Ludwig II of Bavaria, more commonly known by his nicknames the Swan King or the Dream King, is a legendary figure – the handsome boy-king, loved by his people, betrayed by his cabinet and found dead in tragic and mysterious circumstances. He spent his life in pursuit of the ideal of beauty, an ideal that found expression in three of the most extraordinary, ornate architectural schemes imaginable – the castle of Neuschwanstein and the palaces of Linderhof and Herrenchiemsee. Today, these three buildings are among Germany’s biggest tourist attractions. Dan Cruickshank explores the rich aesthetic of Ludwig II – from the mock-medievalism of Neuschwanstein, the iconic fairytale castle that became the inspiration for the one in Walt Disney’s Sleeping Beauty, to the rich Baroque splendour of Herrenchiemsee, Ludwig’s answer to Versailles. Dan argues that Ludwig’s castles are more than flamboyant kitsch and are, in fact, the key to unravelling the eternal enigma of Ludwig II.

Oak Tree: Nature’s Greatest Survivor. In this landmark new BBC documentary, entomologist George McGavin takes us on a fascinating journey through a year in the life of a 400-year-old oak tree.

Contemplations is an exploration of the depths and meanings of the psychedelic states, a collection of journeys, wisdom and insights from Australian entheogenic exploers.

This short documentary follows the fortunes of iconic car manufacturer ‘Lotus’. In the past ‘Lotus’ has been famous for producing championship winning race cars and iconic sports cars, but it has struggled to remain in profit. With a new investor and managing director at the helm, they set out to build the first new Lotus road cars in over a decade. From the last ever petrol powered car, the ‘Emira’ and also their first pure electric British hypercar the 2000 brake horsepower ‘Evija’.

The story of an Afro-Cuban group who kept alive songs and dances their ancestor had brought aboard the slave ship from Africa. They were so specific that around 200 years later, a village of Africans watched them, joined in singing, and said simply, joyously: “They Are We”. This film tells the story of how they found each other and how they work to be able to reunite.

In 2018 on the steps of the High Court in Dublin, Vicky Phelan gave a now infamous address where she exposed one of the worst women’s health scandals in Irish History, the CervicalCheck debacle. VICKY is a profound and intimate journey into not only her fight to expose the truth of what happened for all women but also her own personal fight to stay alive.

With narration from Paul McGann, this ground-breaking film sets out to solve one of nature’s mysterious phenomena: the Bewick swan’s dramatic decline. A pioneering group of scientists and conservationists sets out to discover why we have lost nearly half the Bewick population in the last twenty years. Every year, these majestic birds make one of the world’s toughest migrations, across perilous land, sea and skies. Somewhere between the harsh Tundra landscape and the south of England lies the key to their disappearance. We join extreme sportswoman Sacha Dench and award-winning wildlife cameraman Benjamin Sadd, as they follow the swans over 7,000 km, on a journey that pushes both humans and swans to the limits of their endurance. Cutting-edge tracking techonology and innovative filming techniques give privileged insight into the birds’ hidden world, providing stunning aerial views and the personal stories of swans, Charlotte, Daisy-Clarke and Leho.

Explore the contradictions at the heart of famed financier Carl Icahn. A polarizing figure described as both an activist investor and a ruthless corporate raider, Icahn rose from modest beginnings in Queens to become one of the richest men in the world, embodying the American Dream. Yet, he openly criticizes corporate excess and the huge wealth inequality gap.

To mark the ten year anniversary of her death, Amy Winehouse’s closest family and friends reveal the truth about the music icon and the impact that her loss has had on them. With access to never-before-seen family archives and rare musical performances, this highly personal and powerful account of the life and death of one of Britain’s best-loved musicians offers a new interpretation of her life, her loves and her legacy.

The Making of a Dream is a cinematic essay on stories of dancers. It shows joys and pains from the first steps in an amateur school to the goal to become a principal dancer in a world known ballet company.

A 1971–72 documentary film by Jonas Mekas. It revolves around Mekas’ trip back to Semeniškiai, the village of his birth.

2016 marks the 500th anniversary of the death of Hieronymus Bosch. It is almost the only information about the artist of The Garden of Earthly Delights that we can put a precise date to. Bosch, the garden of dreams is a film about his most important painting and one of the most iconic paintings in the world: The Garden of Earthly Delights.