The Great Atchafalaya Basin(2020)

Workers Leaving the Lumière Factory(fr)

Working men and women leave through the main gate of the Lumière factory in Lyon, France. Filmed on 22 March 1895, it is often referred to as the first real motion picture ever made, although Louis Le Prince's 1888 Roundhay Garden Scene pre-dated it by seven years. Three separate versions of this film exist, which differ from one another in numerous ways. The first version features a carriage drawn by one horse, while in the second version the carriage is drawn by two horses, and there is no carriage at all in the third version. The clothing style is also different between the three versions, demonstrating the different seasons in which each was filmed. This film was made in the 35 mm format with an aspect ratio of 1.33:1, and at a speed of 16 frames per second. At that rate, the 17 meters of film length provided a duration of 46 seconds, holding a total of 800 frames.

Bakelite(en)

This underwater ballet is an ecological story depicting our paradoxical relationship with plastic. Bakelite launched the #SickOfPlastic campaign from On Est Prêt, along with the Surfrider Foundation, Break Free from Plastic and the Resilient Foundation. Photography was directed by Jacques Ballard, a specialist in underwater cinematography.

Night and Fog(fr)

Filmmaker Alain Resnais documents the atrocities behind the walls of Hitler's concentration camps.

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.

The Dragons of Galapagos(en)

This is the story of the incredible struggle for survival of the dragons of the Galapagos. On the island of Fernandina, each year Land Iguanas migrate up the steep slopes of the 5000ft active volcano to lay their eggs in the warm soil. If the rim of the crater is fully occupied they have to climb 1 km down the steep crater walls to the floor below. Many are killed finding a path down as the walls are steep & dangerously unstable causing many landslides.

Death Day(en)

During his adventure in Mexico, Sergei Eisenstein made footage of a Mexican "Death Day" celebration for inclusion in his "Que Viva Mexico!" film project. When the 200,000-plus feet of film he eventually exposed in Mexico was first attempted to be made into a feature film, "Thunder Over Mexico", the producers excluded the Death Day material for subsequent compilation as an independent short subject. Silent with music track and explanatory English intertitles.

Life in the Air(en)

Flight is the ultimate superpower, an extraordinary ability that humans can only dream of. Yet an astonishing number of animals have mastered the skies. Now, new technology allows us to join them in their previously hidden world, ‘flying’ alongside these gravity-defying animals and experiencing their unique point of view. With exceptional skills and breath-taking design, creatures ranging from frogs to fish, from spiders to squirrels, spend their lives mid-air. Life in the Air captures this extraordinary animal behaviour and reveals – in incredible detail – the amazing science of flight.

Charles Santore Illustrates The Wizard of Oz(en)

Charles Santore, in an expansion of his discussion in “Oz: The American Fairyland” (1997) (V), tells about his experience making an abridged storybook of “The Wizard of Oz”. He tells of his inspirations, the little girl who modeled for Dorothy, the tin man in folk art, and a left to right progression in a journey of identity, with opposing forces pushing the movement in art back to the left.

M6NTHS(en)

Short film about an animal in captivity longing for the outside. An animal that, like us, dreams, is intelligent, curious, social and sensitive, and in whom we can clearly recognise a soul. The piglet in this movie invites us to see the world through his eyes, which will forever change our view on pigs.

A Stranger in Her Own City(fr)

A documentary short that follows a 13-year-old girl named Nejmia, who lives in Sana’a and refuses to wear the veil.

Milk(en)

What we show in Milk is literally the best of the best when it comes to dairy farming, yet, as soon we view what happens from the perspective of the mother cow, it becomes clear that this is an industry that runs on the exploitation and suffering of animals. By using animation, we are able to show a unique perspective and tell the story of the mother cow in a way that cannot be done from investigative footage alone. Milk centres the cow as the protagonist of her own story and allows us to view what is happening to her from an up close and personal perspective. Organic, free-range, high-welfare, humanely raised. It doesn’t matter what label we put on dairy products, all dairy cows are victims of an industry that forcibly impregnates them, takes their babies from them, exploits their bodies and then sends them to a slaughterhouse to cut their throats. It's time to end the dairy industry.

Hammer A.D. 2023(en)

A short documentary to celebrate Hammer Films' 89th anniversary. Discover how Hammer has shaped the horror genre, influenced culture, and what the future holds. Featuring insights from new CEO and Chairman John Gore, candid conversations with legendary Hammer Glamour icons Caroline Munro and Madeline Smith, plus contributions from writer and actor Mark Gatiss. Plus, voices of the horror community — from seasoned critics to influential content creators — discuss the indelible mark Hammer Films has made on the genre.

The Happy Man Tree(en)

The community of Woodberry Down in Hackney rallies to save a beloved local plane tree from development.

Tapavica(sr)

A story about the first Serbian Olympian who won bronze medal at the first Olympic games in 1896, also a world class architect.

Pains(es)

Norival, has 41 years old, is a widower and father of Pedro, age 5. To support his child, Norival does small jobs in various farms across the country. The movie 'Pains' follows a day in their life during the harvest season of sugarcane. During this period Norival and his son live in Minas Gerais' countryside, in Brazil's southeast, in small city called Pains. As a cane cutter, Norival struggle to raise money and provide a good education for his child.

The Cousteau Collection N°6-1 | Hippo, Hippo(fr)

Salmon(xx)

Transformed into a salmon, an Indigenous street artist travels through decayed urban landscapes to the forests of long ago, in this sublime mixed animation.

Alice Guy's Dream(fr)

This is a short film about Alice Guy-Blaché, the first female director of fiction in cinema history. Alice Guy was Léon Gaumont's secretary at the beginning of the last century and she was the first woman to ever direct actors in front of the camera. In 1895, the Lumière brothers introduced to the world the "Cinématographe", the first camera. Léon Gaumont decided to sell this revolutionary new device. Fascinated, Alice asked her boss for permission to use the camera to make her own films. Mr. Gaumont agreed only under the condition that she “would be able to keep up with her mail.” This short film is a poetic reverie that Alice Guy might have had in her time if only society at the time hadn't presented her with so many challenges.

Land of the Anaconda(en)

Join barefoot scientist Jesús Rivas in the murky marshes of Venezuela on his quest to understand these huge, fearsome reptiles. Up to 30 feet long, weighing many times more than the scientists studying them, anacondas are difficult subjects at best, but the National Geographic team captures brilliant footage of them swimming, resting, mating, and hunting prey.

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.