How were the giant stone heads of Rapa Nui – also known as Easter Island – carved and raised, and why? Since Europeans arrived on this remote Pacific island over 300 years ago, controversy has swirled around the iconic ancient statues and the history of the people who created them. Now, a new generation of researchers is overturning old theories, revealing the rich history, innovation, and resilience of the Rapanui people, and uncovering intriguing new evidence about where they – and their practice of monumental stone building – came from.

In 2022 a new mastermind entered the arena to craft the tests for the Fittest on Earth. Longtime CrossFit Games Head Judge and Seminar Staff Flowmaster Adrian Bozman’s approach to programming the CrossFit Games brought the sport’s top athletes back to the basics while challenging them to develop new skills. Tia-Clair Toomey vied for an unprecedented sixth title while rumors of retirement swirled and Mal O’Brien continued to rise. Meanwhile, 2021 Fittest Man on Earth Justin Medeiros worked to defend his title against determined competitors such as Roman Khrennikov – a multiyear qualifier who had yet to step onto the Games competition floor – and Ricky Garard, newly returned from a four-year ban for violating CrossFit’s drug policy. In “Fittest on Earth: Retro/Active,” watch as athletes face familiar movements with new twists, some thriving and others learning the hard way to begin anew with the basics, this time paying more attention.

In this tense and immersive tour de force, audiences are taken directly into the line of fire between powerful, opposing Peruvian leaders who will stop at nothing to keep their respective goals intact. On the one side is President Alan Garcia, who, eager to enter the world stage, begins aggressively extracting oil, minerals, and gas from untouched indigenous Amazonian land. He is quickly met with fierce opposition from indigenous leader Alberto Pizango, whose impassioned speeches against Garcia’s destructive actions prove a powerful rallying cry to throngs of his supporters. When Garcia continues to ignore their pleas, a tense war of words erupts into deadly violence.

The documentary begins when the fictionalized drama ends. Sara spent three years volunteering to save refugees on the same journey that made her so famous, and was suddenly arrested in Aug. 2018, accused by Greek authorities of running a criminal enterprise with charges including “international espionage and people smuggling.” If convicted, she faces up to 25 years in prison and the end of her humanitarian career. Shot over three years, the film follows Sara’s fight for justice and journey of self-discovery.

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Alexander, the King of Macedonia, leads his legions against the giant Persian Empire. After defeating the Persians, he leads his army across the then known world, venturing farther than any westerner had ever gone, all the way to India.

The Real Bruce Lee is a martial arts documentary. It begins with a brief biography of Bruce Lee, and shows scenes from four of his childhood films, Bad Boy, Orphan Sam, Kid Cheung, and The Carnival, each sepia-toned and dubbed to English. Next, there is a three-minute highlight reel of Lee imitator Bruce Li. Finally, there is a feature-length film starring Lee imitator Dragon Lee, which is obviously modeled after Bruce Lee’s Fist of Fury.

Five top baristas find themselves pushing the limits of coffee perfection to win the National Barista Championship – a surreal competition where even one mistake is far too many.

A look at abductions in the New England area

ARMADILLO is an upfront account of growing cynicism and adrenaline addiction for young soldiers at war. Mads and Daniel are on their first mission in Helmand, Afghanistan. Their platoon is stationed in Camp Armadillo, right on the Helmand frontline, fighting tough battles against the Taliban. The soldiers are there to help the Afghan people, but as fighting gets tougher and operations increasingly hairy, Mads, Daniel and their friends become cynical, widening the gap between themselves and the Afghan civilisation. Mistrust and paranoia set in causing alienation and disillusion. Armadillo is a journey into the soldier’s mind and a unique film on the mythological story of man and war, staged in its contemporary version in Afghanistan.

With the original intention of empowering a citizenry’s ability to defend themselves against a corrupt or tyrannical government, the concept today may seem farfetched or the makings of a Hollywood blockbuster. However, it has happened throughout U.S. history. And long before gun control was positioned as a “common sense measure” to combat violence, it was used as a means to oppress certain minority groups. Presently, the growing trend in gun control favors the wealthy and privileged, who leverage their connections to ensure their Second Amendment rights and safety, while those of lesser means struggle. Informative and emotionally charged, “Assaulted: Civil Rights Under Fire” is an eye-opening look at the genesis of the Second Amendment to the Constitution, leading the audience to rethink the issues surrounding gun control, and the effect on civil rights and liberty. After all, what you don’t know can kill you.

Set in 19th Century Japan a young samurai who finds himself in love with a farm girl leaves his home to begin a new life. He has to take stock of his new life when he is put to the test and ordered to kill a traitor who just happens to be his dearest friend.