Face of the Earth

Hawaii: Living on the Edge in Paradise?(en)

During the summer of 2018, hundreds of earthquakes shook the summit of Kiilauea, sparking the volcano's largest eruption in 200 years. To some, it was a disaster. To others, it was the goddess Pele's way of creating new aina (land). The Hawaiian peoples' resilience and cultural unity is a lesson in the true spirit of Aloha.

Ring of Fire(en)

Ring of Fire is about the immense natural force of the great circle of volcanoes and seismic activity that rings the Pacific Ocean and the varied people and cultures who coexist with them. Spectacular volcanic eruptions are featured, including Mount St. Helens, Navidad in Chile, Sakurajima in Japan, and Mount Merapi in Indonesia.

Tropical Rainforest(en)

The story of the evolution of tropical rain forests, their recent and rapid destruction, and the intense efforts of scientists to understand them even as they disappear. This film gives viewers a better appreciation of the importance of tropical rain forests on a global scale.

River Deep, Mountain High: James Nesbitt in New Zealand(en)

James Nesbitt moved to New Zealand in 2011 when he landed the role of Bofur in Peter Jackson's Hobbit trilogy, but he says the country remains largely unknown to him. Travelling more than 1,000 miles from the tip of the North Island down to the South, the actor finds out more about the place he has called home, visiting areas of natural beauty and learning about the nation's history and traditions. Along the way, he meets former All Blacks player the late great Jonah Lomu, takes a trip around film star Sam Neill's vineyards in Queenstown, catches up with Peter Jackson and goes Base-jumping from the tallest building in Auckland.

Secret World of Mollusks(en)

Mollusks deserve a second chance to better their first impression since the world is truly one of a kind. Enter the secret world of mollusks!

Encounters at the End of the World(en)

Herzog and cinematographer Peter Zeitlinger go to Antarctica to meet people who live and work there, and to capture footage of the continent's unique locations. Herzog's voiceover narration explains that his film will not be a typical Antarctica film about "fluffy penguins", but will explore the dreams of the people and the landscape.

Over Hawaii(en)

Go to the Big Island and hover above erupting craters at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, watch flowing orange lava ooze across charred rock and steam billow from the Pu'u 'O'o Vent. Glide over Maui's Haleakala National Park and discover the diversity of Hawaiian landscapes. Island hop to Lanai for spectacular beaches. Visit Pearl Harbor from above and the memorial sites before exploring the rest of Oahu. Narrated by Tom Skerritt

Fire Mountain: The Eruption and Rebirth of Mount St. Helens(en)

In 1980, the eruption of Mount St. Helens leveled 230 square miles, sent 540 million tons of ash and volcanic rock twelve miles into the air, and blasted one cubic mile of earth from the crest of the Cascade Mountain Range. Illustrates the terrifying fury of the most destructive volcanic disaster in American history through aerial photography and survivors' own words. Shows examples of nature's plant and animal recovery seventeen years later.

Come il Bianco(fr)

Lava Land - Glowing Hawaii(en)

Hawaii, with its tropical rainforests and diverse coral reef is a spectacular natural paradise for travellers, surfers and all fans of breathtaking sandy beaches and lush green mountains. But life on the American island chain also has a dangerous side: permanently active volcanoes, lava caves, and even burning lava pours into the sea! Here you can see black smoke rise up, spray the red-hot magma into the sky and feel how the earth trembles. Located on the Pacific plate is unusual for volcanoes, Hawaii is thus researchers a fascinating destination. At Kilauea, the most active volcano on earth, the inhabitants have to live in constant danger found over the centuries cope. Lava Land - Glowing Hawaii takes you into the world of researchers and residents on the Big Iceland, the largest island of Hawaii.

A Volcano Odyssey(fr)

The epic story of the life of a volcano, capable of both causing the extinction of all things and helping the evolution of species, over 60 million years.

The Fire Within: Requiem for Katia and Maurice Krafft(en)

Filmmaker Werner Herzog combs through the film archives of volcanologists Katia and Maurice Krafft to create a film that celebrates their legacy.

Volcano!(en)

For more than 20 years, Maurice & Katia Krafft have traveled the world. From Iceland to Hawaii, from Africa to Indonesia, they are usually the first to reach the scene of an eruption. Join them as they risk their lives to document the birth of a volcano.

Les Îles Canaries, nées du feu et bercées par l'océan(fr)

Okavango: A Flood of Life(en)

A great flood arrives in a desert kingdom, transforming a dustbowl into a vast and lush wetland, in one of the most diverse habitats on earth. This breath-taking blue-chip natural history film is a journey through Okavango’s seasons, seen through the eyes of an indigenous River Bushman. Our storyteller guides us through the course of Okavango’s flood and into a savage drought, interweaving intimate and spectacular wildlife stories. The arrival and disappearance of precious water determines the destiny of the millions of animals that call Okavango home. For many, the flood is a lifeline. For others, it brings the greatest challenges. Everyone lives or dies by this epic event. It is the heartbeat of the Kalahari.

Kaktus Hotel(de)

Fly High(de)

Twelve talented young mountaineers, five geologists from the University of Lausanne and four mountain guides take an unprecedented risk in Patagonia. Trained by the great climbers Ralf Weber, Ueli Steck, Denis Burdet and David Fasel, the young people are collecting rock samples from the granite walls of the Paine Towers, which are up to 1000 meters high, on behalf of science. The challenges are enormous: Climbing a big wall at the highest level of difficulty, cloudy weather, relentless wind that tears at material and nerves - and an urgency that also pushes the group to their emotional limits. "Flying High" not only documents an extraordinary undertaking, but also shows up close what happens when something happens that can happen after every meter of altitude climbed: a fall.

NOVA: Life's Rocky Start(en)

Four and a half billion years ago, the young Earth was a hellish place-a seething chaos of meteorite impacts, volcanoes belching noxious gases, and lightning flashing through a thin, torrid...

The Hidden Secrets of Lake Titicaca(en)

For the first time ever, scientists have plunged into the mystical waters of Lake Titicaca in Peru. This team of fifteen international scientists and underwater archaeologists believes it will uncover remarkable traces of life from pre-Columbian times.

La Soufrière: Waiting for an Inevitable Catastrophe(de)

Werner Herzog takes a film crew to the island of Guadeloupe when he hears that the volcano on the island is going to erupt. Everyone has left, except for one old man who refuses to leave.