Travelling to 10 corners of the world this series aims at showing locally through the people who experience it the concrete impact of climate change. Beyond the figures and graphics who are the people affected today in their daily activities by these change? How do they cope, what choices are they facing and what solutions have they found to maintain a sustainable activity on the land of their ancestors?
Episode 1: Bolivia
Gerarda Moralē± is an Aymara Indian like half the population of Bolivia, and the president of a self-help charity network in the la Paz region. Glaciers are the main source of water for the region but they are now melting at an alarming rate. The whole balance of the region is under threat. The rural exodus must be halted and alternative water sources found as fast as possible
Episode 2: Australia
For 38 years, Clem and Cheryle Hodges have lived as farmers in New South Wales. These past five years, they have suffered from an exceptionally long and severe drought. Global warming? The Hodges are sceptical. But will they try to survive and wait for better days? Or will they, like other farmers, have to adapt their ways?
Episode 3: Canada
A courageous and spirited Inuit woman, Ulaayu Pilurtuut lives in the heart of the Canadian Great North, where she teaches Inuktut, the language of her people. The melting of the ice shelf, caused by global warming, threatens the existence of hunting, the traditional activity of communities in the region. Ulaayu wants to help the local youth invent a new future without losing touch with their roots and their identity.
Episode 4: Egypt
Manar Ezat is the first female professor specialised in fish farming in Egypt. Endlessly she visits and advises the fish farmers along the Nile delta - including those who let their traditional farming activity to develop and live from this new agro-industry. As the sea expands over the delta, silt disappears and salinity in water and soil increases. About a third of the country's population is to be eventually affected, thought farmers and fisherman are the first and main victims.
Episode 5: Spain
At the heart of the Valencia Huerta, Antonio Niguez watches worriedly the orange trees of his parcel wither away. This semi-arid region, true garden in the southeast of Spain, suffers from a chronic lack of water, worsened by global warming. Despite an irrigation system that has been regulated for centuries by the "Water Tribunal" of Valencia, the threat of desertification looms. What must be done?
Episode 6: United States
Colleen Gregory (truck farmer, beekeeper and sheep breeder) lives in the San Juan Islands, off Seattle. Fed up with the city and its ongoing activity, she moved in this paradisiacal spot - a sight for sore eyes! - 20 years ago to find Nature. A childhood dream come true! But, today the dream is fading away...
Episode 7: Japan
Katsuo Sasaki grows rice in Miyagi Province where the crop has a strong reputation. And yet he is becoming impoverished since never before seen insects have started to attack his crops. Katsuo wonders what Nature can endure... And for how much longer...
Episode 8: Mali
In the North of Mali, Khissa lives along the banks of Lake Faguibine. A location erstwhile "blessed by Gods"...An area of exchange for nomad breeders, Sonrai farmers and Bozo fishermen. But during the Sahel drought, the lake suddenly dried out. Like many other Tuareg, Khissa lost everything, namely his independence and his pride.
Episode 9: Netherlands
Global warming causes the icecap to melt which induces a rise in sea level. A nightmare for the Dutch since 60% of their territory lies below that very sea level. This concerns Oebele Wiedjik who lives in a polder. This is a major concern for all farmers living in the Noordward polder who know they are living on borrowed time and are facing difficult choices.
Episode 10: Vietnam
Lien Tran Thi Kim is an agronomist-forester in the centre of Vietnam. Concerned about the increase in natural disasters, she has taken on a re-forestation mission in an effort to reduce their destructive effects.
Sunday, May 11, 2014
* The Great Summits (2010)
The Great Summits introduces ten of the world' s most famed mountains such as Mont Blanc and the Matterhorn in the European Alps and Mt. McKinley in Alaska. Guided by expert climbers, viewers can experience what it feels like to climb these mountains. Feel the same fear and excitement through the lens of a Steadicam.
* Civilisation (1969) *** Missing number 1.
Civilisation is the crowning achievement in the career of Lord Kenneth Clark. It is an unforgettable epic journey through Western culture that spans eleven countries and more than sixteen centuries of Western civilization's art, architecture, philosophy, and history.
Episode 1: The Skin of our Teeth
The first programme in this 13-part documentary series covers the Dark Ages, from AD400 to AD1000.
Episode 2: The Great Thaw
The sudden re-awakening of European civilisation in the 12th century is traced by Sir Kenneth Clarke to its high point - the building of the Cathedral of Chartres.
Episode 3: Romance and Reality
Sir Kenneth Clark explores the aspirations and achievements of the gothic world, on a journey from a castle on the river Loire in France to the cathedral baptistry at Pisa in Italy.
Episode 4: Man - The Measure of all Things
Kenneth Clarke visits the Italian palaces of Urbino and Mantua, which were centres of the Renaissance.
Episode 5: The Hero as Artist
Kenneth Clarke visits Papal Rome to explore the work of 16th-century artists Michelangelo, Raphael and Leonardo da Vinci.
Episode 6: Protest and Communication
Examining protest and communication, Kenneth Clarke explores the Reformation - Luther and Durer's Germany, and Shakespeare's England.
Episode 7: Grandeur and Obedience
Kenneth Clarke discusses the glory of Rome during the Counter-Reformation.
Episode 8: The Light of Experience
Kenneth Clarke discusses the importance of light in 17th-century Dutch painting, and the rapid pace of scientific discovery in the London of the Royal Society.
Episode 9: The Pursuit of Happiness
Kenneth Clarke looks at the rococo style in 18th-century music and architecture.
Episode 10: The Smile of Reason
Kenneth Clarke discusses the 18th-century Age of Reason.
Episode 11: The Worship of Nature
Kenneth Clarke discusses changing views of God and nature in the 18th century.
Episode 12: The Fallacies of Hope
Kenneth Clarke traces the disillusionment of the artists of the Romantic movement.
Episode 13: Heroic Materialism
Kenneth Clarke shows how the heroic materialism of the past 100 years has been linked with an increase in humanitarism.
Episode 1: The Skin of our Teeth
The first programme in this 13-part documentary series covers the Dark Ages, from AD400 to AD1000.
Episode 2: The Great Thaw
The sudden re-awakening of European civilisation in the 12th century is traced by Sir Kenneth Clarke to its high point - the building of the Cathedral of Chartres.
Episode 3: Romance and Reality
Sir Kenneth Clark explores the aspirations and achievements of the gothic world, on a journey from a castle on the river Loire in France to the cathedral baptistry at Pisa in Italy.
Episode 4: Man - The Measure of all Things
Kenneth Clarke visits the Italian palaces of Urbino and Mantua, which were centres of the Renaissance.
Episode 5: The Hero as Artist
Kenneth Clarke visits Papal Rome to explore the work of 16th-century artists Michelangelo, Raphael and Leonardo da Vinci.
Episode 6: Protest and Communication
Examining protest and communication, Kenneth Clarke explores the Reformation - Luther and Durer's Germany, and Shakespeare's England.
Episode 7: Grandeur and Obedience
Kenneth Clarke discusses the glory of Rome during the Counter-Reformation.
Episode 8: The Light of Experience
Kenneth Clarke discusses the importance of light in 17th-century Dutch painting, and the rapid pace of scientific discovery in the London of the Royal Society.
Episode 9: The Pursuit of Happiness
Kenneth Clarke looks at the rococo style in 18th-century music and architecture.
Episode 10: The Smile of Reason
Kenneth Clarke discusses the 18th-century Age of Reason.
Episode 11: The Worship of Nature
Kenneth Clarke discusses changing views of God and nature in the 18th century.
Episode 12: The Fallacies of Hope
Kenneth Clarke traces the disillusionment of the artists of the Romantic movement.
Episode 13: Heroic Materialism
Kenneth Clarke shows how the heroic materialism of the past 100 years has been linked with an increase in humanitarism.
* Allan Pease - Body Language (1980's)
This is a rip of a VHS presentation from the 80's. Allan Pease presents one of the best programs about Body Language. After this, you will know everything about body language.
A born achiever, he began his career in Australia at the tender age of 10 selling household sponges door-to-door, and was an award winning direct salesman as a teenager. By 21, he was the youngest person in Australia ever to sell one million dollars of life insurance and qualify for the elite Million Dollar Round Table.
For over three decades he has shown others how to succeed. Allan passes on his skills and techniques in a way that participants never forget.
A born achiever, he began his career in Australia at the tender age of 10 selling household sponges door-to-door, and was an award winning direct salesman as a teenager. By 21, he was the youngest person in Australia ever to sell one million dollars of life insurance and qualify for the elite Million Dollar Round Table.
For over three decades he has shown others how to succeed. Allan passes on his skills and techniques in a way that participants never forget.
* All Aboard (2008)
Emmanuelle Han, filmmaker and explorer has a passion: travelling around the world to meet people living in remote parts of the world. In this series she travels on the most beautiful train rides and makes fascinating encounters as she gets off at the different stations.Among Emmanuelle's destinations are China as she takes the "Dragon of the Himalaya", the highest train in the world, linking Beijing to Lassa and Cuba aboard the "Tren francs" between Havana and Santiago.Other destinations include Sicily, Argentina, Turkey and Australia.
Part 1: China - Tibet :The Dragon of the Himalayas
4,000 kilometers separate Beijing from Lhassa; 4,000 kilometers on board the train nicknamed "The Dragon" . This train holds many records: 2,647 bridges, 11 tunnels one of which is the world's highest at 4,999 meters, pressurized cars equipped with anti-UV windows. Emmanuelle Han will have to deal with altitude sickness but in return she will encounter some very exceptional people.
Part 2: Sicily: Mafia Free
Sicily. A land of travelers where opposing influences meld in unexpected ways. With Emmanuelle Han, we discover the Mediterranean's biggest island while travelling to the rhythm of the rails. Messina, Palermo, Catania... During her voyage, Emmanuelle will meet Sicilians who have chosen to live without the Mafia, to throw off their yoke. She’ll discover what this choice implies.
Part 3: Cuba: El Tren Frances
And what if to see the real Cuba, one had to ride this train which clanks along at 50 km/h over the 835 kilometers of the Santiago-Havana line?
In Cuba, the train is the best way to mix with the masses, people that tourists only glimpse through the windows of their air-conditioned tour buses without ever meeting them, without ever hearing their stories. This ride takes us deep into the heart of a country much more difficult to penetrate than it seems and thus avoid out-dated clich's. Emmanuelle Han embarks aboard the mythic "Tren Franc's" and lets herself be led from one end to the other along this legendary line, "the Pearl of the Caribbean" .
Part 4: Argentina: El Gran Capitan
Emmanuelle Han chose to travel across Argentina aboard El Gran Capitn, an illustrious train dear to the heart and soul of every Argentine. In this land of contrasts, this mythic train constructed by English pioneers in the 19th century carries passengers more than 1,000 kilometers… in 33 hours.
This iron monster snakes its way around the bends of the Sierras, the vast Pampas and town and villages with their gently fading colors.
A ride on El Gran Capit?n reveals all of Argentina's complexities. We discover this promised land and its descendants as well as their multifaceted identities. A voyage to the borders of a country and its people, a journey along the frontier lands of Uruguay, Paraguay and Brazil.
Part 5: Turkey: Vangolu Ekspressi
A land of sunshine and history, Turkey lies at the crossroads of three continents: Asia, Africa and Europe. A circumstance which gave birth to a rich and surprising culture. The Vangol? Ekspressi carries Emmanuelle Han on a trip of over 1,300 kilometers, from Istanbul to the Iranian border, gateway to the Orient. In the heart of these very remote lands, this train shows us a kaleidoscope of landscapes, ways of life and cultures.
Part 6: Australia: the Indian Pacific
A land of superlatives, Australia is the world's largest island, the flattest and most arid territory on the planet. Its geographic isolation and its extreme climate have fashioned an uncommon topography where barren stretches of land no longer scare anyone. Thus this railroad, built in the heart of the Nullabor Plain - 200,000 km2 of semi-arid calcareous earth with barely a tree in sight. It takes three days to cross the 4 352 kilometers which separate Sidney from Perth; three days during which Emmanuelle Han will meet with singular characters, between madness, modernity and the outback spirit.
Part 7: India: the North East Express
In India, it is said that it's best to remain close to the sacred rivers so as not to become impure. That's why Emmanuelle Han has chosen to embark upon the mythic railroad line the North East Express which runs across the valleys of Brahmaputra and the Ganges. By following this spiritual path from Guwahati to Delhi, and passing through the holy citiy of Agra, an unexpected facet of the country is revealed. India is a rapidly developing country, the middle class being its economic as well as cultural motor. The North East Express covers 1,880 kilometers in 22 hours - an opportunity to get closer to this new class of Indians, a class that's slightly schizophrenic and the symbol of a country in full mutation.
Part 8: Malaysia: the Langkawi Ekspres
Travelling over the 700 kilometers between Gemas, in the Southern part of the country, all the way to the North and the Thai border, Emmanuelle Han has gone in search of those marvelous mirrors of contrast and complexity in Malaysian society: its women. Aboard the Langkawi Ekspres, Emmanuelle Han unveils a mosaic of unforgettable portraits. Cigar-smokers, taggers and cobra hunters, they are Muslim, Buddhist or Hindu. At the heart of the dilemma of what it is to be Malaysian identity, these women try to impose their own vision of the future.
Part 9: Vietnam: the Reunification Train
From Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi, the train of Reunification carries Emmanuelle Han on a 1,726 kilometer voyage. She discovers a country as modern as it is rural -oscillating between the desire for openness and an attachment to traditions.
Today, 50% of the population is younger than 25 years old and didn't live through the tragic events of their country's history. As Hanoi, the country's capital, celebrates its Millennial Anniversary, what are the concerns of a society where young people represent such a large proportion of the population ?
Part 10: Madagascar: the Train of Life
If ever a train deserved its name, it's the "Train of Life" . Without it, 100 000 people on this remote inland region of Eastern Madagascar would be completely cut off from the world. Emmanuelle Han climbs on board this clinking-clanking convoy from Fianarantsoa to Manakara travelling 163 kilometers along its 67 bridges and 48 tunnels. Welcome to this local version of a TGV, a Train of Great Vibrations… No reservations necessary and overbooking guaranteed! From high plateaus to the shores of the Indian Ocean via grandiose landscapes, each stop is an occasion to visit these isolated villages and discover a local economy held together by a thundering thread of steel that's 75 years old.
Part 11: Morocco: the Train of the Imperial Cities
Ride the rails with Emmanuelle Han in aboard a train that links country's imperial cities. Marrakesh, Casablanca, Rabat, Meknes, Fez, she’ll meet the descendants of Morocco's great dynasties, in search of the secrets of the Moroccan art of living. Whether perfumers, furniture makers or the founders of orphanages, they share the desire to preserve the savoir faire and values passed on from generation to generation. A voyage through captivating settings at the heart of a country in constant evolution.
Part 12: Portugal: the Alfa Pendular
Emmanuelle travels on the Alfa Pendular, the Pendolino high-speed tilting train. Over her journey she will meet people who have chosen to give meaning to their lives by doing things for others.
Part 1: China - Tibet :The Dragon of the Himalayas
4,000 kilometers separate Beijing from Lhassa; 4,000 kilometers on board the train nicknamed "The Dragon" . This train holds many records: 2,647 bridges, 11 tunnels one of which is the world's highest at 4,999 meters, pressurized cars equipped with anti-UV windows. Emmanuelle Han will have to deal with altitude sickness but in return she will encounter some very exceptional people.
Part 2: Sicily: Mafia Free
Sicily. A land of travelers where opposing influences meld in unexpected ways. With Emmanuelle Han, we discover the Mediterranean's biggest island while travelling to the rhythm of the rails. Messina, Palermo, Catania... During her voyage, Emmanuelle will meet Sicilians who have chosen to live without the Mafia, to throw off their yoke. She’ll discover what this choice implies.
Part 3: Cuba: El Tren Frances
And what if to see the real Cuba, one had to ride this train which clanks along at 50 km/h over the 835 kilometers of the Santiago-Havana line?
In Cuba, the train is the best way to mix with the masses, people that tourists only glimpse through the windows of their air-conditioned tour buses without ever meeting them, without ever hearing their stories. This ride takes us deep into the heart of a country much more difficult to penetrate than it seems and thus avoid out-dated clich's. Emmanuelle Han embarks aboard the mythic "Tren Franc's" and lets herself be led from one end to the other along this legendary line, "the Pearl of the Caribbean" .
Part 4: Argentina: El Gran Capitan
Emmanuelle Han chose to travel across Argentina aboard El Gran Capitn, an illustrious train dear to the heart and soul of every Argentine. In this land of contrasts, this mythic train constructed by English pioneers in the 19th century carries passengers more than 1,000 kilometers… in 33 hours.
This iron monster snakes its way around the bends of the Sierras, the vast Pampas and town and villages with their gently fading colors.
A ride on El Gran Capit?n reveals all of Argentina's complexities. We discover this promised land and its descendants as well as their multifaceted identities. A voyage to the borders of a country and its people, a journey along the frontier lands of Uruguay, Paraguay and Brazil.
Part 5: Turkey: Vangolu Ekspressi
A land of sunshine and history, Turkey lies at the crossroads of three continents: Asia, Africa and Europe. A circumstance which gave birth to a rich and surprising culture. The Vangol? Ekspressi carries Emmanuelle Han on a trip of over 1,300 kilometers, from Istanbul to the Iranian border, gateway to the Orient. In the heart of these very remote lands, this train shows us a kaleidoscope of landscapes, ways of life and cultures.
Part 6: Australia: the Indian Pacific
A land of superlatives, Australia is the world's largest island, the flattest and most arid territory on the planet. Its geographic isolation and its extreme climate have fashioned an uncommon topography where barren stretches of land no longer scare anyone. Thus this railroad, built in the heart of the Nullabor Plain - 200,000 km2 of semi-arid calcareous earth with barely a tree in sight. It takes three days to cross the 4 352 kilometers which separate Sidney from Perth; three days during which Emmanuelle Han will meet with singular characters, between madness, modernity and the outback spirit.
Part 7: India: the North East Express
In India, it is said that it's best to remain close to the sacred rivers so as not to become impure. That's why Emmanuelle Han has chosen to embark upon the mythic railroad line the North East Express which runs across the valleys of Brahmaputra and the Ganges. By following this spiritual path from Guwahati to Delhi, and passing through the holy citiy of Agra, an unexpected facet of the country is revealed. India is a rapidly developing country, the middle class being its economic as well as cultural motor. The North East Express covers 1,880 kilometers in 22 hours - an opportunity to get closer to this new class of Indians, a class that's slightly schizophrenic and the symbol of a country in full mutation.
Part 8: Malaysia: the Langkawi Ekspres
Travelling over the 700 kilometers between Gemas, in the Southern part of the country, all the way to the North and the Thai border, Emmanuelle Han has gone in search of those marvelous mirrors of contrast and complexity in Malaysian society: its women. Aboard the Langkawi Ekspres, Emmanuelle Han unveils a mosaic of unforgettable portraits. Cigar-smokers, taggers and cobra hunters, they are Muslim, Buddhist or Hindu. At the heart of the dilemma of what it is to be Malaysian identity, these women try to impose their own vision of the future.
Part 9: Vietnam: the Reunification Train
From Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi, the train of Reunification carries Emmanuelle Han on a 1,726 kilometer voyage. She discovers a country as modern as it is rural -oscillating between the desire for openness and an attachment to traditions.
Today, 50% of the population is younger than 25 years old and didn't live through the tragic events of their country's history. As Hanoi, the country's capital, celebrates its Millennial Anniversary, what are the concerns of a society where young people represent such a large proportion of the population ?
Part 10: Madagascar: the Train of Life
If ever a train deserved its name, it's the "Train of Life" . Without it, 100 000 people on this remote inland region of Eastern Madagascar would be completely cut off from the world. Emmanuelle Han climbs on board this clinking-clanking convoy from Fianarantsoa to Manakara travelling 163 kilometers along its 67 bridges and 48 tunnels. Welcome to this local version of a TGV, a Train of Great Vibrations… No reservations necessary and overbooking guaranteed! From high plateaus to the shores of the Indian Ocean via grandiose landscapes, each stop is an occasion to visit these isolated villages and discover a local economy held together by a thundering thread of steel that's 75 years old.
Part 11: Morocco: the Train of the Imperial Cities
Ride the rails with Emmanuelle Han in aboard a train that links country's imperial cities. Marrakesh, Casablanca, Rabat, Meknes, Fez, she’ll meet the descendants of Morocco's great dynasties, in search of the secrets of the Moroccan art of living. Whether perfumers, furniture makers or the founders of orphanages, they share the desire to preserve the savoir faire and values passed on from generation to generation. A voyage through captivating settings at the heart of a country in constant evolution.
Part 12: Portugal: the Alfa Pendular
Emmanuelle travels on the Alfa Pendular, the Pendolino high-speed tilting train. Over her journey she will meet people who have chosen to give meaning to their lives by doing things for others.
* Great Artists (2001)
An illuminating documentary series examining the lives and works of 14 of the greatest artists of the western world. What influences shaped these outstanding artists and what makes their work so remarkable and draws us to these paintings centuries later? Written and presented by art historian Tim Marlow.
Episode 1: Giotto
Tim Marlow presents the life and work of the Western world's most gifted artists, beginning with Giotto di Bondone, the son of a Tuscan shepherd. Born in 1267, Giotto began his apprenticeship at the age of 12, and with his naturalistic treatment of medieval Christian iconography, was recognised as the first in a line of great painters and architects who contributed to the Italian Renaissance.
Episode 2: Leonardo
Profile of scientist, engineer and inventor Leonardo da Vinci, whose extraordinary artistic genius gave rise to masterpieces including the Mona Lisa, the Annunciation and the Last Supper. Breaking new ground in portraiture and historical imagery, this giant of the Italian Renaissance applied his considerable and wide-ranging skills to make a unique contribution to the development of European art.
Episode 3: Duerer
Tim Marlow examines the life and legacy of German painter Albrecht Durer, who set a new benchmark in self-portraiture and raised the artistic traditions of northern Europe to rival those of Renaissance Italy. Like his contemporary Leonardo da Vinci, Durer perceived the world with a scientist's eye, and his detailed studies of plants and animals remain unrivalled to this day. Featured works include The Four Apostles and Self-Portrait Holding a Thistle.
Episode 4: Michelangelo
Tim Marlow charts the life and work of celebrated Renaissance sculptor, architect and painter Michelangelo, most famous for the extraordinary scenes that adorn the ceiling of St Peter's Sistine Chapel in the Vatican.
Episode 5: Raphael
Tim Marlow examines the work of Italian Renaissance painter Raffaello Santi, known better simply as Raphael, who was born in 1483 and achieved so much in his short life that he was considered equal to Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo. He was highly regarded for his many studies of the Madonna and Child, and artists adopted his idealised forms as the model of beauty until the end of the 19th century.
Episode 6: Titian
Tim Marlow reveals how the Renaissance movement found a new centre in the city of Venice and examines the life and work of Tiziano Vecellio, known to English speakers as Titian, who pioneered the use of oils with a radical approach to light, colour and brush strokes. His talent was recognised across Europe and he painted portraits of some of the 16th century's most powerful figures, including Pope Paul III and Charles V of Spain.
Episode 7: Bruegel
The life and work of Pieter Bruegel the Elder, generally considered the greatest Flemish painter of the 16th century, whose enigmatic works remain among the most distinctive examples of Dutch art, combining gritty humour with political comment. Tim Marlow reveals how Bruegel lived through a period of immense social change, whereby religious upheaval and the growth in trade and commerce had a monumental impact on him and his paintings and he was among the first artists to paint almost exclusively for the growing class of merchants and intellectuals.
Episode 8: El Greco
Tim Marlow charts the life of Greek artist Domenicos Theotocopolous, dubbed El Greco, one of the most distinctive painters of the 16th century. His work was considered in advance of its time - so much so that it was all but ignored for 300 years. El Greco developed a highly individualistic style which was initially criticised but went on to prove enormously influential, paving the way for the baroque and providing the inspiration for 20th-century expressionism.
Episode 9: Rubens
Tim Marlow explores the life and work of ground-breaking 17th century artist Peter Paul Rubens, who enjoyed an active and eventful career during the early 17th century. He was regarded as the chief exponent of the Baroque style, merging the grace of the Italian High Renaissance with the realism and landscapes of the northern tradition, and was perhaps best known for painting voluptuous female nudes within large-scale mythological allegories.
Episode 10: Velazquez
Tim Marlow explores the life and work of ground-breaking artist Diego de Silva y Velazquez, whose paintings provide a unique insight into the development of the Spanish monarchy in the 17th century - and the decline of the most powerful royal court in Europe.
Episode 11: Rembrandt
Historian Tim Marlow explores the life and work of 17th-century visionary Dutch artist Rembrandt Harmenszoon Van Rijn, who was famed for his skilful handling of light and shade in paintings portraying the human form. Born in Leiden, he was the eighth of nine children, whose passion for art led him to an apprenticeship with a local painter, and by 1625 he had a studio in Amsterdam, where he began painting the heads of relatives and neighbours, as well as producing 75 self-portraits. Demand for his talents soon grew and success came when he was commissioned to paint The Anatomy Lesson of Dr Tull.
Episode 12: Vermeer
Born the lowly son of an innkeeper and art-dealer, Dutch painter Jan van der Meer, better known as Vermeer, lived an uneventful life during which he created less than 40 works and died unknown outside his home town. Tim Marlow investigates how he came to be regarded as a talent as masterful as Rembrandt, examining the simple domestic scenes which led to his posthumous rise to fame.
Episode 13: Turner
Art historian Tim Marlow profiles influential visionary painter JMW Turner (1775-1851), who divided the critics with his rapid brushstrokes, treatment of light and tendency toward abstraction, but is now hailed as possibly the greatest British artist of all time.
Episode 1: Giotto
Tim Marlow presents the life and work of the Western world's most gifted artists, beginning with Giotto di Bondone, the son of a Tuscan shepherd. Born in 1267, Giotto began his apprenticeship at the age of 12, and with his naturalistic treatment of medieval Christian iconography, was recognised as the first in a line of great painters and architects who contributed to the Italian Renaissance.
Episode 2: Leonardo
Profile of scientist, engineer and inventor Leonardo da Vinci, whose extraordinary artistic genius gave rise to masterpieces including the Mona Lisa, the Annunciation and the Last Supper. Breaking new ground in portraiture and historical imagery, this giant of the Italian Renaissance applied his considerable and wide-ranging skills to make a unique contribution to the development of European art.
Episode 3: Duerer
Tim Marlow examines the life and legacy of German painter Albrecht Durer, who set a new benchmark in self-portraiture and raised the artistic traditions of northern Europe to rival those of Renaissance Italy. Like his contemporary Leonardo da Vinci, Durer perceived the world with a scientist's eye, and his detailed studies of plants and animals remain unrivalled to this day. Featured works include The Four Apostles and Self-Portrait Holding a Thistle.
Episode 4: Michelangelo
Tim Marlow charts the life and work of celebrated Renaissance sculptor, architect and painter Michelangelo, most famous for the extraordinary scenes that adorn the ceiling of St Peter's Sistine Chapel in the Vatican.
Episode 5: Raphael
Tim Marlow examines the work of Italian Renaissance painter Raffaello Santi, known better simply as Raphael, who was born in 1483 and achieved so much in his short life that he was considered equal to Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo. He was highly regarded for his many studies of the Madonna and Child, and artists adopted his idealised forms as the model of beauty until the end of the 19th century.
Episode 6: Titian
Tim Marlow reveals how the Renaissance movement found a new centre in the city of Venice and examines the life and work of Tiziano Vecellio, known to English speakers as Titian, who pioneered the use of oils with a radical approach to light, colour and brush strokes. His talent was recognised across Europe and he painted portraits of some of the 16th century's most powerful figures, including Pope Paul III and Charles V of Spain.
Episode 7: Bruegel
The life and work of Pieter Bruegel the Elder, generally considered the greatest Flemish painter of the 16th century, whose enigmatic works remain among the most distinctive examples of Dutch art, combining gritty humour with political comment. Tim Marlow reveals how Bruegel lived through a period of immense social change, whereby religious upheaval and the growth in trade and commerce had a monumental impact on him and his paintings and he was among the first artists to paint almost exclusively for the growing class of merchants and intellectuals.
Episode 8: El Greco
Tim Marlow charts the life of Greek artist Domenicos Theotocopolous, dubbed El Greco, one of the most distinctive painters of the 16th century. His work was considered in advance of its time - so much so that it was all but ignored for 300 years. El Greco developed a highly individualistic style which was initially criticised but went on to prove enormously influential, paving the way for the baroque and providing the inspiration for 20th-century expressionism.
Episode 9: Rubens
Tim Marlow explores the life and work of ground-breaking 17th century artist Peter Paul Rubens, who enjoyed an active and eventful career during the early 17th century. He was regarded as the chief exponent of the Baroque style, merging the grace of the Italian High Renaissance with the realism and landscapes of the northern tradition, and was perhaps best known for painting voluptuous female nudes within large-scale mythological allegories.
Episode 10: Velazquez
Tim Marlow explores the life and work of ground-breaking artist Diego de Silva y Velazquez, whose paintings provide a unique insight into the development of the Spanish monarchy in the 17th century - and the decline of the most powerful royal court in Europe.
Episode 11: Rembrandt
Historian Tim Marlow explores the life and work of 17th-century visionary Dutch artist Rembrandt Harmenszoon Van Rijn, who was famed for his skilful handling of light and shade in paintings portraying the human form. Born in Leiden, he was the eighth of nine children, whose passion for art led him to an apprenticeship with a local painter, and by 1625 he had a studio in Amsterdam, where he began painting the heads of relatives and neighbours, as well as producing 75 self-portraits. Demand for his talents soon grew and success came when he was commissioned to paint The Anatomy Lesson of Dr Tull.
Episode 12: Vermeer
Born the lowly son of an innkeeper and art-dealer, Dutch painter Jan van der Meer, better known as Vermeer, lived an uneventful life during which he created less than 40 works and died unknown outside his home town. Tim Marlow investigates how he came to be regarded as a talent as masterful as Rembrandt, examining the simple domestic scenes which led to his posthumous rise to fame.
Episode 13: Turner
Art historian Tim Marlow profiles influential visionary painter JMW Turner (1775-1851), who divided the critics with his rapid brushstrokes, treatment of light and tendency toward abstraction, but is now hailed as possibly the greatest British artist of all time.
* Algeria: Test of Power (2013)
The story of Algeria's past, present and future - from independence to the Arab Spring and beyond. Algeria was under French colonial rule for 132 years. From tears of joy at independence in 1962 to the tragic civil war of the 1990s and the anger that culminated in the Arab Spring, this series provides a unique insight into a country notoriously inaccessible to both journalists and filmmakers. Interviews with key players like Ben Bella, Ait Ahmed and President Abdelaziz Bouteflika, cover 50 years of tragic and powerful history from the Evian Accords of 1962 to the Arab Spring of 2011. This is the story of Algeria's past, present and future.
Part 1: Authoritarian Era
In 1962, Algeria proclaimed independence from France following eight years of war and over a century of colonial rule. The Algerian war of independence, and the negotiations that followed, spurred decades of political assassinations, coups, terrorist attacks and civil war. Hundreds of thousands of Europeans fled the country, but many Algerians who fought alongside the French during the war were left behind. Harkis, as they were called, faced torture and execution at the hands of fellow Algerians. Under the rule of its first elected president, Ahmed Ben Bella, Algeria adopted a socialist single-party political system. One year after independence, the country of nine million was poor, starving and war-torn.
Part 2: Era of Tempests
In October of 1988, the Algerian army opened fire on protesters, killing 500 civilians. This brutal attack sparked uprisings that in-turn prompted the government to abandon three decades of single-party socialism in favour of a multi-party system. Journalists and citizens celebrated their new-found freedom. Thirty years after independence, Algeria became the site of what many call the 'first Arab Spring' after Algerians demanded democracy and social and economic equality. Political freedom allowed Islamist movements to garner more support. The Islamic Salvation Front (FIS), which gathered momentum under the one-party system because of its grounding in religion rather than politics, had gained increasing support during the 1990 municipal election. Then, in 1991, it won almost half of the votes in the first round of the legislative election. Fearing a majority win for the FIS, the military stepped in and halted the democratic electoral process. It forced Chadli Bendjedid, then president, to abdicate and presented his resignation as voluntary. The second round of elections were cancelled and Mohamed Boudiaf, who had returned after a 27-year exile in Morocco, became Algeria's new leader as the chairman of the High Council of the State, a figurehead body for the ruling generals. Boudiaf tried to bring the parties together but quickly made enemies. And after his assassination in 1992, terrorist attacks increased and Algeria spiralled into a decade of civil war that claimed thousands of lives.
Part 1: Authoritarian Era
In 1962, Algeria proclaimed independence from France following eight years of war and over a century of colonial rule. The Algerian war of independence, and the negotiations that followed, spurred decades of political assassinations, coups, terrorist attacks and civil war. Hundreds of thousands of Europeans fled the country, but many Algerians who fought alongside the French during the war were left behind. Harkis, as they were called, faced torture and execution at the hands of fellow Algerians. Under the rule of its first elected president, Ahmed Ben Bella, Algeria adopted a socialist single-party political system. One year after independence, the country of nine million was poor, starving and war-torn.
Part 2: Era of Tempests
In October of 1988, the Algerian army opened fire on protesters, killing 500 civilians. This brutal attack sparked uprisings that in-turn prompted the government to abandon three decades of single-party socialism in favour of a multi-party system. Journalists and citizens celebrated their new-found freedom. Thirty years after independence, Algeria became the site of what many call the 'first Arab Spring' after Algerians demanded democracy and social and economic equality. Political freedom allowed Islamist movements to garner more support. The Islamic Salvation Front (FIS), which gathered momentum under the one-party system because of its grounding in religion rather than politics, had gained increasing support during the 1990 municipal election. Then, in 1991, it won almost half of the votes in the first round of the legislative election. Fearing a majority win for the FIS, the military stepped in and halted the democratic electoral process. It forced Chadli Bendjedid, then president, to abdicate and presented his resignation as voluntary. The second round of elections were cancelled and Mohamed Boudiaf, who had returned after a 27-year exile in Morocco, became Algeria's new leader as the chairman of the High Council of the State, a figurehead body for the ruling generals. Boudiaf tried to bring the parties together but quickly made enemies. And after his assassination in 1992, terrorist attacks increased and Algeria spiralled into a decade of civil war that claimed thousands of lives.
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