The Land of Jacques Cartier(1963)

Decade of Discovery(en)

Chris Packham presents, mentioning others that didn't quite make the list, his favorite top ten animal - and plant species from the half million discovered in the first decade of the 21st century. The animals include the most endangered African monkey, a lemur (Madagascar simian), a mouse-size and -resembling relative of the elephant, a Caribean island-adapted sloth, a shark which 'walks coral reefs on an arm', the largest mega-stick, a deep sea jellyfish without tentacles and a jungle gecko mutation happening in Malaysian state Perlis in order to flee serpent predation into caves. Plant species include a giant Venus-flytrap on Palawan (Philipines) and the largest ever orchid from Peru.

Killer Whales: Wolves of the Sea(en)

Do they really launch themselves onto the shore to grab a hapless snack? See for yourself, and gain a vivid appreciation for their appetites and skills. While your jaw drops at their fearsome agility, you’ll also be learning about their migratory and other behaviours from scientists who observe them daily and strive to increase our understanding of their needs for survival. In this National Geographic ‘Wildlife Special’ you’ll journey around the globe to see their extraordinary hunting techniques in action.

Motonomad II(en)

From Kazakhstan through to Russia, three riders venture deep into Siberia's Altai Mountain range and attempt to cross the great Steppes of Mongolia. Traversing flooded rivers, snow capped mountains and baking hot deserts, hardship tests their friendship as they race toward the capital of Mongolia to witness the country's greatest celebration, the Naadam festival. Their epic journey is a true testament to living on a motorcycle, and a cultural insight into one of the greatest empires in the history of the world, the reign of Chingis Khan's Mongolian Horde. Motonomad II is more than a motorcycle journey, it's a life adventure.

Acoustic Ocean(en)

Acoustic Ocean is an artistic exploration of the sonic ecology of marine life in the North Atlantic. Located on the Lofoten Islands in Northern Norway, the video centers on the performance of a marine-biologist diver who is using a life-size model of a submersible equipped with all sorts of hydrophones and recording devices. In this science-fictional quest, her task is to sense the submarine space for acoustic and bioluminescent forms of expression.

Adventures(en)

This short live-action film tells the story of a little raccoon who encounters many adventures when he strays from home to explore the world.

Guadalquivir(es)

'Guadalquivir' is a feature length documentary directed by Joaquín Gutiérrez that features a fox, an animal that has adapted, living in packs and alone and that is a carnivore, vegetarian and even carrion. The camera follows the path of the fox by the Sierras de Cazorla, Segura and Las Villas.

Undercity: Las Vegas(en)

In the new film "Undercity: Las Vegas," urban historian Steve Duncan and director Andrew Wonder head below Sin City to see what lurks beneath the surface of one of America's most bustling cities.

The Lost Forest(en)

How would natural habitats develop without human interference? In this documentary we follow an international team of scientists and explorers on an extraordinary mission in Mozambique to reach a forest that no human has set foot in. The team aims to collect data from the forest to help our understanding of how climate change is affecting our planet. But the forest sits atop a mountain, and to reach it, the team must first climb a sheer 100m wall of rock.

High Life at Low Temperatures(de)

The summits and sheer mountain ridges of Austria’s "Little Siberia" funnel the freezing air from snow-covered peaks into a gigantic hollow – a high-level plateau at 1,000 metres from which it cannot escape: Lungau is Austria’s coldest region. Creeks and streams start higher here, and create bogs, moors and countless alpine lakes. Summer is short but lively, as eagles rear their precious young and ermines eat their fill before the sparse winter returns, while black alpine salamanders give birth to live miniature versions of themselves beneath the tree-line.

Into the Abyss: Chemosynthetic Oases(en)

Exploring hydrothermal vents, cold-seep habitats, and food-falls including whale-falls and the communities at shipwrecks

Save the Panda(en)

High in the bamboo-forested mountain ranges of central China live the elusive and endangered giant panda. Over time, their numbers have dwindled due to human encroachment and climatic changes. Join scientists as they track these rare creatures through nearly impenetrable bamboo in an effort to learn more about the panda and ultimately increase its chances of survival.

Panda Nursery(en)

Although they are trying to hold on to life despite all difficulties, there are fewer than a thousand in the wild today. But the struggle to save Panda and his species, the most beloved and charming bear in the world, continues with a great determination and dedication. The newborn panda puppies are now being raised by people with a new and wonderful partnership called 'exchange, cultivation', not just by their parents. In this documentary we look at the adventures of the panda nursery, who saved the lives of the twin pandas and the future of their generations, and the life stories of the cute pandas.

Šumavská suita(cs)

Project Acheron: Patagonia(en)

This documentary follows four elite athletes as they traverse the beautiful and wild terrain of Patagonia. Led by two American Navy SEALs and a Patagonian guide, the team undergoes a physical and spiritual transformation that they never expected.

Mangsee dynamite(en)

In the Philippines, the reefs, coasts and islets of the island of Palawan, the Straits of Balabak and the Sula Sea are amongst the richest in biodiversity on Earth. Some scientists claim that the entire submarine wildlife of the Pacific originated from this area. The coral is magnificent and the protected sites offer an incomparable vision of marine life to scuba divers from all over the world. However, since the end of the Second World War, Philippine fishermen have been fishing with dynamite all over the coral reefs of this marine Wild West. Today, far from diminishing, this form of fishing has taken on industrial dimensions and 50% of the coral has been destroyed, turning this underwater Eden into arid desert…

The Mirror(it)

Documentary on the village of Viganella, in the Piedmont Alps, and on its mirror that reflects the sunlight on the hamlet, which otherwise would not reach the valley.

Nutkin's Last Stand(en)

Something is rotten in England. A plague of North American grey squirrels threatens the beloved native red squirrel. The English are up in arms, and a band of patriots - including lords, priests, artists and farmers - has come together to fight back against the grey menace.

Grotta(xx)

In 1907 Herman Hesse spent a few days mediating and fasting in a cave near Monte Verità. During these days he collected the visions and insights that went on to be very influential in his thinking and shaped some of the most important works of his literary career. The images and sounds of this film were shot there and are a homage to this cave and its possible invocations. Grotta is part of Fieldworks, an ongoing experiment with ambient video and radio frequencies.

Det var en gång en skog...(sv)

On January 8, 2005, the storm Gudrun pulled over southern Sweden and large parts of the Småland forest blew down. How do you cope when your food disappears overnight? Anders and Lisbeth Ericsson, who run a smaller farm, were hit hard by the storm. 70% of their 250 ha were blown down. This put them in a difficult economic and emotional crisis. They realize that it is important to find new solutions in order to live on now that the conditions have changed so completely. Johan Forsman and his father Jan have a large farm with 1500 ha of forest. For them, it is not just a financial loss, the extensive work to take care of the broken forest feels endless. It is difficult to get enough people to work. Some of the assistance is taken from other parts of the world, including Finnish forest workers. The problem is that the Finns only speak Finnish, and a little Russian…

Animal Doctors(fr)

Only twenty-five years ago, the first evidence of self-medicating behaviour among animals was reported among chimpanzees. On the basis of this pioneering research, led by the American Michael Huffman, a new science was founded: "zoopharmacognosy", or the study of animal pharmacopeia. Animals are apparently able to treat themselves actively, to detect natural substances that can provide a remedy for health problems, or to prevent them. The primatologist Michael Huffman explains how he discovered that chimpanzees can heal their diseases with medicinal plants from their environment. The scientist then comments on other very surprising examples: Birds that disinfect their nests by filling them with aromatic plants with repellent properties, a rodent that covers its coat with toxic sap as a poisonous defence against predators and elephants that place mud plasters on their injuries. Some therapeutic behaviours may even be transmitted socially among certain species.