La belle histoire de Noël (2024)

Sarah Bernhardt, pionnière du show business

On the centenary of Sarah Bernhardt's death, we take a look back at the whimsical life of the whimsical and eventful life of "la Divine", who defied theatrical traditions.

Geniale Frauen - Malerinnen von der Renaissance bis zum Klassizismus

Plot unavailable

Amashinga

The last sovereign Zulu King, a female British missionary, an ambitious colonial official and a young Welshman are all voiced by actors to make AMASHINGA a beautiful and epic explanation of the British invasion of the Zulu Kingdom in 1879.

Titanic's Final Mystery

The sinking of the RMS Titanic remains one of the most enduring and mysterious tragedies of the 20th century. For decades, investigators and amateurs alike have floated theories for why it occurred and who was to blame for the extraordinary loss of life, but no one answer could fully explain what happened. Until now. To mark the 100th anniversary of the infamous disaster, Smithsonian Channel will premiere Titanic's Final Mystery. The two-hour special investigates a century of theories and uncovers astonishing new forensic evidence that proves the most likely theory for the case.

Joyeux Noel

France, 1914, during World War I. On Christmas Eve, an extraordinary event takes place in the bloody no man's land that the French and the Scots dispute with the Germans…

The Fog of War

Using archival footage, cabinet conversation recordings, and an interview of the 85-year-old Robert McNamara, The Fog of War depicts his life, from working as a WWII whiz-kid military officer, to being the Ford Motor Company's president, to managing the Vietnam War as defense secretary for presidents Kennedy and Johnson.

Lawrence of Arabia: Britain's Great Adventurer

The epic story of Thomas Edward Lawrence the First World War military officer who united the tribes of Arabia against the Ottoman Turkish army. The film reveals that while being one of the most enigmatic figures of the 20th century, he was also a deeply troubled man, delving into his personal torment, the secret his family were hiding, and the punishment he endured.

Mains basses sur les savants d'Hitler, le plan secret français

Plot unavailable

A Taste of Whale

In the Faroe Islands, hundreds of pilot whales are slaughtered each year in a hunt known as the “Grind.” This gruesome tradition has drawn outrage from activists, most notably the international conservation group Sea Shepherd, who routinely sail to the islands to try to block whaling boats. Yet the Faroese are equally determined to maintain their tradition, defending the practice as more sustainable and less cruel than getting meat from slaughterhouses. Director Vincent Kelner spends time with both Faroese hunters and Sea Shepherd crusaders, building to a nuanced look at a disturbing event with much larger implications for the way humans relate to other creatures.

Squaring the Circle (The Story of Hipgnosis)

In 1968, art students Storm Thorgerson and Aubrey “Po” Powell made a trippy photo collage for their musician friends Syd, David and Roger. The resulting album and album cover, A Saucerful of Secrets, helped launch two careers: that of Pink Floyd, one of the 70s megabands, and of Hipgnosis, which, over the course of the next 25 years, designed a stream of iconic album covers.

Living Art

The thousand-year-old tradition of pottery in the Indian subcontinent is now under threat. With the market being flooded with plastic in the evolution of civilization, today this Pal community is becoming displaced.

Versailles, une révolution au jardin

Plot unavailable

The Lion in Winter

Henry II and his estranged queen battle over the choice of an heir.

Out of the Cradle

How did humanity's earliest ancestors evolve into one of the most successful species on Earth? An extraordinary journey tracing the footsteps of early hominids. Using the latest paleoanthropological findings mixed with the latest CGI from Square Enix, this story is finally told.

A Big Lego Christmas

A look behind the scenes as the world's most profitable toy maker opens its biggest ever Lego store, in London. Designer Justin's first ever kit finally hits the shelves, and Lego pro Duncan prepares to make the largest model ever - a replica of Tower Bridge.

Buffalo Bill

The story of Buffalo Bill, born William Frederick Cody (1846-1917), a self-made man who went from working as a bison hunter to becoming an international showman who practically created pop culture's idea of the Wild West.

Le Palais des hiéroglyphes - Sur les traces de Champollion

Plot unavailable

The True History of the Musketeers

The Three Musketeers is a legendary work, whose heroes have rocked multiple generations. These fictional musketeers have eclipsed the real musketeers, those who formed the royal company that existed between 1622 and 1775. Who were these men, and how did they serve the King? Did they really take part in the affairs of the Crown? Did Athos, Porthos, Aramis and D'Artagnan really exist? Thanks to the best historians, discover the true story of the Musketeers.

The Spanish Flu: The Invisible Enemy

In April 1918, a disease of unknown origin swept across the five continents. In 18 months, millions of lives that had not been taken by the war were swept away by a virus that would cause the worst pandemic in history: the Spanish flu.

Orient-Express: A Legendary Journey

A symbol of luxury and adventure, the Orient Express opened a new path between the West and the East. Mata Hari, Josephine Baker and Agatha Christie, who dedicated a novel to it, contributed to its legend. Delve into the secrets of a legendary train.

The Real Right Stuff

The story of America's first astronauts, known as the Mercury 7, told through archival news & radio reports, newly transferred & previously unheard NASA mission audio recordings, and more rare & unseen material.

Behind the Walls of the Forbidden City

Secluded from view by nine-meter-high walls and composed of 980 buildings, the Forbidden City in Beijing is the largest imperial palace ever built in the world. Three majestic structures form its center and host the city's ceremonies, each of which is considered an architectural masterpiece. In 1406, construction of the Forbidden City was launched at the initiative of one of China's most powerful sovereigns and founder of the Ming dynasty: Yongle. Endowed with divine power, the construction has already resisted more than 200 earthquakes.

La Cité oubliée de Ramsès II

Plot unavailable

Easter Island: Sculptors of the Pacific

Plot unavailable

Il était une fois... les Contes pour tous

A nostalgic deep dive into the world of Rock Demers’ popular children’s film series.

La grande histoire de la Bretagne

From time immemorial, the Bretons have fought many battles to safeguard their culture, rich in language, music and dance. However, Brittany was for a long time a forgotten land, neglected by the Republic which forbade its language. From the 1960s onwards, the agricultural revolution turned peasant life upside down. Its culture, which had long been supported by Catholic priests, was emancipated in the seventies, carried by a new breath of air that accompanied the Breton angers. The youth then reappropriated their language and culture. From the long years of relegation to their great anger, the Bretons have written a fascinating saga since the end of the 19th century.

The Fabulous History of Skiing

The history of skiing is an amazing journey through small and big events starring strong and avant-garde people who were not afraid to break with the prevailing social prejudices of their time and invented a new sporting discipline.

Flying Supersonic

Thundering across the sky on elegant white wings, the Concorde was an instant legend. But behind the glamour of jet setting at Mach 2 were stunning scientific innovations and political intrigue. Fifteen years after Concorde's final flight, this documentary takes you inside the historic international race to develop the first supersonic airliner. Hear stories from those inside the choreographed effort to design and build Concorde in two countries at once - and the crew members who flew her.

Storm Front in Mayo

Ireland, June 1944. The crucial decision about the right time to start Operation Overlord on D-Day comes to depend on the readings taken by Maureen Flavin, a young girl who works at a post office, used as a weather station, in Blacksod, in County Mayo, the westernmost promontory of Europe, far from the many lands devastated by the iron storms of World War II.

The Odyssey of Priam's Gold

From the plains of the Troade, to the cellars of a Nazi bunker, to the dark basements of Moscow's largest museum. With Homer and in the footsteps of the extremely wealthy businessman Heinrich Schliemann, we follow the true odyssey of the treasure of Priam which spans over more than 3 millennia.

Keeping the Promise: AHF 30 Years Documentary

Through interviews with key AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) stakeholders from over the years coupled with archival video footage culled from AHF's 30 years of advocacy, care and activism, 'Keeping the Promise' tells a compelling story of AHF's history while offering a glimpse of, and road map to its future.

De Charles de Gaulle à Emmanuel Macron, les gardiens de l'empire

Plot unavailable

In the Frozen Tomb of Mongolia

Plot unavailable

The Atlantis Puzzle

Fascinating new translations and fresh research are transforming the myth of Atlantis from the realm of fantasy into an incredible reality. Travel across continents and centuries to unlock the secrets of Plato's final legacy - a true story of Ancient Greece, Africa, and climate change across deep time.

Apollo 11: The Untold Story

Nearly forty years after the moon landing the men on the mission reveal what really happened. On how close the mission came to disaster.

Titanic's Fatal Fire

The sinking of the Titanic sent shockwaves around the world and started debates that continue to this day. But new, explosive evidence from the most unlikely of sources may finally lay all arguments to rest and reveal, for the first time, the full story of what possibly doomed the "unsinkable" liner. Join us as we unveil recently discovered and never-before-seen photographs of the super ship that exposes shocking clues that investigators and historians once dismissed but can no longer ignore.

Explorer: Lost in the Arctic

Sir John Franklin set off from England in 1845 with two ships and 129 men to be the first to navigate the Northwest Passage, a new trade route over the top of the world, when Franklin’s ships vanished without a trace. Now, a team of explorers attempts to solve the mystery by retracing Franklin’s route in search of his long-lost tomb.

La vie au temps de Cro-Magnon

Plot unavailable

Monopoly - Spiel ohne Erbarmen

Plot unavailable

Ass im Ärmel - Faszination Kartenspiel

Plot unavailable

La véritable histoire de D'Artagnan

Plot unavailable

The Damned of the Comnune

Exclusively created with period engravings, this animated feature explores the Franco-Prussian War of 1870 and the ensuing Paris Commune revolution in 1871.

Le Monde sous les bombes, de Guernica à Hiroshima

Plot unavailable

A Midnight Clear

In 1944 France, an American Intelligence Squad locates a German Platoon wishing to surrender rather than die in Germany's final war offensive. The two groups of men, isolated from the war at present, put aside their differences and spend Christmas together before the surrender plan turns bad and both sides are forced to fight the other.

Unknown: The Lost Pyramid

Egyptian archeologists dig into history, discovering tombs and artifacts over 4,000 years old as they search for a buried pyramid in this documentary.

La Véritable Histoire du comte de Monte Cristo

Plot unavailable

Nostradamus Decoded

Debunking the mythology surrounding the 16th century French prophet, Nostradamus.

Olympics! The French Games

27 Olympic and Paralympic champions, aged 20 to 100, share their stories in this Mickaël Gamrasni documentary narrated by actress Marion Cotillard. As heirs to previous generations, they trace the incredible genealogy of French Olympism. The documentary revisits over a century of French participation in the Olympics, from their inception in 1896 to the recent feats that have elevated France to the summit. It’s a human adventure, brimming with memories, acts of bravery, and epic emotions: the collective narrative of France winning.

D-Day: 80th Anniversary

On June 6, 1944, the Allied Forces executed Operation Overlord, the largest seaborne invasion in history, storming the beaches of Normandy. This pivotal event, known as D-Day, liberated France and Western Europe. A new documentary features interviews with historians, experts, and eyewitnesses, providing detailed insights into the events leading up to this crucial day that played a vital role in bringing an end to World War II.

Les Derniers Secrets du Sphinx de Gizeh

Plot unavailable

James Ensor: Demons Teasing Me

This film explains what James Ensor (1860-1949) meant for the development of art and makes palpable where he got his inspiration from.

Baiae, the Atlantis of Rome

With an area three times larger than Pompeii, Baia, about 15 km from Naples and within the volcanic area of the Phlegraean fields, is the largest underwater archaeological site in the world. In 100 BC Pompeii is an ordinary city of small traders crouched on the slopes of Mt. Vesuvius, while Baia gains a peculiar reputation: it gradually becomes the ancient Las Vegas or Monte Carlo of the Roman Empire, a real posh center for noble gens and the powerful . Nestled in the center of the Gulf of Pozzuoli, Baia is flanked on one side by the port of Puteoli (ancient Pozzuoli) and on the other by the port of Capo Miseno.

Pirates & Slaves

Drama documentary based on the latest discovery of a 16th Century sailing shipwreck found close to Malta by an underwater research team led by maritime archaeologist Timmy Gambin.

Apollo: The Forgotten Films

Recently discovered footage reveals the secret history of NASA's first landing on the moon, and using this brand-new evidence, former astronauts and experts challenge everything known about the Apollo missions.

Unearthed - The Mystery of the Shaman Woman

One of the most significant cases in European archaeology is the grave of the shaman woman of Bad Dürrenberg, a key finding of the last hunter-gatherer groups. From a time when there were no written records, this site was first researched by the Nazis, who saw a physically strong male warrior from an ‘original Aryan race’ in the buried person. It was, in fact, the most powerful woman of her time. The latest research shows that she was dark-skinned, had physical deformities, and was a spiritual leader. The documentary – using high-end CGI and motion capture – compares the researchers of the Nazi era, who misrepresented and instrumentalised their findings, to today’s researchers, who meticulously compile findings and evidence, and use cross- disciplinary methods to examine and evaluate them. It also substantiates the theory of the powerful roles women played in prehistoric times. The story of this woman, buried with a baby in her arms, still fascinates us 9,000 years after her death.

Apollo 11 : Retour vers la lune

Plot unavailable

Paris capitale de la mode, 50 ans de Fashion Week !

Plot unavailable

Babylone, la cité des merveilles

Plot unavailable

1924, le Paris des Jeux olympiques

Plot unavailable

Ancient Armageddon

This explores the mysterious and catastrophic collapse of ancient civilizations during the late Bronze Age, from the Hittites to the Mycenaeans and the Egyptians, revealing the tumultuous events that brought an end to a thriving era of human history, and warns we may be facing similar threats today.

The Invisible Network

A project about the architectural, cultural, and social heritage of the city of Buenos Aires. An investigation about the enigmatic "Casa del Angel", a castle that used to belong to Dr. Carlos Delcasse, and the winged figure in one of its balconies that attracted the attention of all the neighbors: the sculpture of an Angel, which disappeared after the demolition of the house.

Shoah

Director Claude Lanzmann spent 11 years on this sprawling documentary about the Holocaust, conducting his own interviews and refusing to use a single frame of archival footage. Dividing Holocaust witnesses into three categories – survivors, bystanders, and perpetrators – Lanzmann presents testimonies from survivors of the Chelmno concentration camp, an Auschwitz escapee, and witnesses of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, as well as a chilling report of gas chambers from an SS officer at Treblinka.