We are on the verge of a new age of exploration: besides the plans of NASA and other space agencies, over the next years also privately financed teams are going to send unmanned vehicles to the Moon. The goal is to find a cheap and efficient way to travel there on a regular basis, and in the long term to build a permanent human base.
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Wildlife filmmakers often risk life and limb trying to capture unique images of their dangerous protagonists. A cunning grizzly grabs a salmon off Andreas Kieling's fishing rod, in the depths of the Amazon River a diving team has a spooky encounter with piranhas, in the Mediterranean Sea the currents nearly push Thomas Behrend into the mouths of angry sperm whales defending a newborn - and cameramen who want to film jaguars in the dense jungle of South America become easy prey for the well camouflaged cats. The life of the film-makers is also threatened by elemental forces and failing technical equipment: In the swamps of North Australia violent storms hold up the crossing of tearing rivers, a volcano in the South Seas spits burning lumps of lava into the base camp, and in Siberia a camera team breaks through the ice and has to camp at minus 30°C in the middle of nowhere. The second episode "Wild Moments - Dangerous and Deadly" follows wildlife-filmmakers on their adventurous journeys throughout the world.
Wildlife film-makers often risk life and limb trying to capture unique images of their dangerous protagonists. In Alaska a cunning grizzly threatens the son of Andreas Kieling, on the remote Wrangel Island in northern-east Siberia his colleague Uwe Anders is taken by surprise by a a polar bear, and off the coast of South Africa a diving-team is unexpectedly surrounded by white sharks. But the life of the film-makers is also threatened by elemental forces, life-threatening diseases and failing technical equipment: Deep in the vast rainforests of West Africa cameraman Klaus Scheurich nearly dies of malaria, and in South India a film team narrowly escapes death in a hot-air balloon accident. But they also meet remarkable people such as a zoo keeper in Cameroon who feels at ease playing with half-grown and adult gorillas - the most powerful of all great apes. The first episode "Wild Moments - Dangerous and Deadly" follows wildlife film-makers on their adventurous journeys throughout the world.
With the aid of modern technology, reveal the unknown behaviour of some unusual species of shark: lemon sharks and their white-tip reef counterparts. Our film trip begins on the Bahamas. To be more precise: in the turquoise-blue waters of the Grand Bahama Bank, in an exactly fixed location. In the spring, 70 – 80 pregnant lemon sharks arrive here. This huge shark population was first discovered just a few years ago by shark researcher, Professor Sam Gruber. Many of the females are tired and rest on the seabed. Pregnant tiger sharks swim in the midst of this group. Without any protection whatsoever, our cameramen shoot their footage, surrounded by sharks and succeed in capturing images hitherto unseen. We continue our journey to Gainesville, Florida, to meet Gordon Hubbell, the leading shark denture expert with the world's largest shark denture collection. He knows everything about the evolutionary history of the lemon sharks, in addition to those of the white-tip reef variety off Cocos Island, Costa Rica. Here, we encounter large schools of fish, unprecedented numbers of stingrays, as well as hammerhead sharks. However, it is the white-tip reek sharks that make the biggest impression. Their performance begins late at night. Marauding, they patrol in large groups through the reefs and hunt everything that moves. Scales and dead prey fish float above the reef – a welcoming change of diet for the ubiquitous barracudas.
We are on the verge of a new age of exploration: besides the plans of NASA and other space agencies, over the next years also privately financed teams are going to send unmanned vehicles to the Moon. The goal is to find a cheap and efficient way to travel there on a regular basis, and in the long term to build a permanent human base.
Hong Kong translated means "fragrant harbour". The days of the spicy smoking ceremonies have passed, but MareTV has discovered many delightful contrasts between the metropolis and Mother Nature. In for-mer times, the rare eagle wood tree grew here. Its wood put the spice into the Taoist smoking ceremonies. The fragrant harbour: what sounds so charming is today a huge metropolis in the sea. No other tiny piece of land is more densely populated. Star Ferries have been commuting between the Kowloon Peninsula and central Hong Kong for the past 125 years. The British colonial masters are long gone, but on the ancient ferries, virtually nothing has changed. Most of the ships are still clad in British Racing Green and the crew still wears the old, decorative uniforms.
Idlewild - Avalon - Belle of Louisville - these three names stand for the last still roadworthy, historic sternwheeler in the USA. In 1914, the ship was built as "Idlewild" for the West Memphis Packet Company as a passenger ferry. With a draft of only 1.50 m and a robust steel hull, the boat is suitable for almost all navigable rivers of the Mississippi River system. Today, the "Belle" is the most traveled steamboat in American history. In the course of her eventful life, she has called at 130 places in 19 states.
The paddle steamer "Skibladner" is the oldest passenger paddle steamer in the world in regular service. It has been plying Norway's largest inland lake, the Mjøsa, since 1856. The "white swan" has a melodious name, borrowed from Norse mythology. The ship "Skíðblaðnir" of the god Freyr, built by dwarves, could always have a tail wind, could be stowed in a small bag when folded and all gods in armor had room on it. The traditional ship of AS Oplandandske Dampskibsselskap does not have such fairy-tale powers, but atmospherically the "Skibladner" also transports guests to a world long gone.
The Ferrocarril del Sur, one of the highest train routes on earth, runs right through the mountains of Peru. To this day, it is considered a miracle in the world of railways. The rails not only lead to the famous ruined city of Machu Picchu but connect the ancient Inca capital of Cusco with Puno on the shores of Lake Titicaca and the gleaming white city of Arequipa. A train journey with the Andes Explorer through a grandiose landscape and an undeveloped and inaccessible area.
The first part of the spring journey takes us from the Spanish inland to the rugged Atlantic and to the Mediterranean, through the French Provence, and finally into the Alps. Along the way, flamingos perform their bizarre dancing rituals, wild horses storm through the wetland… While the North is still covered by snow and ice, the South will soon turn into a blooming garden and every creature is enjoying the first signs of the awakening.
2.000 rivers and streams dig deep into the underground and transport their water into reservoirs or "Germany's Wild Amazon", the Wupper. These forests and rivers, together with heathlands and moors, are home to a diverse fauna. Martens, badgers, wild boars, hares, roe deer, and red deer, even black grouse and hazel deer find shelter in these parts. Wolves also have a dominant presence, not to mention those who live underground, such as lizards, bats, and snakes. Accompany us on a journey where we explore every corner of this rugged land. Climb underground into the Bergisches Land, through the vast hidden cave systems that sprawl far beneath the forests. There is also much to be discovered in the water, dive with us in crystal clear streams and rivers with their diverse flora and fauna.
Nepal is one of the poorest countries in the world. Young women are often disadvantaged here and quite a few are married off before the age of 18. Helicopter pilot Priya Adhikari lives and works here. The 38-year-old is an exception and the only woman in Nepal who ventures into the extremely dangerous heights of the Himalayas in her helicopter.
Alia Twal is an enthusiastic pilot, globetrotter and adventurer. She is a first officer with the Jordanian airline Royal Jordanian and flies large passenger planes. She climbs the highest mountains in the world, dives with sharks or goes skydiving. Alia particularly enjoys travelling in her Jordanian homeland.
The Antarctic region is undoubtedly one of the most remote and inhospitable, yet one of the most beautiful landscapes of the world. This documentary takes us on a journey to the stormy isolated islands of the Southern Ocean. Seals, penguins, seabirds and numerous other animals live and breed in this hostile environment and harsh climate. Only by an icebreaker can we reach the remote coasts of the Antarctic continent where Emperor Penguins defy the life-threatening environment of the vast ice desert at the end of the world.
The Andes are the biggest mountain range in the world. Peaks of up to 7000 metres in height, do not only offer an imposing view, but also influence the climate by being the drainage and meteorological divide.
This is a story about a remote island in the pacific.
Alluvial forests, roaring waterfalls, steep canyons and sunny slopes flank the river Rhine. The variety of habitats is the reason for the large biodiversity along the stream.There is hardly any other river in Germany that is surrounded by as many myths and legends as the river Rhine. No other river has been the topic of songs, has been painted and travelled equally frequently. Despite this it still seems to be true today what the French poet Victor Hugo once said about this river – the Rhine is a river everybody talks about, nobody explores, everybody visits but no one really knows. The film follows the water against the stream. It starts at the river's delta in the Netherlands, flows through six countries and ends in the Swiss Alps.
At 117 square kilometres, the Müritz is the largest lake on German territory, but it's far from the only one in the north east of the country. Even the Mecklenburg Lake District, between Waren and Feldberg, contains around 2 lakes alone. Thanks to the Müritz National Park the species diversity is particularly high in the region: half of the German crane population breeds in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern the osprey is typical of the Müritz area the lively Eurasian otter hunts here and the endangered red milan circles the skies above. Fred Bollmann knows the national park like hardly any other. The former ranger and voluntary nature conservationist is actively involved in the preservation of ‘his' wildlife world. Filming for this production took two years. The outcome is a unique portrait of this stunning region.
Moors and peatlands are oases in the cultivated landscape of Central Europe.
What ideas are people on the 15th meridian east developing to shape the future and leave tomorrow's generations a home worth living in? This consequence leads us to four future designers. From the barren Namib Desert to the glacier worlds of Spitsbergen, Sicily and the Croatian Mediterranean.
The journey leads from the Norwegian Vesterålen to Chad, the Aeolian Islands and the Polish Giant Mountains. As different as the landscapes and cultures may be, all people are united in their love for their children and their desire to give something to tomorrow's generation.
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