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The business of the birds and the bees gets more complicated when it comes to the endangered species of the world. Female giant pandas are only fertile once a year, for 48 hours. Male Clouded Leopards often try to kill their mates. But when nature fails, science steps in. Join us as we follow Dr. JoGayle Howard, matchmaker, surgeon and reproductive sleuth on her mission to stave off extinction one litter at a time.
Symbol in the eyes of urbanites of an authentic nature, the French forest is going through an unprecedented phase of industrialization. Heavy mechanization, monocultures, fertilizers and pesticides, forest management follows the intensive agricultural model at high speed. From Limousin to Landes, from Morvan to Vosges, Le Temps des Forêts offers a journey to the heart of industrial forestry and its alternatives. Living forest or wooded desert, today’s choices will shape the landscape of tomorrow.
Sophia is a philosophy professor in Montreal and has lived as a couple with Xavier for 10 years. Sylvain is a carpenter in the Laurentians and must renovate their country house. When Sophia meets Sylvain for the first time, it’s love at first sight. Opposites attract, but can it last?
Roger, a straight-laced politician has big plans to propose to his dream girl at her family’s lake house. But everything goes awry when he meets his potential brother-in-law Todd: a full-time camp counselor with a heart of gold and a wild sense of fun, pining to be Roger’s best friend, and ultimately catapulting him into a series of unfortunate events. As Roger tries to take a stand amidst outrageous fishing excursions, propulsive water jetpacks and American history-themed musicals, he realizes that being a part of a new family may be more difficult than he’d thought.
Twelve-year-old Simone feels painfully disconnected from the world after witnessing the brutal death of her mother. Simone, a solitary multimedia artist in her twenties, is struggling to control her crushing panic attacks and keep her day job in an underground parking lot. And Simone, a sixty-year-old physicist, is giving a conference on the nature of time. The three Simones’ lives are intertwined in a labyrinthine meta-world where timeframes overlap, characters multiply, and storylines repeat and expand. But, for all its shuttling forward and back through time, ENDORPHINE remains grounded in the Simones’ inner lives — it’s an artistic examination of scientific phenomena that also poignantly explores how people deal with trauma.
The culturally isolated, nomadic Seburi people of western Japan are the subject of this tragedy about a few of the community’s members who especially experience difficulties as modern Japan encroaches on their world. The setting is World War II, and conflicts have already arisen when the military police come to take Seburi men away into the army. Still following their own customs that can be harsh at times, and are particularly cruel to women (women must give birth alone and unaided, a woman’s adultery is punished by burying her up to her neck in the earth and then leaving her for days), the Seburi are mainly treated with fear and animosity by the non-Seburi townspeople of the region. Along with the hardships arising from cultural clashes, nature’s own vagaries present other challenges to the Seburi — who still lived in tents until the 1950s. Winter avalanches and snowstorms cause as much havoc as the tensions engendered by the slow encroachment of the modern world.
The passage of time is spellbinding in this cinematic tour de force about the Wadden Sea. A film that inhales and exhales along with the tides as it explores the fragile relationship between man and nature.
Chicago artists Jackie and Don Seiden are a half-century into their marriage, time spent creating distinct yet congruous bodies of work. Jackie makes art of everything around her. Central to her practice is a recognition of the fragility of materials. That conceptual interest has turned into daily reality, as both her body and one of her most ambitious art projects, her canary-yellow Victorian house, start to fall apart. Don’s work reveals a mind resigned to death. He has always been interested in the rules of nature, and now he finds himself facing inevitable health scares. So Late So Soon is a sensitively constructed, playful character study that honors Jackie and Don’s art, and even becomes a part of it, while also locating in it glimmers of their essence.
Själö means ‘the island of souls’, and no name could be more fitting for the island in the Baltic Sea, which for centuries was a last stop for women who were considered social outcasts – and who are today forgotten. They were forcibly placed in a closed institution to be studied, measured and weighed – exactly in the way that nature itself was starting to be examined around the same time. Today, the place is a research centre. A young female scientist collects samples on the island, while the whispering voices of the past and never-sent letters echo in the empty hallways.
Secluded from the world, a single mother of three has to defend that what’s left of her family, at all cost, from a cold blooded killer. Based on one of the best known Romanian fairy tales (The Goat and Her Three Kids by Ion Creanga), this short film aims to unveil the true nature of the famed bed time story and to treat the audience to a different perspective, one that offers a glimpse at what the tragedy actually looks like beyond the happy songs and colorful characters.
The Almeida Theatre makes its live screening debut with an explosive new adaptation of Richard III, directed by Almeida Artistic Director Rupert Goold with Ralph Fiennes as Shakespeare’s most notorious villain and Vanessa Redgrave as Queen Margaret. War-torn England is reeling after years of bitter conflict. King Edward is ailing, and as political unrest begins to stir once more, Edward’s brother Richard – vicious in war, despised in peacetime – awaits the opportunity to seize his brother’s crown. Through the malevolent Richard, Shakespeare examines the all-consuming nature of the desire for power amid a society riddled by conflict. Olivier-winning director Rupert Goold’s (Macbeth, King Charles III) searing new production hones a microscopic focus on the mythology surrounding a monarch whose machinations are inextricably woven into the fabric of British history.
Wild Ocean is in an uplifting, giant screen cinema experience capturing one of nature’s greatest migration spectacles. Plunge into an underwater feeding frenzy, amidst the dolphins, sharks, whales, gannets, seals and billions of fish. Filmed off the Wild Coast of South Africa, Wild Ocean is a timely documentary that celebrates the animals that now depend on us to survive and the efforts by the local people to protect this invaluable ecological resource. Hope is alive on the Wild Coast, where Africa meets the sea.
In 1833, when the fledgling Belgian kingdom still fears a Dutch invasion, recruits were selected annually from an age cohort by a draw of lots in each locality. In this grim, then contemporary drama by the ‘father of Flemish literature’, Hendrik Conscience, Jan Braems, a poor and naive farmers-boy, accepts the not uncommon offer by a rich family to sell his lucky ticket (out) to their son for a hefty sum compared to the miserable labor wages at the time. Army life is even harsher then a farmhand’s, especially for a Dutch-speaking an-alphabet who simply can’t understand his francophone superiors, and Jan’s nature is not complacent enough for military discipline even by todays standards, so he soon gets into all kinds of trouble, including gambling his capital away and a venereal disease. When his girlfriend back home goes looking for him, her life is doomed as well.
Molly runs the local mom’s group and this year they’re entering the prestigious Modern Parenting Group of the Year award. When new to town Ashley sets up a rival dad’s group and starts usurping Molly and her team at charity bake-offs and smashing their times in fun-runs, will their competitive natures get in the way of what everyone else, including their children, can see – a spark worth fighting for?
The world has been ravaged by nuclear war. The planet is frozen and radiation kills anyone or anything that ventures outside of ‘The Dome’. Soft is a shepherd for the last remnants of humanity who have gathered together as they await rescue from a mysterious craft known only as ‘The Ark.’ He wanders among the masses, performing his regular daily tasks; keeping morale from plummeting, wooing prostitutes, squashing rebellions, and sometimes feeding the hungry. But as the true and sinister nature of ‘The Dome’ comes to light, Soft must ask himself if humanity is worth saving…
Two seconds into the bubbling synth sounds of its theme song will have a child of the 1980s or ‘90s exclaiming “Reading Rainbow!” Such is the beloved and ubiquitous nature of the classic children’s literary television show that introduced millions of kids to the wonder and importance of books. Not only did the series insist on having kids speak to kids about their favorite stories, but Reading Rainbow introduced the world to one of the most adored television hosts of all time in LeVar Burton. Thanks to his direct, non-patronizing and, most importantly, kind delivery, Burton became a conduit to learning for children of every background—an entrancing guide to subjects unknown.
A poetic and atypical nature film about the various inhabitants of an old-growth forest, on the ground, in the air and in the water. There’s no commentary, only the rich, almost palpable sounds of the forest and the magical situations captured by the camera. Although we might sometimes be puzzled as to what’s actually happening a mating ritual or the start of a fight? the lack of explanation leaves space for us to associate freely and simply experience the images. The film offers a close-up view of a wide range of creatures such as the insect that appears out of the melting snow, gradually begins to move and impatiently waits until all its legs are free so it can fly away. The scale of the portraits is sometimes grand and at other times modest, but always filmed with precision, whether in daylight or at night. Time doesn’t seem to matter in this extraordinary piece of slow cinema.
Between 1955 and 1995, over 70,000 West African children were fostered by white Britons, in a practice known as ‘farming’. Many individuals then had to live, often in silence, with the long-lasting impact of this controversial official policy. Nine of those raised this way were invited to a workshop retreat, under professional guidance, to discuss their experiences. Each take turns delving into their past, revealing the confusion and trauma of dealing with such change at a young age. For many, this marks the first time they have had the opportunity to connect with people who have shared a similar childhood. White Nanny Black Child presents a personal, moving and sometimes unsettling meditation on identity, belonging and the nature of family.
1988-1989. The end of the Soviet-Afghan war. The USSR begins its withdrawal from Afghanistan. Soviet General Vasiliev’s son – a pilot named Alexander gets kidnapped by the mujahideen after his airplane crashes. As a result the 108th motorized infantry division’s long awaited return home gets put on hold for one last mission: bring the General’s son back. Based on true events the previously untold story of the courageous and tragic withdrawal campaign (through the Salang pass) reveals the danger the horror and the complexity of human nature during wartime.
Young Dimitris, on the verge of manhood yet very much a child, has romanticized his imprisoned father to mythic proportions. When he gets released after ten years, Dimitris cannot wait to finally know him and make up for lost time. But when his father reveals his true nature, Dimitris must face a great dilemma: will his need of belonging prevail over his sense of justice?
Horace McNickle (Edward Asner) is a two-time felon serving prison time for counterfeiting. On the week before Christmas, he escapes from prison dressed as Santa Claus due to his uncanny resemblence to St. Nick resulting from his long white beard and heavyset features. McNickle hides out from the police in a nearby suburban neighborhood where he is befriended and helped by two local children who think he is the real Santa Claus. McNickle takes advantage of the kids naive ness to help him get his counterfeit money hidden somewhere in a local department store while he develops kind-hearted feelings for his two con victims that make him slowly understand the true nature of Christmas.
A poetic meditation on nature, mortality, and the passage of time in her exploration of our symbiotic nexus with trees. Weaving together several stories of arboreal adoration, unfolds as a deeply human tale of our connection to the natural world and to one another.
Secluded from the world, in XIX century rural Romania, a widow and mother of three must defend what’s left of her family, at all costs, from an old family friend turned foe. Based on one of the best-known Romanian folk tales (The Goat and Her Three Kids by Ion Creanga), this film aims to unveil the true nature of the famed bedtime story and to treat the audience to a different perspective, one that offers a glimpse of what the tragedy looks like beyond the happy songs and affable characters.
Natalie is an independent artist estranged from her father. Although her family owns the prominent Freeman Museum, she uses her late mother’s maiden name to keep her identity a secret from everyone including her artist boyfriend, Alex. When Natalie’s father dies, she takes on ownership of the museum with the help of her late father’s assistant, Derek. Natalie quickly learns that someone has been stealing paintings and replacing them with counterfeits. But due to the nature of her father’s untimely death, Natalie realizes she’s not the only one keeping secrets. In her search for the truth, Natalie encounters dangers that threaten not only the museum but her life as well. Could someone close to her be intent on destroying the museum?
When unlucky-in-love Isabella and filmmaker Blake find themselves planning a huge celebration in a mansion where the most famous romance of all time blossomed, neither knew what they’d find. But as Isabella designs the signature dress and Blake films the story of the anniversary gala, they’re paired together to live and learn firsthand about the legendary, rich love story around them…they unexpectedly find a love and adventure they never knew could be true.
In a time of superstition and magic, when wolves are seen as demonic and nature an evil to be tamed, a young apprentice hunter comes to Ireland with her father to wipe out the last pack. But when she saves a wild native girl, their friendship leads her to discover the world of the Wolfwalkers and transform her into the very thing her father is tasked to destroy.
“KOKO” is an extraordinary story of a young financial guru (Randy) who suffers a lifetime of heartaches only to discover that the one purest form of love was found in his only true companion – his dog (Koko). This is a remarkable love story with a triumphant and spectacularly happy ending. It’s about a young accounting executive, RANDY, who lives through hard life issues ranging from heartbreak to job loss – …Randy later adopts a dog named Koko and with the gentle companionship of his new trusted friend, finds a new lease on life and love. As he heals from all of his wounds, he finds himself immediately bonding with Koko, like all pure and natural love does. His concern and empathy blossoms and is innocent and pure in nature. There is no malice, designs on self-gain or otherwise, and his relationship with Koko is purely one of the greatest emotions – LOVE. Randy feels a connection so deep that the only way he can express his commitment to Koko is through the bonds of matrimony.
In a time when monsters walk the Earth, humanity’s fight for its future sets Godzilla and Kong on a collision course that will see the two most powerful forces of nature on the planet collide in a spectacular battle for the ages.
On a surveillance mission in a primordial forest, a park ranger encounters two survivalists following a post-apocalyptic lifestyle. The boy and his philosophical father seem to have their own religion, and a mysterious relationship to nature. There are many suspicious aspects to their existence, but when the cabin is attacked by strange, post-human beings one night, she learns that there is a greater threat in this emergent wilderness. Gaia is an ecological horror fantasy which engages the burning issues of our time.
An astonishing record of the hereditary nature of trauma, Jacinta follows the lives of three generations of women struggling to find stability amid years of dependency. Jacinta leaves the Maine Correctional Center, leaving her mother behind to complete her own sentence, and attempts to rebuild her relationship with Caylynn, her preternaturally wise pre-teen daughter who craves time and attention from the mother she adores. But as the pressures of shaping a life in a world she has hardly known sober proves increasingly challenging, she brings the viewer into her emotional, day-to-day battle to find peace with herself and earn the trust of her family.
As a result of a traffic accident involving a violation of the centerline, the perpetrator dies, and the victim falls into a coma. After some time, the wife of the perpetrator, Heejoo, returns. Heejoo is bewildered at the fact that the victim’s wife Youngnam is also working at the factory where she goes to work. By accident, Heejoo becomes close with Youngnam’s daughter Eunyoung and learns a new fact about the incident. The true nature of this accident, where Heejoo’s husband was known to have crossed over the centerline, is actually very complicated. Since the social issues of dispatched labor and industrial accidents and personal issues of depression and family trouble are intertwined here, it is more difficult to apprehend.
When filmmaker Peter Mortimer encounters an elusive young climber named Marc-André Leclerc, an evolution in free solo mountaineering unfolds. Along the two-year journey up high alpine peaks and steep frozen waterfalls, Peter explores Marc’s connection to nature, his uncompromising quest for adventure, and the risks he takes to pursue his passion.
A small toy company CEO gets a once in a lifetime offer to merge with a mega toy company but will need her estranged ex-business partner’s signature to seal the deal. What he helps her rediscover will change both of their lives.
Christmas blogger and aspiring photographer Hannah Reed just got the assignment of a lifetime; visit a charming town and Christmas wonderland called Christmas World in Alaska which will allow her to photograph the Northern Lights and maybe finally get published in her favorite nature magazine.
Through Julia Child’s life and her singular joie de vivre, the series explores a pivotal time in American history – the emergence of public television as a new social institution, feminism and the women’s movement, the nature of celebrity and America’s cultural evolution.
In “Dolphin Reef,” Disneynature dives under the sea to frolic with some of the planet’s most engaging animals: dolphins. Echo is a young bottlenose dolphin who can’t quite decide if it’s time to grow up and take on new responsibilities-or give in to his silly side and just have fun. Dolphin society is tricky, and the coral reef that Echo and his family call home depends on all of its inhabitants to keep it healthy. But with humpback whales, orcas, sea turtles and cuttlefish seemingly begging for his attention, Echo has a tough time resisting all that the ocean has to offer.
Gib, a beer-guzzling slob, and Alison, an uptight Ivy-Leaguer, are an unlikely duo stuck together on a cross-country trip during Christmas break. At first they get on each other’s nerves but, as time passes, they find their divergent natures complement each other. Now they need to realize what they’ve already found before it’s too late.
ROBODOG is a classic, heart-warming adventure story about an unlikely duo who couldnt be more different. KC (Kinetic Canine) is a bright, energetic but overzealous robotic dog, while MARSHALL is an old, curmudgeonly real dog, set in his ways and has little patience for anything new. This canine odd couple embarks on the adventure of a lifetime where each will learn the true nature of friendship, and not to judge a book by its cover. ROBODOG is a story of friendship. Its about appreciating whats inside, regardless of the packaging. An old dog can have his preconceptions overturned and become young again, and a mechanical dog made of circuits, gears and carbon fibre can prove himself to be loyal, brave and trustworthy.
When teenagers Rachel and Grace travel inside a super-powered rainbow to China, they disturb nature’s balance. Using Rachel’s connection to the energy of the rainbow and with help from their new friend Xiao Cheng, they must race against time to save the Earth.
