the vision of environmentalist Wangari Maathai
Taking root : the vision of Wangari Maathai tells the inspiring story of the Green Belt Movement of Kenya and its founder Wangari Maathai, the first environmentalist and first African woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize. The U.S.- educated Professor Maathai discovered her life's work by reconnecting with the rural women with whom she had grown up. Their lives had become intolerable: they were walking longer distances for firewood, clean water was scarce, the soil was disappearing from their farms, and their children were suffering from malnutrition. Maathai thought to herself, "Well, why not plant trees?" She soon discovered that tree planting had a ripple effect of empowering change. Countering the devastating cultural effects of colonialism, Maathai began teaching communities about self-knowledge as a path to change and community action. The women worked successively against deforestation, poverty, ignorance, embedded economic interests, and violent political oppression. They became a national political force that helped to bring down Kenya's 24-year dictatorship.
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The creation of Greenpeace is probably the most exciting and heroic environmental adventure of the 20th century. Although powerful now, at the start it was just a small group of hippies, motivated by their vision of a green and peaceful world. Through unpublished archive footage and interviews with Greenpeace's founders, this extraordinary documentary takes an in-depth, first-hand look into the organization that has become synonymous with the ecological movement. Greenpeace's success sprung from their ability to attract the attention of the media through direct action and shocking images. Their willingness to put themselves in harm's way brought admiration as well as controversy and ultimately death. It is a story of setbacks, victories and grappling to remain relevant. With the challenges that face the world today, environmental or otherwise, we can take heart from the fact that a handful of twenty somethings can change the world.
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It's late summer, the 1950s, and a young girl is on her way to residential school while a Cree woman sings a lullaby. When the girl arrives at her destination, she undergoes a transformation that turns the woman's gentle voice into a howl of anger and pain. Once installed in the residential school, life is stern and there aren't many chances to be a kid--except when no one is watching.
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hunting the hidden dimension
Nova takes viewers on a fascinating quest with a group of pioneering mathematicians determined to decipher the rules that govern fractal geometry. Their remarkable findings are deepening our understanding of nature and stimulating a new wave of scientific, medical, and artistic innovation, stretching from the ecology of the rainforest to fashion design.
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This 4-part series presents an intimate look at William Shakespeare and his world. Explore the life of the world's greatest writer through a mixture of scholarly interviews, re-created adventure sequences, and excerpts of plays performed by the Royal Shakespeare Company. In search of Shakespeare sets The Bard's life against the backdrop of his turbulent era of militarism, domestic surveillance, and foreign wars. Relive the Spanish Armada, the Gunpowder Plot, colonization of the New World, and England's Cultural Revolution.
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Frida Kahlo was more than a great painter: her life and art reflected the maelstrom of the revolution and culture that defined the first half of the twentieth century. This film combines Kahlo's artwork with photos, archival films, and interviews.
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the past, present and future of Earth
How the Earth was made examines the origin and geological evolution of Earth, focusing on the various cataclysmic transformations that occurred through time. View Inside the volcano and travel through time to look at the most dramatic eruptions in history. Experience a journey deep inside volcanoes to look at how different types are created and what they might do if and when they erupt. A global warning? explores the question: After 650 million years of climate change, is global warming simply a naturally occurring phenomenon or the result of human activity? Finally, Life after people asks: What will the world be like when mankind is extinct? The pyramids may stand forever but our cities will not. Our greatest masterpieces will fade and crumble. How long will it take before the last remnants of mankind completely disappear?
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Within the icy slopes of Mont Blanc, the highest mountain in the Alps, there exists a secret waterworld. In this program, scientists travel into these previously unexplored recesses to learn why, in 1892, one of Mont Blanc's hidden lakes burst forth, enveloping the villages below and killing 200 unsuspecting people.
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On December 26, 2004 a series of tidal waves killed thousands and devastated communities around the Indian Ocean. With around 100 tsunamis striking the world's coastlines each decade, Nova investigates what made the recent event so powerful and catastrophic. Shot within days of this shocking disaster, this program presents a clear explanation and analysis of the tragedy, revealing exactly how these deadly waves were triggered by one of the most powerful earthquakes recorded this century.
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Using dramatic recreations and animation, this program brings the August 27, 1883 eruption to life. The volcanic eruption reduced the island of Krakatoa to a third of its former size and triggered massive waves, including a tsunami that topped 100 feet high, killing 36,000 people.
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what everyone needs to know
Effective communication is the difference between productivity and chaos in the workplace. There are basic skills you must learn and apply to ensure your message is understood every time. But too often we forget the fundamentals as we rush to complete more work in less time. In this new training program you'll learn practical techniques to improve all your communication skills: written, oral, electronic, and face-to-face.
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Landing the job : the interview dramatizes the personal journey that we all must go through at some point in life: finding a good job. Shot in 'first person' style, character John Trey records each step as he seeks advice and tips on what makes a successful interview, as well as the preparation and follow-up.
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costing the Earth
Palm oil is used in many modern grocery items but palm oil production is ruining forests and destroying wildlife habitats in Malaysia and Indonesia. Panorama investigates the true cost of a comfort food that is destroying forests and the orangutan's natural habitat in Malaysia and Indonesia releasing vast amounts of carbon into the atmosphere daily.
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1, Caribbean
This film contrasts the fortunes of two countries that share the Caribbean: Haiti and Costa Rica. In densely populated Haiti, 30 million tons of arable lands disappear every year. It now looks like a dessert. A generation ago, Costa Rica appeared to be headed in the same direction but this stable democracy took a different course and has attempted to take the environment into account in its development, establishing a network of reserves covering over a quarter of the country and providing incentives to villages not to destroy watersheds. With virtually all the native vegetation removed, Haitians are prey to mudslides and lack the means to drag themselves out of poverty. While tourists clamour to visit Costa Rica, Haitians clamour to leave.
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7, Spain
Desertification is most often considered to be a problem afflicting poor nations. But large areas of developed nations such as the USA, Australia, and Spain are also affected on a huge scale. In Spain, where half the country is defined as 'arid' or 'semi-arid' almost a third of the land is defined as either severely or moderately desertified. Desperate for a solution, the Spanish government is considering diverting rivers from the north of the country or building expensive desalinization plants. Both will have destructive consequences for the environment.
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thinking smart about body art
Tattooing and body piercing : thinking smart about body art presents points to consider before undergoing body piercing or tattooing, such as health risks, permanence, expense, and pain. It also discusses the choice of a reliable practitioner, laser removal of tattoos, and the aftercare required for both procedures.
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For just about everybody, adolescence means having to confront a number of choices and life decisions, but rarely any as monumental as the one facing 15 year-old Alex, who was born an intersex child. As Alex begins to explore her sexuality, her mother invites friends from Buenos Aires to come for a visit at their house on the gorgeous Uruguayan shore, along with their 16-year-old son, Alvaro. Alex is immediately attracted to the young man, which adds yet another level of complexity to her personal search for identity, and forces both families to face their worst fears.
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The anthropologist examines climate change like no other film before. The fate of the planet is considered from the perspective of American teenager Katie Crate. Over the course of five years, she travels alongside her mother Susie, an anthropologist studying the impact of climate change on Indigenous communities. Their journey parallels that of renowned anthropologist Margaret Mead, who for decades sought to understand how global change affects remote cultures. The anthropologist demonstrates how societies are forced to negotiate the disruption of their traditional ways of life, whether through encounters with the outside world or the unprecedented change wrought by melting permafrost, receding glaciers, and rising tides.
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a small village in Nepal harnesses wind energy
Set in the grassroots of the Himalayan mountains, Tashi's turbine is an uplifting tale of a small village's attempt to harness renewable, sustainable energy with the power of the wind. The story begins with the strong friendship between Tashi Bista and Jeevan, who journey from Kathmandu to Namdok with hopes of building a stronger Nepal, one wind turbine at a time. Their first site, Namdok, is a humble remote village in Upper Mustang, which previously relied on sparse candlelight to power through the windy nights. As Tashi and Jeevan work with the villagers, the elements and gusty landscape bring their own set of unforeseen challenges for installing a strong wind turbine.
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Xin hai ge ming
At the beginning of the 20th century, China is in a state of crisis. The country is split into warring factions, the citizens are starving, and recent political reforms have made matters worse, not better. The ruling Qing Dynasty, led by a seven-year-old emperor, is completely out of touch after 250 years of unquestioned power. From the walls of the Forbidden City to the battlefields of China, with no expense spared in production and no detail ignored in its quest for historical accuracy, 1911 is a true epic in every sense of the word.
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Les jours parfaits
Hirayama works as a toilet cleaner in Tokyo. He seems content with his simple life. He follows a structured everyday life and dedicates his free time to his passion for music and books. Hirayama also has a fondness for trees and photographs them. More of his past is gradually revealed through a series of unexpected encounters.
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Ape genius explores the secret mental lives of apes and the crucial gap between ape intellects and our own. It discusses what is known about the intelligence of our nearest relatives, the great apes, including chimpanzees, bonobos, orangutans, and gorillas--and asks what forms the crucial differences in intellect between apes and humans.
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Set in 19th century China, two master warriors are charged with recovering the stolen Green Destiny sword, and are led to an impetuous, physically-skilled, teenage nobleman's daughter who is wandering towards evil. Notable for its martial arts choreography, the film also considers the nature of freedom within the bounds of love, honour, and sacrifice.
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Above the water, the Indonesian island of Balobaloang looks like an ideal tropical paradise, with blue skies, coconut trees, and crystal water. Under the water, however, "fish bombing" with dynamite and cyanide is destroying the coral reef, threatening the marine habitat and the livelihoods of the island's inhabitants. Traditionally, people who live in small islands in Indonesia have fished using sustainable fishing methods, and conserving and sharing resources. However, a high overseas demand for fish has created a new kind of economy, in which cargo ship owners export fish at the expense of island residents. Corruption and illegal fishing practices have made it impossible for traditional fishermen to receive a fair share of their paradise. Collaborating with Balobaloang fishermen, the filmmakers confront illegal fishermen, government officials, and police officers to investigate the dangerous new methods that threaten Balobaloang's sustainable way of life. Tackling the social, economic and environmental effects of illegal fishing, Sharing paradise looks for solutions to the fishing problem and a more equitable, sustainable future for Balobaloang.
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Visages villages
A road trip with legendary filmmaker Agnes Varda and photographer JR. An unlikely duo, 89-year-old Agnes Varda, one of the leading figures of the French New Wave, and acclaimed 33-year-old French photographer and muralist JR teamed up to co-direct this enchanting documentary/road movie. Kindred spirits, Varda and JR share a lifelong passion for images and how they are created, displayed, and shared. Together they travel around the villages of France in JR's photo truck meeting locals, learning their stories, and producing epic-size portraits of them. The photos are prominently displayed on houses, barns, storefronts, and trains revealing the humanity in their subjects, and themselves. Faces places documents these heart-warming encounters as well as the unlikely, tender friendship they formed along the way.
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"Have you ever dreamt of a better version of yourself? You. Only better in every way. You've got to try this new product. It changed my life." Elisabeth Sparkle is a former Hollywood actress turned TV fitness guru whose show was cancelled due to her aging appearance. Desperate to regain her youth, Elisabeth encounters a miracle drug that promises to make her look younger. The only catch is that her body needs to alternate--one week as Sue (her twenty-something incarnation) and one week as Elisabeth (her regular body)--or else the substance could have disastrous effects.
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