Scientific and Natural Discovery Documentaries (to Watch).
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- DirectorFrank HurleyStarsErnest ShackletonFrank WorsleyJ. StenhouseThe story of the 1914-1916 Antarctic exploration mission of Sir Ernest Shackleton. The ship sails south, breaking the ice, and ultimately getting trapped by the fast-changing weather. The ship breaks up in the ice, and while 22 men and 70 dogs wait on Elephant Island, Shackleton and a crew of five take a 20-foot lifeboat 800 miles to South Georgia Island to mount a rescue mission. We also get a good look at the exotic animals of the region, particularly the penguins.
- DirectorRobert J. FlahertyStarsAllakariallakAlice NevalingaCunayouIn this silent predecessor to the modern documentary, film-maker Robert J. Flaherty spends one year following the lives of Nanook and his family, Inuits living in the Arctic Circle.
- DirectorHerbert G. PontingStarsRobert Falcon ScottHerbert G. PontingHenry R. BowersIn 1910 the British Antarctic Expedition, led by Capt. Robert F. Scott, embarks from Lyttleton, NZ on a quest to become the first to reach the South Pole.
- DirectorGeorge LoweStarsMeredith EdwardsJohn HuntGeorge BandDocumentary that covers the famous and successful expedition of the Everest conquest by Tenzing Norgay and Edmund Hillary, the first climbers to reach its peak.
- DirectorThor HeyerdahlDid the Peruvians cross the sea? The filming of a Norwegian archaeological expedition to the Galapagos islands in 1952, lead by Thor Heyerdahl. A continuation of the Kon-Tiki expedition.
- StarsPatrick MooreChris LintottPete LawrenceAstronomy programme.
- DirectorThor HeyerdahlIn 1955, Heyerdahl set out on what would become known as "the Norwegian Archaeological Expedition to Easter Island and the East Pacific". The trawler M / S Bjelland transported the expedition's members around the eastern part of the Pacific Ocean for nine months, with visits and surveys on many islands in the region. But the main purpose and most of the time was spent on Easter Island. This mysterious and remote island, located about as far from the rest of Polynesia as it is from South America. Here they excavated, tried to erect some of the fallen stone statues, examined the culture and history of the population. All to find out where these people came from. Was it from South America on balsa rafts that Heyerdahl had proved the possibility of, or was it from the west - in the Polynesian's sea-going canoe?
- CreatorNicola CookAdriana TimcoCatherine WylerStarsPaul VaughanJack FortuneDilly BarlowBritish documentary series that covers a variety of subjects in science and philosophy.
- DirectorJacques-Yves CousteauStarsPierre BidaultLouis BidegantChristian BonniciFascinating underwater documentary filmed with hand-held cameras by frogmen and mostly filmed in deep-water seas from within a special designed batiscaff, by the Cousteau family of sea explorers.
- 1965– 1h8.8 (20)TV EpisodeDirectorPhilippe CousteauStarsJacques-Yves CousteauOrson Welles
- StarsJacques-Yves CousteauRod SerlingGeorges WilsonThe aquatic explorations of Jacques-Yves Cousteau and the crew of the Calypso.
- DirectorLouis MalleStarsLouis MalleWith minimal narration by the director and very little context this is a kaleidoscope of stunning visuals from Calcutta, a city of 8,000,000 in the late 1960's: rich and poor, exotic and mundane, secular and religious, children and adults, animate and inanimate. Given only the images, the viewer can read any meaning she or he wants into the film.
- StarsDavid AttenboroughLaurie BraggeIn his now well-known role of narrator of wildlife expeditions, Attenborough accompanies a government-sponsored trek into the central New Guinea highlands to make contact with a group of natives never before seen by Europeans.
- DirectorRoy BattersbyStarsVanessa RedgraveFrank FinlayArthur ArmitageA scientific documentary combining narration from anatomical experts and human biologists with interior and exterior camera shots examining the human body, along with a soundtrack using the human body as a medium.
- DirectorMichelangelo AntonioniStarsGiuseppe RinaldiA documentary on China, concentrating mainly on the faces of the people, filmed in the areas they were allowed to visit. The 220-minute version consists of three parts. The first part, taken around Beijing, includes a cotton factory, older sections of the city, and a clinic where a Caesarean operation is performed using acupuncture. The middle part visits the Red Flag canal and a collective farm in Henan, as well as the old city of Suzhou. The final part shows the port and industries of Shanghai and ends with a stage presentation by Chinese acrobats.
- DirectorLennart EhrenborgThor HeyerdahlStarsNorman BakerRoscoe Lee BrowneAbdullah DilbrineDocumentary of the Ra expedition organized by Thor Heyerdahl, which crossed the Atlantic Ocean in a papyrus boat in 1969 and 1970.
- StarsJacob BronowskiJoss AcklandRoy DotriceAn account of man's development through his scientific and technological achievements.
- DirectorJamie UysStarsPaddy O'ByrneHilarious documentary on the wildlife of the Namib Desert.
- CreatorDaniel HartAlan KwanTacita MorwayStarsJay O. SandersCraig SechlerStacy KeachScience documentaries about various topics.
- DirectorBruce NyznikStarsYûichirô MiuraShintaro IshiharaTaisuke FujishimaThis Oscar-winning documentary tells the story behind Japanese daredevil Yuichiro Miura's 1970 effort to ski down the world's tallest mountain.
- StarsDavid AttenboroughDavid Attenborough's groundbreaking study of the evolution of life on our planet.
- DirectorKen BurnsStarsPaul RoeblingJulie HarrisArthur MillerThis documentary chronicles the world-famous Brooklyn Bridge in New York City. The difficult construction process is described in interesting detail; later parts of the film interview current notables who describe the effects that the Brooklyn Bridge has had upon New York society and beyond.
- CreatorGeorge PageThomas LovejoyStarsF. Murray AbrahamGeorge PageChris MorganDocumentary series exploring various global wildlife issues and subjects.
- DirectorKen RussellBased on the famous Gustav Holst musical suite, this musical film takes watchers on a magnificent journey of the planets of the Solar System.
- StarsJohn RomerArchaeologist John Romer reconstructs the life of a village in ancient Egypt.
- StarsDavid AttenboroughDavid Attenborough discusses the biomass and life in a variety of eco-systems spanning many of the environments found on Earth (from tropical to polar).
- StarsTimothy FerrisBob ElliottMurray Gell-MannTrip through the creation of the Universe from the Bog Bang to the frontiers of science. Musical score from Brian Eno. Includes visits with great thinkers.
- StarsSalvatore VecchioPeter CoyoteLisa LingA weekly series of short documentary segments funded by the National Geographic Society and done in the style of the National Geographic Specials. In 2003, the show was re-branded National Geographic Ultimate Explorer. A news-style journal format is now used instead of the more traditional format of the specials.
- DirectorRon FrickeHigh speed film and time-lapse photography combined to create breathtaking images of the night sky and Halley's Comet in this astronomical short subject.
- DirectorPhil ChilversStarsDavid AttenboroughRajiv GandhiThor HeyerdahlA live celebration of the wilderness and wildlife of planet earth. A satellite safari around the world. World Safari spans our planet from west to east, from the Arctic to the tropics, from day through night, and from winter to summer.
- StarsRichard KileyPaul ShenarJosef SommerAn exceptional series about of humanity, the stars, the dinosaurs, and other mysteries of the world and the universe.
- CreatorJules VerneStarsMichael PalinBasil PaoChris CollinsMichael Palin attempts to copy the exploits of fictional character Phileas Fogg, by trying to travel around the world (without flying) in 80 days.
- DirectorRobert KramerStarsJesse JacksonPaul McIsaacPat RobertsonDoc (McIsaac), back from a decade in in Africa, and filmmaker Kramer, decide to follow Route 1, from the Canadian border all the way to the tip of Florida.
- DirectorPat O'NeillStarsJoel LorimenBeth BlockGeorge LockwoodA moving meditation on industrialization, focusing on the eerily desolate Owens Valley in California, made arid by the diversion of water from there to the city of Los Angeles.
- StarsDavid AttenboroughEach of the twelve 50-minute episodes features a different aspect of the journey through life, from birth to adulthood and continuation of the species through reproduction.
- DirectorJohn WeileyStarsAlex ScottThis large format film explores the last great wilderness on earth. It takes you to the coldest, driest, windiest continent, Antarctica. The film explores life in Antarctica, both for the animals that live there and the scientists that work there.
- StarsHeather CouperVera C. RubinTony TysonA look at the work and worlds of leading scientists and astronomers who are helping to unlock the mysteries of the universe.
- DirectorLuc BessonAtmospheric soundtrack follows this compilation of nature footage that focuses on the ocean and various life forms that live, mate and die in it.
- StarsMichael PalinNeil HardwickLasse LehtinenMichael Palin undertakes a journey by the most direct route possible with the most land to cross from the North Pole to the South Pole.
- StarsDavid AttenboroughSeries exploring the natural history of Antarctica.
- DirectorGeorge CaseyStarsJames Earl JonesThe Serengeti is a huge area of grassland in Tanzania, Africa. Once a year, in the time of drought, about two million herd animals like antelopes travel north to feed and mate before moving south again, when plants there begin to blossom.
- StarsLeonard NimoyKathleen TurnerCarole FontaineAncient Mysteries is a documentary television series that deals with historical mysteries.
- StarsJacques-Yves CousteauDian FosseyBirute GaldikasCelebrates 30 years of televised specials by The National Geographic Society.
- DirectorGary WarrinerStarsTom Skerritt
- DirectorGreg MacGillivrayStarsSteven K. KatonaMeryl StreepJudith ConnorFilmmaker Greg MacGillivray examines the world's oceans and their importance to life on Earth.
- StarsDavid AttenboroughDavid Attenborough's study of the world of plants, which demonstrates, with the aid of time-lapse photography, the rich and varied ways in which they flourish.
- DirectorPaul ReddishStarsDavid AttenboroughDavid Attenborough travels to the forests of Papua New Guinea, where 38 of the 42 kinds of bird of paradise are found.
- DirectorGogol LobmayrFascinating Nature is a nonverbal landscape documentary film of images from around the world.
- DirectorClaude NuridsanyMarie PérennouStarsKristin Scott ThomasJacques PerrinA documentary on insect life in meadows and ponds.
- DirectorKieth MerrillStarsMichael Robert BergerN. Paul EncisoSunrise Eagle EncisoZion Canyon: Treasure of the Gods makes it possible for viewers to explore the hidden recesses and dizzying heights of the canyon in breathtaking detail. The immense panoramas filling the screen make viewers part of the journey to discover the real Zion Canyon and its treasures, as well as the treasures of other beautiful canyons of the Southwest.
- StarsMichael PalinRob HehnlinEmily SymonsMichael Palin embarks on another epic journey of exploration and adventure, this time 15,000 miles through 18 countries around the Pacific rim.
- DirectorGeorge CaseyStarsCharlton HestonA look at the Alaskan wilderness throughout the year, from the harsh winters to the rejuvenating spring, and the animals (including its human residents) who learn to adapt to the extremes of Alaskan weather.
- StarsJon SnowA travel by the wonders of the universe as brief as unforgettable.
- DirectorMikael KristerssonStarsCaisa PerssonFilmed over several years, it is a wonder-filled portrait of a family of kestrels (European falcons) who live in a church tower above a small Swedish town. The amazing cinematography, nominated for a Swedish Oscar.
- StarsTom HanksNick SearcyLane SmithDramatized portrayal of the Apollo manned space program.
- StarsBob BrierTamsin GreigTerence HarveyThe program traces the lives of great Egyptian characters such as Cleopatra from childhood to her untimely death.
- DirectorMichael GlawoggerA look at the people who live precariously, but with an unusual level of resourcefulness and imagination, in four gigantic urban agglomerations: Mumbai, New York City, Moscow and Mexico City.
- DirectorDavid HannanExplore the vibrant colors and alien-like creatures of the coral reef.
- DirectorChris GormlieStarsMichael LeightonRobert HeadlandMax JonesThis is the incredible story of explorer Ernest Shackleton's heroic attempt to lead the first expedition across the last unknown continent of Antarctica in 1914-16. With historical photos and rare film footage, this astonishing story explores the limits of unparalleled human courage.
- StarsDavid Ogden StiersKenneth JacksonMike WallaceExploration of New York City's rich history as a complex and dynamic city that has played an unparalleled role in shaping the nation and reflecting its ideals.
- StarsMark HallileySasa VasilievskiJerry SoftenThe Planets is a made for television documentary series that explores in depth the planets that make up our solar system.
- DirectorBilly D. MarcheseStarsSharon Stone"Beyond the Summit" chronicles the 2000 Mt. Everest Environmental Expedition sponsored by Gateway & Inventa. Witness the cleanup of over 40 years of expedition garbage on top of the worlds highest peak. See also the record breaking 11th summit of Apa Sherpa, the expedition's Sherpa Leader. This Documentary also includes historical footage of the past 40 years of the human attempt to reach the roof of the world.
- DirectorGreg MacGillivrayStarsPierce BrosnanAlejandro Acevedo-GutiérrezDean BernalExperience how dolphins live and play, and unravel the mysteries of dolphin communication in this Academy Award-nominated IMAX film which takes you into the complex lives of these fascinating animals.
- DirectorGeorge ButlerStarsLiam NeesonJulian AyerJohn BlackborowIn December, 1914, the Endurance encountered ice packs before reaching 60º South - 400 miles north of Antarctica; an omen. The plan was to land at Vahsel Bay, which had never been done.
- StarsDavid AttenboroughFollow the path of the sun on its annual cycle, from the Equator, across the northern hemisphere and into the South. Witness a world bursting with life, as spring and summer follow the passage of the sun. Revealed in all their glory are the natural rhythms of life - the urge to breed, to feed and to raise young - all driven by the sun, the moon and the seasons, across the world.
- DirectorKate BroomeStarsDavid AttenboroughA simple, carved figure bought at an auction in New York leads David Attenborough on a global journey from Russia to Australia, from England back to the Pacific. On the way he delves into a history of the stunning stones on Easter Island.
- StarsDavid McCulloughDocumentary about the rise and fall of one of the greatest military geniuses of modern times from his Corsican childhood to final exile in St. Helena.
- DirectorPeter Spry-LevertonStarsBob Brier
- DirectorSueAnn FinckeStarsBrett StimelyRoald AmundsenBob BartlettThe history of the struggles by Robert Peary, Frederick Cook, Roald Amundsen, Robert Scott, and Ernest Shackleton to be the first men to reach the North and South Poles.
- CreatorSavin Yeatman-EiffelStarsLiev SchreiberJay O. SandersSalima IkramMysteries involving notable historical events, people and locations are scientifically examined.
- DirectorKate BroomeStarsDavid AttenboroughDavid Attenborough investigates the latest scientific research to discover whether or not there is a global environmental crisis, and, if so, what solutions there are to it.
- StarsDavid AttenboroughPierce BrosnanPeter ScoonesMammoth series, five years in the making, taking a look at the rich tapestry of life in the world's oceans.
- DirectorDavid de VriesStarsDonald RedfordKent WeeksPeter Woodward
- DirectorJames BenningLos Angeles is depicted in 35 stationary shots, each 2 1/2 minutes long, in this non-narrative film.
- DirectorThomas RiedelsheimerStarsAndy GoldsworthyAnna GoldsworthyHolly GoldsworthyPortrait of Andy Goldsworthy, an artist whose specialty is ephemeral sculptures made from elements of nature.
- StarsSam NeillExplore the wonders of our universe with Sam Neill.
- DirectorJacques PerrinJacques CluzaudMichel DebatsStarsJacques PerrinPhilippe LabroDocumentary on the migratory patterns of birds, shot over the course of three years on all seven continents.
- DirectorJames CameronGary JohnstoneStarsLance HenriksenJames CameronKarl KuhnAn underwater expedition to the German battleship Bismarck and digitally reconstructs events that led up to the ship's sinking during World War II.
- DirectorMichael LennickStarsGraham GreeneJoseph William KittingerCraig RyanTHE HIGHEST STEP IN THE WORLD tells the story of the post-war U.S. Air Force pre-astronauts, who risked their lives to be the first men into space years before NASA existed. And if that's not enough, we'll meet the only man to break the sound barrier by free-falling from the edge of space.
- DirectorJonathan StampStarsAbdalla MahmoudHisham AbdullahMohamed AwadBased on the latest archaeological discoveries and combining dramatic reconstruction, location shooting and state-of-the-art CGI computer effects, this film travels back in time to reveal how the mighty structure of the Great Pyramid was built.
- StarsLinda HuntJohn SlatteryBen CottonBefore We Ruled the Earth is an odyssey of evolution, from Homo ergaster in Africa at 1.7 million years ago, to Paleo-Indians living in North America at 11,000 years ago. Detailed recreations of hominid life over seven time periods, stunning wilderness locations, state of the art makeup effects and photo-realistic 3-D animated animals bring the past to life. Factual. Entertaining. Riveting. How did we problem solve to protect and provide for our families and ourselves? What are the technological innovations that helped to move us up the food chain? Early human's ability to adapt is what pushed them to the four corners of the earth and beyond, Before We Ruled The Earth.
- DirectorSimon PummellSimon Pummell's epic movie tells the story of a human life, using found footage from the last 100 years of cinema, cut to a powerful score by Jonny Greenwood of Radiohead.
- DirectorAndy ByattAlastair FothergillStarsPierce BrosnanMichael GambonDavid AttenboroughJoin a voyage through aquatic realms where humans have rarely dared to go. Waddle with playful penguins, dart with lightning speed through schools of sharks, ride over stormy waves with massive whales and view rare alien-like creatures.
- StarsBrian GreeneLeonard SusskindAmanda PeetA documentary examining string theory.
- DirectorGreg ReitmanStarsKathryn AbbottDel BreckenfeldLes BrownBeginning with William Wrigley's acquisition of the Santa Catalina Island Company in 1919, the history of the island is explored with archival footage, stills, interviews of residents, historians and celebrities.
- StarsHilary SwankFilmmaker Norbert Wu and his team embark on a 2,400-mile journey from Christchurch, New Zealand to McMurdo Station, Antarctica, to make the first high-definition film of life hidden under the Antarctic ice.
- DirectorStephen LowStarsEd HarrisRichard LutzBruce StrickrottAlvin, a deep-sea mechanized probe, makes a voyage some 12,000 feet underwater to explore the Azores, a constantly-erupting volcanic rift between Europe and North America.
- DirectorJudy IrvingStarsMark BittnerMaggie McCallIvan StormgartA homeless musician finds meaning to his life when he starts a friendship with dozens of parrots.
- DirectorJames BenningShots of 13 great lakes in the USA, with each shot containing half water and half sky or land.
- DirectorHubert SauperStarsElizabeth 'Eliza' Maganga NseseRaphael Tukiko WagaraDimond RemtuliaA documentary on the effect of fishing the Nile perch in Tanzania's Lake Victoria. The predatory fish, which has wiped out the native species, is sold in European supermarkets, while starving Tanzanian families have to make do with the leftovers.
- DirectorClaude NuridsanyMarie PérennouStarsSotigui KouyatéA storyteller relates the creation of the world. A tall tale like all yarns. But this tall tale is a true tale - it is our very own story. The birth of the universe, the formation of the Earth, the appearance of life, the emergence from the waters, the colonisation of earthly paradise...a tremendous, event-filled saga unfolds before our very eyes. This "flamboyant" Genesis, both modern and timeless, is "enacted" by the direct descendants of those who were part of it - the animals.
- StarsMichael Gough
- DirectorMercedes ÁlvarezStarsPeio AzketaHicham ChateCirilo FernándezOne year in the life of a tiny village in northern Spain.The Sky Turns
- DirectorJoe AhearneStarsDavid SuchetMartin McDougallJoanne McQuinnThis two-part science fiction docu-drama examines the possibilities of a dangerous, manned space mission to explore the inner and outer planets of the Solar system.
- StarsNikos PapatheodorouSunrise Earth: Portraits of our Planet takes you around the world at dawn. Wake up with the creatures that inhabit some of the planet's most beautiful places: Siam, China, Venice, New Zealand, and Peru. See morning like you've never seen it before!
- DirectorJames BenningAn experimental film portraying different skies in very long takes.
- StarsDavid AttenboroughDavid Attenborough's ground-breaking exploration of a group of organisms that are vast in number, yet often too small to be noticed: the invertebrates.
- StarsLiev SchreiberJamie DutcherJim DutcherDuring centuries wolves were characterized as blood-thirsty beasts, enemies of owners of ranch and killer of helpless live-stock. Adjusted to overcome this misunderstanding, the cameramen-naturalists of Jamie and Jim Dutcher lived six years in a tent camp, in the wilderness of Idaho, living with the covey of wolves, listening to them and earning their trust.
- DirectorLuc JacquetStarsMorgan FreemanRomane BohringerCharles BerlingIn the Antarctic, every March since the beginning of time, the quest begins to find the perfect mate and start a family.