Directions for Beginners: North, South, East, West

Atrabilis(en)

Papa Mau: The Wayfinder(en)

A documentary that takes a retrospective look at the influence of Mau Piailug, a native from the tiny Micronesian atoll of Satawal, in reviving the art of non-instrument navigation in Polynesia. Relying solely on his knowledge of celestial bodies, oceanic currents, and natural markers, Mau guided the traditional sailing canoe Hokulea on a 1976 voyaging to Tahiti, a journey not completed in more than 600 years. For Native Hawaiians, this expedition signaled an exodus from the cultural doldrums of the previous century. Sail along on this remarkable journey and share Mau's story of reinvigoration, reconciliation, and redemption of a people as the master wayfinder and teacher that breathed life back into the sails Polynesia's voyaging tradition.

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest(en)

Captain Jack Sparrow’s got a blood debt to pay: he owes his soul to the legendary Davy Jones, ghastly Ruler of the Ocean Depths. To escape eternal servitude aboard the Flying Dutchman, ever-crafty Jack must track down the still-beating heart of Jones. But he won’t do it alone: Will Turner and Elizabeth Swann are drawn back into another one of his perilous quests—assuming they can evade execution for aiding a pirate.

The Golden Compass(en)

In a parallel universe, after overhearing a shocking secret, precocious orphan Lyra Belacqua trades her carefree existence roaming the halls of Jordan College for an otherworldly adventure in the far North, unaware that it's part of her destiny.

Horizon Line(en)

A couple flying on a small plane to attend a tropical island wedding must fight for their lives after their pilot suffers a heart attack.

True North(no)

A girl in a mechanics workshop meets a submarine captain who owns a magical compass. The compass is not functioning, so he asks her to fix it. It turns out that the compass has showed him the way to the treasure he sought the whole time.

Gala(he)

Donner(de)

After the death of his mother, little Julius throws himself into a fantasy world. He travels with his teddy bear Max to the northern lights - a dream that is supposed to take him back to his deceased mother. The two will never reach their destination. They get caught in a heavy storm that brings them back to reality and forces Julius to face a difficult farewell.

Gordon Ramsay: Shark Bait(en)

In this one-hour special, Gordon investigates the history, culture and controversy surrounding the shark fishing industry. Each year, nearly 100 million sharks worldwide are killed for use of their fins in the traditional Chinese delicacy, driving a third of the world's shark species towards extinction. Gordon also goes diving in an attempt to gain a full understanding of the majestic animal.

Children of Chance(fr)

In the small local school of Cheratte, a former mining town, 11-year old students with and immigrant background are coming to the end of their primary school education with Brigitte. She is a dynamic teacher whose particular pedagogical approach aims to give these pupils a firm foundation to build on in this constantly changing world.

Ancient India(en)

This Traveltalk series short visits a few locations where the centuries-old traditions of ancient India are kept alive in contemporary times.

Pretoria to Durban(en)

This Traveltalk series short gives a glimpse into South African history, albeit from a white person's viewpoint. South Africa is a union of four separate states: the Transvaal, the Orange Free State, Natal, and the Cape Provence.

Eugenika. W imię postępu(pl)

The documentary depicts the birth of eugenics - a pseudo-science created in the 19th century that propounded the theory of perfecting the human race. According to the views of eugenicists, only healthy and creative individuals should reproduce. The film shows how these controversial ideas influenced the intellectual and political elite of the West in the 20th century, including the dictator of the Third Reich, Adolf Hitler. Eugenics is a pseudoscience created in the 19th century and treating the improvement of the human race. According to eugenicists, only healthy and creative individuals could procreate, and the procreation of the sick or disabled and racially unworthy (prostitutes, the poor, beggars) should be forbidden. The author of the film posits that modern genetics, the killing of unborn children and euthanasia have their roots in this infamous pseudoscience.

Copenhagen: 'City of Towers'(en)

This travelogue emphasizes Copenhagen's harmonious residents and tone. We see well-known landmarks and get a quick history of some of them.

Rome, the Eternal City(en)

A Traveltalk style documentary look at Rome.

Letters from China(zh)

About the way of life in the East, in China, during the months before spring. An early spring.

Stardust Memories(it)

For years, the Stardust has been a pub symbolizing romanity. From behind its counter, a young parisian girl has discovered Italy while living the final blows of a century coming to an end. With her Hi8 camrecorder she filmed her life as an expat and captured a glimpse of the Trastevere nightlife.

La fabrique des pandémies(fr)

This investigation by Marie-Monique Robin makes the link between the proliferation of new viruses and the destruction of biodiversity and probes the scientists gathered around the issue of global health. To counter the multiplication of health crises, these specialists advocate the preservation of biodiversity as an antidote.

The Town of Iidate: Radiation and the Return Home(ja)

In March 2011, the world was stunned by the nuclear disaster in Fukushima. Today, the people of Iidate, a town outside the 30km radiation exclusion zone around the nuclear power plant, are still suffering. The direction of the wind, rain and snow caused radiation to reach dangerous levels and the entire town was forced to evacuate.

The Town of Iitate: No Longer Home(ja)

In March, 2011, the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant exploded, causing a large amount of radioactive effluent to leak. Iitate Village, designated by some as "one of the most beautiful villages in Japan," was more than thirty kilometers away. But because of the direction of the wind, snow, and rain, it was heavily effected by radiation. For this reason, a month after the nuclear disaster, the Japanese government ordered the municipality to evacuate entirely. As a result, approximately 6,000 residents were forced to leave their homes.

Downloaded(en)

A documentary that explores the downloading revolution; the kids that created it, the bands and the businesses that were affected by it, and its impact on the world at large.

Zeitgeist: Moving Forward(en)

A presentation of a case for a needed transition out of the current socioeconomic monetary paradigm which governs the entire world society. This subject matter will transcend the issues of cultural relativism and traditional ideology and move to relate the core, empirical 'life ground' attributes of human and social survival, extrapolating those immutable natural laws into a new sustainable social paradigm called a 'Resource-Based Economy'.

Our Planet: Behind the Scenes(en)

Years spent recording footage of creatures from every corner of the globe is bound to produce a bit of drama. Here's a behind-the-scenes look.

Alone in the Wilderness(en)

Dick Proenneke retired at age 50 in 1967 and decided to build his own cabin in the wilderness at the base of the Aleutian Peninsula, in what is now Lake Clark National Park. Using color footage he shot himself, Proenneke traces how he came to this remote area, selected a homestead site and built his log cabin completely by himself. The documentary covers his first year in-country, showing his day-to-day activities and the passing of the seasons as he sought to scratch out a living alone in the wilderness.

The Mole: Undercover in North Korea(en)

A real-life undercover thriller about two ordinary men who embark on an outrageously dangerous ten-year mission to penetrate the world's most secretive and brutal dictatorship: North Korea.

Above Majestic(en)

A look at the origins, history and conspiracies behind the "Majestic 12", a clandestine group of military and corporate figureheads charged with reverse-engineering extraterrestrial technology.

One Life(en)

One Life captures unprecedented and beautiful sequences of animal behaviour guaranteed to bring you closer to nature than ever before, as well as a second disc packed full of never before seen extras including an exclusive making of featurette narrated by Daniel Craig.

Earth: One Amazing Day(en)

An astonishing journey revealing the awesome power of the natural world. Over the course of one single day, we track the sun from the highest mountains to the remotest islands to exotic jungles.

The Captains(en)

The Captains is a feature-length documentary film written and directed by William Shatner. The film follows Shatner as he interviews the other actors who have portrayed starship captains in the Star Trek franchise.

American Boy: A Profile of Steven Prince(en)

Martin Scorsese spends an evening with larger-than-life raconteur Steven Prince—a former drug addict, road manager for Neil Diamond, and actor—as he recounts stories from his colorful life.

National Geographic: Journey to the Edge of the Universe(en)

In one single, epic camera move we journey from Earth's surface to the outermost reaches of the universe on a grand tour of the cosmos, to explore newborn stars, distant planets, black holes and beyond.

To Be Takei(en)

Over seven decades, actor and activist George Takei journeyed from a World War II internment camp to the helm of the Starship Enterprise, and then to the daily news feeds of five million Facebook fans. Join George and his husband, Brad, on a wacky and profound trek for life, liberty, and love.

Under the Helmet: The Legacy of Boba Fett(en)

A special celebrating the origins and legacy of Star Wars' legendary bounty hunter, Boba Fett.

Ex Libris: The New York Public Library(en)

A documentary about how a dominant cultural and demographic institution both sustains their traditional activities and adapts to the digital revolution.

Atlantis Rising(en)

James Cameron and Simcha Jacobovici go on an adventure to find the lost city of Atlantis by using Greek philosopher Plato as a virtual treasure map.

Hawking(en)

The extraordinary story of the planet’s most famous contemporary scientist, told in his own words and by those closest to him. Made with unique access to Hawking’s private life, this is an intimate and moving journey into Stephen's world, both past and present.

An Evening with Kevin Smith(en)

Kevin Smith interacts in Q&A sessions throughout various college stops in the USA.

Beyond Infinity: Buzz and the Journey to Lightyear(en)

Explore the evolution of Buzz Lightyear from toy to human in the making of Pixar’s Lightyear. Dive into the origin and cultural impact of everyone’s favorite Space Ranger, the art of designing a new “human Buzz,” and the challenges faced by the Lightyear crew along the way.

Iverson(en)

Iverson is the ultimate legacy of NBA legend Allen Iverson, who rose from a childhood of crushing poverty in Hampton, Virginia, to become an 11-time NBA All-Star and universally recognized icon of his sport. Off the court, his audacious rejection of conservative NBA convention and unapologetic embrace of hip hop culture sent shockwaves throughout the league and influenced an entire generation. Told largely in Iverson's own words, the film charts the career highs and lows of one of the most distinctive and accomplished figures the sport of basketball has ever seen.

Spider-Man: All Roads Lead to No Way Home(en)

JB Smoove and Martin Starr host a celebration of 20 years of "Spider-Man" movies, from the Sam Raimi trilogy to Marc Webb's movies and the trio from Jon Watts.