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Stories From The Stone Age is a three-part documentary that attempts to explain why and how humans abandoned the nomadic hunting and gathering existence they had known for millennia to take up a completely new way of life - the decisive move to farming.
The programs also look at the beginning of the domestication of animals, permanent settlements and the discovery of metals - setting the stage for the arrival of the world's first civilisation. Based on extensive research, Stories From The Stone Age takes us on a journey where we get to live alongside our ancestors as they cross between the Old and the New Worlds and into civilisation.
PART ONE
PART TWO
PART THREE
The series utilises detailed re-enactments and short interviews with key archaeological experts. The series asks some intriguing questions. Why did some of our ancestors never become farmers at all? Why do some still continue hunting and gathering despite their contact with farming people and advanced technologies? How and why did our paths become uniquely shaped after emerging as a species from a single genetic family in Africa?
This documentary series chronicles the shifts in the idea of 'race' and the history of racism in Europe, The Americas, Australasia and Asia. These films show how ideas of racial difference have evolved in response to historical events, and identify the profound impact that the idea of 'race', and the fact of racism, has had on science, culture, society and global history.
By exploring the history of 'race' - from the early emergence of racial consciousness to the impact of the very latest discoveries in genetics - this series examines the nature of the 'racial landscape' which, for five centuries, has occupied such an important place in the collective imagination of the West.
This documentary series gives an unprecedented insight into Jewish life in Britain today. For those that have had trouble accessing Veoh videos, it may be the case that if the video is smaller than 30 minutes long, that you can watch it without the Veoh Player...but this is an unconfirmed rumor.
PART ONE - The Prisoner
It begins with the story of ultra-orthodox Hasidic Jew Samuel Leibowitz, who has multiple convictions for international drug-smuggling.
Filmmaker Vanessa Engle follows him as he comes out of prison and returns to his community, documenting his re-entry into ultra-orthodox life to discover whether he can overcome his transgressions and live once again as an observant Hasidic Jew.
This episode looks at the psychological inheritance of the Holocaust. It may have taken place over half a century ago, but the children of refugees and survivors still find themselves carrying the inherited trauma from the past in their everyday lives.
A reflection on the second generation experience which explores how the past informs the present and how history lives on inside our heads.
This episode tells the story of 52-year-old millionaire philanthropist Jonathan Faith.
Former owner of high street chain Faith shoes, he retired from the business to devote himself to trying to reverse the decline in the observant Jewish population, which is currently a mere 270,000 people. He spends his fortune not on yachts, but on a mission to prevent religious Jews in Britain from becoming extinct.
This documentary takes us on a journey to meet the indigenous population of Central America. We visit the ruins at Teotihuacan and the Aztec temple of Quetzalcoatl in Mexico City, and discusses the Mayans' concept of time and the Aztec custom of human sacrifice.
Isolated from the rest of the world, the Mayans and Aztecs created sophisticated civilizations that in many ways paralleled ancient Mediterranean empires. God-like kings and a priestly ruling class dominated splendid cities of temples and pyramids.
I apologise...this film's audio goes somewhat out of sinc with the video. It is such a great documentary, however, that it is worth putting up with.
The 13-part series was shot on 16mm film. Executive Producer was Adrian Malone, film directors Dick Gilling, Mick Jackson, David Kennard, David Paterson. Malone and Kennard later emigrated to Hollywood, where they produced Carl Sagan's Cosmos. Jackson followed them, and now directs feature films.
The title alludes to The Descent of Man by Charles Darwin. Over the course of thirteen episodes, Bronowski travelled around the world in order to trace the development of human society through its understanding of science. It was written specifically to complement Kenneth Clark's Civilisation (1969), in which Clark argued that art was a major driving force in cultural evolution.
Bronowski wrote in his 1951 book "The Commonsense of Science" : "It has been one of the most destructive modern prejudices that art and science are different and somehow incompatible interests". Both series had been commissioned by David Attenborough, then controller of BBC2, although he had moved on by the time The Ascent of Man was aired.
Although this is an aging documentary series, it is without a doubt one of the most authorative in its field...a must see!
PART ONE - Lower than the Angels (describes evolution of the head)
PART TWO - The Harvest of the Seasons (agriculture and the first settlements)
PART THREE - The Grain in the Stone (tools, early human migration)
PART FOUR - The Hidden Structure (fire, metals and alchemy)
PART FIVE - Music of the Spheres (the language of numbers)
PART SIX -The Starry Messenger (Galileo's universe)
PART SEVEN -The Majestic Clockwork (explores Kepler and Newton's laws)
PART EIGHT -The Drive for Power (the Industrial Revolution)
PART NINE -The Ladder of Creation (Darwin and Wallace's ideas on the origin of species)
PART TEN -World within World (the story of the periodic table)
PART ELEVEN -Knowledge or Certainty (There is no absolute knowledge)
PART TWELVE -Generation upon Generation (cloning of identical forms)
PART THIRTEEN -The Long Childhood (The commitment of man)
This documentary series takes an anything but common look at a well known story...the Spanish invasion and colonisation of Mexico. DBC Pierre takes us on a journey through modern-day Mexico as he tries to get to the bottom of how a small group of Spanish invaders were able to conquor a mighty empire. So who is DBC Pierre?
DBC Pierre (born 1961 in South Australia, Australia) is a writer. Born Peter Warren Finlay, the "DBC" part of his nom-de-plume (normally so written, without punctuation) stands for "Dirty But Clean". "Pierre" was a nickname bestowed on him by childhood friends after a cartoon character of that name. Pierre was awarded the Booker Prize for fiction on 14 October 2003 for his novel Vernon God Little. He is the third Australian to be so honoured, although he has told the British press that he prefers to consider himself a Mexican.
"Mexico, with its contrasts, its crushing poverty and sparkling wealth, its institutionalised corruption and cultural wisdom, its love of life and its embracing of death, undoubtedly set me on a path toward the deep end, philosophically and emotionally speaking." – DBC Pierre
PART ONE
Early in the 14th century, a city rose from snake-infested waters, built by the Tenocha tribe who came to be known as the Aztecs. Their city was the capital of Mexico - Tenochtitlan.
When Hernan Cortes led the Spanish Conquistadors to Mexico in 1519, the Aztec Emperor Moctezuma believed the invaders to be gods, fulfilling the prophecy of the return of the feathered serpent deity, Quetzalcoatl. The long held belief that this prophecy signified the end of the Aztec empire coincided with the arrival of the Spanish. Moctezuma in his confusion, offered gifts from the vast treasure troves of gold, sourced from mines that have now disappeared, but failed to deter the Conquistadors as they made their way to Tenochtitlan.
The Spaniards received a warm welcome when they eventually arrived but were wary because of the sacrificial bloodshed they saw as they travelled to meet Moctezuma. However they were overcome by the beauty and splendour of the city. The Aztecs were amazed at the sight of the Spaniards who were paler with long white beards, rode on horseback, and had guns and a cross - none of which they had ever experienced.
PART TWO
When the Spaniard Cortes and his men marched on the Aztec capital Tenochtitlan, they hoped they would find Moctezuma's gold and untold riches. But they had no idea what was in store for them. Following the meeting of Emperor Moctezuma and Cortes, they were housed in a splendid palace and lavished with gifts.
Cortes came to realise that the Aztecs lived in a strangely innocent world, a magical realm that was to be their undoing. He put his knowledge to good use and in a bold move, imprisoned the emperor in his own palace. The monarch fell, surrendering his power and wealth to become a puppet of the Spaniards.
On May 13, 1521, it is thought that Moctezuma died from a blow to the head from a rock thrown by one of his subjects. Overnight, his body, magical entourage and most spectacularly of all, his vast well-documented gold-laden treasure-disappeared. No trace of Moctezuma was ever found. Presenter and best-selling author DBC Pierre visited a location believed to hold the key to this mystery, but came away none the wiser.
Dean Jefferys' SHAMANS OF THE AMAZON, is far and away the best film yet made on ayahuasca and Amazonian shamanism. Dean Jefferys filmed his trip to Amazonia, with wife and child, his encounters and experiences with traditional ayahuasqueros, as well as with Western ayahuasca guides and healers, conducting what I call "hybrid" rituals; and scholars of shamanism such as the late Terence McKenna, and the Brazilian healer Yatra who started a heroin addiction treatment program using ayahuasca in Holland.
The filmmaker used innovative techniques for bringing the visionary paintings of Pablo Amaringo to life and movement -- thereby creating the best media representation of inner visions that I have seen. Jefferys also filmed informative and incisive interviews with spokespeople for groups working to preserve the ecological and cultural integrity of Amazonian tribes; and demonstrations in Western cities protesting the drug war prohibition of sacred medicines.
By giving the political and global context within which the ritual use of shamanic entheogens is pursued, he has succeded in giving a complete and well-rounded portrait of this complex situation.
Based on Jared Diamond's Pulitzer Prize-winning book of the same name, Guns, Germs and Steel traces humanity's journey over the last 13,000 years – from the dawn of farming at the end of the last Ice Age to the realities of life in the twenty-first century.
Inspired by a question put to him on the island of Papua New Guinea more than thirty years ago, Diamond embarks on a world-wide quest to understand the roots of global inequality.
Why were Europeans the ones to conquer so much of our planet?
Why didn't the Chinese, or the Inca, become masters of the globe instead?
Why did cities first evolve in the Middle East?
Why did farming never emerge in Australia?
And why are the tropics now the capital of global poverty?
As he peeled back the layers of history to uncover fundamental, environmental factors shaping the destiny of humanity, Diamond found both his theories and his own endurance tested.
The three one-hour programs were filmed across four continents on High Definition digital video, and combinied ambitious dramatic reconstruction with moving documentary footage and computer animation. They also include contributions from Diamond himself and a wealth of international historians, archeologists and scientists.
Guns, Germs, and Steel is a thrilling ride through the elemental forces which have shaped our world – and which continue to shape our future.
Intimate documentary series following a year in the life of the society living in and around Gyantse, Tibet's third largest town. Unaccompanied by Chinese authorities for the first time, BBC cameras offer an insight into the daily lives of Tibetans and reveal the significance of Buddhism within society.
EPISODE ONE - The Visit The Panchen Lama, the highest ranking Buddhist living in Tibet today, pays an unexpected visit to the local monastery and throws the monks into turmoil. A local hotel owner is worried about the lack business. In the nearby village of Tangmai a young farmer's wife, is rushed into hospital with complications with her pregnancy.
EPISODE TWO - Three Husbands and a Wedding It's autumn and everyone is pulling together to get in the harvest, as Dundan worries about hailstones flattening his crops. The local government has installed guns to disperse the clouds and this has put the shaman Tseden, who used to protect the fields with spells, out of a job. Tseden is also helping a local family to arrange their daughter's wedding.
EPISODE THREE - Faith, Hope and Charity The monks begin preparations for New Year, one of Tibet's biggest festivals. Lhakpa, a local rickshaw driver, struggles to earn money as winter approaches. He embarks on a scheme to buy and sell puppies, with disastrous consequences. Hotel owner Jianzang gets involved in a court case which has a surprising outcome. In Tangmai, the doctor cannot cure Lhamo's crippling stomach pains.
EPISODE FOUR - Monks Behaving Badly In the Pel Kor monastery, the director Choephel discovers that some irreplaceable statues have been stolen and the theft gives the local Communist Party an excuse to put in a government 'work team' to weed out monks they think are behaving badly. Lhakpa heads north in search of a lucrative job on a building site, and Butri gets an unpleasant surprise as she approaches her retirement.
EPISODE FIVE - A Tale of Three Monks Deputy head lama Tsultrim has to juggle running the monastery whilst complying with a myriad of government restrictions. Young monk Tsephun lives and works with his master Dondrup, a curmudgeonly old lama. Tsephun helps his master with the day-to-day jobs of cleaning and tidying; in return, Dondrup teaches Tsephun the sutras and scriptures, an essential part of becoming a monk.
Tibet is, as we in the West are all too aware, a nation that is extremely cut off by the current Chinese occupiers.
Whilst this in depth series is by no means biased, it does provide amazing insight into the daily lives of the tibetan people and their culture.
The documentary opens with the memories of a journey to Tibet by two young American adventurers, who suddenly find themselves in the middle of Tibetan demonstrations against Chinese rule. Their riveting story is supported by interviews with Tibetan monks and nuns who participated in the demonstrations, accompanied by a powerful assemblage of images documenting the massacre and crackdown by Chinese forces.
The heroic story of Jampa Tenzin, a monk who rescued prisoners from a burning police station, his subsequent capture, torture and death, leads to a prayer by the Dali Lama, and sets the tone for the epic tale about to unfold: a story of struggle, courage, and compassion.
Ten years in the making, this award-winning documentary was filmed during a remarkable nine journeys throughout Tibet, India and Nepal. CRY OF THE SNOW LION brings audiences to the long-forbidden "rooftop of the world" with an unprecedented richness of imagery… from rarely-seen rituals in remote monasteries, to horse races with Khamba warriors; from brothels and slums in the holy city of Lhasa, to the magnificent Himalayan peaks still traveled by nomadic yak caravans.
The dark secrets of Tibet’s recent past are powerfully chronicled through riveting personal stories and interviews, and a collection of undercover and archival images never before assembled in one film. It is worth noting that there is no appearance by the Dali Lama. A definitive exploration of a legendary subject, TIBET: CRY OF THE SNOW LION is an epic story of courage and compassion.
Wanna watch this film in high-quality and support the producers, buy the DVD...
The Kogi are an indigenous people living in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta mountains of northern Colombia, in South America.
They are the only civilisation to have survived the Spanish conquests and to have kept their individuality. They are perhaps the only indigenous people in the world who, because of the particular nature of their surroundings, have been able to keep themselves apart and sustain their culture inviolate. And not only that.
The one anthropologist who managed to study them in the 1940's and 50's concluded that though they are similar in some ways to the other Indian peoples around the Caribbean, northern Central America and south to the Andes, there are such profound differences that "in the end the Kogi stand alone".
They have survived to this day, keeping their traditions and relying upon, and looking after, the mountain environment. They believe it is their duty to look after the mountain which they call "The Heart of the World". They call themselves the Elder Brother and refer to the new- comers as the Younger Brother, who they believe is destroying the balance of the world.
In 1990 the Kogi decided they must speak out to the rest of the world. They had survived by keeping themselves isolated but they decided that it was time to send a message to the Younger Brother. They could see that something was wrong with their mountain, with the heart of the world. The snows had stopped falling and the rivers were not so full. If their mountain was ill then the whole world was in trouble.
