Using as its centerpiece both the world’s most famous horses, the Lippizans of Austria, and their home, the internationally famous Spanish Riding School of Vienna, Majestic White Horses will capture the heart and mystique of this great animal from the time of its youth to the crowning achievement of its entrance into the School. Music performed by the London Philharmonic Orchestra.
The world’s elite independent watchmakers are incredibly passionate about watch making from design to assembly, delicately bringing together hundreds of minuscule parts all by hand. The price for one such truly artistic timepiece can fetch up to hundreds of thousands of dollars. Their phenomenal techniques stretching the limits of human capability are almost divine. Example of their mastery include a watch that uses only wooden parts except for the springs, a watch without hands or a face, and a watch that shows celestial movement. This documentary series goes deep into the workshops of the world’s expert independent watchmakers.
Using text from Mexican novelist Carlos Fuentes and ancient Aztec and Mayan poetry, Mexico leads viewers on a visual journey through this country’s rich and varied past and present. Stunning images and a dramatic musical score by Daniel Valdez create a vivid, insightful portrait of the Mexican people and their culture.
Directed by award-winning filmmaker Michael Watchulonis, MicroPlanet takes viewers on a groundbreaking adventure into the tiny kingdoms of thieves, assassins, and gentle souls alike. See microscopic flatworms with miraculous powers of regeneration dig through the muck of a freshwater lake. Witness ferocious antlions build deathtraps and ambush fire ants. Learn how water striders do the seemingly impossible – walk on water. And watch sneaky toads find a mate on a beautiful moonlit night.
With each new day, we engage in rituals that we’ve developed through instinct and years of routine. Because we have repeated the patterns so many times, we can succumb to a dulled awareness of our surroundings. It is easy to become unaware that these daily patterns and routines are repeated on every scale in nature and in the lives of all creatures. All around us there is drama that is constantly unfolding, unseen — paralleling our own rituals, struggles and triumphs. Every organism plays a role and adds a unique contribution. There is a certain uniformity in nature’s complexity and our existence is truly a series of interconnected events.
Sports Science reveals how top athletes use their bodies and skills.
The world’s top synchronized swimmers Natalia Ishchenko and Svetlana Romashina have an impossible stunt called The Russian Roulette where the two move their legs at breakneck speed during a routine when oxygen levels drop dangerously.
A first-ever research by NHK has revealed that when underwater, they display abilities only aquatic mammals are known to have! Be amazed at the supreme performances of the duo metamorphosing into real mermaids in beautiful 4K images.
The glorious Chitwan National Park extends over the foothills of the Himalayas in Nepal. A large river fed by melted snow and monsoon rains runs through this World Heritage site, attracting endangered species such as Indian rhinoceroses and Indian elephants. Mingling among them are gharials, one of the world’s largest crocodiles. At six meters in length, the main feature of this conspicuous creature is its long, thin jaws filled with razor-sharp teeth. Gharials swish their jaws back and forth to catch fish with impeccable timing. Males also make an explosive sound when courting females. This episode, filmed over an extended period between the dry and rainy seasons, reveals the wisdom behind the secrets to their survival.
The 17th century: The super powers are the Habsburg Empire and the Ottoman Empire, being more than just enemies. On September 11, 1697, the Ottoman army is annihilated in the battle of Zenta by the imperial army led by Prince Eugene of Savoy, thus ending the steady rise of the Ottoman Empire over the previous centuries. The dominance of the Habsburgs is well documented, but the Ottoman Empire was a civilization that was no less developed and whose culture we know only little about. Yet the Sultans ruled over Asia Minor, the Near East, the Balkans, North Africa, the Crimea and current-day Hungary for several centuries. We follow Emetullah Rabia Gülnuş Sultan, first concubine in the harem and later, as a mother of two Sultans, Valide Sultan. For more than 30 years the Greek woman, abducted from Crete at the age of four, had enormous influence over the political and cultural fortunes of the Ottoman Empire. Our protagonist on the Habsburg side is Prince Eugene of Savoy, who, from an emotionally neglected childhood, rose to huge success as a feared army leader and the wealthiest man of his time. Elaborate computer simulations and skillful re-enactments immerse viewers in the elegant, yet also brutal and merciless world of the Habsburg and the Ottoman Empire, showing not only their military encounters but also the mutual influences in the fields of culture, science and even food.
Million-selling fantasy novel series Moribito: Guardian of the Spirit comes alive in a full 4K drama series, starring leading Japanese actress Haruka Ayase.
The story is set in an imaginary land resembling ancient Asia, where the two worlds of spirits and humans intertwine in mysterious ways.
The heroine Balsa is a skilled bodyguard and a masterful spear-wielder. One day she rescues Prince Chagum who has fallen into a river. The prince is carrying a mysterious spirit egg in his body, and is in danger of being assassinated by his father, the Mikado (king), who fears this will damage his imperial prestige. Balsa embarks upon a perilous journey when she accepts the queen’s plead to protect her son from her husband …
The narrative, including the VFX and action sequences, will propel viewers into a world of dense forests, spectacular palaces, and spirits and demons.
A world of adventure never seen by anyone is now being unveiled.
Mountains tower above the plains and dominate the skyline. Critical to life – they fill our rivers, sway the weather, and provide sanctuary to incredibly diverse wildlife. They are as beautiful as they are dangerous – and for a brave few, they are the source of incredible adventure.
Follow Olympian Torah Bright as she journeys through the world’s longest chain of mountain ranges extending from Antarctica all the way to Alaska. Along the journey, Torah will ride with backcountry legend Jeremy Jones and freeskiing superstar Sammy Carlson. Together, they will encounter penguins, polar bears, and other wildlife, and meet with scientists and environmentalists to uncover a deeper understanding of our mountain ecosystems.
From glaciated valleys to icy tundras, we’ll venture through the mountain’s most awe-inspiring vistas. We’ll discover the crucial role mountains play in our every day lives and for the world, while witnessing the most spectacular snowboard action ever brought to the giant screen!
A lone climber, suspended hundreds of feet in the air, struggles to find the next finger hold, defining progress in inches. The dramatic visuals immerse us in a gripping contest of human determination versus the reality of gravity’s potent grip. Mountain Quest explores the precarious relationship of humanity’s quest to scale some of the world’s highest places, while also revealing the scientific and technological advances that have enabled us to conquer these peaks, exposing the heartbeat of the human soul.
A tapestry of jaw-dropping action, combined with rich STEM content … for example, physics of the real world – how climbing is a tug-of-war between friction and gravity, while skiing involves the same battle of forces in reverse. Educational insights about the engineering of climbing gear and skis, and the aeronautical effects of a wingsuit, are seamlessly integrated with dramatic visuals and action. The film is narrated by Willem Dafoe and was released in early 2018.
The MTB Insights Series offers a unique, Ultra HD view into mountain biking today. Looking at each aspect of the sport, this series is for enthusiasts and experts alike. Each episode takes an in-depth look at the culture, evolution, and champions of one of the fastest growing extreme sports in the world. Season 1 broadcast internationally in over 20 countries and received outstanding feedback from VOD audiences.
After the success of Season 1, MTB Insights is back with a new 10 x 26mins season, fresh faces, and new places. Filmed in brilliant 4K with legendary riders such as Cedric Gracia and Cam Zink. Discover unique spots like Bear Mountain Resort and the legendary Coastal Gravity park, Canada, and many other international destinations. This documentary driven series offers a true insight into mountain biking around the world.
(AKA Egypt: Secrets of the Mummies)
Journey to the royal tombs of Egypt and explore the history of ancient Egyptian society as told through the mummies of the past. The film follows explorers and scientists as they piece together the archeological and genetic clues of Egyptian mummies, and provides audiences with a window into the fascinating and mysterious world of the pharaohs. To unwrap the secrets of the pharaohs is to perhaps glimpse the future of our own civilization.
Mysteries of China captures one of the great archaeological events in modern times telling the story of ancient China, the First Emperor, and the literal foundation of the China we know today. Starting with modern China and springing back as we seek the birth of this mighty nation, we talk of an ancient time when a fierce warrior brought together a warring nation, and how an accidental discovery changed everything we know about China’s past.
It happened in 1974 when farmers digging a well in Xi’an stumbled upon one of the greatest archaeological finds the world had ever discovered – the Terracotta Warriors and the Tomb of the First Emperor. The Terracotta Warriors offer a unique time capsule into the past revealing many things about the very founding of this great country which we use to tell a larger story of the growth of China into a true superpower.
From modern China to ancient China and back again, the film is a visual adventure using beautiful aerial photography and cutting-edge time-lapse techniques to reveal great majesty, tragedy, splendor, and growth in a nation that continues to excel quickly into the future.
Mysteries of the Great Lakes is a timely film. All across the Great Lakes basin, there is a renewed interest in the health of the Lakes, and an increased awareness of the importance of this fresh water resource to the social and economic vitality of North America. Dubbed ‘inland seas’ by early European explorers, the Great Lakes have some of the most spectacular wilderness scenery on earth, and a fifth of all the planet’s fresh water. Today, 25% of all Canadians and 10% of Americans live on the Great Lakes. In addition, one in every three Canadians and one in every seven Americans rely on the Great Lakes for their fresh water.
Through several interlocking stories including the story of maritime commerce and the ships that move cargo through the inland waterway, Mysteries of the Great Lakes will take you on a journey through the greatest lake system in the world, and showcase the amazing geography, ecology, science, and history of the region through the most powerful film medium in the world — IMAX.
On Christmas day of 2003 Pasquale Scaturro and a team of explorers set out on an epic quest to become the first to complete a full descent of the world’s greatest river, the Blue Nile and the Nile, from source to sea. Four months later on April 28 at 7:01am, Pasquale and his expedition partner, Gordon Brown, reached the mouth of the Nile at the Mediterranean Sea becoming the first in history to complete this 3,250-mile journey. Their amazing journey is the basis for the IMAX® film, Mystery of the Nile.
Home to the oldest civilization, India is our world’s largest democracy. For millenia, many have left their homes and set off across this spiritual land in search of its secrets to share the meaning of life that would elevate the rest of humanity. Of all such journeys, none is greater than the true story of an 11-year-old child yogi, Neelkanth, who left his home on June 29, 1792 on a journey of awakening.