as experienced and written about by the 13th-century explorer. Follow the tracks of the Venetian adventurer -- one of the first Westerners to journey into China -- and uncover the mysteries of the Silk Road.

The Silk Road(en)

The NHK Tokushu and China's CCTV documentary series The Silk Road began on April 7, 1980. The program started with the memorable scene of a camel caravan crossing the desert against the setting sun, with Kitaro's music and a sense of timelessness. It was the start of an epic televisual poem. The first journey described in the series began in Chang'an (now Xi'an), at the eastern end of the ancient route. On 450,000 feet of film, the NHK crew recorded the path westward to the Pamir Heights at the Pakistan border and this material was edited to make 12 monthly broadcasts. In response to viewers' requests that the series be extended to cover the Silk Road all the way to Rome, sequels were made over the next 10 years. Seventeen years after the program was conceived, the project was completed.

A Rota: Silk Road(pt)

Silk Road Ghosts(en)

Silk Road Ghosts takes the viewer off the beaten path as I ply a circuit, following in the footsteps of the ancient conquerors, passing through some of the more remarkable parts of Central Asia's Silk Road. From Almaty in Kazakhstan, I set out towards a daunting rendezvous with the Darvasa Gas Crater in Turkmenistan. Along the way I dot many of the road's pivotal locations, bearing witness to its myriad ghosts which served to glorify the annals of our planet's history.

The Yellow Cruise(fr)

The Yellow Cruise is a French documentary film initially directed by André Sauvage and taken over by Léon Poirier following the intervention of André Citroën. The film was presented in Paris in 1934. André Sauvage was hired by the Pathé-Natan company to follow the yellow cruise through Asia. In 1931 and 1932, forty-two men, including Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, scholars and doctors traveled thirty thousand kilometers on the Silk Road through the Middle and Far East, in caterpillar propellants. Together, despite the bad weather, the difficulties of the terrain, the mechanical failures and the political conflicts, they reached Beijing on February 12, 1932. André Citroën who asked to see the film, dissatisfied with the result, bought it from Bernard Natan and entrusted the editing by Léon Poirier, who had filmed La Croisière Noire in Africa in 1926. This film will mark the break in the film career of André Sauvage.

Internet Urban Legend(ja)

A collection of 11 various urban legends from the internet.

Secrets of the Silk Road(en)

The Silk Road, one of history's most famed trade routes, linked China to Europe, the Middle East and India and was traveled by such legends as Alexander the Great, Marco Polo and Genghis Khan's Mongol warriors. Follow in the footsteps of the iconic figures and see how the road's ancient past is wrapped up in the fast-changing world of modern China, particularly the country's remote western region.

Silk Road(en)

Philosophical twenty-something Ross Ulbricht creates Silk Road, a dark net website that sells drugs, while DEA agent Rick Bowden goes undercover to bring him down.

The Tao of Buckaroo(en)

An Interview with Peter Weller

The Ultimate History of the F16 Fighter(en)

When it first flew, it was considered way ahead of its time in flight control, avionics integration and cockpit features. But today's processors are a hundred times more powerful than those available in the 1970's and yet, the F-16 has been able to adapt to the new technologies as they come on stream. In fact, the F-16 is so successful that it is envisaged being in service until well into the 21st century. This programme features unique footage of F16 flight tests as well as presenting its combat record, especially during the two wars in Iraq. It finishes with a superb display sequence by a Belgian Air Force F-16.

Lord John(en)

An Interview with John Lithgow

Film Geek(en)

Film Geek is a joyous and emotional look back at a movie obsessed kid growing up in New York City, and his relationship with his mysterious father. Crafted entirely out of film clips from over 2,000 movies, as well as his personal archives, Emmy and DGA-award winning director Richard Shepard mines the material for clues to understand his own DNA.

Transenders(en)

The story of Alexa's journey as a trans woman, navigating the toxic culture that encompasses skateboarding, and what it means to transcend fear through community.

Ocon - Flèche bleue(fr)

Canal+ takes a look back at Esteban Ocon's victory in the 2021 Hungarian Grand Prix.

Dear Thirteen(en)

A nuanced portrait of a new generation, Dear Thirteen is a cinematic time capsule of coming of age in today’s world. Through the eyes of nine thirteen-year-olds, we see how pressing social, geographical and political challenges are shaping, and being shaped by, young people: rising anti-Semitism in Europe, guns in America, gender identity and racial divisions across Australia and Asia. With no adult commentary outside the filmmaker, Dear Thirteen offers an intimate view into the universal uncertainty inherent in growing up.

Coldwater Kitchen(en)

For 30 years, Chef Jimmy Lee Hill has dedicated himself to the gourmet culinary training program he leads at Lakeland Correctional Facility in Coldwater, Michigan. The pioneering program gives prisoners a prestigious skill they can take back into the workforce and provides a sense of purpose as they serve their time. As he enters his senior years, tensions arise over Chef Hill’s faith in a particular trainee.

Inheritance(ja)

In May 2015, a group of students from Tokyo, ranging in age from 16 to 23, head to a farmhouse in Sukagawa, Fukushima Prefecture. They were met by Kazuya Tarukawa, a farmer, and his mother, Mitsuyo. Kazuya's father took his own life immediately after the nuclear accident, saying that he may have encouraged his son, who had taken over the farming business, down the wrong path. Kazuya struggles as a farmer and the students who listen to him talk about the reality of crops in Fukushima four years after the disaster and the absurdity of TEPCO's compensation system, as well as his determination to carry on farming on his ancestral land.

The Story of the Weeping Camel(mn)

When a Mongolian nomadic family's newest camel colt is rejected by its mother, a musician is needed for a ritual to change her mind.

Dogtown and Z-Boys(en)

This award-winning, thrilling story is about a group of discarded kids who revolutionized skateboarding and shaped the attitude and culture of modern day extreme sports. Featuring old skool skating footage, exclusive interviews and a blistering rock soundtrack, DOGTOWN AND Z-BOYS captures the rise of the Zephyr skateboarding team from Venice's Dogtown, a tough "locals only" beach with a legacy of outlaw surfing.

A Brief History of Time(en)

This shows physicist Stephen Hawking's life as he deals with the ALS that renders him immobile and unable to speak without the use of a computer. Hawking's friends, family, classmates, and peers are interviewed not only about his theories but the man himself.