Do animals have feelings? Empathy even? A documentary with some insights due to advancing technology.
Social & External
The people behind it
Ilka Teichmüller
Narrator
Frans de Waal
Himself
Kurt Kotrschal
"Giraffes: The Forgotten Giants" delves into the reasons behind the "silent" extinction of giraffes worldwide, and introduces us to the scientists who are gathering new information that may stave off their decline.
Two filmmakers journey to Arizona's Sonoran Desert to find bufo alvarus, a psychedelic toad. TOAD TO NOWHERE is a documentary about healing, hallucinogens, and looking within to explore the unknown.
In a remote corner of Antarctica, a group of killer whales capture their prey in the most extraordinary fashion. Swimming together, they create waves so powerful and accurate, they can wash a seal right off a piece of floating ice—some of the most sophisticated behavior in the animal kingdom. The hunting technique of pack-ice killer whales has intrigued scientists for decades, and there is still so much unknown about the species. Each scientist on the expedition hopes to discover new truths about these whales.
Do we need animals to fill the void that should really be filled by people? To what extent do we project our own deprivation and longing on these sweet pets? All the protagonists in this documentary are indirectly afraid of being rejected and find safety and unconditional love in their animal(s). We observe these relationships and follow them in their steps to overcome their anxieties and insecurities and step into the world of humans more.
In the middle of the Indian Ocean, more than 1.500 km from the nearest continent, lies an untouched, mysterious archipelago – the Chagos Islands. This group of 60 islands is one of the last pristine wildernesses on Earth. The Chagos Archipelago is one of the world’s largest marine national parks, and is strictly protected. A scientific expedition has been granted access to this politically disputed territory for the first time. In times of climate change, as global reef communities face a growing crisis, the researchers seek to show how coral reefs fare in places with minimal human interference. During a journey into the unknown, we follow in the footsteps of internationally renowned scientists, who aim to unlock the secrets of a lost world and gain astonishing insights into one of the last true wildernesses on Earth.
The story of an abandoned baby grey squirrel found by chance in the Oxfordshire countryside.
"Heart of the Country" is the story of Shinichi Yasutomo, the extraordinary principal of a rural elementary school in Kanayama, central Hokkaido, Northern Japan. Yasutomo is a man driven by his vision for learning and his passion for educating the heart as well as the mind. The film follows Yasutomo, his teachers and staff, students and their families over the course of one entire school year. The film is also the story of the families of Kanayama. Parents and elders of this once impoverished town embrace Yasutomo's vision, but not without wary glances back to the past. This small community, bound together by love for its children, is also defined by its journey through the cultural upheavals of postwar Japan.
Filmed over 23 years, Rise of the Warrior Apes tells the epic story of an extraordinary troop of chimpanzees in Ngogo, Uganda – featuring four mighty warriors who rule through moral ambiguity, questionable politics, strategic alliances and destroyed trust.
This film shows the splendor, enormous scope and indescribable beauty of this untouched land far to the north of Alaska, one of the last havens for caribou herds and polar bears. Shot over a period of four years, this film offers a unique insight in the lives of the most charismatic arctic animals.
Through Inuit voices, HERD: Inuit Voices on Caribou tells the story of the social, emotional, and cultural disruptions from ecological change by putting an essential human face to the caribou declines - including a 99% decline of the once-massive George River Caribou Herd. The film was developed over four years of collaboration between filmmakers and 11 Inuit communities across Labrador. It cinematically explores an array of lived experiences, from youth to Elders and hunters to cooks, to ensure that the stories of those living on the frontlines of this ecological crisis are HERD. It is a portrait of the deep connections that exist between humans and non-humans, a glimpse of heartbreaking loss felt by entire communities, and a lasting testament of cultural resilience in the context of ecological uncertainty.
Men and women in the Horn of Africa and adjiacent regions of the Middle East tell stories of their relationships and contacts with demons and spirits in their life and culture.
Weaving together dozens of professional and amateur archival sources, along with dramatic interviews with the people behind the cameras, Witness: Joplin Tornado reconstructs the deadliest tornado in modern times, through the eyes of those who lived through it. A group of strangers huddle together in a convenience store cooler, shrieking in terror as the tornado tears apart everything around them. A husband-and-wife stormchasing team find themselves caught in the teeth of the storm, then pressed into service when it finally passes. A young mother sobs as she surveys her daughter’s destroyed bedroom. Yet all the while they film, using their cameras to record both the harrowing experience of the storm itself and the shock of what confronted them after — homes destroyed, neighborhoods flattened, a city devastated. Witness: Joplin Tornado tells the story of that day and its aftermath entirely through the videos and voices of the survivors.
Co-directed by Chris Marker and Mario Ruspoli, Three Cheers for the Whale traces humanity’s complex relationship with whales—from reverence to exploitation—culminating in a stark depiction of industrial whaling. Combining archival imagery, commentary, and documentary footage, the film offers both a historical reflection and a call for ecological awareness.
In the Carpathian mountains, a community of highlanders keep their ancient culture alive, from their style of dress to their craftsmanship.
United by the same dream, Yves Fagniart and Olivier Larrey, watercolorist and wildlife photographer respectively, set up home in a shack just a few square meters square, in the middle of the no-man's-land between Finland and Russia. Their aim: to document the intimate life of a pack of wolves, presumed to frequent this frozen peat bog landscape.
"The Great Polar Bear Feast" is the astonishing story of an annual natural phenomenon that occurs in early September on the north slope of the Arctic. Every year, up to 80 polar bears gather on the frozen shores of Barter Island, near the village of Kaktovik, to feast on the hunter-harvested bowhead whale remains.
“Let nature be nature” is the philosophy of the Bavarian Forest National Park. Despite massive resistance, this vision has become a groundbreaking showcase project. Because humans do not interfere with nature, the former commercial forests grow into a primeval forest, a unique ecosystem and a refuge for biodiversity. People from all over the world come here. They are looking for answers to the question of why we need more wild nature and what we can learn from it to preserve forests for future generations in times of climate change.
Packed with a potent neurotoxic venom, one family of snakes kill more people than any other on earth. Scientists around the world race to uncover how.
Embark on a delightful journey into the world of dogs in this documentary that reveals scientific and emotional insights about our lovable BFFs.
A film crew follows two leopard cubs as they make the fascinating journey from infancy into adulthood in this up-close-and-personal nature documentary.
Never-before-seen footage shows how our living in lockdown opened the door for nature to bounce back and thrive. Across the seas, skies, and lands, Earth found its rhythm when we came to a stop.
Embark on an epic journey of family, courage, and coming home in this feature-length documentary. Join Athena, the majestic matriarch, as she leads her elephant herd across an unforgiving African landscape filled with vibrant wildlife.
Cat experts dive into the mind of the feline to reveal the true capabilities of the pouncing pet in this captivating and cuddly documentary.
In the mountains of Sichuan, China, a researcher forms a bond with Qian Qian, a panda who is about to experience nature for the first time.
Veteran naturalist Sir David Attenborough tells the story of a remarkable group of gorillas, from his first encounter in the '70s to the present day.
A newborn monkey and its mother struggle to survive within the competitive social hierarchy of the Temple Troop, a dynamic group of monkeys who live in ancient ruins found deep in the storied jungles of South Asia.
A nature documentary centered on a family of chimps living in the Ivory Coast and Ugandan rain forests. Through Oscar, a little chimpanzee, we discover learning about life in the heart of the African tropical forest and follow his first steps in this world with humor, emotion and anguish. Following a tragedy, he finds himself separated from his mother and left alone to face the hostility of the jungle. Until he is picked up by an older chimpanzee, who will take him under her protection.
A documentary on the expletive's origin, why it offends some people so deeply, and what can be gained from its use.
In an intimate and joyful story of love in the face of loss, celebrated poets Andrea Gibson and Megan Falley find strength—and unexpected hilarity—in what might be their final year together.
Born to Be Wild observes various orphaned jungle animals and their day-to-day behavioural interactions with the individuals who rescue them and raise them to adulthood. The film unfurls in two separate geographic spheres. Half of it takes place in the rain forests of Borneo, where celebrated primatologist Dr. Birute Galdikas assists baby orangutans; the other half takes place on the arid savannahs of Kenya, where zoologist Dame Daphne Sheldrick works with baby elephant calves.
A visual montage portrait of our contemporary world dominated by globalized technology and violence.
In 1977, a book of photographs captured an awakening - women shedding the cultural restrictions of their childhoods and embracing their full humanity. This documentary revisits those photos, those women and those times and takes aim at our culture today that alarmingly shows the need for continued change.
Follows the story of "Grizzly Man" Timothy Treadwell and what the thirteen summers in a National Park in Alaska were like in his attempt to protect the grizzly bears. The film is full of unique images and a look into the spirit of a man who sacrificed himself for nature.
Using hidden cameras and never-before-seen footage, Earthlings chronicles the day-to-day practices of the largest industries in the world, all of which rely entirely on animals for profit.
In Angola's mist-shrouded highlands, three KhoiSan master trackers embark on a spiritual quest to rediscover the legendary "ghost elephants" of Lisima, creatures presumed lost but remembered in ancestral trance, ritual, and memory.
Through archival interviews and footage, George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley relive the arc of their Wham! career, from 70s best buds to 80s pop icons.
Giving fans unprecedented access to the real life of the music sensation, Katy Perry: Part of Me exposes the hard work, dedication and phenomenal talent of a girl who remained true to herself and her vision in order to achieve her dreams. Featuring rare behind-the-scenes interviews, personal moments between Katy and her friends, and all-access footage of rehearsals, choreography, Katy’s signature style and more, Katy Perry: Part of Me reveals the singer’s unwavering belief that if you can be yourself, then you can be anything.
A string of threatening emails escalates into a revenge plot involving a newly married US marshal and his ex-girlfriend.
